Linux NeverWinter per Derek French (Assistant Producer)

ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

Derek French
Assistant Producer

Sorry for the lack of a central location for information about the Linux Client. We will be fixing this soon. For right now, here is the current information on the Linux Client.

For those of us joining us late, the Linux client was not released with the Windows version. The Linux server was released shortly after the Windows version. As to why, the Mac and Linux versions of the game are being co-developed and our focus was on the Windows version for the June launch. Currently the Mac and Linux versions are in full development. The Mac version of the Toolset is being handled by MacSoft. You can find an update from Al Schilling from MacSoft here.

What we can't give you right now:
- Linux client screenshots
- an exact completion date

All we can estimate is that screenshots will happen within a month and we expect the Linux Client to be available for download in Fall 2002.

What we can give you:
- an assurance that the Linux client will be released
- a web page for the Linux Client where all updates will take place

We expect the Linux Client page, with information, to be up within a week.

BonezTheGoon · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2002 5:16 pm Post subject:

This is awesome! It's no wonder that mac and linux are now grouped together, with OSX being BSD and all. Really I think the linux community is going to benefit largely thanks to this move from Mac--Anyone who developes for Mac OSX native will have little trouble making things work for linux. This trend will certainly help me convince some of my geek/gamer friends who have been reluctant to "cross-over" simply due to lack of game support. I personally can't wait for the linux version of NWN!!!

Regards,
BonezTheGoon

BonezTheGoon · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2002 5:17 pm Post subject:

Oh yeah can you provide a link to where you got that information from? I'd love to send it around the world in emails!!!

Regards,
BonezTheGoon

trolley · Apprentice Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 292 Location: Canada

masseya · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2002 7:00 pm Post subject:

That is still good news. I know it's not as soon as they said it would be, but when was the last time a game company met a deadline for something? They probably plan on releasing things at least three months after their official release date on purpose now. It could be worse. At least they are making a linux client...
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trolley · Apprentice Joined: 12 Jun 2002 Posts: 292 Location: Canada

masseya · Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2002 7:11 pm Post subject:

Well, it's not out yet. Maybe they were going to release it like that and are currently working on fixing that particular problem. I don't dual-boot and would certainly hope that they aren't going to do things like that. I would like to be able to play NWN without having to use wine. You certainly can't blame them for focusing on the OS where the market is. There are a lot of people who use M$ only because they have very little option when so many other people use it. I'm sure there's a lot of people who write software and frequent this BB in the same position. Let's just hope the people at Bioware take that extra step and ensure quality with the extra time they are taking.
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ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

http://nwn.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=119167&forum=42

Linkage. If any of you bothered to keep up with the Winblows issues you'd be happy that Bio is taking their sweet time. Until yesterday (I work evenings) we'd heard nothing about what was happening. Now we're getting our own web page.

Mac version is being done by Macsoft, the better news for them is they're probably getting the toolkit too. ATM I'm not sure and no one else is sure that linux is getting the toolkit.

On another note about NWN it was 60% done in June or July of 2000. Original release date was supposed to be late 2001, it was bumpted to March 2002 then bumpted to June of this year.

BillyBreen · n00b Joined: 21 Jul 2002 Posts: 20 Location: Boston, MA

Just wanted to point you to https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=5544&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=neverwinter&start=25

I've been running NWN in Wine with no problems (aside from the problems the Windows users are facing) for the past several weeks (screenshot at http://www.ryanbreen.com/nwn.png ). It will certainly be nice to have a native client, but Wine should work well enough to obviate a reboot.

Also, Bioware has explicitly said that you will _not_ need a Windows install to run the Linux version. You need the Windows install CDs, and the Linux installer will pull the data from those. For the Wine install, you need Windows (I used VMWare), but this will not be the case for the official version.

Zu` · l33t Joined: 26 May 2002 Posts: 716 Location: BE

Thanks for this news, it's good to know now what's happening. Although I was dissapointed too because NWN didn't ship with a Linux client version.

Seems like there's some hope for us Linux gamers after all.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Quite a number of Neverwinter threads.

Anyway, some friends are interested, so I thought I'd check on the linux version today. Looking forward to the 'fall' release. Hopefully the bugs will be much fewer by then.

Also, I'm curious how they intend to release the linux client.

ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

linus binaries to download installing using Win datafiles from the CD. Think UT, RTCW, Exult, Unreal.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Using data files from the CD would be fine. As long as I don't have to install a Windows version under Windows OR an emulator such as Wine. In that respect, it isn't really using the Windows version as the data is independant.

If I buy NWN, it would be the first game I've bought/played since Wizardy 3 (or around then). No, that doesn't mean I've not paid for games, I just haven't been compelled by the Doom revolution or its kin/offspring. 1st person shooters etc. Warcraft was interesting, but not compelling. I liked Zork. I still play on a MUD.
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ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

NWN Linux to be released around 16 November as predicted by developers. This info can be found on Tuxgames.

Since there will also be a downloadable version of the binaries I don't see how Bio could force there to be a Winstallation.

ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

http://nwn.bioware.com/downloads/linuxclient.html

Target · Apprentice Joined: 25 Apr 2002 Posts: 200

It doesn't really do to call the data files "WIN data files", since data files are platform-independent. The only thing really associated with windows (or any OS for that matter) on the CDs are the executables.

Zu` · l33t Joined: 26 May 2002 Posts: 716 Location: BE

Vann · Guru Joined: 04 Aug 2002 Posts: 357

I imagine it will be like Quake III for linux. If you owned the Windows version, you just had to download the linux binaries and copy some .pak files from the CD to the appropriate directory. The stuff on the NWN CD is probably just textures, sounds, etc. so they don't depend on Windows.

Zu` · l33t Joined: 26 May 2002 Posts: 716 Location: BE

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

ASCI Blue · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 132

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

Just now noticed all of the screenshots are in KDE... wonder if it'll work without it.
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