Time for the Linux port!

[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.

[xNuggetJack3dx]

Linux has been on the brink of breaking out into common use for 20 years. 2% of users base doesn't means anything. Get over it.

Also of that 2% of linux boxes out there I would personally guess less then 20% of them even use GUI. So NO NO NO GO away.




You need to make sure it works with all of these. to even get to the 2% users.

^ this
/thread

[Brianmj]

My thread!!!! Yes, just because it's on steam doesn't mean it's easily portable between different OS. Square would already have to be leveraging the Source Api for any ease in portability. FFXIV uses Square's proprietary Crystal Tools Engine, I believe. In one of the interviews concerning the Mac client, a middleware solution was cited. We don't know which middleware Square is using, much less is known if that middleware works on any linux distro. But still, I hope at least Square considers SteamOS. At least have a client for the OS.

[Squa11_Leonhart]

2.0 does not use Crystal Tools.

[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]

2.0 does not use Crystal Tools.

Ahh yes. I just searched and all I get are references to "a new engine for A Realm Reborn" without anything specific. Not much is known about it, right?

[Kewitt]

You say that "Less than 20% of linux users use a GUI, but I counted over 50% of users in the chart you provided run distros that come packaged with a GUI, load the GUI and start the Xserver on boot, so that's your theory out of the window. Now you might say that the chart is not a representative example due to the small sample size, which I could agree with but then the chart you provided is not relevant to the discussion.

I do agree that they have to look at the problem from a business point of view, but as both Linux and OSX are based on Unix, right at the bare bones of the system they are very similar, porting a Mac version to Linux would be simple, and wouldn't take much work at all. It's not thinking about how many customers they can get, it's is it profitable. If it costs much less to make than the Windows version then it could make sense to make it as it could still pull the same margin, and that's ultimately what business looks at, percentage profits (ie profit margin) than actual money because it shows an accurate example of how you are doing, and it can be compared much easier.

Just because Linux makes up only 2% of the market doesn't mean it should be discounted. Linux is unfortunately in a bad cycle, people that know of it use Windows because Windows has all the programs they use, and Linux might only have 20% of these programs, and the alternatives might not suit their needs, so they stick with Windows. The developers see Linux as an unprofitable market when they look at the market share, so they don't develop for it and for the most part up to now no one seems to have shifted.

You can run ubuntu without the GUI.

[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.

[Psychojau]

Steam OS is an idea barely out in the wild and hasn't from what I've seen had very heavy traction. Compare that small list of OLD games with a real list of games PC can play and I'll yawn and fall asleep while you go down the PC list cause it will take you so long. It's not even really on the same playing field.

As for driver issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYWzMvlj2RQ
It's a known issue.

You don't know what you're talking about.
1 - Planetary annihilation is 3 months old, Tropico 5 around 6 months old if I remember well and Shroud of the Avatar is one of the most anticipated MMORPGs for THIS year. It's in alpha. And Dota2 engine is always up to date.
2 - Linus was talking about optimus tech. Hybrid intel/nvidia notebooks. We don't care about this in living-room gaming. Anyway, it's fixed. And they released Linux PhysiX.

I love this game. I'm a Gnu/Linux user and old gamer. I just want to help, not argue against nonsense.

[ruskie]

The way I see it. Something they can work for on and off by the next expansion(I mean looking at it they already worked on ps4 and the mac client before a single expansion). Depends how the code could be easily ported. And yes as a GNU/Linux user myself I would support something like this by buying it - even though I play on ps4( because SE made a great controller interface and I want others to use it as well for RPGs on consoles).

And yes steam boxes would be a vaild target for this.