Well this was unexpected! 3D Realms is back, teaming up with Voidpoint for a brand new FPS named Ion Maiden [Steam, Official Site] and the first part is now available in Early Access with Linux support.
It's using an upgraded version of their "Build engine" to include bigger levels, more colour support and many more modern features. However, they said it's being built using original old-school tools and methodologies. They say it's the "true successor to classic shooters such as Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior and Blood".
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From the press release I got sent today:
Ion Maiden laughs at the idea of constant checkpoints and straight paths through shooting galleries. But just because this is a true old-school first-person shooter doesn’t mean there won’t be all the good new stuff the last two decades have brought. Headshots? Hell yeah. More physics and interactivity? You betcha. Widescreen, controller support, and Auto Saves? 3D Realms and Voidpoint took the best of both worlds and cooked it all into a bloody stew.
3D Realms and Voidpoint are proud to bring back the Build engine, which powered Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior, in all of its hand-crafted pixelated glory. They’ve spent a lot of time tinkering under the hood to take advantage of new technology and techniques. Bigger levels, hundreds of new colors, and morphing maps that transform mid-level are all just a few of the advancements made to the engine.
On top of crafting an oldschool FPS with modern touches, they are also hinting at some form of multiplayer too.
"Bringing back classic build-engine shooters has been our aim for years, so we’re diving right into a spiritual successor to the games which put 3D Realms on the map,” Frederik Schreiber, Vice President, 3D Realms. "The team assembled for this project knows exactly how to execute our vision, and we couldn't be more excited to finally bring back a true 3D Realms shooter."
Pretty nice that it has full Linux support—exciting! The current version is a "polished exclusive multi-hour preview campaign", with a plan for the full game to be ready in "Q3" of this year.
You can grab it from Steam, or from their official site for a fully DRM free build. From what I understand it will also head to GOG sometime as well, but I've not been told when.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
Really sad to see people dismissing this as nothing more than nostalgia pandering. Most "retro" shooters these days are either linear sequences of arenas or rogue-likes, and most modern shooters are dull roller coasters more interested in spectacle than gameplay. If Ion Maiden can reproduce the intricate level design of Duke 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood, it'll be something special, irrespective of its visual aesthetic. Dusk is the only other game I know of that's even trying to do something similar.
It's cool if it's not your style of game, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss an entire style of FPS that's currently woefully underrepresented just because this particular one has pixels.
It's cool if it's not your style of game, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss an entire style of FPS that's currently woefully underrepresented just because this particular one has pixels.
4 Likes, Who?
If you buy from the 3D Realms website, can you redeem the game on GOG.com or Steam later?
It is not clear whether GOG.com is ever going to get the preview campaign. All it says is that owners of Bombshell Digital Deluxe Edition already have it and that "the game will fully launch in Q3 2018".
It is not clear whether GOG.com is ever going to get the preview campaign. All it says is that owners of Bombshell Digital Deluxe Edition already have it and that "the game will fully launch in Q3 2018".
0 Likes
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoI am very tired of these "retro" games with really outdated graphics that use the homage to the old school as an excuse ...You're looking at it as a technical issue but it mainly isn't, it's an aesthetic issue (even the gameplay considerations Hamish describes are ultimately aesthetic issues--a matter of what style you are interested in). It's like, there can be reasons to make a black and white movie or take black and white photographs in the modern world.
In those days, the devs did what they could with the few hardware resources they had at hand ..
Today there is no technical excuse for those archaic graphics.
If it's not your taste then it's not your taste (it basically isn't mine either), but that doesn't mean people who have that taste are wrong. Framing it as some kind of technical failure that makes the people doing it simply at fault, is itself a category error.
De gustibus non est disputandum. Personally, the way I feel about this kind of enthusiasm for older styles is kind of the way I feel about jazz music--I think the idea is cool and wish I enjoyed the actual results more.
Meanwhile as to the game . . . cute name.
1 Likes, Who?
Hmmm... I wonder if this will work on a dos computer...
0 Likes
Comandante Ñoñardo Mar 1, 2018
It seems that the Linux version needs the file libSDL2_mixer-2.0.so for to run...
