ubuntu-gaming team mailing list archive

[J Sloan <joe@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Don't we already have something like that? SDL, anybody?

Joe

Marcelo wrote:
> We need a framework like DirectX in linux, OpenGL in only a API for
> graphics, DirectX is a framework for input(mouse, keuboard, joystik),
> network, 3d, audio, and others thinks
>
> 2009/5/12 Khalid Rashid <khalid.rashid@xxxxxxxxx
> <mailto:khalid.rashid@xxxxxxxxx>>
>
>     Greetings all! Be warned, large amount of incoming text :-]
>
>     The team Ubuntu Gaming, right now its only current goal is to
>     "activism/marketing effort to organize around and prioritize the
>     biggest issues with FOSS gaming and how to address them". But that
>     goal is a hard nut to crack, since FOSS gaming suffers from the
>     symptom "having too much that provides too little" - in other
>     words its lacking focus. While diversity is all good, problem is
>     that we don't have a lot of focus that brings cutting-edge awe,
>     like compiz is doing!
>
>     First of all, we need to break down the current FOSS gaming into a
>     few issues that needs to be adressed.
>
>     1. Development issues.
>
>     This category is most relevant for the potential coders. Things
>     such as what language/which libraries to use,where to find free
>     resources and how easy it is to contribute to existing engines are
>     questions that belongs here.
>     Can we choose an engine to cover one of each genre (FPS, RTS/TBS,
>     RPG, etc) that we promote and encourage contributions towards
>     instead of letting developers creating yet another engine?
>     Unification among developers could make existing FOSS engines on
>     par with commercial ones. Do the existing engines have good
>     documentation thats written in human language thats understandable
>     by an outsider? Also, has anyone tried Blender3D after the apricot
>     project and tested its new game engine capabilities?
>
>     Regarding free resources, the freedesktop games team seems to have
>     the free resources covered:
>     http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Games/Resources
>
>
>     2. Packaging & distrubution
>     Can backports be done quick enough to get new versions out? is
>     not, what is the obstacle? As an alternative, do we have a
>     packager that can provide latest versions through a PPA?
>
>
>     3. community movement
>     This area covers A. "multiplayer & clanship"  and B. "contributing
>     artwork and modding the game", and IMO the most critical part of
>     these mentioned issues. What good is a game engine without a
>     community after all?
>
>     3A. This requires a clan movement, community servers and PPAs that
>     provide the latest version if missing from backports. Do we have a
>     server running 24/7? do we have enough gamers in each area
>     (FPS/RTS etc) to justify a server for each game, or should the
>     servers capacity be scheduled for example a game per week which is
>     decided by voting? Can we have a mumble server so we can engage in
>     VOIP coordination simultaniously? Another fun thing to consider is
>     to see if other distros have a gaming team and see if they're
>     interested in wars. What better could there be to fight for the
>     honour of your distro? ;-)  Also, can Also LAN parties arranged by
>     LoCos could be a fun way for gamers and indirectly a subtle way
>     for people to get introduced into ubuntu.
>
>     3B. There is a lot of artists, writers out there that are *assets*
>     to us, if we could just use make it easy for them! The most basic
>     obstacle here is the documentation - is the game well documented
>     from the devs? can the community fill in gaps or make the
>     documentation easier to understand? Do the have the tools to put
>     their ideas into mods? This point can make a single-player game
>     infinitly more fun and a game so infinitly more varied (variety
>     here is good!). Just look at epic and how longlived unreal
>     tournament 2004 was thanks to modding - you could have melee
>     battles with ChaosUT, you could be a pirate on hot-air balloons
>     with airbuccaneers and shoot aliens with alienswarm. Its not
>     necsecarly DirectX 10 effects that makes games fun, its the
>     playability. Just look at roguelikes or simple games like world of
>     goo.
>
>     With a strong community, Ubuntu (and in turn, Linux and FOSS) with
>     gain momentum in order to push it further and will make it
>     possible to reach the goals of 4 and 5.
>
>
>      4. (depends on #3)Using Gaming as marketing asset
>     Now this strongly depends on point 3, and for this we need shiny,
>     fun games. Maybe even linux exclusive games, if we're feeling
>     evil. Here is where LoCo arranged LAN parties can be of great help.
>
>
>     5.  (also dependent on #3) pushing the platform to get more games
>     from companies. We have awesome support from nvidia and ATI too
>     with their opensource drivers, we should companies that linux
>     gaming is viable, and they should base on Ubuntu. Also the
>     possibilities where they distribute demos or copies of their games
>     on a CD which also acts as a LiveCD when inserted at boot
>     eliminated all problems with incompabilities in the OS. The
>     stronger the community is, the bigger the influence and weight our
>     requests have on commercial game developers.
>
>     Note that this point may not go with the teams pure FOSS
>     philosophy. This might need to be worked on it on the side
>     independently from the group, unless the group is ready to change
>     its stand on that point.
>
>
>
>     Since I think with this teams goal, our focus is on 3 & 4 (and 5
>     for those interested). Lets start with the basic stuff, do we have
>     a community clan? ubuntu clan existed and died a while ago.
>     Considering timezones the most sane idea would be having an
>     american, european/african and asia/oceania clan - if enough
>     people in those areas are interested. We need official clan
>     leaders to step forward and gain a group to form a clan. Then the
>     clan should provide means to play existing FOSS games and not to
>     stick to one only. But to do that, there should be a server and
>     means to install the latest version of a game ;-) But that is a
>     later problem,I think the first step right now is to find willing
>     clan leaders and clan members that will be organized and dedicatd
>     to the motherla-,err, brother&sisterhood of ubuntu!
>
>     Second is, what engines out there are easily modded? anyone with
>     experience on this field that could enlighten us?
>
>     What do you think people, does this sound like a feasible goal for
>     the ubuntu gaming team?
>
>         *Khalid Rashid <mailto:khalid.rashid@xxxxxxxxx>*
>         My PGP public key ID: BFC11F5F
>         <http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?search=0xCC9370B757DE41F0A9B35496A8F1137DBFC11F5F>
>
>
>         /"In the middle of every difficulty
>         lies opportunity."/ -Albert Einstein
>
>
>
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