I recently wrote about how it's looking pretty unlikely that Rust will actually be supported on Steam Deck / Linux with Proton, and it's not looking any better right now.
Previously it was just comments from Facepunch Studios' Garry Newman on Twitter, with Newman trying to explain their thoughts on why it hasn't happened yet. Now, we have another and perhaps a bit more public / official answer with their latest official news post on the Rust website including a note at the bottom about it from Alistair McFarlane, the Producer at Facepunch, that reads:
You know, we switched to EAC's new platform with the intention of providing support for the Steam Deck, and so far we haven't done that. So when is it coming?
Well, short answer is we don't know. We don't know if it is. When we discontinued linux support in 2019, one of the core reasons was how the cheating community was exploiting the Linux platform. That's not to say that cheating was super widespread on Linux, but it was safer for cheat developers. And that's not good in a game like Rust where a cheater can ruin weeks of hard work.
Enabling proton support would mean we're asking the EAC team to provide support for a whole other platform, which we fear would reduce their ability to support Windows - our main platform. We don't know whether we should enable one platform at the disadvantage of another.
The one thing we don't want to do is to enable Proton support to only discontinue it six months later. We don't want to encourage players to spend their money on a Deck to play Rust and then be in a position where we want to take that ability away.
For now, we're still weighing up the risks and will continue to explore options with EAC. Don't expect to see Proton support in the near future, but we hope to have it enabled someday.
So it's basically the same story as what Newman explained. They don't wish to potentially open up Rust to more cheat developers again, where they don't seem to feel confident that EAC would be able to keep up with it on top of preventing the cheats on Windows too (which is obviously the main platform).
It is a genuine shame, since Rust is (while quite brutal) a great survival game and very popular. It's also interesting, because clearly they think that EAC don't provide all that great protection on Linux if they're that worried about what would happen again. While again, other games like Apex have it, they're very different games.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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hardpenguin Oct 7, 2022
RIP
It is hilarious to watch that intrusive anti-cheat will never be as intrusive on Linux as it is on Windows...
It is hilarious to watch that intrusive anti-cheat will never be as intrusive on Linux as it is on Windows...
14 Likes, Who?
What's with the gatekeeping? So basically what they are saying they don't want EAC to support any other platforms but Windows, so they won't use it and hope Proton/Linux to fail... so it doesn't take away from EAC Windows resources. What a twisted logic.
21 Likes, Who?
We do have now (mostly unofficial) EAC support for some games. Fall Guys, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Apex Legends, Back 4 Blood (those come into my mind without researching). Though these are all games, where a cheater can ruin a session, but not really weeks of work. Nevertheless it would be interesting to see if now cheat devs are able to exploit the Linux system to cheat on these games, or if they are safe?
I did see someone cheating in Fall Guys recently, but I've heard that EAC didn't prevent cheating before they (tried to) enable EAC support for Proton/Steam Deck/Linux either.
Would be very interesting to know if there is some data on if people are cheating more easily on Linux nowadays. If Epic could collect this data, they could share it with Facepunch Studios, so they would be confident (or not) to enable EAC on a further platform.
But with Tim Sweeney's statement back then, they don't trust Linux for Fortnite with their Anti-Cheat... I'm not expecting much in that direction.
I did see someone cheating in Fall Guys recently, but I've heard that EAC didn't prevent cheating before they (tried to) enable EAC support for Proton/Steam Deck/Linux either.
Would be very interesting to know if there is some data on if people are cheating more easily on Linux nowadays. If Epic could collect this data, they could share it with Facepunch Studios, so they would be confident (or not) to enable EAC on a further platform.
But with Tim Sweeney's statement back then, they don't trust Linux for Fortnite with their Anti-Cheat... I'm not expecting much in that direction.
3 Likes, Who?
Game devs "grown up" in an environment where their user has no control on its machine's OS, therefore they thought that client side anti-cheat with a kernel rootkit was a silver bullet against cheaters.
With the rise of FOSS and Linux on consumer hardware it changes everything.
One day, all those people will have to admit that kernel level anti-cheat is not future proof and maybe they will start to find another solution.
Server side anti cheat supervised by AI could be the next better solution against cheaters.
Last edited by Spyker on 7 October 2022 at 11:40 am UTC
With the rise of FOSS and Linux on consumer hardware it changes everything.
One day, all those people will have to admit that kernel level anti-cheat is not future proof and maybe they will start to find another solution.
Server side anti cheat supervised by AI could be the next better solution against cheaters.
Last edited by Spyker on 7 October 2022 at 11:40 am UTC
13 Likes, Who?
Greetings!
