https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a3__6BknDHc
System Shock 2 as promised some-time ago is now on Linux, one thing to note is that this game is a wine-port.
Now, before you go getting in a huff at the use of Wine, the publisher did state the actual source-code had been lost, so they couldn't port it even if they wanted to. At least for this developer and publisher if we buy it then can see first hand the demand for Linux games to port future games that they do still have the source code for.
I also spoke to the developer of the wine-port today who also confirmed that the source is infact lost.
About
"Remember, it is my will that guided you here. It is my will that gave you your cybernetic implants, the only beauty in that meat you call a body. If you value that meat... you will do as I tell you."
The cult classic sci-fi horror FPS-RPG has returned.
You awake from the cold chill of your cryo-tube to discover cybernetic implants grafted to your flesh and the crew of the starship Von Braun slaughtered. The infected roam the halls, their screams and moans beckoning you to join them as the rogue artificial intelligence known as SHODAN taunts and ridicules your feeble attempt to unravel the horrifying mystery of the derelict starship Von Braun.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
System Shock 2 as promised some-time ago is now on Linux, one thing to note is that this game is a wine-port.
Now, before you go getting in a huff at the use of Wine, the publisher did state the actual source-code had been lost, so they couldn't port it even if they wanted to. At least for this developer and publisher if we buy it then can see first hand the demand for Linux games to port future games that they do still have the source code for.
I also spoke to the developer of the wine-port today who also confirmed that the source is infact lost.
About
"Remember, it is my will that guided you here. It is my will that gave you your cybernetic implants, the only beauty in that meat you call a body. If you value that meat... you will do as I tell you."
The cult classic sci-fi horror FPS-RPG has returned.
You awake from the cold chill of your cryo-tube to discover cybernetic implants grafted to your flesh and the crew of the starship Von Braun slaughtered. The infected roam the halls, their screams and moans beckoning you to join them as the rogue artificial intelligence known as SHODAN taunts and ridicules your feeble attempt to unravel the horrifying mystery of the derelict starship Von Braun.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Finally I can play system shock 2 and have it register as a Linux game :)
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Awesome! Hopefully they do Bioshock next :D
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Wine obviously isn't ideal, but they have a legitimate reason for it and at least this is their officially support version now.
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How can someone lose the Source Code? This is extent of carelessness.
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Wow, bought this game on Steam sale a year or so ago, never gotten to play it due to not bothering booting up the Windows partition.
Now I'm glad I didn't!
Now I'm glad I didn't!
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How can someone lose the Source Code? This is extent of carelessness.
Many ways after 15 years of moving around offices, developers, publishers etc.
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How can someone lose the Source Code? This is extent of carelessness.
It has been known to happen. There is a reason why Strife had to be reverse engineered using the Doom engine code, for instance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strife_(video_game)#Development
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How can someone lose the Source Code? This is extent of carelessness.
If a company owns the rights to the code and then goes bust, unless someone buys it (or an employee decides to steal it) before liquidation, the code will be lost. This has happened to a number of games as well as Strife and a number of Apogee / 3D Realms Games older games.
Bear in mind the times these games were developed as well, no cloud storage, volatile storage mediums and gaming was still very much a niche; with the games being developed by small companies that couldn't afford / didn't have the foresight for proper data protection.
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As others have said, source code being lost actually happens quite often, yes.
Well, they could have reverse-engineered it. I'm pretty sure there are people willing to do that if you pay them.
Hell, I'd be down for such jobs myself, provided the engine code gets released under the terms of the GPLv3. Well, maybe not System Shock 2; I never played that game after all and feel no connection to it.
so they couldn't port it even if they wanted to
Well, they could have reverse-engineered it. I'm pretty sure there are people willing to do that if you pay them.
Hell, I'd be down for such jobs myself, provided the engine code gets released under the terms of the GPLv3. Well, maybe not System Shock 2; I never played that game after all and feel no connection to it.
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I wonder if this isn't an April Fools joke as well. How long does it take to make a wine port? 10 minutes, including the time it takes to eat the pizza?
I'm not complaining, I just find it odd that they took half a year.
Also, didn't the SS2 sources get leaked recently, or was that just a rumour?
I'm not complaining, I just find it odd that they took half a year.
Also, didn't the SS2 sources get leaked recently, or was that just a rumour?
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Thats why I especially hate closed source! All closed source things are doomed to get lost in history, because there code gets "lost" over the years. One day the owner has no more interest in it and throws it away.
The binarys are nothing more than a shadow.
I want a copyright were people get forced to give their code to a official "registry" and in return they get the rights of a copyright of their software. After some years ( 10? or 20? ) the source should be free and available to everyone! It's like patents which also ensure that knowledge does not get lost ...
If they don't register their code their software should not have a copyright protection, they are on their own then. THIS is something I would really like to see.
The binarys are nothing more than a shadow.
I want a copyright were people get forced to give their code to a official "registry" and in return they get the rights of a copyright of their software. After some years ( 10? or 20? ) the source should be free and available to everyone! It's like patents which also ensure that knowledge does not get lost ...
If they don't register their code their software should not have a copyright protection, they are on their own then. THIS is something I would really like to see.
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I want a copyright were people get forced to give their code to a official "registry" and in return they get the rights of a copyright of their software. After some years ( 10? or 20? ) the source should be free and available to everyone!
Yes, and after a while we extend it to 30, 50 years, death/liquidation of author(s), and then to 70 years after that ;)
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hardpenguin Apr 2, 2014
I am actually looking forward to other classics ported with Wine, wasn't TopWare saying something about that? There will be GOG.com in few months so I guess I'll be happy if I'll just wait a little bit more :)
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Qantourisc Apr 2, 2014
I'm not sure to get it because they "ported" it to Linux, or thread it like any other Windows game, because I could run it in Wine...
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Well I streamed a bit on twitch last night for Linux folks and it worked well, only annoying thing is the auto-save is a bit rubbish and i lost all my progress :(
Took some configuring to get it into windowed mode too, but once that was done performance was utterly flawless.
Took some configuring to get it into windowed mode too, but once that was done performance was utterly flawless.
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Well... lost and lost... [They were found again](http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126456&page=31&p=2035146&viewfull=1#post2035146), but I'm guessing the legality of found source code versus old source code is beyond mere mortals.
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Well... lost and lost... [They were found again](http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126456&page=31&p=2035146&viewfull=1#post2035146), but I'm guessing the legality of found source code versus old source code is beyond mere mortals.
Indeed, a company can't just use someones "found" source-code, they would need to audit every-line character by character to make sure there was no tampering...and that's too time consuming for anyone to do.
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I am making standalone dosbox version of my old dos games (SS1, Ishar, syndicate wars etc. etc) but is there some manual/guide how to make your own standalone wine thingie, I know the prefix and everything but when you upgrade wine some older stuff stops working....
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Well... lost and lost... [They were found again](http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126456&page=31&p=2035146&viewfull=1#post2035146), but I'm guessing the legality of found source code versus old source code is beyond mere mortals.
It seems GOG were given full access to the source code to release it on their platform in 2013 (a year later) so I bet this whole 'lost' business is plain BS.
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It seems GOG were given full access to the source code to release it on their platform in 2013 (a year later) so I bet this whole 'lost' business is plain BS.
Source? As far as I'm aware, they just used the community patches, though I can't say I'm on top of Windows releases.
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