Scrolls is a bit of a sad song for Linux and for me especially as I purchased it on their public promise of a Linux version, and with their release of a roadmap Linux is nowhere in sight.
We have covered what's happened with Scrolls a fair bit, but a little history lesson:
- Jakob Porser at Mojang tweeted that Linux will be supported in November 2012
- In July 2013 jonkagstrom from Mojang said it will be "soon"
- Måns Olson stated at the end of 2013 they fully intend to support Linux
- In May 2014 Henrik Pettersson stated they needed a new launcher, and it may not happen until after the final Windows release
- September 2014 they release their official roadmap with no mention of Linux, but it does mention their final release will be this Autumn.
- Måns Olson stated to us on twitter the launcher again is the issue, and there is no ETA for Linux again. The real problem is detailed in the tweet below:
@gamingonlinux The new one makes it easier. It runs, but we have dependencies that aren't part of default setups.
— Måns Olson (@MansOlson) September 2, 2014
I'm not entirely sure why dependencies are an issue. Lots of games come with tons of dependencies so that users don't have to hunt for them.
This is why we repeatedly tell you to not pre-order or buy anything until the Linux version is released or you can end up waiting more than a while. It's very sad as Scrolls is actually a fantastic turn based strategy with card deck building and battles that play out on screen. I'm still personally excited for it, but I feel rather burnt by buying it on their promise that hasn't yet been fulfilled.
The main thing is communication. If you promise a Linux version and it's being pushed back then just say why. All we as Linux gamers (and customers) want is to be kept in the loop. Having to keep asking for updates manually for nearly 2 years does get understandably frustrating.
Did anyone else buy it on their promise? Let us know. I can't wait to play it once it's finally available for us.
I think the "promised linux port never materialises" issue might be quite a problem with indies. They have lots of priorities and little manpower, so I guess we're easier to put off until later. There is no way that two years wasn't enough to port Scrolls. They just haven't worked on it. Or they've been working on it on and off.
I'm kinda disappointed with the performance of Xcom's port, but still, I think companies who specialize in porting to linux might be our best bet. You know that these guys will be 100% focused on getting the job done.
Granitosaurus Sep 3, 2014
Quoting: SkarjakI think the "promised linux port never materialises" issue might be quite a problem with indies. They have lots of priorities and little manpower, so I guess we're easier to put off until later. There is no way that two years wasn't enough to port Scrolls. They just haven't worked on it. Or they've been working on it on and off.
I'm pretty sure Mojang has enough money to invest in a linux port, the whole game seems to be stuck in developement hell in all honesty. Now regarding cs:go I'm just as disappointed as well, but it runs pretty well on Play On Linux with 1.7.1 CSMT wine and registry fix (CSMT enabled over at wine/direct3d, you can find more info online. So I'm running around 120fps on 275gtx which is just slightly worse than windows. I think the two main reasons it's not out yet is because cheat protection handling and Valve seems to be moving most of their projects to source 2 which should have better Linux support so maybe they are waiting for that.
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