Personally, I think what they are saying is a bit absured. I have over 4,000 hours in Rust and the cheating is as bad as ever. I feel like they believe they are doing a bang up job protecting the players of their game, but in reality, it's not true. They mention cheaters "runining weeks of work." It's that way now and, from a players stand point, little is done to really crack down on it. My personal experience has been horrible wiht cheaters, with over 30+ reports with hackers banned, their system (EAC) doesn't work. You can be "flyhacked" falling out of a mini climbing a tree branch, but not a cheater flying around the map. Happens everytime I play the game. So, no, I don't buy their argument. Let's use the usual logic that I often hear about Linux and gaming. It's touted the platform is too small to care about, so we don't develop for it. Now, the Rust team is saying that thought Linux cheating is almost nonexistent, we don't develop for it. Yet, we'll keep churning out for Windows even though they cannot get a handle on it. Makes little sense. I know there are differences, but look at the numbers. How many Linux Rusters are there? Very, very little. Enabling it to work with proton doesn't seem like much of a risk. EAC isn't that great to begin with in a game like Rust, so maybe it's time to really care for the gamer and find something else that will work the way it's supposed to, protecting the Window gamer and Linux gamer. Afterall, we don't have a thousand Comomos running around to catch everyone. Thanks for reading, this is just my opinion.
Personally, I think what they are saying is a bit absured. I have over 4,000 hours in Rust and the cheating is as bad as ever. I feel like they believe they are doing a bang up job protecting the players of their game, but in reality, it's not true. They mention cheaters "runining weeks of work." It's that way now and, from a players stand point, little is done to really crack down on it. My personal experience has been horrible wiht cheaters, with over 30+ reports with hackers banned, their system (EAC) doesn't work. You can be "flyhacked" falling out of a mini climbing a tree branch, but not a cheater flying around the map. Happens everytime I play the game. So, no, I don't buy their argument. Let's use the usual logic that I often hear about Linux and gaming. It's touted the platform is too small to care about, so we don't develop for it. Now, the Rust team is saying that thought Linux cheating is almost nonexistent, we don't develop for it. Yet, we'll keep churning out for Windows even though they cannot get a handle on it. Makes little sense. I know there are differences, but look at the numbers. How many Linux Rusters are there? Very, very little. Enabling it to work with proton doesn't seem like much of a risk. EAC isn't that great to begin with in a game like Rust, so maybe it's time to really care for the gamer and find something else that will work the way it's supposed to, protecting the Window gamer and Linux gamer. Afterall, we don't have a thousand Comomos running around to catch everyone. Thanks for reading, this is just my opinion.
10 Likes, Who?
Greetings!
Personally, I think what they are saying is a bit absured. I have over 4,000 hours in Rust and the cheating is as bad as ever. I feel like they believe they are doing a bang up job protecting the players of their game, but in reality, it's not true. They mention cheaters "runining weeks of work." It's that way now and, from a players stand point, little is done to really crack down on it. My personal experience has been horrible wiht cheaters, with over 30+ reports with hackers banned, their system (EAC) doesn't work. You can be "flyhacked" falling out of a mini climbing a tree branch, but not a cheater flying around the map. Happens everytime I play the game. So, no, I don't buy their argument. Let's use the usual logic that I often hear about Linux and gaming. It's touted the platform is too small to care about, so we don't develop for it. Now, the Rust team is saying that thought Linux cheating is almost nonexistent, we don't develop for it. Yet, we'll keep churning out for Windows even though they cannot get a handle on it. Makes little sense. I know there are differences, but look at the numbers. How many Linux Rusters are there? Very, very little. Enabling it to work with proton doesn't seem like much of a risk. EAC isn't that great to begin with in a game like Rust, so maybe it's time to really care for the gamer and find something else that will work the way it's supposed to, protecting the Window gamer and Linux gamer. Afterall, we don't have a thousand Comomos running around to catch everyone. Thanks for reading, this is just my opinion.
Just to be clear, I don't think they mean that Linux users are cheaters, just that cheaters (currently on Windows) would switch to Linux just to cheat better.
That said, bs argument for sure. I never touched this game, and I take your word for it that it's in a garbage situation.
6 Likes, Who?
I don't understand how 17 Linux users can possibly influence Facepunch's decision. Even if they were all cheaters, c'mon.
6 Likes, Who?
Facepunch has got to be one of the rudest, most hostile studios around. They simply don't deserve our money, even if they supported our platform. The market should hold them accountable and make them clean up their act.
12 Likes, Who?
One day, all those people will have to admit that kernel level anti-cheat is not future proof and maybe they will start to find another solution.
