I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but the Linux & SteamOS port of Killing Floor 2 [Steam, Official Site] has been put on hold. Although, it's not all doom and gloom.
I spoke over email with Tripwire, and I asked about the status of the previously confirmed version and their reply was this:
QuoteThe last official statement on it remains true. It is on hold as we work find somebody who is capable of helping us complete it.
This was confusing, since their last official word on it I could find said "Currently it looks like Linux files will come post launch but we are working towards that" (found here). I searched various places they post information, but couldn't find anything related to their email to me.
Their FAQ on Steam which still notes Linux & SteamOS as being planned hasn't been updated since April as well.
I asked for confirmation on where they stated this (other than the email to me now), but no reply.
I was really looking forward to it, so I'm pretty sad at this. The first Killing Floor was really damn fun, and I've put plenty of hours into it.
Hopefully if a developer or two get in touch with Tripwire, things can get rolling once again. I am hoping by highlighting this, that something can be sorted.
It's likely to be a long time until it arrives on Linux. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Well, we have to admit. Valve tried to make Linux a viable gaming platform but they failed miserably at execution and it seems none of the major players in the industry is taking SteamOS seriously. Very sad. Though they did give Linux gaming a great push.
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If it's coded in C++, it's a job for Aaron Melcher of Knockout Games!
http://knockoutgames.co/
http://knockoutgames.co/
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Well, we have to admit. Valve tried to make Linux a viable gaming platform but they failed miserably at execution and it seems none of the major players in the industry is taking SteamOS seriously. Very sad. Though they did give Linux gaming a great push.
Care to explain the fault of Valve when Tripwire realizes that they actually have no clue on how to develop cross-platform games (or adapt for the Linux platform at least)? Why did they announce a Linux port at all (in the beginning it was even planned as day-1-release)? After all there are quite a few companies out there who don't have any problems with that. And Tripwire is anything but a "major player" - I'd see it more in the indie camp.
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I just hope someone steps up and Tripwire are willing to communicate with someone to get it done.
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Glad I was sitting down when I read this! ;) I though they were still in EA hell, and from the sounds of the comments on the release page, it sounds like they still are, but they've decided to release it anyway and be done. I doubt we'll ever see this on Linux.
The original game remains the game I've played most on Steam (about 60% on Windows and 40% on the graphically glitchy Linux version), so my pessimism cuts me deep. But after two and a half years of Early Access drudgery and added microtransactions, my hype and excitement for the sequel is dead and gone.
To announce PS4 support while STILL in Early Access AND after announcing day-1 Linux support is a huge slap in the face to fans who are buying to help shape a PC game too. Tripwire have lost my faith.
The original game remains the game I've played most on Steam (about 60% on Windows and 40% on the graphically glitchy Linux version), so my pessimism cuts me deep. But after two and a half years of Early Access drudgery and added microtransactions, my hype and excitement for the sequel is dead and gone.
To announce PS4 support while STILL in Early Access AND after announcing day-1 Linux support is a huge slap in the face to fans who are buying to help shape a PC game too. Tripwire have lost my faith.
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Well, we have to admit. Valve tried to make Linux a viable gaming platform but they failed miserably at execution and it seems none of the major players in the industry is taking SteamOS seriously. Very sad. Though they did give Linux gaming a great push.
Care to explain the fault of Valve when Tripwire realizes that they actually have no clue on how to develop cross-platform games (or adapt for the Linux platform at least)? Why did they announce a Linux port at all (in the beginning it was even planned as day-1-release)? After all there are quite a few companies out there who don't have any problems with that. And Tripwire is anything but a "major player" - I'd see it more in the indie camp.
Valve failed to market SteamOS as a competitor to consoles and instead marketted it as a competitor to Windows. They also failed to convince AAA studios to target the platform. Finally, they failed to convince retailers to carry Steam Machines in their stores. As a result, studios didn't take SteamOS seriously and didn't find it to be worth it to hire a Linux developer to do the porting.
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Valve failed to market SteamOS as a competitor to consoles and instead marketted it as a competitor to Windows. They also failed to convince AAA studios to target the platform. Finally, they failed to convince retailers to carry Steam Machines in their stores. As a result, studios didn't take SteamOS seriously and didn't find it to be worth it to hire a Linux developer to do the porting.But they did encourage Tripwire to hire a Linux dev? The problem is, he left, and Tripwire are struggling to recruit a replacement.
SteamOS was never touted as a competitor to either Windows or consoles, true, probably because doing so would be both suicide and (in the case of Windows) hurt their relationship with their primary source of income. A fine line had to be tread. It didn't work out in the way we were hoping, but while you're welcome to cast that at the feet of Valve, doing so would be disingenuous given that we wouldn't be having this conversation about SteamOS in the first place if they hadn't given Linux gaming an steroidal shot in the arm in the first place by supporting Linux when so few others actually did.
