Larian Studios Detail Why The Linux Port Of Divinity Is Taking So Damn Long

I would love to play this, but the wait isn't so bad with all these other games on Linux worth playing.

How strange, only last night I went on Steam and their website to see about any updates but was disappointed. I'm not buying it till Linux release though.

I want that game! :)

What's a bit disappointing to me is that they don't even give a rough idea how long it may take. So obviously it's not around the corner. And probably they don't event try hard anymore to make that Linux port happen asap, but target the SteamOS/Machines launch later this year.

Well, that was great post from Larian. Unfortunately this kind of things just happens sometimes. I can wait, patience is a virtue :)

Considering that this game is already supposed to be a great experience, I'm really thrilled to see what the new "coolness" is that they'll be adding. In any case it's certain to be a great addition to the Linux "crpg-library".

As a side-note, I'm also eagerly awaiting "StarCrawlers", another rpg that now has a linux-beta available. Starcrawlers appears to be something like "Legend of Grimrock" in a space/sci-fi setting.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/318970/

http://steamcommunity.com/app/318970/discussions/0/610574106418335799/

I appreciate that they are not taking the easy route and are actually making their engine Linux compatible. This looks like a great game and I'm eager to play it, but I don't mind waiting for it. As FutureSuture said, there's plenty of games to keep me occupied, and one day this will be one of them.

I hope that "cool" thing is Vulkan support, and also hope Wasteland 2 with switching to Unity 5 get that too :P

I backed the project because they promised a Linux version, I have the game in my Steam library but I'm still waiting to play it. I understand the reasons that they are giving now, but they could have given them a year ago.

It seems clear to me that the Linux port was an afterthought without any planning behind it, maybe its not lying to the backers but as a customer I feel a bit deceived by its promised support.

Too bad there's no way of checking if your tools and middleware are supporting platforms promised during your kickstarter... Oh wait...

Why are these companies always vague about what middleware they used? Are you under NDA when using middleware, that no soul may know you used it?
When these companies cite middleware as the reason for no Linux port, I become cautious that it's really just a pretend issue so the normal, non-developer gamers won't argue, since they don't know anything about it (and can't study further about it, since no name is provided).

If this means that future Larian titles will have Linux support from the group up, then I'll gladly wait.

I can wait.

Definitely an instabuy when it comes out on Linux.

I am happy about waiting because it means that I can play these games fully patched.

Always "middleware" issues. I really wonder what does developers smoke. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate any efforts taking to supporting Linux and I know how in software-development something always goes wrong, but there are way too many developers out there who use(d) Kickstarter and promise certain features and OS-support while they use a middleware/engine (version) that can't handle that.

Looking at you (excerpt):

Contagion (old version of the source engine, no linux support)
7DaysToDie (now works [more or less], but before they used a middleware that only supported Windows)
...

there are _MANY_ more games out there, some I know, others I don't.

That's not a fine attitude towards pledgers. If I pledge toward a certain level and it gets reached I assume (naive boy that I am) that you will deliver before the end of time.

So glad I didn't support this game before. Don't get me wrong: I will probably buy it, once it's released for Linux. But before the devs won't see a cent out of my wallet!

And if it takes too long maybe I'll be occupied with other games.

Who cares - Pillars of Eternity comes out in 10 days. Wooooo :)))

As a backer of this, I have to admit that it's hard to keep my patience from wearing thin. I knew the Linux version would ship later than the Windows release, but I never expected it to be this much later. Still, they use their own engine and now have their own middleware. As written in the article, once they get this port done, future titles should hopefully all come to Linux and in a much more timely manner. With Pillars of Eternity a mere week and a half away, I can wait for this for another couple months.

tl;dr: it'll happen, but we don't know when, maybe in the next century. Well, too bad.

In the meanwhile Pillars of Eternity should release soon.

I'd guess in the addition of the usual "middleware" thing (seriously, you should think they'd check into whether or not their 3rd party modules support all platforms they want to deploy on before using them), it's probably a case of having only one person assigned to work on the Linux port in their spare time, because everyone else is busy with their next Windows game. :p

But hey, at least it will happen. Eventually. And as others have pointed out, Pillars of Eternity is around the corner.

While I think they should have done their homework a bit better in the beginning, I think the post by the dev was good and if the work they are putting in now makes for better future Linux support then good for them (and us).

This game looks like it will be a ton of fun when it comes out (for Linux). I just wished games like this had a "hack-n-slash" mode since I'm not generally a huge fan of turn based combat, but if the story and rest of the game is good enough I've dealt with turn based in the past (Wasteland 2 for one).

From the video above the game looks pretty mod-able. Maybe someone could mod in "hack-n-slash" mode ;)

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate any efforts taking to supporting Linux and I know how in software-development something always goes wrong ...
...
If I pledge toward a certain level and it gets reached I assume (naive boy that I am) that you will deliver before the end of time.

I'm a bit confused. What do you suggest they should have done?

This game looks like it will be a ton of fun when it comes out (for Linux). I just wished games like this had a "hack-n-slash" mode since I'm not generally a huge fan of turn based combat,

Doing both turn based and real time combat systems in a game never works. Both systems would just end up being mediocre. It's hard enough to balance one combat system in a game.

Thankfully Torchlight 2 just came out on Linux, and that game is right up your alley.