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Latest Comments by Linas
Ron Gilbert, developer of Thimbleweed Park is switching to Linux
28 July 2020 at 10:24 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: DigitalSin
Quoting: LinasHave you looked at JetBrains products? AppCode is probably the closest thing.
Those look really interesting. But they are for macos :)
Whoopsie daisy, you are right. AppCode is only available for macOS. CLion on the other hand is for Linux.

I have personally used IntelliJ IDEA (Java), Rider (C#, .NET, Unity engine), PhpStorm, and Android Studio on Linux. They are all based on the same platform, with different plugins installed. I suggest you try the free IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, or/and the trial versions. Definitely worth the money if you are using them professionally. They also have free versions for students and open-source developers.

Synergia is a vibrant cyberpunk visual novel that stands out and it's available now
28 July 2020 at 6:38 am UTC Likes: 3

The developer suggests running the game in a Linux virtual machine for users having trouble with running it on macOS.

Ron Gilbert, developer of Thimbleweed Park is switching to Linux
27 July 2020 at 8:30 pm UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: DigitalSinWhat are the Linux alternatives to Apple's Xcode? Last time I used it, was easy and fast to use - with incredible search capabilities. (This was years ago in Tiger.) I can't really find a comparable IDE for Linux.
Have you looked at JetBrains products? AppCode is probably the closest thing.

Ron Gilbert, developer of Thimbleweed Park is switching to Linux
27 July 2020 at 2:25 pm UTC Likes: 11

Quoting: Alm888The fact we are starting to see Mac refugees on Linux means something truly terrible have happened there. Normally that crowd would swear by MacOS.
Quoting: ObsidianBlkAs cool as this news is, my take away is more an interest in what's happening with MacOS development?!
Apple has always been very restrictive. Demanding apps to be signed with certificates that you have to pay for, banning apps from the AppStore if they deem them to be competing with Apples' own products, not allowing other browser engines in iOS, and so on and so forth. Add to that them generally not caring about gaming by having crappy outdated OpenGL drivers, not supporting Vulkan, and instead pushing their proprietary Metal API, then dropping 32-bit support.

Building software in any professional capacity is a pain, because you are not allowed to run macOS on a virtual machine. You instead need Mac hardware to do any sort of continuous integration and automated testing. Except Apple do not make servers, so you have to buy some overpriced desktop machine, or an underpowered Mac mini that you stuff somewhere in the corner of your server room while trying not to trip over it.

And of course don't forget that you will need to equip your developers with MacBooks or iMacs that will set you back thousands of dollars. And they will still need their Windows machines.

With Linux, you just install it and run it.

BallisticNG, the anti-gravity racer inspired by Wipeout gets a big update and DLC
23 July 2020 at 7:35 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: Beamboom
Quoting: LinasAs long as they are not using the code, or the assets from Wipeout, they are in the clear.
So you're saying that I can make a game with a 60s themed "what if", post-apocalyptic scenario with a "popboy" on the protagonist arm, about vault dwellers exploring the wasteland filled with lawless "raiders" and a faction "The Brotherhood of Iron", seeking out technology for their benefit, and Obsidian can't do anything about it?

Because really, this game is not even *trying* to make a twist on the formula. It's even copying the vehicles being used!
Well, first of all IANAL, but I would think that the story is copyrightable. Like you cannot just take Harry Potter, rename the character to Harriet Otter, rearrange the events a bit and be done with it. But other than that, yes you could make a post-apocalyptic game that follows the same general recipe, and uses the same gameplay elements (like a computer on the protagonist arm).

Of course one can always try to sue, and that has happened. So if Sony really wanted to ruin the life of BallisticNG developer, they certainly could try. But Wipeout is not on Steam and definitely not on Linux, so I am glad that BallisticNG exists.

BallisticNG, the anti-gravity racer inspired by Wipeout gets a big update and DLC
22 July 2020 at 9:46 pm UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: BeamboomI don't really understand how they are allowed to, to be honest. How they get away with this. Not plagiarism like this. Even the music sounds like it is like straight from Wipeout!
You cannot copyright the feel, the gameplay style, or the rules of the game. As long as they are not using the code, or the assets from Wipeout, they are in the clear.

And to be honest, I don't believe it is fair to the developer calling it plagiarism. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but making a functional, well balanced, and fun game takes a lot of effort and dedication.

By the same logic SuperTuxCart is plagiarism of Mario Kart, OpenArena is plagiarism of Quake 3, PUBG and Fortnite, Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, etc. World is a better place by not going down this rabbit hole.

Accessible and colourful fighting game 'Fantasy Strike' goes free to play
22 July 2020 at 9:23 am UTC

Is arcade mode the campaign? Does it have a storyline of any sorts?

BallisticNG, the anti-gravity racer inspired by Wipeout gets a big update and DLC
22 July 2020 at 8:01 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: gustavoyaraujoDistance is superior.
It's a nice game, it's sad there isn't so much people playing it, I should check it out again.
Distance is a very different game from BallisticNG both in gameplay and theme. Distance is basically a platformer with bunch of acrobatics. BallisticNG on the other hand is all about high-speed hovercraft racing. As far as racing games go, they are very much on the opposide side of the spectrum.

Worms Armageddon gets a 21 year update, should work better with Wine and Proton
18 July 2020 at 2:07 pm UTC Likes: 3

While the official ports of Worms Reloaded and W.M.D. are thoroughly neglected and broken in many ways.

Developer of Robo Instructus gives out sales info after a year
17 July 2020 at 10:28 pm UTC

Quoting: PatolaEven being a coder, I don't usually appreciate coding games.
Neither do I. I love programming. I love video games. But I seriously dislike programming games. They make me feel like I am getting the satisfaction of neither. I don't feel like I am playing, but neither am I actually achieving anything, because it is all "fake".

Interestingly enough, I once had a chat with an actual trucker who tried getting into Euro Truck Simulator 2, and it made him feel in a similar way. I guess just because you love your work, it doesn't mean that you want more "work" when you play a game.