Could Neowin Produce a Good Linux Singleplayer Game?

[qdave]

I would say no, unless there would be a budged to pay people :p

[+virtorio MVC]

I could possibly help out.

My maths skill is terrible (which is bad if you're dealing with 3D) and I've never developed a game before (except for a bomberman clone many years ago that is slightly less fun the Windows Calculator running in the non-scientific mode) but I am a programmer and have some graphics and story telling abilities.

[Copoboxx]

Stop moaning about Time consuming! Your going to be achieving something you lazy Kids! :p

[Lex224]

Stop moaning about Time consuming! Your going to be achieving something you lazy Kids! :p

Exactly and it could be something to add to portiolios and such to show off work if you help to create it.

I'm doing a game technology course at university but I'm only in first year so altho I can offer my help I don't think I can do as much as some people on here. Got some knowledge of c++ and basic game design so far.

[Green_Eye]

So let's say it's feasible, as long the aims are kept realistic.

So who's the chief producer ? Time to put up a web page with clearly stated goals, participants, tentative schedule, email address at which people can write if they're interested in participating in the project. Time to start discussing technology, storyline, art direction, gameplay design. Until some basic management and conceptual work is done, the project is unlikely to go anywhere. I might very well join in the project, but no one can join a purely hypothetical project.

I vote that you take charge in organizing this thing if only because you noticed it had to be done and that puts you 5 steps in front of everyone here. That is of course if you want to :)

[Reacon]

I vote we build it on the Source engine. Possibly as a mod. I would certainly be able to help out then!

[Andre S. Veteran]

I vote that you take charge in organizing this thing if only because you noticed it had to be done and that puts you 5 steps in front of everyone here. That is of course if you want to :)

Sorry, but I don't. I don't have a feeling this game is likely to go anywhere. You need someone with a clear vision to say : "look, I've this great idea for a game, it would run on this and that platform, it would use this or that technology. I would be the lead programmer/artist, I just need a few additional programmers/artists; who'd like to join ?" But until now on this forum all has happened is that someone asked if it would be feasible for Neowin members to make a game for Linux (or cross-platform Windows/OSX/Linux, whatever), and what has come out of it is that yes, in theory it's feasible, but there's absolutely nothing concrete yet. (And no, a few ideas about a story are in no way a game project, I have ideas like that every day, it didn't make code or artwork magically appear.)

Me, I'd rather keep getting experience by making little games in XNA and later C++, then when I feel more comfortable maybe I'll try starting such a project. For now I might join one if I see I can be of some use.

[Barney T. Administrators]

Poll added for the masses! :cool:

[Kushan]

We're going to start off with a singleplayer, and once that's out the door... then we can expand. First things first though :)

Errrr don't do that, you can't easily shoehorn additional features into games like that, not without diluting them and making them a bit rubbish. You need to set out a plan well in advance for that sort of stuff, even if you're only planning on it so that it MIGHT be added later. You'd be surprised how many commercial games have failed because a good plan wasn't set out in the first place.

I vote we build it on the Source engine. Possibly as a mod. I would certainly be able to help out then!

That wouldn't run on Linux though, would it?

One of the great things about writing an open source project is that with a little time and effort, it's possible to convert it to run on just about any platform.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

While it's great to aim for the moon, you have to be realistic and realise you might only ever get so far as the corner shop.

The talent's there, and the stuff isn't particulary hard to make (especially with the tools avaliable, Lua powered 2D side scroller? easy, 3d FPS game with full networking and awesome graphics? again easy), the problem is getting a team together that can focus on the project and stick together, and most importantly, the story.

Unless you've got some amazing gimmick up your sleeve, the story is what is going to keep people playing (or it could be terribly simplistic like pong or space invaders and become a "time waster" game)

[smooth_criminal1990]

That wouldn't run on Linux though, would it?

I think Valve are in the process of porting source to OpenGL so it can be Linux'd

[Kushan]

I think Valve are in the process of porting source to OpenGL so it can be Linux'd

That's not been confirmed by Valve at all, it's just rumour and specualtion. Plus, there's more to truly "running on Linux" than porting it to a specific variant of linux. For example, Adobe claimed for the longest time that Flash worked on linux, but what they actually meant was that Flash worked on some 32bit, x86 variants of linux. For a program to be truly linux compliant, it's source should be available so that it may be compiled for just about any distribution.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

The program doesn't have to be open source for it to be "linux compliant". If it abides by the common specifications, it shouldn't need to be recompiled for distros.

