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Oh my, seems I'm quite blind. Nevermind then, it's Dec 2013. Well, this means we've still got plenty of time before a proper RPG comes to Linux. Unless there is a Kickstarter game coming soon?

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Quoting: "Anon, post: 5624"But for some time, this will be the only thing. W2 and PE are not coming this year, W2 will be here around October next year and PE in 2014. It still will be awhile.

Are you saying that Arakion is coming out this year?

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But for some time, this will be the only thing. W2 and PE are not coming this year, W2 will be here around October next year and PE in 2014. It still will be awhile.

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Quoting: "Anon, post: 5618"But this might be the best RPG on Linux for some time, at least until Grimrock also gets released. Or some exciting new developments happen soon.

Well, there's Wasteland 2 and Project Eternity, but I admit that this one also seems promising.

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Glad they chose to go down this path instead. Having Linux join in at 2.2 million US dollars when Mac OS is in at 1.6 million US dollars and Windows at 1.1 million US dollars just seemed ever so slightly off. Double of what Windows needs, and 600 000 US dollars more than what Mac OS needs? Really? I am constantly told that once a game is out for Mac OS, the vast majority of the effort needed to put a game on Linux is already gone.

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I am a bit late to the party, but brilliant news indeed! It's a pity that [URL='http://www.gog.com/en/wishlist/site/add_linux_versions_of_games']GOG still won't support Linux[/URL] despite all the money there is to bed made...

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This one's looking good. I hope that they will go ahead with a tablet release, I'd really love to play such a game on a Nexus 7.

But this might be the best RPG on Linux for some time, at least until Grimrock also gets released. Or some exciting new developments happen soon.

Just an off question, how many RPG games from Kickstarters are coming to Linux? And with a target before the end of the year?

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I am quite excited for this, especially as Legend of Grimrock hasn't made it to Linux yet. The developer did well in supporting Linux right from the start, unlike others. We Linux fans should reward him for this.

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Glad you got it sorted :), what intel graphics do you have beside your nvidia one as mine work fine with PA (I'm on HD4000)

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Thanks for your reply.
Turns out I forgot to active the NVidia card while starting the game...I have an Optimus enabled notebook.

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Got a screenshot to show what you mean? I'm on latest wine beta with either intel or nvidia graphics (dual laptop). Are you on AMD?

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He does still update 3079 though, last time I played it i wasn't personally impressed the mobs seemed clunky and weird so it put me off. 3079 i agree with a bit of love could have become much bigger.

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Quoting: "Hamish, post: 5606, member: 6"Ah, a true Linux gaming aficionado then. ;)

I still have the Quake 3 Arena tin, and Railroad Tycoon II, Heretic II, and Myth II: Soulblighter are all in my collection as well. I miss Loki.

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Just reminding myself I played 3079 for the first time in ages. This game has everything in place to be a great game, and yet is awful. Truly terrible, but not in a way unfixable way...just in a half-finished unloved beta type of way, with the sandbox fun removed.

Considering I bought this in good faith in indieroyal ALPHA funding I am a little shocked that after getting alpha funding to finish a product he is getting more money for a SEQUEL to an unfinished product.

I'd be yelling CROOK and contacting kickstarter warning them them of a fraudulent product, but the money is small so only a few people will be ripped off.

Its a shame really because 3079 looks great [its sequel 3089 removes everything that is good about 3079] with longer development time, regular updates to develop a fanbase like say like towns; project zomboid; cortex command!?; Voxatron; starfarer [which does not get the attention it deserves]; Revenge of the Titans; Oilrush...and for the love of god minecraft.

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Looks like the textures are not being loaded...the gui looks like it should.

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On which version of wine did you get it to run?
I've tried 1.4 and now installed 1.5.14 beta, and everytime I load up the game the graphics look like bricks.

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Quoting: "GBGames, post: 5603, member: 248"I haven't learned 3D modeling, but ever since reading Programming Linux Games by John Hall many years ago, I liked the idea of taking a 3D model and being able to render 2D sprites from multiple angles automatically.

Ah, a true Linux gaming aficionado then. ;)

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Well i decided to buy it, runs great in wine but theres some really really annoying issues right now.

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Quoting: "GBGames, post: 5603, member: 248"I haven't learned 3D modeling, but ever since reading Programming Linux Games by John Hall many years ago, I liked the idea of taking a 3D model and being able to render 2D sprites from multiple angles automatically.

I first started doing this for FLAT, and it was essential in getting the number of assets ready within our 7 day development schedule. It's also made me reconsider my approach to a few other projects I'm working on.

Thanks for sharing the development videos. It's interesting to see how things have evolved :)

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Thanks, Troy and Cheeseness! I appreciate the tips.

I did find Open Game Art when I wrote an article about how indie game developers could find quality art for their prototypes. I haven't searched too seriously through it, though, but maybe it is time for me to revisit it.

I haven't learned 3D modeling, but ever since reading Programming Linux Games by John Hall many years ago, I liked the idea of taking a 3D model and being able to render 2D sprites from multiple angles automatically.

Visual inconsistency is one issue brought up early in development, so what you're seeing is an improvement but definitely still my programmer art. You can see an early in-development video here: View video on youtube.com As you can see, the grass was a bit more neon, and everything between the characters and the background were drawn with no attention paid to consistency. But even that was a huge improvement over this even-earlier version: View video on youtube.com

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Me too it's one of the most impressive open source games and engines around.

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Quoting: "GBGames, post: 5595, member: 248"I used to have the opinion that game play matters way more than graphics. Otherwise, go watch a movie, like Final Fantasy VII, right (zing!)? But in the last few years, I've realized that aesthetics are a huge part of game design. I realize that the lack of animation and professional quality art hurts this game, but that's partly why it isn't v1.0 yet.

