The Force Engine is a free and open source game engine reimplementation for Star Wars Dark Forces, with upcoming support of Outlaws. The latest release version 1.08 adds Linux support!
Here's all that's changed in the 1.08 release:
- Changed "activated" to "toggle" to better match existing cheat messages.
- Fixed a HOM issue in Executor.
- Added a proper FPS counter which can be enabled in the graphics menu.
- Renamed "energy" to "battery power".
- Official Linux support added.
- Updated the README with Linux build and run instructions.
- Removed the unique 3DO model limit.
- Fixed font rendering bugs (lack of language-specific symbols) due to using signed 8-bit characters instead of unsigned.
- Dark Forces menu shortcuts now work correctly for different languages.
- Fixed the Gamorrean Guard attack delay - they were attacking much more often than in vanilla.
- Fixed the Sewer Creature attack and search delays, they were slightly longer than vanilla (meaning it attacked less often than it should have).
- Midi selection in the Sound menu now works correctly.
- The Escape menu now uses the correct palette, fixing issues with some languages and mods.
- Fixed a crash when a WAX did not have the appropriate animation in certain areas of the AI code.
Currently it seems Linux users need to build it from source and the actual build instructions aren't in the readme, so I've asked if they can add more detailed instructions for people. Perhaps also someone can get it put up on Flathub to make it even easier (and then get it simple on Steam Deck too).
Check it out on GitHub. You do need the data files which you can get from GOG.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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19 comments
dziadulewicz Feb 7, 2023
Also if someone would put it into Snap Store as a Snap for Ubuntu, ZorinOS, KDE Neon, Solus, etc users (where snapd is installed by default).
https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/the-force-engine-to-play-classics-like-star-wars-dark-forces-in-modern/33799
https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/the-force-engine-to-play-classics-like-star-wars-dark-forces-in-modern/33799
2 Likes, Who?
Currently it seems Linux users need to build it from source and the actual build instructions aren't in the readmeIt's a cmake project, so it's kinda straight forward:
First install dependencies (Ubuntu like distro it would be sudo apt install build-essential cmake libglew-dev libsdl2-dev libglew-dev librtmidi-dev libdevil-dev librtaudio-dev)
Clone the repo, create a build dir and run cmake/make.
git clone https://github.com/luciusDXL/TheForceEngine.git
cd TheForceEngine
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
makeLast edited by x_wing on 7 February 2023 at 2:57 pm UTC
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On Fedora 37 the pipewire development library (libjack.so) is in /usr/lib64/pipewire-0.3/jack which is correctly detected by cmake but the final linking fails because the library path is not provided to the compiler. I appended -L/usr/lib64/pipewire-0.3/jack to the end of the giant link command in CMakeFiles/tfe.dir/link.txt inside the build directory to correct this.
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Clone the repo, create a build dir and run cmake/make.Most projects build a debug build when you do not specify
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release, i.e. cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release.
0 Likes
ssj17vegeta Feb 7, 2023
Currently it seems Linux users need to build it from source and the actual build instructions aren't in the readmeIt's a cmake project, so it's kinda straight forward:
First install dependencies (Ubuntu like distro it would be sudo apt install build-essential cmake libglew-dev libsdl2-dev libglew-dev librtmidi-dev libdevil-dev librtaudio-dev)
Clone the repo, create a build dir and run cmake/make.
git clone https://github.com/luciusDXL/TheForceEngine.git
cd TheForceEngine
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
Thanks for the info, will definitely try it out. Too bad they don't provide AppImages in the Releases section. Let's hope and cross fingers for the future !
1 Likes, Who?
dziadulewicz Feb 7, 2023
Currently it seems Linux users need to build it from source and the actual build instructions aren't in the readmeIt's a cmake project, so it's kinda straight forward:
First install dependencies (Ubuntu like distro it would be sudo apt install build-essential cmake libglew-dev libsdl2-dev libglew-dev librtmidi-dev libdevil-dev librtaudio-dev)
Clone the repo, create a build dir and run cmake/make.
git clone https://github.com/luciusDXL/TheForceEngine.git
cd TheForceEngine
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
Excuse me for not being a Linux guru and stuff, but how is the regular downloader supposed to know all this right off the bat? Windows folk get a clickable exe right?
