Linux... The gaming OS?

Message

R!tman · Post by **R!tman** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:25 pm

I have windows installed on my pc only for gaming. Next week, my new pc will arrive. I will not put Windows on that again.

Another word to the native games: With me only buying native linux games in the future, maybe game developpers get the message somewhen, especially as the linux community is growing.

Rodent · Post by **Rodent** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 7:11 am

Gaming in linux is great for me. I like a *nix based system for my work and its just nice to play a quick game of something for a break every once and a while without haveing to reboot my computer.

Here are some general tips and stuff I picked up:
- Buy all your games, trying to use a cracked version of something is just another point of failure
- Cedega is worth the money, unless you feel your time is worth very little. ie: wine can maybe run even more games than cedega can, but it is just to hard to configure and has no copy protection support and no install sheild support.
- I don't know much about it (read:nothing), but there is win4lin
- nvidia is the only choice for video cards, although ATI has made strides to catch up they do not cater to the niche high end workstation market and thus don't really worry about linux.
- icculus is a great site to find native ports, he now works for epic. The linux gamer faq is highly informative (and long).
- look for opengl in games if your trying to use wine
- stick with kernel 2.6.8 if you don't want to worry about patching for wine/cedega copy protection
- surround sound is possible in native games, just a large pain. Doom3 is easier than UT2k4, so I guess things are improveing
- a safe estimate for preformance is 80% of windows speed useing wine. Most natives will run exactly the same (at least w/ D3, UT2k4, NWN)
- as for me I enjoy (have installed): Doom3, UT2k4, NWN, WarCraft3, World of Warcraft, America Amry, GTA: Vice City, Diablo 2, StarCraft, C&C Generals
- my favorite 'free' linux game is critter

On gentoo, be easy on the compileing flags they will cause instability. -O3 by itself is as far as I would go, some people around here go a bit overboard without nessecarily knowing how it can effect code.

Hope that gets you off on the right foot,
Andrew

R!tman · Post by **R!tman** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:31 am

@Rodent: Thank you. This helps pretty much.

I am confident, that I will never have to install windows ever again on my new pc.

float- · Post by **float-** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:44 pm

Rodent wrote:On gentoo, be easy on the compileing flags they will cause instability. -O3 by itself is as far as I would go, some people around here go a bit overboard without nessecarily knowing how it can effect code.

You cannot go any further, higer optimization values are gone.
But sure you can use pipe and fomit-frame-pointer, but that doesnt necessarily harm your compile.

D-M · Post by **D-M** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 5:24 pm

/Astr4y wrote:Thanks for all the suggestions.. I guess ill keep the card i have now and buy some more memory first....

Actually, I wouldn't buy any more memory unless you KNOW you need it. 1 Gig is a lot. While your FX 5200 is ok, if you are going to spend money I would suggest an upgrade to improve your gaming experience, something like the fx5700 series. Much improved preformance over the 5200 without breaking the bank.

Also, I agree with most people's feeling that nvidia is the way to go. Particularly if you are new to linux. Nvidia based cards in my experience just work. install to motherboard, emerge drivers and go.

DM

-- Thor -- · Post by **-- Thor --** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:32 pm

Linux is a great gaming OS. Have fun and good luck!

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 7:07 pm

feld wrote:if Linux isnt a gaming platform, then who wrote the guidlines on what a gaming platform IS?

Linux:
1. Speed
2. Stability
3. Great resource handling
4. Bleeding Edge as far as power over hardware
5. Suitable for both server and client!

Windows:
1. Slow
2. Instable alone, worse thanks to crappy security that allows viruses and spyware to run free.
3. Handles resouces about as well as ... well... does Windows even handle resources?
4. Could this OS make it any harder to get power out of your PC?
5. Not really suitable for both. Only reason client is there is because the OS is a monopoly. With the influence and amount of computer gamers, if all makers went OpenGL and Linux / Mac only, Windows would be done for outside of business in 6 months of great releases.

What more do videogame makers want?

WE'RE OVER HERE! YEAAH! THE GOOOOOD SIDE!!!!

NOOO

WAAAIT!

COME BAAAAAAAAACKK.....

*sigh*

-Feld

I really couldn't have said that better myself

But Windows is a better gaming platform if you're looking at making CASH £££££££

Yeah Linux is a very decent platform but over 80% of the computing world are bogged down with Microshaft. If you wanted to make money, and lets face it that's all games companies are after, you write for Windows. Sad, I know.