I'd say that aesthetics are more a part of professional polish than a critical aspect of game design - important for a successful game, but still something superficial (which isn't to say that visual design doesn't often give inspiration for game design).

Some suggestions to aid you in your hunt for a more rounded aesthetic:

* If you're comfortable with open licencing, consider [URL='http://opengameart.org/']Open Game Art[/URL] as a place to commission or source stuff. There are potentially really interesting opportunities to engage with a community of artists, and open licencing can help encourage modding.
* For a couple of projects that I've been working on, I've chosen to go with 3D models rendered down to 2D sprites. There's a little more up-front work in modeling, lighting and render times, but it pays off in that animation becomes a lot less effort.
* Aim for visual consistency (this can be tricky if you end up going with Open Game Art stuff or have different artists working on the project for short periods). Right now, your assets seem a little incongruent.
* Troy's advice is good :)

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I like how this is coming along :)

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I would say before you raise the price again, you probably need to address the art. That might sound harsh, and I don't mean it to, but it's the reality of the current game market. It was different a few years ago when $20 was the standard price of a casual/indie game. But nowadays, when you start approaching $10+ for a game, people expect it to look good. Especially since there are so many games available now around the $5 price point that look good.

On the other hand, if you've got decent art and the game isn't finished, I think people find it easier to pre-order. I think when people buy an unfinished game, they want to have some assurance that the quality of the final product is going to be good. The earlier you can start using professional art in the game, the faster you'll alleviate that concern.

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Here it is, version 0.17.0! Release packages for Linux are are available on the Download page. This version introduces a new player control system, potion usage, a Pause Menu, and a multitude of fixes and improvements.

The release video:
View video on youtube.com


We also made a FAQ video:
View video on youtube.com



Known Issues:
-Activating a bed can lock up the game
-There is a minor memory leak that will be fixed in 0.18.0

Changelog:
-Implemented potion usage
-Implemented skill gain backend
-Implemented Drain/Fortify dynamic Stats/Attributes magic effects
-Reimplemented dropping items
-Implemented a Pause Menu
-Implemented Camera Modes and proper Player control
-Added support for objects crossing cell borders
-Added support for object rotation and scaling
-Fix for physics shapes and dark textures
-Fix for character normals
-Fix for laggy input on OS X
-Fix for NIF material sharing
-Fixes for various crashes and errors
-Fix for memory leaks
-Various improvements for console scripts
-Various improvements to the source code including cleanup, refactoring and redesign

We always welcome skilled and motivated programmers. Our implementation of bullet is a work in progress and we'd appreciate any help or advice we can get. Just working on a single feature would be a great assistance since making OpenMW is such a huge task. Think of it like Stone Soup: The Game or public works like a library or a park. You can always help the project by spreading the word. Posting info about us on other websites and telling friends who have the skills we are looking for.

Work has also begun on the second and third components of the project. The Example Suite and the Editor.

The Example Suite is a small standalone game and does not contain any Bethesda owned art assets. Therefore, those who do not own Morrowind will be able to play with OpenMW and test it.

The OpenMW Editor is necessary in order to implement the post 1.0 features that the original Morrowind engine isn't capable of. It's currently a one man project, but he could use some help. Here's the link.

Join Us:
OpenMW Homepage: http://openmw.org/
Official Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrOpenMW
For New Developers: [URL='http://wiki.openmw.org/index.php?title=Contribution_Wanted']http://wiki.openmw.org/index.php?title= ... ion_Wanted[/URL]
Forums: http://openmw.org/forum/
Chat @freenode http://freenode.net/ #openmw

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Animations will help a lot but yes my personal opinion is that it needs slightly better artwork. I wouldn't say it was neglect like other people would as I myself can't even draw a decent stickman!

Also like i do for Troy i can give you access to be able to post your own news here if interested send me a PM.

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Thanks for the comments, everyone. Regarding the artwork, it's less neglect and more a lack of funds and talent. As Troy mentioned, I did have an artist, but aside from creating the concept art (seen at http://stopthathero.gbgames.com/development-blog, she ended up swamped at her day job. By the end, I ran out of savings and couldn't afford to find someone else.

I used to have the opinion that game play matters way more than graphics. Otherwise, go watch a movie, like Final Fantasy VII, right (zing!)? But in the last few years, I've realized that aesthetics are a huge part of game design. I realize that the lack of animation and professional quality art hurts this game, but that's partly why it isn't v1.0 yet.

I've gotten some good feedback from playtesters, and so I decided to offer a pre-order (initially $5) and then offer it for sale as an alpha (initially $7.50). It's very clearly not finished, but since people were enjoying it, I thought I could at least offer it for sale during development so people can try it earlier.

Now that there's a free demo, available since the Sound Update was released (now $8.50), it allows you to get a taste of what the game is and see if it is something you'd enjoy before buying. As I update the game, including adding animations (coming in the next update), new minions and heroes, and game play modes, I expect to increase the price, so people who ordered earlier are getting the full game for less as well as supporting development.

Based on the comments here, I definitely need to step up my search for an artist. Adding animations already multiplies existing art needs, and I'm not going to be able to keep up by myself.

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Yeah he's acknowledged the art quality in several blog posts. I think he had hired an artist at one point, but that fell through. I'm sure it will be revised before he's done.

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I'm not crazy about the colour scheme or the font used, but I really like the artwork done for the units. Anyhow, it seems like a solid enough idea for a game so I'll give it a go.

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I actually kind of like the simplistic graphics, although I do agree that if he does not update them the game will not get the attention it may deserve.

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