After Installed, the game runs, but it crash after a few seconds...
After Installed, the game runs, but it crash after a few seconds...
*** Error in `./IonMaiden_Linux.bin': free(): invalid next size (fast): 0x0000000004022740 ***
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aad0d]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x36cb0)[0x7fdddde85cb0]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(gsignal+0x37)[0x7fdddde85c37]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(abort+0x148)[0x7fdddde89028]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x732a4)[0x7fddddec22a4]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x7f82e)[0x7fddddece82e]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x440351]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4429ed]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x507912]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x41c3ed]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aa635]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aac87]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aad34]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x36cb0)[0x7fdddde85cb0]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(gsignal+0x37)[0x7fdddde85c37]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(abort+0x148)[0x7fdddde89028]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x732a4)[0x7fddddec22a4]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x7f82e)[0x7fddddece82e]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x440351]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4429ed]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x507912]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x41c3ed]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aa635]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aac87]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4aad34]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x36cb0)[0x7fdddde85cb0]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(gsignal+0x37)[0x7fdddde85c37]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(abort+0x148)[0x7fdddde89028]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x732a4)[0x7fddddec22a4]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x7f82e)[0x7fddddece82e]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x440351]
./IonMaiden_Linux.bin[0x4429ed]
Violación de segmento (`core' generado)
0 Likes
Luke_Nukem Mar 1, 2018
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoToday there is no technical excuse for those archaic graphics.
Except you know, time and money... I don't think 3DRealms has the luxury it used to have.
1 Likes, Who?
rustybroomhandle Mar 1, 2018
Regarding retro graphics. Yes, it was originally a technical limitation, but so was painting. Yes, they do it for nostalgic purposes usually, but why is that bad? Doesn't mean we have to throw out the aesthetics as we invent new ones? We did not stop drawing on canvas when art software became popular.
The value in keeping these older art styles is plenty. Working within the limitations causes you to think about how to present things, fundementally changing the way you communicate ideas. They are forms of art and we should not let it die.
Last edited by rustybroomhandle on 1 March 2018 at 3:00 pm UTC
The value in keeping these older art styles is plenty. Working within the limitations causes you to think about how to present things, fundementally changing the way you communicate ideas. They are forms of art and we should not let it die.
Last edited by rustybroomhandle on 1 March 2018 at 3:00 pm UTC
6 Likes, Who?
Running ok on my i5 with hd4000 graphics. Haven't had a chance to really get in to it yet but first 5 mins seem good
0 Likes
Quoting: Luke_NukemI read the whole article as "Iron Maiden"... Doh!This comment made me realize it is NOT actually Iron Maiden :D
I was wondering the whole time how they got the license to use the name...
3 Likes, Who?
Quoting: KithopI like how the system requirements listed on Steam are... just stupidly way higher than I think they actually are.
Does this *really* need 2GB RAM and a 1GB video card?
Hmmmm. ;p
Depends how much work they did on the build engine i would be interested to see if they are using the original code or have they picked a community free code and adapted that.
0 Likes
Quoting: Smoke39Really sad to see people dismissing this as nothing more than nostalgia pandering. Most "retro" shooters these days are either linear sequences of arenas or rogue-likes, and most modern shooters are dull roller coasters more interested in spectacle than gameplay. If Ion Maiden can reproduce the intricate level design of Duke 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood, it'll be something special, irrespective of its visual aesthetic. Dusk is the only other game I know of that's even trying to do something similar.
It's cool if it's not your style of game, but I don't think it's fair to dismiss an entire style of FPS that's currently woefully underrepresented just because this particular one has pixels.
I partially agree with you but personally I prefer my shooters the way they are now story driven i know they mostly are hardly original with their stories exceptions being the darkness etc. But yeah to each his own these type of game are not for me bc well i was there when these types of games were new playing doom and quake back in the day on my brothers 486, they were fun then but i find them really dull now.
1 Likes, Who?
90s style shooter AND its DRM free? I am SO game for this!!!
1 Likes, Who?
Mountain Man Mar 1, 2018
Quoting: GuestI'm glad 3D Realms is still around in one form or another.It's mostly just a name these days. I don't think the original owners -- George Broussard and Scott Miller -- are even involved with the company any more.