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It's a pitty. I loved Killing Floor (it was actually the first game I played on GNU/Linux after having abandoned another os).
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The 1st one was ported by icculus, but he seems to be very busy on other projects like SDL2, no wonder why he have not ported more games to linux or mac
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cRaZy-bisCuiT Nov 21, 2016
Does icculus programming SDL2 in favor of a company?
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Well, we have to admit. Valve tried to make Linux a viable gaming platform but they failed miserably at execution and it seems none of the major players in the industry is taking SteamOS seriously. Very sad. Though they did give Linux gaming a great push.
All in all, looking at responses, I'd say it's clear we don't have to admit any such thing.
And really, although I have a critique of Valve's execution and marketing of the Steam Machines myself, this seems an exaggeration painted with a too-broad brush and not that relevant as a response to this particular event.
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Valve failed to market SteamOS as a competitor to consoles and instead marketted it as a competitor to Windows. They also failed to convince AAA studios to target the platform. Finally, they failed to convince retailers to carry Steam Machines in their stores. As a result, studios didn't take SteamOS seriously and didn't find it to be worth it to hire a Linux developer to do the porting.
Wishful thinking on your side - nothing else. When did Valve advertise SteamOS as Windows alternative? Correct answer: never. They ported their own complete library and encouraged at least some studios to offer ports. Nowadays pretty much every game that gets a Mac port also receives a Linux port. After all: What do you expect with a 1% market share on Steam? The Steam Machines were indeed a letdown, but what's the relevance of that in this context? Tripwire announced a day-1-relase for SteamOS/Linux, then "a port". I assume they had a developer contracted for the port (or considered it feasible to do it in-house).
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GustyGhost Nov 22, 2016
What a fail fest.
Edit: Some elaboration, it wasn't too long ago they were looking for or had a "Linux engineer" to help get the port out sometime™ after launch. There were rumblings that it would have released last November... and here we are Nov2016. Yet another head on a stick warning others to develop for multiplat from the beginning.
Last edited by GustyGhost on 22 November 2016 at 3:43 am UTC
Edit: Some elaboration, it wasn't too long ago they were looking for or had a "Linux engineer" to help get the port out sometime™ after launch. There were rumblings that it would have released last November... and here we are Nov2016. Yet another head on a stick warning others to develop for multiplat from the beginning.
Last edited by GustyGhost on 22 November 2016 at 3:43 am UTC
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[email protected] Nov 22, 2016
Was looking forward to this.
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GustyGhost Nov 22, 2016
Was looking forward to this.
Then I hope you have binoculars.
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This was clear when they announced that KF2 would be using a highly customized version of the UE3 engine AFAIK. A very similar thing happened with their previous game RO2.
I think they went by the fact that UE3 had some working linux-ports, but those were never part of the official UE3 code base and Icculus at some point already mentioned that for customized UE2 & UE3 this meant basically a new port each time if I recall correctly.
Luckily with UE4 things have gotten slightly better and I think a somewhat working Linux port is not officially part of UE4, so even customized versions can start with something if they didn't go out of their way to brake compatibility.
I think they went by the fact that UE3 had some working linux-ports, but those were never part of the official UE3 code base and Icculus at some point already mentioned that for customized UE2 & UE3 this meant basically a new port each time if I recall correctly.
Luckily with UE4 things have gotten slightly better and I think a somewhat working Linux port is not officially part of UE4, so even customized versions can start with something if they didn't go out of their way to brake compatibility.
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Not a surprise. TripWire has been a big letdown ever since they went the standalone way, first Killing Floor could be retitled "DLC Simulator", but on Linux it's rather "Trying to aim through an opaque sniper scope Simulator". Yes, R. Gordon did the port, but they didn't wish to pay him for fixing it.
I don't think them stupid or ill-talented, but they surely lack in the "professionalism" department.
I don't think them stupid or ill-talented, but they surely lack in the "professionalism" department.
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lucifertdark Nov 22, 2016
Linux was a viable gaming platform long before Valve noticed, it just took them noticing that fact & supporting it to give others the necessary incentive to pull their collective fingers out & make some decent games.
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Well, we have to admit. Valve tried to make Linux a viable gaming platform but they failed miserably at execution and it seems none of the major players in the industry is taking SteamOS seriously. Very sad. Though they did give Linux gaming a great push.
Valve know its customers. It's very rare that the kids do not find something on Steam for Linux. One week after Rocket League had appeared for Linux my nephew ask for it. Coincidence? The kids stick to their YouTubers and Twitch stars. And I think Valve is looking very closely what's going on there.
The elderly will never switch to Linux/SteamOS. No matter whether such a shooter appears for it or not.
Last edited by 0aTT on 22 November 2016 at 7:21 am UTC
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