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Sad news, Facepunch are no longer selling the Linux version of their survival game Rust [Official Site] after removing mentions of Linux support yesterday from their Steam page.
Linux support has been available in Rust since 2013, along with continued support during Early Access and after the official release earlier this year. It was a bit of a surprise that we got an email from a reader, to mention that the Steam store page for Rust was no longer showing the SteamOS/Linux icon or listing it in the system requirements.
Thinking it was a mistake, since nothing was announced, I reached to Facepunch to which they replied with:
Hey dude - yeah we stopped selling Rust for Linux.
I did request more information as to why and will update this article if I receive any further information. To be fair, they haven't had a lot of time to respond again yet, but I feel it's important to get the word out.
It's possible it's due to issues with the Unity game engine, which has suffered some nuisance problems with their Linux support lately. We've gone through black screens, no input in fullscreen and the latest being double-input issues—all issues that have plagued a number of games that use Unity. All of which have been solved in updated versions of Unity though. Still, it has become more of a hassle for developers to support us due to issues like this repeatedly coming up.
To be clear on something though, it might only mean that they're not actively advertising it as a Linux supported game, while still allowing Linux users to buy it and play it—something a few other developers do as well. I highly doubt they would actually remove the Linux version, after it being around for so long.
Really sad about this, we have an active community-run server with plenty of people enjoying themselves on it. Sin has livestreamed plenty of it on our Twitch Channel, purchased skins and all. With all the additions to the game, it was really becoming quite interesting. Even I was also going to be jumping back in soon, so this has me a little down as I did quite enjoy the game as well.
As always, please remain respectful in the comments. Issues like this can become quite heated, but let's not go throwing any insults around. Now is a time to show your support, not have a war of words.
Updates
Garry responded on Twitter and said this:
We stopped selling Rust on Linux because we won't/don't give it the QA support it needs. There are situations where there's a Unity Linux bug that pops up, and we ship with it - because it's the right decision for 99.99% of our players.
And while 60% of Linux users are fine with this, they understand their position in this world, it's probably not the right thing to act like it's fine. So while we're still going to ship Linux updates and keep it up to date.. we're not going to sell it anymore.
Also Linux Community - being abusive, demanding, rude to the few developers actually shipping games to your favourite OS isn't the way to go. It makes me regret ever shipping Linux versions.
I've said it before and I will say it again: Developers are human, people do need to understand that and not resort to throwing insults around right away. Even so, if you sell a game on any platform you should be doing QA on it—there's no excuse for not doing it.
Update #2 - Here's what another developer said on Reddit:
Linux is and will still be supported but the decision to remove Linux from purchase was mainly based on multiple issues in the current Unity version (2018.1.4).
We're currently unable to downgrade to a Unity version which corrects these Linux issues and we're unable to upgrade Unity to 2018.2 due to a number of new issues.
Linux is in a state of limbo in which we're unable to resolve, instead of selling a broken platform we decided to remove it from purchase but still offer it to existing players.
Once Linux is in a working state we'll review the decision.
Hat tip to Basiani for letting us know.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: LeopardWhy are you always insulting?I take issue with people making stuff up about me like you're doing, simple really. Don't make idiotic claims about me and I won't call you out on it.
I was not saying anything bad either , why all that fury in your comments?
I'm not accusing you either , just saying that " We need to protect devs from outraging Linux users for the sake of Linux gaming , so let's be much more careful with our words " attitude is not always welcome. We have grown ( mentally ) a bit as you can see , so rather that blowing up to the devs , we are blowing out to each other here like you did just now.
Quoting: EgonautYes. Unless you live in a country without free speech, he is allowed to be as condescending and insulting as he wants, fascist.Quoting: kfWell, He's a Brit.So because someone is from Britain, he's allowed to insult others? Interesting..
Quoting: EgonautHighly toxic.Quoting: kfAnd a nazi, right?Grow up.
Edit: messed up comment nesting.
Last edited by kf on 27 July 2018 at 10:10 pm UTC
Quoting: silentprocyonDon't know guys. I don't feel like we're "abusive, demanding, rude" community. If you don't do QA and people that pays money for something finds out that it doesn't work, I would really understand that some people piss off with me. I mean, imagine the scenario if you give the same QA to Windows community... Is really like a chicken-egg problem this.Exactly. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a product you've bought to work, or at least for the developers to do their utmost to ensure that it does, even if it's a third party's fault that it doesn't. (Although honestly I'm suspicious about that. The NVidia workaround doesn't work for me - just tried it; no difference - and while Unity certainly has its problems, I've never had such serious issues with a Unity game before. Not even close.)
Look, I can't really talk. As far as I recall, I either got Rust for free, or it was in a bundle I bought for something else. I'm not really into online multiplayer anyway. It was only when I heard there was a GoL server and I realised I had a copy that I thought I'd give it a go. So it's no real skin off my nose. But if I'd paid full price, like jasonm for example, I'd be seriously pissed off. And I think I'd have every right to be.
Quoting: liamdaweI take issue with people making stuff up about me like you're doing, simple really. Don't make idiotic claims about me and I won't call you out on it.
Do not let them bother you. This is quite serious. Facepunsh also makes Garry's Mod. They can not get off Linux because of Valve. But Garry's mod just belongs to the core. And it's very bad if someone from Facepunsh is hostile to Linux, I think. I wonder how this could escalate like that. ARK is also not exactly a perfect port. Isn't it?
