Yes the financial profitability, often to command
ELITE on LINUX Please.
- Thread starter ShogunToyo
- Start date
Yes the financial profitability, often to command
Well, there's twice as many iOS users as Linux, so it'd have to be twice as many to be worth considering. But that's still a very small slice of the OS cake.
The only reason *anyone* uses windows is games, isn't it?
Cynically, code that works on multiple platforms typically requires far more time to get working *right* on multiple platforms.
The only reason *anyone* uses windows is games, isn't it?
Cynically, code that works on multiple platforms typically requires far more time to get working *right* on multiple platforms.
Deleted member 38366
D
The potential Users vs. Dev effort put aside...
I'd definitely like a Linux port of the Game.
I'd definitely like a Linux port of the Game.
And FD wrote a client for iOS when Apple's implementation of OpenGL sucks a fat one and can't handle compute shaders!
Linux (various *buntu distributions) powers my home server and all my work laptops. I only have Windows on the machines I can play modern games on. It's a little frustrating :/The only reason *anyone* uses windows is games, isn't it?
Cynically, code that works on multiple platforms typically requires far more time to get working *right* on multiple platforms.
It is about 200 - 300 thousand potential sales. As I have said before, statistics is a bit different realm outside reality - it gives relation between something big and something small. Nothing else.
On Steam, Linux despite being only 1.5 %, combines as half as Mac sales (which is around 5 - 6%). So Linux users are worth twice as much.
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The only reason *anyone* uses windows is games, isn't it?
Cynically, code that works on multiple platforms typically requires far more time to get working *right* on multiple platforms.
It seems not to be a problem for FD. Issues with Mac is not FD fault - in fact, it is very impressive what they got for OS X going despite given cold sholder from Apple regarding compute shader support.
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In nutshell, Linux has potential regarding ED, as many Linux users are also space sim geeks. Would it sell millions? No. Would it sell tens of thousands? Absolutely. Would it sell hundred thousands? With time also definitely.
As far as I have seen FD is warry of Linux due of support costs, unknown platform (they had Mac guys already), split up market share (Linux distributions), etc.
Many of those questions are answered (you just develop against Steam runtime, and you do quckly testing with Fedora and Debian, as everyone else derives from them). Steam has proven Linux as gaming can really work so there's little doubt that FD could handle this. Would they go green - also I doubt they wouldn't considering they have OpenGL render for 3.3 in place already.
The game already runs on Apple.
digitalscream
Banned
Still watching this one...for me, it'd essentially be a QoL upgrade - it'd mean I no longer have to reboot to play Elite, and I'd imagine most of the other potential customers for this are in exactly the same boat.
The problem for FD is that almost all the people who would play it on Linux already play it on Windows, so there isn't actually any financial benefit for them to do so.
With that in mind, I'd happily chuck the cost of the original game (£30-£40) into the pot - not to get another CMDR, just for them doing the legwork to make it happen.
The problem for FD is that almost all the people who would play it on Linux already play it on Windows, so there isn't actually any financial benefit for them to do so.
With that in mind, I'd happily chuck the cost of the original game (£30-£40) into the pot - not to get another CMDR, just for them doing the legwork to make it happen.
![[VR] purolator](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/81/81982.jpg?1553527113){kind=avatar}
Good point. This may hopefully change in a few years once support for Win7 runs out.
Either users have upgraded to Win10 then, or - like me - have passed the Win10-bucket and intend to change to Linux for good then. Alas, I don't think this is a policy for the majority of users.
digitalscream
Banned
The irony is that they'd actually be able to get Horizons working on Linux much more easily than on OS X (or at all), given the compute shader issue.
Given the fact that not even majority of the forum registerd cmdrs here seem to be overwhelmingly desiring a linux port, I'd say it would be a loss of time and money for FD to have a dedicated linux team.
I'd love a Linux version, but then I'd get no work done
But seriously OSX is a dead-end with their OpenGL shader support, however Linux has the same full support Windows does for OpenGL. HOTAS works out the box (I use my X56 with X-Plane).