If companies made their code cross-compatible to start with (I.E writing for SDL or OpenGL, or AT LEAST make it wine/winex friendly) then they have a better chance.

alofflambas · Post by **alofflambas** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:30 pm

I have also only usage Windows for gaming but when the new game came out with a mod Team fortress i had about 40-60 FPS and that did really freeky me out and started to tweek as hell but i did not get any better FPS for that and i did really wanted to play the game so i installed it and now i use Linux all the time never in Windows any more

and now i have 125 FPS (with out tweeking) as i want

when i playd Half life 2 in Windows it was nice FPS no fps drops or any thing it was perfect

I can't still belive why i have much better FPS in Linux i have heard Linux have its not so stable with 3D Games and etc...

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:07 am

alofflambas wrote: I can't still belive why i have much better FPS in Linux i have heard Linux have its not so stable with 3D Games and etc...

I have much better HL2 performance in linux than windows. I think it's cos I only had (yeah HAD, its gone now

) win98. But now that my favourite game runs I'm NEVER heading back!

And no its untrue (at least it is nowa days) that linux is not stable with 3D games. My setup runs it like adream! Of course its not the same for everyone, but some good reading through this fine forum and you'll be sorted!

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:22 am

By the way I owe everyone on this forum a huge thank you!

I FINALLY have Half-Life2 working at absolute top graphics after weeks of chatting and idea throwing. I now have frame rates between 30 and 200! Thats right, its never dropped below 30. And yeah, staring at a barrel I got 200!

I really can't thank everyone enough, its made me a very happy linux user! I'll try and get some screenshots on.

"Linux as a gaming platform?" --Hell yeah! With a bit of work, its gonna be the best gaming platform alive!

A short run-down of how I did it:

- 2.6.9-r9 kernel: According to several people it manages its resources a bit better
- 16bpp colour: Change "defaultdepth" to 16 in xorg.conf
- Renice the wineserver: "renice 19 `pgrep wineserver`" as root after starting the game
- NvAGP instead of AGPGART: This seems to work only for few people, everyone else reports a performance decrease. Worth a try though.
- Using cedega 4.2.1. Not really better performance but sorts a few Steam niggles, e.g. offline play.
- Run in the same screen mode as your desktop: No. Idea. Why. but it works...
- dxlevel 70: Set in Steam launch options. Dxlevel 80 works with low performance, dxlevel 90 not at all. you forfeit some special effects using DX7, so lets hope Transgaming get right on DX9 asap.

I have faith in this O.S for gaming!

Aynjell · Post by **Aynjell** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:56 am

Well, I too think that games should be played at home. By this I mean, if I am to play a game in linux, it must be native. The only exception to this, I also make in windows: Console or otherwise unplayable games (SNES, PSX, SEGA, GBA, N64, SCUMM).

I do use emulators to play these, only because I have to. It serves me well enough, and it doesn't go against my gaming mantra...

Anyway, there are way too many games out there that run natively under linux, and if you don't mind playing PSX games, the list extends by several hundred title. Anyway, upon thinking about this, the only other step for linux is games. If we were to draw enough attention to the linux (and or gentoo) gaming community, we would recieve way mroe driver love. Think about it: The only thing we really have issues with is outside of the norm hardware (wireless, and other new shtuffs) and GPU's. If we made enough ruckus, and offered enough linux ONLY games, we'd draw way more users, and more drivers.

Face it folks, effort is where the money is. Let's start paying...

ShadowMetis · Post by **ShadowMetis** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:22 am

I actually came to the forums looking for a cure for my sound problem and got hooked into this topic. I switched to Linux( mandrake to be specific ) in a fit of XP rage a few months ago. The dual-boot didn't work properly, so I deleted windows and never looked back. I have recently made the switch to Gentoo and it's great. While linux doesn't get the majority of the games, it certainly gets alot of quality titles. NWN, UT2K4, and others that have been mentioned in this topic. The way I see it, it's only a matter of time before all major releases come with a port to linux. I don't think Linux will ever conquer windows though. The masses always need their simple retreat, and in my opinion, let them have it. I care about performance and so I use linux. Windows is for the weak minded and if I have to sacrifice a few games because of it, then so be it.

Aynjell · Post by **Aynjell** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:26 am

I also don't want linux to rule. if it did, we'd have more linux viruses...

In case you linux users forgot, viruses = bad;

I know, you ain't had one in god knows how long, but let's keep it that way. Linux should remain reserved, but still be supported.

Kow · Post by **Kow** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:27 am

Even though I am a Linux activist in most occasions, if all you plan on doing is gaming, then Linux is not the right OS to use.

Aynjell · Post by **Aynjell** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:47 am

I have to agree, but in the future I beleive that wil be far from the case. For now, I know the games Ido play in linux are played there because they run better there...

