Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition Delayed For Linux, Again

Sadly as a kickstarter backer this is the game that made me stop investing in other games... We need a Jim Sterling type to slam these guys into the mud for us few voiceless Linux lovers.... Linux version promised... promise broken, Linux version of new game promised... promise broken. Day 1 Linux release of updated original games, promise broken... SAVE US JIM! #fvcklarian!

Liam,

I think it is important to note that Kickstarter is NOT a store. Companies are asking for money to help build a product they can hopefully finish. More than likely they are also getting funding from other sources. When someone gives money to Kickstarter, they should be doing it for one reason only - they like the idea and want to see it succeed. Do NOT fund kickstarter based off promises, those promises mean nothing, especially if other real investors put enough money in to have a controlling or vocal say in the direction of the product.... such investors (from other sources) could eventually decide that promises made on kickstarter were bad business decisions and decide that either the company drops those promises or they lose a main source of funding.

Is this really, really annoying - yes, I'm just as pissed and annoyed as anyone else, but as someone who's had to deal with the politics in the Tech and Gaming industry at various levels, nothing is EVER as simple as it seems. We make assumptions b/c we are passionate, but many of these "I paid as a kickstarter backer" attitudes simply refuse to acknowledge that kickstarter is NOT a store - it's a funding site. ONLY give money for projects you want to freely give money and NOT out of an expectation for a Linux version.

When someone gives money to Kickstarter, they should be doing it for one reason only - they like the idea and want to see it succeed.

And if you like the idea of playing great RPGs on Linux, why wouldn't you pledge? I DO agree that a promise is a promise, but words have their weight, too. Let us prove our trust has some weight as well. And if the only way we can express it is money, because as a damn company they seem to only understand this (and this is sad, well it is contrary to the open source way of thinking but I won't open this door because it's a particularly dangerous topic), so be it.

Someone telling us "be thankful, they are kind enough to port it to your sh*tty OS" and "they are a company they just want money" in the same sentence is contradictory. If they are kind, if you want us to be thankful, well let them honour their promises, because money is money and it doesn't have anything to do with kindness and gratitude in my books.


Last edited by omer666 on 21 October 2015 at 8:08 pm UTC

My one pledge isn't going to make all that much difference

That's right, but reporting in the article that you don't pledge and why you don't, does influence the many article's readers, which isn't insignificant. And that's why I replied to that, to counter this influence, not to change your mind specifically.

Liam, I think it is important to note that Kickstarter is NOT a store.

Also, Liam doesn't need to tell us what Kickstarter is or is not. In real life, investors turn their back on the company, they sell their stock options, and ultimately the company shuts its doors. If you want us to react this way, so be it. But I thought backing projects on Kickstarters or supporting open source systems was a bit more human than this.

Liam, I think it is important to note that Kickstarter is NOT a store.

Also, Liam doesn't need to tell us what Kickstarter is or is not. In real life, investors turn their back on the company, they sell their stock options, and ultimately the company shuts its doors. If you want us to react this way, so be it. But I thought backing projects on Kickstarters or supporting open source systems was a bit more human than this.

True, but in if you think of it like how Wall Street works, most people putting money into stocks (investing) do NOT have any reasonable controlling stake in the company because their contribution or "Ownership" of the Company's value is so small compared to the larger investors.... same goes for Kickstarter.... we provide funds to help fund the development/production of a product, but we pay so little compared to the larger investors that we, more or less, don't "have a vote". Just like the average joe buying stocks in Google, Facebook, MacDonald's, etc has no "vote" in the direction of the company.

Business and Investing etiquette have never and probably never follow any sort of common sense. That's just the way it works. Don't give to kickstarter unless you're willing to lose that money.........

Doesn't mean we can't be angry, but how we react to this affects how other game devs may perceive linux gamers and may even affect their willingness to port to linux. Show your anger with your wallet, NOT harsh comments. Those comment make us as a whole look bad.


Last edited by EagleDelta on 21 October 2015 at 8:27 pm UTC

Liam, I think it is important to note that Kickstarter is NOT a store.