Server side anti cheat supervised by AI could be the next better solution against cheaters.
Don't hope. I predict we see CPU firmware level anticheat before we see spread server side aticheat.
5 Likes, Who?
I don't know rust, i didn't play it, so dont know how multiplayer work in that game. But generaly, there is solution how to solve linux cheater "problem".
1. They can disable crosplatform multiplayer. You have problem with cheaters? Let linux users be on separated servers. Some players want to play with linux frieds? Just allow windows users to join to linux servers with warning of greater risc of cheaters.
2. If game has ability to create own server, just give ability to run game without EAC for "not EAC servers"
Linux can be unofficially supported with these limits.
1. They can disable crosplatform multiplayer. You have problem with cheaters? Let linux users be on separated servers. Some players want to play with linux frieds? Just allow windows users to join to linux servers with warning of greater risc of cheaters.
2. If game has ability to create own server, just give ability to run game without EAC for "not EAC servers"
Linux can be unofficially supported with these limits.
3 Likes, Who?
Mohandevir Oct 7, 2022
I still remember this:
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2016/01/garry-newman-of-rust-and-garrys-mod-regrets-supporting-linux/
Please excuse me if I don't believe there is an once of good faith in this new statement. It feels like they are being pressured by demand into answering with some form of a P.C. answer. They do not have any intention of supporting Linux, imo.
Maybe when Valve will have sold it's 5th million Steam Deck...?
Last edited by Mohandevir on 7 October 2022 at 12:56 pm UTC
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2016/01/garry-newman-of-rust-and-garrys-mod-regrets-supporting-linux/
Please excuse me if I don't believe there is an once of good faith in this new statement. It feels like they are being pressured by demand into answering with some form of a P.C. answer. They do not have any intention of supporting Linux, imo.
Maybe when Valve will have sold it's 5th million Steam Deck...?
Last edited by Mohandevir on 7 October 2022 at 12:56 pm UTC
14 Likes, Who?
Never played this game, but the fact that you can put weeks of work in a session that can be destroyed by a cheater indicates your work can be destroyed in other ways, too. Like senior players or bad luck. That's a very bad pitch, if you ask me.
8 Likes, Who?
mr-victory Oct 7, 2022
IMO the problem with Rust is that Linux playerbase is tiny. I remember that they shared user stats where Windows was 200K, Mac was 1-2K and Linux was a shy 200. The ratio (%0.1) doesn't correlate with Steam stats (%1) so the playerbase is really tiny. Also they expect cheat makers to switch to Linux which makes everything worse.
Apparently they are still considering it, enough to switch to EOS EAC but still have doubts. Maybe a few more hundred thousand Steam Decks could resolve their doubts.
Apparently they are still considering it, enough to switch to EOS EAC but still have doubts. Maybe a few more hundred thousand Steam Decks could resolve their doubts.
cheating is as bad as everIf cheating is bad as ever, I don't think Linux would make it worse
2 Likes, Who?
IMO the problem with Rust is that Linux playerbase is tiny. I remember that they shared user stats where Windows was 200K, Mac was 1-2K and Linux was a shy 200. The ratio (%0.1) doesn't correlate with Steam stats (%1) so the playerbase is really tiny. Also they expect cheat makers to switch to Linux which makes everything worse.The Linux userbase was tiny at that time because the native port was really really bad and wine didn't work well, either. It's only natural Linux gamers would rather not play it. The 0.1% ratio just reflected how bad the port was handled. They even acknowledged that when they shut down the Linux port.
Apparently they are still considering it, enough to switch to EOS EAC but still have doubts. Maybe a few more hundred thousand Steam Decks could resolve their doubts.cheating is as bad as everIf cheating is bad as ever, I don't think Linux would make it worse
The SteamDeck and Proton have changed up the situation, a lot of former windows gamers now own a Linux gaming machine, yet we won't know how many people would play Rust unless they open it up.
I still own a copy of this game since I got it from a humble bundle and wasn't able to refund it that way. I'll never consider buying a game from them ever again.
Last edited by const on 7 October 2022 at 1:22 pm UTC
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So same reasoning just on pretty inhouse company letterhead. No justification, just still concerned about how many people EAC has hired. Listen, if EAC can’t hire enough people to support your choice to use them as support for enabling Linux compatibility, but then it turns out that doesn’t happen then it sounds like EAC tricked you into a contract. One that you’re not willing to utilize for the reasons you contracted them.
I’m glad I never bought a copy of this game.
Another thing that confuses me. They implemented EAC for Linux support because that’s the platform it’s easiest to write cheats on. However they want the EAC people to focus on Windows… which platform is providing the easy cheating access again?