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Excuse me for not being a Linux guru and stuff, but how is the regular downloader supposed to know all this right off the bat? Windows folk get a clickable exe right?Well… there are probably two issues:
1) Linux binaries are a lot harder to get to run on different systems due to the way libraries are handled.
2) The Linux version is very new. Preparing something like an AppImage takes time. They are not that easy to create.
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dziadulewicz Feb 7, 2023
OK i can see many struggle these "simple standard" things but there seems to be progress. The dev initially didn't even provide any instructions https://github.com/luciusDXL/TheForceEngine/issues/231
0 Likes
I've looked through my Steam purchase history and I bought the Steam version of Dark Forces on 1 Jan 2011 in preparation of the then soon to be released first engine recreation by the same author. Then feature creep happened, then life happened and the massive engine was abandoned. I'm very happy that we finally have a real release.
Congratulations, Lucius.
Congratulations, Lucius.
3 Likes, Who?
Excuse me for not being a Linux guru and stuff, but how is the regular downloader supposed to know all this right off the bat? Windows folk get a clickable exe right?
I never implied that this is something that a regular downloader should know. My comment just pointed out that the build steps are straight forward for the building tool they are using.
Eventually, we will get a proper binary release for each distro or simply a a snap or flatpack package download. But for now, you can blindly run the commands I shared and you will get the binary.
1 Likes, Who?
dziadulewicz Feb 7, 2023
I've looked through my Steam purchase history and I bought the Steam version of Dark Forces on 1 Jan 2011 in preparation of the then soon to be released first engine recreation by the same author. Then feature creep happened, then life happened and the massive engine was abandoned. I'm very happy that we finally have a real release.
Congratulations, Lucius.
Yep, only a flatpak or a snap package for easy installation for everyone remains
We're not in the Linux of the 90s anymore!
0 Likes
Clone the repo, create a build dir and run cmake/make.Most projects build a debug build when you do not specify-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release, i.e.cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=release.
Forgot to mention, they are setting -O3 in the optimizations, which generates an error when I try to run the optimized binary. With -O2 the issue is gone (modifying the CMakeLists.txt is required), but keeping the debugging symbols for such an old game won't hurt.
1 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Feb 7, 2023
Let me know when someone makes a AUR PKGBUILD and I'll give it a spin.
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages?O=0&SeB=nd&K=force+engine&outdated=&SB=v&SO=d&PP=50&submit=Go
I used to know a original modder of this game way back when. It's always exciting when old games get de-compiled or have new engines with new possibilities.
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages?O=0&SeB=nd&K=force+engine&outdated=&SB=v&SO=d&PP=50&submit=Go
I used to know a original modder of this game way back when. It's always exciting when old games get de-compiled or have new engines with new possibilities.
1 Likes, Who?
Eagerly anticipating the Luxtorpeda implementation and Flatpak version.
1 Likes, Who?
Eagerly anticipating the Luxtorpeda implementation and Flatpak version.This won't be added to Luxtorpeda as they are avoiding reverse engineered ports.
https://github.com/luxtorpeda-dev/packages/issues/816
Last edited by rcrit on 8 February 2023 at 1:22 pm UTC
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I'm almost inclined to say that Linux users are spoiled these days but... Well, you know I like being spoiled, I do not miss the days of having to compile a large portion of my software from source, and having to go on a dependency hunt or recompile any time I updated or switched my distro. Some software being such a headache to get compiled that I still keep the resulting binaries around as trophies, depite them not working on my current system for one reason or another.
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Eagerly anticipating the Luxtorpeda implementation and Flatpak version.This won't be added to Luxtorpeda as they are avoiding reverse engineered ports.
https://github.com/luxtorpeda-dev/packages/issues/816
Ah well, perhaps I can simply settle for a flatpak version.
0 Likes
Let me know when someone makes a AUR PKGBUILD and I'll give it a spin.
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages?O=0&SeB=nd&K=force+engine&outdated=&SB=v&SO=d&PP=50&submit=Go
I used to know a original modder of this game way back when. It's always exciting when old games get de-compiled or have new engines with new possibilities.
Here it is dude:
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/theforceengine
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Avehicle7887 Feb 16, 2023
Version 1.09 just got released 12hrs ago.
If anyone's interested I can attempt to provide a portable pre-compiled version
If anyone's interested I can attempt to provide a portable pre-compiled version
3 Likes, Who?
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