Linux beta on time with Windows?

[Xaratas]

Will the Linux beta be given out at the same time as the Windows one?

That would make me think hard about the early access tier.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Xaratas

[Boeroer]

I guess there's no reason why not. Unity "exports" to both platforms. As long as they don't use plugins that only work on one single platform (like cloaks in PoE) it should be no problem.

 

I can't remember the beta of PoE1, but the patches always came out for all platforms simultaneously.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Boeroer

[Xaratas]

At the time for PoE beta they have had no working Linux build pipeline, so only the last two beta-versions were available for Linux.

[Boeroer]

Ah ok. Didn't know that. I hope the beta of PoE2 will also include Linux, because I am using Linux and wanted to pledge for beta access. This is crucial info for all backers who pledge for beta and are not on windows. So I guess I will contact Aarik.

 

Edit: did it - now we have to wait. Usually Aarik responds with lightning speed. Just remember that today is sunday.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Boeroer

[Aarik D]

Hi guys! 

 

Sorry for the wait! At the moment, the beta access will only be on Windows unfortunately 

[Boeroer]

Oops - so you won't get that 20$ from me.

[ushas]

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Sorry for the wait! At the moment, the beta access will only be on Windows unfortunately 

 

It would be useful to mention this in the Fig's FAQ and in the addons section, in order not to have misinformed backers (also Mac?).

 

I also thought you have a cross platform pipeline this time (in comparison to literally making ports for Mac and Linux a month before the release even when it runs on Unity, as other companies do). Either way perhaps Obsidian simply doesn't want to hassle with releasing three stable builds. In that case I would like to support saying better late than never for BB. Also feedback of versed fellows, such as Xaratas and Boeroer, would be very valuable.

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At the time for PoE beta they have had no working Linux build pipeline, so only the last two beta-versions were available for Linux.

 

Indeed, there was Linux beta available for PoE1 roughly a month and half before the game's release. I've jumped in some time before that, not knowing Linux wasn't supported yet. So if the backers portal will be similar, it might be possible to buy a beta key later on the road. Also if it helps somehow - the Win builds were running fine under wine for playing the beta and feedback purposes, though not advisable for bug reports. But it doesn't mean it will be like this with Deadfire. So it's gamble.

Edited February 14, 2017 by ushas

[Boeroer]

Even if the beta would run on Linux via Wine - I don't see why I should pay 20$ and then be forced to do some weird installation.

 

I would be happy to support OBS during the beta phase with some money and also feedback. But not if I have to install Wine. Call me silly, but I don't like that piece of software on my computer.

 

OBS decision is totally understandable though.

 

I have no problems with Windows by the way. I just don't have it and usually I also don't need it.

[virgi26]

OBS decision is totally understandable though.

how's it understandable? I mean they are going to release it for Linux anyway. Why not give it to users for testing? It's basically free QA.

Anyway, i just hope this does not mean that we get later release for linux =(

[Boeroer]

You and I don't know that. There may be a lot of third party plugins that can't be transported over to Linux that easily without some tweaks. Remember the cloaks in PoE1? Turned out they didn't work with Linux.

 

I'm pretty sure there is a reason why they only release the beta for windows.

 

PoE1 for Linux was rolled out the same day as for Windows. I expect no big problems there.

Edited February 14, 2017 by Boeroer

[ushas]

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Even if the beta would run on Linux via Wine - I don't see why I should pay 20$ and then be forced to do some weird installation.

 

I would be happy to support OBS during the beta phase with some money and also feedback. But not if I have to install Wine. Call me silly, but I don't like that piece of software on my computer.

 

​Why would that be silly?

Lately I was actually thinking, that folks who don't want to buy till native Linux port of full game is out (and patched) have it right. (taking into consideration all the broken or too late fulfilled promises)

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I don't know what's going on with the Steam statistics (eg. when one pays on mobile phone and doesn't play it under linux for some couple of next days, it's counted as a win purchase, etc.) or whether it makes any difference at all - probably the most optimistically at max +1%. However, I have a feeling that people don't take too much into consideration the backers, fans and PR originating from that. I mean there are post release and also early access sales at which they look, so it's better for us to be actually in those. Yeah, Linux players are perhaps more probable to be taken into account when not being too understanding and generous. --> as opposite to doing things like paying upfront or playing under wine etc.

 

But even when we are not many if you would be able to truly cut backers apart, there are secondary effects of the offering. Aside those dual-boot (or wish to dual-boot) backers, I mainly mean general PR effect, when it paints the company in a good generous light, especially on Kickstarter which is supposed to help fund otherwise financially not high return things, including various translations and ports. It's just impossible to estimate how much money they would collect for PoE1 and PoE2 etc., if Linux & Mac, or such things as DRM free option, wouldn't be there since the first Kickstarter.

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And also the further effect are the fans themselves. So for example, I think developers lately have been bragging about how there is great stuff on the character builds subforum and guess who posts prominently there? (oh it sounds weird when quoting you). I'm not sure how something like the fanbase composition can be evaluated.

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As you are mindful what you install in your system, I should probably also warn you that it has been confirmed in the fig comments that the beta will be Steam only again.

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What I have done at the time* is that I've set virtual machine to confine Steam there for downloading. The game's directory then could be moved to any other system where one plans to play, as they didn't require Steam to launch it (at least for the Linux build it wasn't required). 

​*yeah silly me, Steam was another fact I wasn't aware of when buying beta. Later for the full game we had been offered to choose gog.

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Which reminds me. I've been thinking about doing gaming virtual machine, when one has two graphical cards (eg. the integrated one + some better graphical unit from Nvidia for example), so the second one is used by the gaming Linux. Have you guys done something like this?

 

With nowadays offerings I also practically bother to check a new game only if it has native build, but many great older ones aren't playable without wine or dosbox. So it would be great to do it all there in the virtual machine without any worrying or adjusting selinux or so.

 

 

​Edit: Btw. Feargus said, that cloaks should be working now in PoE2.

Edited February 14, 2017 by ushas

[Boeroer]

[...] So for example, I think developers lately have been bragging about how there is great stuff on the character builds subforum [...]

They did? 

[ushas]

Don't believe my memory with the wording, but one of the sources that they are aware can be Josh's answer in the second Q&A (taken from the reddit transcript):

Is anyone on the team using community character builds for their Pillars of Eternity games? Which builds are the most popular?

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JS: I haven't polled other people at the studio; I usually just make whatever goofball sort of characters I want. However, I do look at a lot of build strat guides. I also look at build guides that people make on Youtube just to see what people are making and what they perceive as being particularly strong or particularly weak builds. Sometimes they're really dead-on, sometimes they're finding things that we hadn't considered, and sometimes there are things we think are really good that either aren't really good or people don't think are really good just because of how we presented them. So, we do look at a lot of those build guides which are very interesting whether they appear on the Obsidian forums, I know that those are really popular on our own forums, or on various Youtube channels and things like that.

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