With an OSX version already out more than half the work needed for a port is already done.
This would also mean a triple SteamPlay
But seriously OSX is a dead-end with their OpenGL shader support, however Linux has the same full support Windows does for OpenGL. HOTAS works out the box (I use my X56 with X-Plane).
With an OSX version already out more than half the work needed for a port is already done.
This would also mean a triple SteamPlay
Anecdotally, I'd say that the majority of individual posters in the other thread are of the opinion it would harm development on on other platforms, with a vocal minority trying to dispel a lot of FUD like it is still 1998. But I also think all of us are arguing like armchair developers (even those of us that *are* developers, because we don't work for Frontier and don't know what their priorities or constraints are (and no I am not a developer)).
I'm of the opinion that as long as we can keep new posters asking for a Linux port, this will be on Frontier's radar when they discuss the future direction, and that's all we can actually ask of them.
FWIW I view the lack of a solid no from Frontier to mean no decision has been made and that we should continue to make representation for the OS.
I would be very surprised if the next port is not for the PS4. I'm probably reading too much into Adam's comment about what he wants for Christmas on Yesterday's livestream though. But a PS4 port is a positive for Linux users in my opinion, because a large player base on one platform *may* provide budget to work on a less popular platform.
However, David Braben has already made his position quite clear: http://www.tuxradar.com/content/interview-david-braben-0
In short, Frontier are looking to see the fragmentation disappear and for the potential sales to be worthwhile, I think SteamOS is the best bet for ending this fragmentation right now (others disagree with valid points), but there are some very interesting container technologies on the horizon (no pun intended) that can sidestep distro variations, http://flatpak.org/ for example. So maybe the fragmentation issues can be set aside soon and it will just become a numbers game.
And to prove the numbers, I look to the Wine DX11 effort to enable us to run on Linux, which will then report back to Frontier what our host OS is.
YMMV, your opinion may differ, IANAD, etc, etc
o7
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Actually, both. The userland is from FreeBSD.
I have been long Linux advocate. Being realistic, I don't see Linux client any time soon - nor FD has any moral responsibility to deliver one. Would be nice to have, as ED is only thing keeping my Windows 7 installation alive. I am looking forward to Wine/Codeweaver efforts to add DirectX11 support.
But I can easily join my voice for this. Would be nice to have. FD already have OpenGL port. Unfortunately due of Apple being [cenzored], It will stay at 3.3. For Linux it would make sense to have full 4.3 blown port. That most likely means additional work, which could be only justified if they would know they could sell x copies on Linux. As I have said before issue mostly is FD mostly comes from sceptical side of town if we are talking about Linux ecosystem. It will take a lot to convince them to consider this.
But I can easily join my voice for this. Would be nice to have. FD already have OpenGL port. Unfortunately due of Apple being [cenzored], It will stay at 3.3. For Linux it would make sense to have full 4.3 blown port. That most likely means additional work, which could be only justified if they would know they could sell x copies on Linux. As I have said before issue mostly is FD mostly comes from sceptical side of town if we are talking about Linux ecosystem. It will take a lot to convince them to consider this.
Same here - missed a week of the beta due to being in France with only my work laptop - powerful enough to play elite - but it's running Linux!
I'd buy Elite again for a Linux port, then I'd probably never boot my home machine into Windows again !
It may get more love now Apple have so comprehensively damaged cross-platform development with their insistence that Macs abandon OpenGL for their own proprietary alternative (because that alternative makes porting to iOS easier, and that's the only cross-porting they care about). But in my experience, while there are plenty of people with Linux installed who would like to be able to play their games on it, most of them keep a Windows partition to hand. The number of people who would buy E if it were ported, but can't right now, is pretty small - far smaller than the number of PS4 owners who don't have a gaming PC, for instance.
if it were ported, but can't right now, is pretty small - far smaller than the number of PS4 owners who don't have a gaming PC, for instance.