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GOL Readers 2019 GOTY Award - what categories do you want to see?
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Liam Dawe Jan 5, 2020
Hello everyone!

The time is approaching to launch our readers Linux GOTY Award for 2019. So I want a little feedback: what categories do you want to see? (not promising I will add your suggestions, just getting feedback)

To make this clear: this is for Linux supported games only, no Proton or Wine.

I am aware it's 2020, we run our award when the year is actually over, it just makes more sense and it's fair to games released throughout December then too. I find some others run theirs far too early.

You can see an example from the 2017 Winners Article here.

Confirmed Categories:

Everything Else:

Absolute favourite game for Linux released in 2019
Best DLC release of 2019
Favourite Developer
Most impressive soundtrack in a 2019 release
Most innovative gameplay for a 2019 release
Overall best visual style for a game release in 2019

FOSS

Best visual style for a FOSS game
Favourite FOSS game
Favourite FOSS game engine reimplementation
Favourite FOSS project

Support
Best update received in 2019
Favourite long-term supported game

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 12 January 2020 at 2:57 pm UTC
TheZipBon Jan 5, 2020
Favourite indie game, Favourite AAA game, Favourite game with a Linux version available on launch day.
NeoTheFox Jan 5, 2020
You explicitly said no Proton titles, but I think having a "Best Proton title" is a good idea. This year we have one game very deserving of the title - No Man's Sky developers fixed a Linux specific issue in their game so we could play it with Proton.

I would also love "Best FOSS engine rewrite" and "Best independent game", independent here meaning that it is not featured on Steam and the developers are self-publishing. It's like what Factorio was or what Vintage Story is.

Last edited by NeoTheFox on 11 January 2020 at 3:14 pm UTC
Liam Dawe Jan 5, 2020
Quoting: NeoTheFoxYou explicitly said no Proton titles, but I think having a "Best Proton title" is a good idea. This year we have one game very deserving of the title - No Man's Sky developers fixed a Linux specific issue in their game so we could play it with Proton.
Nope, sorry, it's not the point of the award. I've happily given them a shout out in articles, but two or three little fixes is not something I consider worthy of letting them be in a Linux GOTY award.
-Daniel-Palacio- Jan 5, 2020
These are some of the categories that would be very informative to me:
  • Best DLC/expansion/update

    • It could be either a big update that greatly improves Linux performance or a DLC full of new content.

  • Best fan-made release

    • Only free projects.

  • Biggest disappointment

    • Games with cancelled Linux support, broken ports on release, or simply a game that failed to meet expectations.

  • Most persistent developer

    • It doesn't have to be the best game of the year, but this is an award to acknowledge developers who, despite all difficulties, struggled to have their game on Linux until they succeded.

  • Best 2019 game without a GOL article yet

    • There are so many games that it's highly likely a hidden gem was overlooked by everyone.

    Potential example: Look for "Acting Lessons" on Steam (NOTE: Definitely NSFW!). It has "overwhelmingly positive" reviews.

Liam Dawe Jan 5, 2020
I can tell you for sure things like "Biggest disappointment" will not be a category, it's supposed to be positive and a bit of fun with a shout out to each winner. This brings the whole idea down a level and I don't want that.
Pangaea Jan 5, 2020
Perhaps this goes into one of the mentioned categories, but I'd like to see some award to a developer and/or game that offers long-term support - not just release and forget. Somebody that supports their game for years, with native Linux releases.
-Daniel-Palacio- Jan 5, 2020
Quoting: Liam DaweI can tell you for sure things like "Biggest disappointment" will not be a category, it's supposed to be positive and a bit of fun with a shout out to each winner. This brings the whole idea down a level and I don't want that.

It would've been perfectly possible to address bad news with a positive and fun attitude, and in the process to help people remind which developers aren't worth supporting anymore...

It's not that I will complain if a category like that is not included, but personally I will feel that a lot of important information is being left behind in that case.
Liam Dawe Jan 5, 2020
Quoting: Sunburst
Quoting: Liam DaweI can tell you for sure things like "Biggest disappointment" will not be a category, it's supposed to be positive and a bit of fun with a shout out to each winner. This brings the whole idea down a level and I don't want that.

It would've been perfectly possible to address bad news with a positive and fun attitude, and in the process to help people remind which developers aren't worth supporting anymore...

It's not that I will complain if a category like that is not included, but personally I will feel that a lot of important information is being left behind in that case.
Fair enough, I don't agree and will not be doing it but I value your feedback as always.
-Daniel-Palacio- Jan 5, 2020
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: Sunburst
Quoting: Liam DaweI can tell you for sure things like "Biggest disappointment" will not be a category, it's supposed to be positive and a bit of fun with a shout out to each winner. This brings the whole idea down a level and I don't want that.

It would've been perfectly possible to address bad news with a positive and fun attitude, and in the process to help people remind which developers aren't worth supporting anymore...

It's not that I will complain if a category like that is not included, but personally I will feel that a lot of important information is being left behind in that case.
Fair enough, I don't agree and will not be doing it but I value your feedback as always.

No problem.
Cyril Jan 5, 2020
Quoting: NeoTheFoxI would also would love "Best FOSS engine rewrite"[...]

This. I think FOSS project is too much "open", having projects like Wine/Blender/Krita and OpenMW/devilutionX/VCMI etc in the same category is not really fair IMO. It can give more visibility to some too as a lot have to be discovered through Github or another repository. We really have to dig for some.
And of course the engine have to be playable.

Last edited by Cyril on 5 January 2020 at 7:42 pm UTC
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