Stardock CEO asking to see interest in Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation on Linux with Vulkan

Quoting: Guest

Quoting: BoldosYeah, my apologies for being this expressive, but when I saw the news, I got enraged.
I already supported them by buying the game when it got released on early access (with the hopes that I will get a Linux&Vulkan RTS game some day, as was promised). And of course I'm VERY glad that Stardock is willing to go this way. But they did not keep their promise; they also act as if nothing happened... So it must be stated that their behaviour is not correct and is not clean; this is what developer studios just must not do...

I can understand your point of view. I'm not exactly excited either. It's not actually that it was delayed, or that the devs said after they had a Vulkan port done. It's not even their silence on the matter previously.
What has me apathetic is their request for interest. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but to me it seems like the GNU/Linux crowd has to somehow prove themselves worthy of Stardock when it really should be the other way around: Stardock must prove themselves worthy of the GNU/Linux crowd. I just don't get the impression that they're taking GNU/Linux seriously, at all.

Given some of the discussions, this is all mostly just me explaining why I'm not so enthusiastic about the news. I'm not advocating anything, it's just "meh" to me. The irony though is that I already have the game in my Steam library. It came bundled with my graphics card.

I'm incredibly surprised to see this from someone I know who's as smart as you are.

When did more and more people start being of the attitude that developers have to prove themselves to us? Prove what exactly? We are a tiny platform often not worth porting to, I really wish people would stop acting like a developer is a devil for pushing us down on their list.

We are bloody lucky to have the games we do, let's not overestimate our worth. That will harm us, not help us.

Signed. It looks to be the best RTS since Planetary Annihilation.

Stardock has released some bitchin' games, and I'd love to see some of their titles ported to Linux.


Last edited by oldrocker99 on 28 May 2017 at 5:53 pm UTC

I generally share mirv's opinion on the matter. I don't like these threads, whether they are started by users or developers. I don't think they serve any practical use. Only a small number will users will ever reply to them. So after that, you're still left with the same question: how many people could potentially be interested. Ideally you'd want developers to create a port because it's the right thing to do. It happens (kudos to those that do), but the norm is that the investment must be earner back with profit. So then developers still have to go back to the general statistics, decide if there are reasons why sales may be higher or lower among Linux users, and determine whether this is worth their porting investment. So if the thread is useful at all, it will be to point the finger at how few people responded and that a port is not feasible because of it.

So no, I won't respond to such requests, even if I want the game.

QuoteIf you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Oh give me break. Of course there is interest in a Linux version. Why do developers even bother asking this question?

Quoting: Mountain Man

QuoteIf you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Oh give me break. Of course there is interest in a Linux version. Why do developers even bother asking this question?

I just signed. :)

Please also vote here: https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/ashes_of_the_singularity_for_linux

Quoting: ShmerlPlease also vote here: https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/ashes_of_the_singularity_for_linux

I only vote once, since I only will buy it once. It's to give them an idea of the interest, so they need to know how high the interest is on those platforms to get an overall picture.

Quoting: Mountain Man

QuoteIf you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Oh give me break. Of course there is interest in a Linux version. Why do developers even bother asking this question?

The question is: How large is the interest? Could a port be worth it? Is it worth the risk?

Quoting: STiAT

Quoting: Mountain Man

QuoteIf you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Oh give me break. Of course there is interest in a Linux version. Why do developers even bother asking this question?

The question is: How large is the interest? Could a port be worth it? Is it worth the risk?

If i understand correctly , what got peoples feathers ruffled is that Linux support was promised and now they are dicking us around asking if we "have interest".

Just my understanding of it thus far. Could be wrong.

Quoting: liamdawe

Quoting: Guest

Quoting: BoldosYeah, my apologies for being this expressive, but when I saw the news, I got enraged.
I already supported them by buying the game when it got released on early access (with the hopes that I will get a Linux&Vulkan RTS game some day, as was promised). And of course I'm VERY glad that Stardock is willing to go this way. But they did not keep their promise; they also act as if nothing happened... So it must be stated that their behaviour is not correct and is not clean; this is what developer studios just must not do...

I can understand your point of view. I'm not exactly excited either. It's not actually that it was delayed, or that the devs said after they had a Vulkan port done. It's not even their silence on the matter previously.
What has me apathetic is their request for interest. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but to me it seems like the GNU/Linux crowd has to somehow prove themselves worthy of Stardock when it really should be the other way around: Stardock must prove themselves worthy of the GNU/Linux crowd. I just don't get the impression that they're taking GNU/Linux seriously, at all.

Given some of the discussions, this is all mostly just me explaining why I'm not so enthusiastic about the news. I'm not advocating anything, it's just "meh" to me. The irony though is that I already have the game in my Steam library. It came bundled with my graphics card.

I'm incredibly surprised to see this from someone I know who's as smart as you are.

When did more and more people start being of the attitude that developers have to prove themselves to us? Prove what exactly? We are a tiny platform often not worth porting to, I really wish people would stop acting like a developer is a devil for pushing us down on their list.

We are bloody lucky to have the games we do, let's not overestimate our worth. That will harm us, not help us.

Exactly my thoughts, but:
The promising/announcing and revoking later has to stop as well. They can say "we'll look into if it's worth doing a Linux version at a later stage of development..". No harm done, we know we're a tiny platform, and we know it's probably a loss porting a game for us. And we know very well about our platforms shortcomings in the graphics stack (X/OpenGL/drivers - Vulkan still needs work as well).