Like Ut2004, in my case, It crashes everytime I close it in windows, as in BSOD crash. In linux, it runs very cleanly.

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:40 am

I don't use windows at all - main reason being I can't afford it! Student=skint. And no, I don't pirate, which is usually the skint student way.

But now I'm hooked, I wanna squeeze every last drop of performance out of this OS as I can. linux is MY gaming platform, others may differ.

BTW it rules at lan partys! The two-hours setup before hand is always due to some windows box with IP address/DHCP/Blue screen/lost driver for On button/windows update/protocol errors (quite a frequent one!) or some other stupid, unnecessary problems that CUT GAMING TIME!

The three linux boxes that do turn up - just plug in and switch on. And its usually the Linux boxes that end up fixing the Windows ones!

ShadowMetis · Post by **ShadowMetis** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:48 pm

Windows boxes are fixable? Whenever I had a problem on windows it was always pretty much permanent. No way to kill that dll error. No way to make that program stop crashing no matter what I reinstall or how many times I do it. UT stopped working? Damn... time for a new computer! If I ever have a bad enough problem on linux (which I usually don't unless I f* up the install) I can always rebuild from the ground up. Windows is crap. It's overly complex for the sake of seeming simple. It's the worst kind of oximoron. And on the topic of linux viruses... I just don't see it happening. Anyone with enough energy to not only use, but look into the sources of linux is generally on the side of those wanting to fix any problems. Leave that crap about viruses to the lazy windows user. That system begs to have viruses made for it.

Besides, I'm not talking about getting all people to switch to linux. Gamers are performance nuts and linux is for performance nuts. It's only natural that they'd be drawn to eachother. Gamers will come to linux, but the rest of the assholes will stay on their comfy, pile of shit known as windows. It's really logical if you think about it.

The Mountain Man · Post by **The Mountain Man** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 7:37 pm

feld wrote:What more do videogame makers want?

Market share. And sadly, Linux doesn't have it. Yet.

ShadowMetis · Post by **ShadowMetis** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:32 pm

Game makers are making more and more games portable, and gamers are playing more and more on linux. I give it ten years before most or maybe even all major games are released with ports to linux.

John5788 · Post by **John5788** » Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:44 pm

i've gotten the following games to work:

native:
americas army
bzflag
doom3
ut2004-demo
cube

non-native:
steam and cs1.6
diablo 2 LOD
doom3

and thats about all the games i play. if you want to see a whole list of games that u can install natively, check here:
http://www.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/

look through all the games-* sections

ShadowMetis · Post by **ShadowMetis** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:32 am

Anyone that got Ragnarok Online to work, email me with your secrets.

ShadowMetis@hvc.rr.com

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 2:25 pm

ShadowMetis wrote:Windows boxes are fixable?

If you could call it that. Usually its a "temporary bodge" that usually isn't that temporary cos we can't find a permanent one later! All my linux problems so far have had permanent solutions, first time. Thanks to this fine-assed forum

vonhelmet · Post by **vonhelmet** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:37 pm

Aynjell wrote:I also don't want linux to rule. if it did, we'd have more linux viruses...

In case you linux users forgot, viruses = bad;

I know, you ain't had one in god knows how long, but let's keep it that way. Linux should remain reserved, but still be supported.

OT: the underlying workings of Linux make the creation and transmission of viruses much less viable than Windows.

ruben- · Post by **ruben-** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:39 pm

I'm satisfied with linux for gaming for now.
I only played UT on Windows, but since I use Linux I bought RTCW / Halflife(cs) / Warcraft
Ye I know, maybe it should've been the other way around but those games run perfectly on linux. Never had trouble getting them to work with cedega..

- Ruben

deadstar · Post by **deadstar** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:54 am

vonhelmet wrote:
OT: the underlying workings of Linux make the creation and transmission of viruses much less viable than Windows.

So does the fact that its open-source.

Life of a Linux virus:

9:00am: Virus released into the wild
12:00pm: Few hundred people infected
3:00pm: Several open-source developers get to work on a fix
5:00pm: Fix released, people start downloading
Weeks later: We'll never hear of it again
Another few weeks later: All new kernel patches will fix whatever security leak let it in

Life of a Windows virus:

9:00am: Virus released into the wild
12:00pm Few thousand people infected
3:00pm Developers and virus-checker people get to work on a fix
5:00pm: Fix released, but imagine how many thousands of windows users know what a virus-checker IS, let alone have one!
Weeks later: Most people have the virus cured, but it still affects many thousands.

Just my opinion. Bear in mind most of that is based on the fact that there are many more Windows users than Linux.

Linux... The gaming OS?

Go for it!