I’m glad I never bought a copy of this game.
Another thing that confuses me. They implemented EAC for Linux support because that’s the platform it’s easiest to write cheats on. However they want the EAC people to focus on Windows… which platform is providing the easy cheating access again?
6 Likes, Who?
Mohandevir Oct 7, 2022
When we discontinued linux support in 2019, one of the core reasons was how the cheating community was exploiting the Linux platform.
They are trying to convince me that 0.1% of the userbase, by their own numbers and assuming that it would mean that all of Linux users are cheaters... Yeah... Right... wrecked the game so much that it attracted their attention to Linux cheating?
I'm... not... buying... it.
I would really like to know on what fact they based this assumption, if it's not just pure made up BS, because they can't say they won't support Linux, because they don't want to and because they hate the platform.
Seriously, it's more insulting than anything else.
I needed this new statement as much as a Facepunch!
Last edited by Mohandevir on 7 October 2022 at 1:56 pm UTC
6 Likes, Who?
I don't know rust, i didn't play it, so dont know how multiplayer work in that game. But generaly, there is solution how to solve linux cheater "problem".
1. They can disable crosplatform multiplayer. You have problem with cheaters? Let linux users be on separated servers. Some players want to play with linux frieds? Just allow windows users to join to linux servers with warning of greater risc of cheaters.
2. If game has ability to create own server, just give ability to run game without EAC for "not EAC servers"
Linux can be unofficially supported with these limits.
Well, their reasoning explains clearly that they don't want to open it, even a bit, so that cheats cannot be developed on Linux. So it makes sense that they would disallow even that.
However, a cursory search shows that it's possible to run the game with EAC disabled: `+server.secure 0 +server.eac 0 +server.encryption 0`.
Since it's possible to run it with EAC disabled, I have trouble to see what else Linux could bring to the table for helping cheat developers?
They would just develop their cheats with EAC off; then add EAC evasion techniques to the lot before shipping to windows... cheaters mostly cheat on Windows anyway; they don't want to dual-boot just to cheat, which is understandable. So that windows EAC evasion has to be developed anyway. And they can develop the cheat part just fine on Windows too by disabling EAC. What's left? Developers slightly prefer Linux, so let's inconvenience them? That might slow down cheat makers by 1%, if anything.
7 Likes, Who?
Kuduzkehpan Oct 7, 2022
İ have supported this game when i saw its native linux game with unity. İ was so hyped for that become real.
later then that *garry man start crying about how bad is supporting linux with unity. And they dropped linux support they refunded nothing so i felt that they are robbers as in emotional and material. But now i guess they are trying to convince people that its not their fault to drop linux support its all fault of environments as player base and lack of anti-cheat softwares and development tools
But there are plenty of player base nowadays and at least two anti-cheat solutions (battleeye, eac.) and unity development kit is very mature yet we can see many working titles on linux. now they are still crying to justify their ideolgy get over with it kid.
Yet again most of their game is played on private servers where admins selling - or could sell aimbots cheat like premium advantages like faster harvesting gathering building aim damage recoil modifiers via server web site (they have admin rights to change user configs in serverside ) and EAC cant detect these as these are configurations by server.
and 2 more things i guess they believe %1.2 of gamers are(linux gamers) has more evolved brains to control sofwares and hardwares remotely and hacks cheats everything.
and Pronounce of "Garry" means; back, backwards, and idiot in Turkish.
Give me refund and just stop BSing. you are free to support or not. Just be fair for your players.
later then that *garry man start crying about how bad is supporting linux with unity. And they dropped linux support they refunded nothing so i felt that they are robbers as in emotional and material. But now i guess they are trying to convince people that its not their fault to drop linux support its all fault of environments as player base and lack of anti-cheat softwares and development tools
But there are plenty of player base nowadays and at least two anti-cheat solutions (battleeye, eac.) and unity development kit is very mature yet we can see many working titles on linux. now they are still crying to justify their ideolgy get over with it kid.
Yet again most of their game is played on private servers where admins selling - or could sell aimbots cheat like premium advantages like faster harvesting gathering building aim damage recoil modifiers via server web site (they have admin rights to change user configs in serverside ) and EAC cant detect these as these are configurations by server.
and 2 more things i guess they believe %1.2 of gamers are(linux gamers) has more evolved brains to control sofwares and hardwares remotely and hacks cheats everything.
and Pronounce of "Garry" means; back, backwards, and idiot in Turkish.
Give me refund and just stop BSing. you are free to support or not. Just be fair for your players.
4 Likes, Who?
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