...which I suppose is a good thing considering they're the ones who ran it into the ground.
Last edited by Mountain Man on 1 March 2018 at 1:51 pm UTC
0 Likes
Quoting: Mountain ManI don't think the original owners -- George Broussard and Scott Miller -- are even involved with the company any more.
Scott Miller is definitely still involved with the new 3D Realms:
QuoteFounder Scott Miller, Manager Bryan Turner, and Community Manager Joe Siegler are all back. The very first employees of 3D Realms!George Broussard not so much:
QuoteGeorge is a very close friend of ours -- he's a huge part of the heart and soul of 3D Realms. George is still connected to us, but isn't active at this time. The door is always open, of course, and we hope to see George back in action in the future!Source: https://3drealms.com/faq/
Nice to see Joe Siegler is back as well.
Last edited by Hamish on 1 March 2018 at 5:43 pm UTC
0 Likes
inlinuxdude Mar 1, 2018
Quoting: TheSHEEEPQuoting: Luke_NukemI read the whole article as "Iron Maiden"... Doh!This comment made me realize it is NOT actually Iron Maiden :D
I was wondering the whole time how they got the license to use the name...
Do you think the band could enforce a game using that name, when the game makers could say it was just named after the torture device and not the band? I mean, that's where the band got their name, and I'm sure they didn't pay anything..
0 Likes
So I bought the game on the 3D Realms website but I am only seeing a Windows installer for the preview campaign. No Linux to be found.
Unless I find the the Linux build promised on the Ion Maiden page I am going to have to claim my refund.
Last edited by Hamish on 1 March 2018 at 6:03 pm UTC
Unless I find the the Linux build promised on the Ion Maiden page I am going to have to claim my refund.
Last edited by Hamish on 1 March 2018 at 6:03 pm UTC
0 Likes
Quoting: inlinuxdudeIt all depends on how bored the lawyer is ;)Quoting: TheSHEEEPQuoting: Luke_NukemI read the whole article as "Iron Maiden"... Doh!This comment made me realize it is NOT actually Iron Maiden :D
I was wondering the whole time how they got the license to use the name...
Do you think the band could enforce a game using that name, when the game makers could say it was just named after the torture device and not the band? I mean, that's where the band got their name, and I'm sure they didn't pay anything..
0 Likes
Quoting: inlinuxdudeYeah, but "Ion Maiden" is cleverer anyway.Quoting: TheSHEEEPQuoting: Luke_NukemI read the whole article as "Iron Maiden"... Doh!This comment made me realize it is NOT actually Iron Maiden :D
I was wondering the whole time how they got the license to use the name...
Do you think the band could enforce a game using that name, when the game makers could say it was just named after the torture device and not the band? I mean, that's where the band got their name, and I'm sure they didn't pay anything..
1 Likes, Who?
Mountain Man Mar 1, 2018
Quoting: HamishInteresting.Quoting: Mountain ManI don't think the original owners -- George Broussard and Scott Miller -- are even involved with the company any more.
Scott Miller is definitely still involved with the new 3D Realms:
QuoteFounder Scott Miller, Manager Bryan Turner, and Community Manager Joe Siegler are all back. The very first employees of 3D Realms!George Broussard not so much:
QuoteGeorge is a very close friend of ours -- he's a huge part of the heart and soul of 3D Realms. George is still connected to us, but isn't active at this time. The door is always open, of course, and we hope to see George back in action in the future!Source: https://3drealms.com/faq/
Quoting: HamishNice to see Joe Siegler is back as well.Haven't seen much of him lately. I'm a member of a private forum with a bunch of us from back before 3D Realms went bankrupt, and Joe used to post regularly, but not so much any more. This explains why.
Last edited by Mountain Man on 1 March 2018 at 6:58 pm UTC
0 Likes
Quoting: HamishSo I bought the game on the 3D Realms website but I am only seeing a Windows installer for the preview campaign. No Linux to be found.Like Hamish, I only see the Windows installer.
So I posted the question on their 3D Realms board.
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