Also, Liam doesn't need to tell us what Kickstarter is or is not. In real life, investors turn their back on the company, they sell their stock options, and ultimately the company shuts its doors. If you want us to react this way, so be it. But I thought backing projects on Kickstarters or supporting open source systems was a bit more human than this.

True, but in if you think of it like how Wall Street works, most people putting money into stocks (investing) do NOT have any reasonable controlling stake in the company because their contribution or "Ownership" of the Company's value is so small compared to the larger investors.... same goes for Kickstarter.... we provide funds to help fund the development/production of a product, but we pay so little compared to the larger investors that we, more or less, don't "have a vote". Just like the average joe buying stocks in Google, Facebook, MacDonald's, etc has no "vote" in the direction of the company.

Business and Investing etiquette have never and probably never follow any sort of common sense. That's just the way it works. Don't give to kickstarter unless you're willing to lose that money.........

Yes, I agree upon the nature on investing, and you are completely right.
What I wanted to point out is that you tell us to be thankful whereas you are using the argument of "they only understand money, it's not their fault". Sorry but I can't hear this argument in this particular context. If money is all they want, they won't have mine, and yes, I think the whole situation is very, VERY ridiculous on their part.

I don't want to be aggressive or anything, but come on, don't ask us our forgiveness because they are more interested in money than in being honest.

Doesn't mean we can't be angry, but how we react to this affects how other game devs may perceive linux gamers and may even affect their willingness to port to linux. Show your anger with your wallet, NOT harsh comments. Those comment make us as a whole look bad.

I think in some situations, we can, and we must.
In many other cases, we observed overreactions, and I for once don't agree with many of them.
If you vote with your wallet and don't explain why, developers end up stating "Linux isn't worth the money" and we're in an even more sh*tty situation.


Last edited by omer666 on 21 October 2015 at 8:45 pm UTC

I think in some situations, we can, and we must.
In many other cases, we observed overreactions, and I for once don't agree with many of them.
If you vote with your wallet and don't explain why, developers end up stating "Linux isn't worth the money" and we're in an even more sh*tty situation.

Agreed, but it must be done with tact. Perception is a political game, not an honest one unfortunately. We either have to learn, as a community, to play the game or get out. It sucks, it means we don't always say exactly what we think. Put our best foot forward, even when the devs don't - if only to improve the public perception of the Linux Gaming community... which doesn't have a good rap right now.

My one pledge isn't going to make all that much difference

That's right, but reporting in the article that you don't pledge and why you don't, does influence the many article's readers, which isn't insignificant. And that's why I replied to that, to counter this influence, not to change your mind specifically.

As with everything I write, they are my views. I share my views on my website, people can take them or leave them. I won't shy away from my own views though, that's my purpose of being here.

I get what your comment was trying to do, but it's exactly the same with mine ;).

Also, Liam doesn't need to tell us what Kickstarter is or is not. In real life, investors turn their back on the company, they sell their stock options, and ultimately the company shuts its doors. If you want us to react this way, so be it. But I thought backing projects on Kickstarters or supporting open source systems was a bit more human than this.

Money is not unlimited, especially mine. I don't personally like spending money on something that does not exist (and may never for us), when there are plenty I should be paying for and testing/reporting on that already do.

Considering how many people repeatedly tell me they are upset with x developer breaking promises, I think it's important to highlight issues like this, especially when it's another broken promise.


Last edited by Liam Dawe on 21 October 2015 at 8:55 pm UTC

I've been happy with the games I helped Kickstart, can't wait for Torment and Bard's Tale IV, but I guess I'm more selective in the games I have helped to crowd fund.

This is so pathetic, I'd like to laugh ... but Larian already has my money for this game, so instead, maybe I should cry.

When I used the word invest I was serious it was an investment. I believed in helping bring what I thought was a fun looking game to Linux because they promised it. I would gladly pay them 20 fold and not get them game just to have them of brought it to Linux like promised. Stocks fall all the time when companies fall short of their goals/expectations/projected earnings so why can't I be angry at a company promising things it doesn't deliver on when I become an investor?

