Time for the Linux port!

[Brianmj]

1:36:08
Q: I mainly use a Mac. Do you have any plans of making a Mac version of the game?
A: Kasuga: Leaving aside the question of concrete plans, I was able to check out actual gameplay on a Mac version client yesterday, so the rest is really up to Yoshida.

Yoshida: There are still quite a few graphic bugs, but performance-wise the game runs on a Mac with fairly modest specs. What Kasuga is saying, is that he received a request to create a Mac version, and it ran successfully on the middleware, but he is waiting on my judgment as to whether or not I think the business aspect of it will be successful.

With the Mac client on the edge of release, we can't give Kasuga any breaks. Yoshida, I am requesting that you request that Kasuga get started on the Linux port. Steam boxes are coming, and with the work Valve is undergoing to make Linux as viable as a gaming platform as possible, it's time to take a look at the penguin OS. Steam has 75 million users http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/15/st...s-at-dev-days/, and many are just scratching to leave Windows - just imagine getting a percentage of that. With so few MMO options on the platform, FFXIV is bound to find its niche. Apple proved that you can be niche and still successful. It's time to take a chance on Linux.

[Saccharin]

Personally I thing they're over stretching themselves by supporting another platform in MacOS.

Now you say Linux but Linux in itself isn't an operating system like Windows and MacOS is. There's some standardisation with Linux distributions but not all Linux distributions are the same. So how do SE support Linux, do they choose to support one distribution or do they support others. There's also the user friendliness of Linux. Linux is not a normal persons OS; it's an intermediate or advanced users OS. I've played with Linux using distributions like Ubuntu and Gentoo and it's just now that user-friendly. There's a fairly steep learning curve and when things go wrong - they go wrong badly. Can you imagine the support questions if something - not the game - doesn't work. It would take an age just to establish what config their system is.

Every year people always go on about this is the year that Linux will go mainstream and it never does. Why, because it never really changes. It's an enthusiasts OS not a average user and these are the people who play MMOs mainly. For FF14 it's not full of hardcore MMO players but for a lot of people it's their first MMO because they like the final fantasy franchise. Are they interested in package managers or a new kernel release. No, they just want something that works and is easy to use and it's not Linux or ever will be. Value have let the success of Steam go to their head and want to be the Microsoft of Linux. Do you remember that little tirade about DX games only being in the Windows store. Co-incidentally happened at the same time they announced their Linux project. Valve would never do anything as sneaky as that. Would they.

[Nimras]

I just wanted to give a comment about supporting distributions. Its really not that hard, linux distros for desktop computers running intel x86 cpus are all very similar. All they have to do is choose one official distro to support like ubuntu or debian and the community will get it running on others.

With that said i dont see them officially supporting linux and considering the low spec graphics in most macbooks the osx userbase will be really small if they cant get the game running decently on those intel graphics. Still, dont get me wrong, i would like to see that happen. I have friends on osx and who knows, perhaps that version might be easier to get running on linux distros aswell.

[Brianmj]

Personally I thing they're over stretching themselves by supporting another platform in MacOS.

We have no idea the resources Square has, let alone how much personnel they devote to any particular project. Square could initially focus on the most popular distribution, Ubuntu and its derivatives, while keeping an eye on Steam Box sales. Steam Box sales "should" be a thing. Valve is a key player in the industry and has a reputation to uphold. SteamOS could make Linux (Debian) a viable gaming platform. You say varying Linux distributions are unfriendly to new users, I agree. There is a steep learning curve compared to OS X, Windows. However, Steam OS paired with a Steambox should obfuscate the difficulties of gaming.

Every year people always go on about this is the year that Linux will go mainstream and it never does. Why, because it never really changes.

Because Windows is entrenched in everyones mind. Most people can't even name another OS other than Windows. It's going to be a very slow change. But the people that have already transitioned out of a "Windows world" shouldn't be neglected. Blizzard took out the time to "support" WoW on Linux. Square should at the very least consider Linux.

[Nahara]

Blizzard took out the time to "support" WoW on Linux. Square should at the very least consider Linux.

Blizzard wasn't also supporting WoW on two different consoles. I don't think SE wants to spend the resources on such a small user-base when they'd already be supporting Windows, Mac, PS3, and PS4.

[Brianmj]

Blizzard wasn't also supporting WoW on two different consoles. I don't think SE wants to spend the resources on such a small user-base when they'd already be supporting Windows, Mac, PS3, and PS4.

Blizzard has been adamant from the beginning that WoW wouldn't/couldn't be done on consoles. But to the second part of your statement, this really tugs at me. In 1999/2000 when the Dreamcast came out, Squaresoft did not support Sega. I think there was even an official statement that they would not support the Dreamcast. And from that point on, I figured Square to be this very rigid company, unwilling to take a chance or experiment - totally contrast to Capcom in that era (I maintain this sentiment despite Square publishing Bushido Blade). Today, Square is on the verge of releasing a Mac client of FF14. They are going to release an Addon-Api (this is mind boggling). And they are branching out from their console market safe spot, and pushing PC gaming pretty hard. I don't know what resources Square has available when taking on any one project, but "risk" seems to be in their vocabulary today.

[seraf]

Personally I thing they're over stretching themselves by supporting another platform in MacOS.

Now you say Linux but Linux in itself isn't an operating system like Windows and MacOS is. There's some standardisation with Linux distributions but not all Linux distributions are the same. So how do SE support Linux, do they choose to support one distribution or do they support others.

They could support SteamOS which is Linux based and considering that FFXIV is already on Steam for Windows it would make sense.

[Squa11_Leonhart]

They could support SteamOS which is Linux based and considering that FFXIV is already on Steam for Windows it would make sense.

no it wouldn't.

[seraf]

no it wouldn't.

Amazing examples of why it wouldn't make any sense. You definitely changed my mind with that breath taking discussion that clearly listed all the reasons to back up your opinion. I applaud you and weep.

[Gilraen]

What they could do is make a more stable running version for Wine. I haven't checked it's Wine status recently but the last time I did it didn't run right, if at all. Linux distributions may change with the tide, but Wine strives to say current to Windows. Square would gain a huge following in the Linux community if they just tried Wine.