Who said what to Garry in the name of Linux? I do not understand the whole thing to be honest.
Quoting: liamdaweI respect your opinion, but I completely disagree. I can understand something, while still not being happy about it.The idea is that you're saying to others "don't attack anyone!" when there *is* some fair rationale behind what they say. A commenter can say (paraphrasing generally here) "someone did something (and I have proof of it) and that's why I'm angry".
It sounds like you're saying, "oh, getting angry with developers about their Linux support is normal, so don't get so angry!" I'm surprised that you don't know that attempting to stifle someone's anger just makes it boil over more. :/
It may be unpleasant to see anger here, but at least we're (somewhat) more immune to Windows trolls on GoL, and we can trust that all our criticisms *won't* get dismissed out of hand like on any other platform. That's part of what makes GoL a better place to comment on Linux issues. This "simmer down kids!" you're pulling is sort of demeaning. Most of us are adults, we're all Linux gamers, and we'll get a bit pissed if we feel like someone is making off with our $75, $50, $45, even $20 or less unfairly.
Liam, your machine specs are very nice. You don't always need to buy games to try them. That $30 game you could write off as a business expense might be no skin off your nose, but to me, I'd have to worry about eating and paying the bills on time.
If our trying to get developers' to listen to Linux gamers and respect us is not going according to plan, then yes, we have every right to complain and request that they do better. If not here, somewhere else, because that money we spent on the games might be precious. I'm pretty sure more people in relative poverty are Linux gamers because of the lower OS overhead; I *am* in poverty by my country's standards myself.
So yes, I'll say "you're not supposed to do that" with proof of the bad behaviour, eventually angrily and with swears in it if things have gone too far, to the developer, to GoL, to anybody who'll listen, because I just lost food for my family for the experience of the game. $30 is NOT nothing.
It also isn't journalistic bias to show that you think someone did something wrong, as long as there's a fair rationale behind it. You can do this without sensationalizing anything and just reporting the objective facts. Been a while since you've done a labelled Editorial. If you wanted to firmly separate the objective reporting and your own opinions, there's that option.
You're already biased by being a gamer and doing it on Linux, so strict neutrality is not really possible for you as-is. :/ That's just human and not a character flaw. Everybody has a bias, the only trick is to let it not cloud your judgement.
Quoting: namikoNot what I'm saying at all. People can rightfully be annoyed as hell about something. I just think respect towards developers goes a long way.Quoting: liamdaweI respect your opinion, but I completely disagree. I can understand something, while still not being happy about it.The idea is that you're saying to others "don't attack anyone!" when there *is* some fair rationale behind what they say. A commenter can say (paraphrasing generally here) "someone did something (and I have proof of it) and that's why I'm angry".
It sounds like you're saying, "oh, getting angry with developers about their Linux support is normal, so don't get so angry!" I'm surprised that you don't know that attempting to stifle someone's anger just makes it boil over more. :/
Quoting: namikoIt may be unpleasant to see anger here, but at least we're (somewhat) more immune to Windows trolls on GoL, and we can trust that all our criticisms *won't* get dismissed out of hand like on any other platform. That's part of what makes GoL a better place to comment on Linux issues. This "simmer down kids!" you're pulling is sort of demeaning. Most of us are adults, we're all Linux gamers, and we'll get a bit pissed if we feel like someone is making off with our $75, $50, $45, even $20 or less unfairly.I'm not dismissing anyone's opinion here. If I didn't value the discussion, I wouldn't keep the comments open.
Quoting: namikoLiam, your machine specs are very nice. You don't always need to buy games to try them. That $30 game you could write off as a business expense might be no skin off your nose, but to me, I'd have to worry about eating and paying the bills on time.Rust was a personal purchase, just to be clear on that. I also have to purchase plenty of games, just like everyone else. I don't have some magic press access as a lot of developers simply don't reply and I purchase it to cover it. I've also been denied press access plenty of times. I do also (surprise surprise) have plenty of bills to pay.
Quoting: namikoIt also isn't journalistic bias to show that you think someone did something wrong, as long as there's a fair rationale behind it. You can do this without sensationalizing anything and just reporting the objective facts. Been a while since you've done a labelled Editorial. If you wanted to firmly separate the objective reporting and your own opinions, there's that option.As far as I can tell, nothing here has been sensationalized by me.
Edit: I've said all I will probably say on this, I don't really have anything to add without repeating myself at this point. People are free to vent a little, because the situation sucks and I really am not trying to be "demeaning" in any way, but we have a certain level of discussion to hold here I just don't want comments to be rammed full of insults :)
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 27 July 2018 at 10:37 pm UTC
I think you, and the rest of us, should just take the night. Nothing you can say or do will please the people that are outraged right now. The situation sucks, and your article was, in my opinion, concise and as unbiased as it could be.
QuoteAlso Linux Community - being abusive, demanding, rude to the few developers actually shipping games to your favourite OS isn't the way to go. It makes me regret ever shipping Linux versions.*sigh*
Quoting: kf@liamdaweFull-ACK.
I think you, and the rest of us, should just take the night. Nothing you can say or do will please the people that are outraged right now. The situation sucks, and your article was, in my opinion, concise and as unbiased as it could be.
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