Just to be clear to the guy who said give money because you want to, what if I made a kick starter promising some great graphics RPG that also has FPS elements on it and it's cross platform!!! Turns out I couldn't make good on my promises and it's a simple 2 minute orthographic "game" where fish rain out of the sky killing you instantly and only runs on c64 but that's okay right? To not make good on promises like that? Because people "wanted" to give me money?


Last edited by Xzyl on 21 October 2015 at 9:41 pm UTC

This is so pathetic, I'd like to laugh ... but Larian already has my money for this game, so instead, maybe I should cry.

And Larian is laughing all the way to the bank.

I always said that kickstarter must be a option what the reason that you support this game of development, if you don' t get the goal they must refund their money.
Lot of company that use kickstarter promise the heaven and the end the just bring some stuff nothing that is promised.
I believe the best is not support that kind of games and wait for them release it, or make better the option of supporter.
Anyway there are bunch of game as the game already on linux and buy it they need the support not the missing it. sword coast look amazing, pilars of eternity and more there is where need the money make a promise and they did it.

Not *too* surprising, I bought the game when I was still a Windows gamer so I don't feel the same way as most people do around here, but I certainly understand their frustration.

After the buggy mess Wasteland 2 DC is, I was hoping D: OS would finally give me something to crunch on this month. I remain positive that Larian will deliver, this is their own engine and takes longer than Unity/Unreal projects.

Hopefully this will also mean that D: OS 2 will have a better fate, and possibly Dragon Commander too?


Last edited by Avehicle7887 on 22 October 2015 at 3:06 am UTC

Aww man don't bum me out with all this "kickstarters will never be fair to linux users" stuff. I kickstarted Yooka-Laylee not long ago and unlike all you RPG people that have alternatives there really is no alternative for a 3D platformer on linux.

Agreed with Liam on the Kickstarter thing, but mainly because I think as a means of securing funds it panders to an audience, limiting the creative vision of the creators. Essentially Kickstarter is doing the opposite of what many of its proponents claim to do - it limits artistic vision by forcing it to play by the rules of the market. So many of the big kickstarted games make it because they appeal to an almost fetishistic level of nostalgia and then fill the game with fan service, trying to satisfy its backers who want everything and nothing at the same time. So many bland games just dripping with fanservice have come out of kickstarter.

That said, I don't think this is always the case. I recently backed The Journey Down 3, but this is a game where I know the creators have a clear vision of what they want to do, and they've done it extremely well twice already so there's no doubt they can deliver. I just think this is becoming increasingly rare now and there's far more Double Fines than there are FTLs - it's becoming a gravy train for developers to exploit the nostalgia of gamers rather than the hotbed of creativity some claim it to be.

I'm tired reading these postpones, they should not deserve such public attention, and rather make news when they will actually release the game and not their promises. There are other better game studios who deserve more attention than them.

So, Raze from Larian replied to the complaints in the Steam forum:

Things can take longer than expected, and projections for software development are sometimes wrong even when trying to be conservative when planning.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/230230/discussions/0/37470847983004609/?tscn=1445447544#c483368433107447441


Last edited by TobiSGD on 22 October 2015 at 10:08 am UTC

So, Raze from Larian replied to the complaints in the Steam forum:

Things can take longer than expected, and projections for software development are sometimes wrong even when trying to be conservative when planning.

Yeah, no sympathy from me. Missing a release window is one thing. Larian, on the other hand, has basically been flipping the bird to their Linux customers for nearly two-years. It's inexcusable.

I gave up looking forward to this game ages ago. So many new and exciting games are coming out for LInux nowadays that I can't be bothered with a has-been title like D:OS.

Indeed, I've all but forgotten about it, and it only think of it when Larian Studios is either creating or crushing the hope of Linux users with their announcements.

Like the Stanley Parable, I'll wait till it goes on sale because, after all this time, it's just another old game to me. A cool old game, granted, and one that I'll buy eventually, no doubt. But it's yesterday's news, and I'll not pine over it.