I get a bit bitter as well thinking on how many games were not released or just "drawn back" after they were announced officially. It's the reason I do own TW3 (and I did install Windows on a drive just to play that one after I had bought it full-price).

That said, I think we should be fair to developers, but I expect this to be in both directions. If no definitive decision is done and/or they're still unsure that a port will release, communicate it that way. There is absolutely no harm for us knowing it's still in doubt if a port will come or not, and there wouldn't be any disappointment - since nothing was promised.

Just bring it already, and don't care to much about the trash talk. Waste of time.

Quoting: EhvisI generally share mirv's opinion on the matter. I don't like these threads, whether they are started by users or developers. I don't think they serve any practical use. Only a small number will users will ever reply to them. So after that, you're still left with the same question: how many people could potentially be interested. Ideally you'd want developers to create a port because it's the right thing to do. It happens (kudos to those that do), but the norm is that the investment must be earner back with profit. So then developers still have to go back to the general statistics, decide if there are reasons why sales may be higher or lower among Linux users, and determine whether this is worth their porting investment. So if the thread is useful at all, it will be to point the finger at how few people responded and that a port is not feasible because of it.

So no, I won't respond to such requests, even if I want the game.

Also keep in mind that there are not only developers in a company. Management often makes decisions like these, and I wouldn't be surprised if this thread was from a developer trying to show management that there's money to be made on the platform.

Not every game studio is a two person company with a CEO that's a developer with strong moral principles. As sad as it might be, a lot of them are here to do what companies do; maximize profit (though there are some outliers).

I for one wouldn't throw the rock at this person outreaching to us.


Last edited by MayeulC on 30 May 2017 at 6:06 am UTC

Quoting: MayeulC

Quoting: EhvisI generally share mirv's opinion on the matter. I don't like these threads, whether they are started by users or developers. I don't think they serve any practical use. Only a small number will users will ever reply to them. So after that, you're still left with the same question: how many people could potentially be interested. Ideally you'd want developers to create a port because it's the right thing to do. It happens (kudos to those that do), but the norm is that the investment must be earner back with profit. So then developers still have to go back to the general statistics, decide if there are reasons why sales may be higher or lower among Linux users, and determine whether this is worth their porting investment. So if the thread is useful at all, it will be to point the finger at how few people responded and that a port is not feasible because of it.

So no, I won't respond to such requests, even if I want the game.

Also keep in mind that there are not only developers in a company. Management often makes decisions like these, and I wouldn't be surprised if this thread was from a developer trying to show management that there's money to be made on the platform.

Not every game studio is a two person company with a CEO that's a developer with strong moral principles. As sad as it might be, a lot of them are here to do what companies do; maximize profit (though there are some outliers).

I for one wouldn't throw the rock at this person outreaching to us.

This person, as mentioned in the article, IS the CEO of Stardock.

Quoting: liamdawe

Quoting: MayeulC

Quoting: EhvisI generally share mirv's opinion on the matter. I don't like these threads, whether they are started by users or developers. I don't think they serve any practical use. Only a small number will users will ever reply to them. So after that, you're still left with the same question: how many people could potentially be interested. Ideally you'd want developers to create a port because it's the right thing to do. It happens (kudos to those that do), but the norm is that the investment must be earner back with profit. So then developers still have to go back to the general statistics, decide if there are reasons why sales may be higher or lower among Linux users, and determine whether this is worth their porting investment. So if the thread is useful at all, it will be to point the finger at how few people responded and that a port is not feasible because of it.

So no, I won't respond to such requests, even if I want the game.

Also keep in mind that there are not only developers in a company. Management often makes decisions like these, and I wouldn't be surprised if this thread was from a developer trying to show management that there's money to be made on the platform.

Not every game studio is a two person company with a CEO that's a developer with strong moral principles. As sad as it might be, a lot of them are here to do what companies do; maximize profit (though there are some outliers).

I for one wouldn't throw the rock at this person outreaching to us.

This person, as mentioned in the article, IS the CEO of Stardock.

Whoops, I just realized that when reading the notification title.
My bad, I read the article a few days back, but the comments only today.

Anyway, it was meant as a general remark, not necessarily a theory for this story. And to be fair, CEOs as well sometimes have to explain their motives tho the sales Dept :P
Or could be asking on the behalf of someone else/after a team meeting, or something different altogether.

What I mean here, is that it is not that simple to judge their motives, and they shouldn't be speculated upon (or at least, you shouldn't act on them). All we know is that they are interested in knowing who is interested; just say so if you are ;)

Although I can understand @mirv, it is not necessarily a good thing to just ignore completely this thread, especially if we can't tell the exact logic behind it.

Just my 2 cents, but I hope this is clearer.

Quoting: STiAT

Quoting: Mountain Man

QuoteIf you are interested in a Linux version, please sign here.

Oh give me break. Of course there is interest in a Linux version. Why do developers even bother asking this question?

The question is: How large is the interest? Could a port be worth it? Is it worth the risk?

Yeah, you're not going to get that information through an informal, voluntary survey on a message forum. You need to do an accrual marketing study.

Looks like I just got the game, but unfortunately I'm unable to play it as it's not yet on Linux!

So Ashes of the Singularity is in the current Humble Monthly.. So my guess is half the the ppl responding with +1 in the list will already own it once released on Linux officially. Probably not even counting as a Linux sale. ;-)

DLCs might still be worth it for them. Maybe.

I mean it's just a feeling, I might be totally wrong here. Still, I would have bought it directly on Steam and no I won't / don't have to.

I wasn't that interested in it before, but now that it's unredeemed in my Humble Bundle account, I'd like Linux support. :)