[Kushan]

No, but that's limiting it to purely x86 devices, whereas by picking an open source platform, we could have it running on just about anything, from older Macs to Phones and PDAs. It might sound trivial or pointless, buy why specifically limit ourselves without good reason?

[Andre S. Veteran]

No, but that's limiting it to purely x86 devices, whereas by picking an open source platform, we could have it running on just about anything, from older Macs to Phones and PDAs. It might sound trivial or pointless, buy why specifically limit ourselves without good reason?

Because each platform has its advantages and problems and if you want to run the exact same thing on every platform you are limited by the lowest common denominator. So at some point "limiting" ourselves to one or certain platforms is a way of avoiding other limitations. I don't see a Source engine game running on mobile phones for a while, for instance, nor on Linux, but if we had decided to limit ourselves to Windows then suddenly Source would have become a possibility.

Of course the other way is to make a specific version for each platform but that requires careful design and increased development and testing time.

And just to clarify because I've seen the term abused a few times on this thread now, "open-source" isn't synonymous with cross-platform, at all. XNA is cross-platform (Windows + Xbox360 + Zune), yet it's not open source. KDevelop is open source yet it's Linux-only.

You certainly know all this better than I do but I felt there was some potential confusion there.

[Kushan]

Certainly, but what I'm getting at is that a lot of people seem to be thinking in terms of "Oohhh we could use XXXX engine for this!" without realising that they've just limited the project in a large way. A design for the overall game should be decided first, then we can look at tools, engines and utilities that would best suit the design, which may or may not be fully cross-platform. But chances are, as long as we try to stick to open source tools, the thing will be cross-platform.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

No, but that's limiting it to purely x86 devices, whereas by picking an open source platform, we could have it running on just about anything, from older Macs to Phones and PDAs. It might sound trivial or pointless, buy why specifically limit ourselves without good reason?

I've got an old mac and a PDA that can run Linux, they aren't going to be playing games any time soon.

That's the thing, they're old and underpowered.

[Kushan]

I've got an old mac and a PDA that can run Linux, they aren't going to be playing games any time soon.

That's the thing, they're old and underpowered.

Ummm...I've got an old PC that wont be playing games any time soon, but I've also got a PS3 that runs Linux and it'll definitely be playing games. Wouldn't it be cool if there was a version of neowin's game that could run on it?

It doesn't matter anyway, as I said before the game should first be designed (i.e. a concept drawn up, a list of features that everyone would like, etc.) and THEN an appropriate engine selected. But one thing is sure - it HAS to run on x86 linux and it HAS to run on Windows (otherwise there wont be enough interest in the project), that alone means our best bet will probably be to use an existing cross-platform, open source engine and as long as we don't break any cross-platform rules (i.e. nobody tries to be flash and dump raw x86 assembly into the code) then it wont be an issue.

[Tin Man]

While it's great to aim for the moon, you have to be realistic and realise you might only ever get so far as the corner shop.

The talent's there, and the stuff isn't particulary hard to make (especially with the tools avaliable, Lua powered 2D side scroller? easy, 3d FPS game with full networking and awesome graphics? again easy), the problem is getting a team together that can focus on the project and stick together, and most importantly, the story.

Unless you've got some amazing gimmick up your sleeve, the story is what is going to keep people playing (or it could be terribly simplistic like pong or space invaders and become a "time waster" game)

Actually we're aiming for the stars :)

Not only is the talent here, our direction is too. Thank you to the mods for posting the poll.

Gimmick? For one, it will be an FPS that's not on rails, and a gripping storyline. Something that will introduce a lot of moral conflict, that you're just going to want to see through to the end....

Certainly, but what I'm getting at is that a lot of people seem to be thinking in terms of "Oohhh we could use XXXX engine for this!" without realising that they've just limited the project in a large way. A design for the overall game should be decided first, then we can look at tools, engines and utilities that would best suit the design, which may or may not be fully cross-platform. But chances are, as long as we try to stick to open source tools, the thing will be cross-platform.

Hit.Nail.on.Head.

:)

[Tin Man]

Audioboxer, I tried PM'ing you, but your PM's are full.

[Dc'1]

I recon with everybody on here, it is very possible, but I doubt they would want to lol. I also doubt that it would be amazing ethier.

[White Cuban]

Getting a Community With Diversity like this to do something like that takes extraordinary leadership and, some luck,staff, and maybe money.