geekster:
I am not implying that game developers should stick solely to Windows, and my apologies if that''s how it seemed. At heart I''m a Java programmer, and if I could sit around and program Quake clones in Java on Linux all day I''d be the happiest man alive.

All I was trying to say was that shying away from an OS/Language/API because it is difficult or confusing is not the way to become a good programmer, and not the way to learn. I am all about learning & using both windows and linux, both OpenGL & DirectX; I am not about picking one and becoming some kind of Zealot.

I am not the greatest programmer to ever walk the face of the earth, but I do think I''m pretty decent. I have a few years of experience in one of the most competitive areas for OSes & languages: the web. I can code for Win32/*nix/Mac in many different languages in many different environments. Learning all of these different skills has really rounded out my knowledge of how computer systems work. Now I can approach problems and find the best solution, not the one that I am forced to use because it''s the only one I''ve ever bothered to learn.

Expand your mind and learn it all.


"If consquences dictate our course of action, it doesn''t matter what''s right, it''s only wrong if you get caught."
- Tool

geekster:

quote:
Blueshift:
Are you planning on releasing your game for Linux as well?
I mean, if it''s developed as cross platform and you stick botj the linux and windows executable in one box can there be any lossin releasing it for Linux too?

Being a Linux fan, I would like to do it. I''ll have to discuss that with our distributor though, since it can be problematic to put the Linux version on the CD. You can get trouble with Microsoft, if you want to print trademarked Microsoft logos (like ''designed for WinXP'' or something like that) on the box, and there is more than the Windows version on it. That''s the Microsoft way. Unfortunately, printing such logos on the box seems to have very positive effects from the sales point of view.

Well, even if it can''t be included on the CD, we''ll put the executable for free D/L on the web, as soon as the game is released.

BTW: there is another problem with Linux versions: the copy-protection. It doesn''t work under Linux. It''s up to the distributor to give it''s OK for deactivating the copy-protection under Linux.

A.H aka Blueshift

WayfarerX:
Yeah, know what you mean. Wish I could afford a Mac to try out a diffrent computer. Now that we''re at it, does anyone know how to get a hold of a c/c++ compiler for the amiga?

Blueshift:
Can you mention anything about what kind of game it is?
And why doesn''t the copy protection work in Linux, or would you have to kill me if you told me?

Geekster:

> Can you mention anything about what kind of game it is?

Hmm, all I can say for now, it''s a realtime 3D action/adventure (in a fantasy/mystery setting) with some *very* advanced graphics and a decent AI. It''s very fun, the devel team is already self-addicted

> And why doesn''t the copy protection work in Linux, or would you have to kill me if you told me?

Well, it''s just a standard licensed copy protection, it''s only available for Windows and we aren''t allowed to modify / port the source, since we didn''t develop the protection system. It would be rather difficult to port anyway, since it uses tons of weird Windows API calls and rather lowlevel access to the CDROM (raw reads and stuff, to read the invalid sectors that make the copy protection).

A.H aka Blueshift

quote: Original post by Blueshift
> And why doesn''t the copy protection work in Linux, or would you have to kill me if you told me?

Well, it''s just a standard licensed copy protection, it''s only available for Windows and we aren''t allowed to modify / port the source, since we didn''t develop the protection system. It would be rather difficult to port anyway, since it uses tons of weird Windows API calls and rather lowlevel access to the CDROM (raw reads and stuff, to read the invalid sectors that make the copy protection).

But do you need to worry about copy protection for Linux just yet? So far the Linux market has been slow to respond to commercially available games. Agreed, putting both the Windows and Linux versions in the same box may have a positive effect on sales and at the same time lower associated production costs, but with the lingering complexity of setting up DRI and acheiving comparable performance under Linux as under Windows, and the better support for input and output devices under Windows, most persons who can would rather play the game under Windows. Unfortunately, those are the people who would buy the game too, by and large.

It''s just so hard to figure out an entertainment revenue system for a Free OS... the search continues.

quote: Original post by geekster
WayfarerX:
[...] Now that we''re at it, does anyone know how to get a hold of a c/c++ compiler for the amiga?

Yes, GCC is ported to the Amiga.

A few links:
Amiga-FAQ - The GNU C compiler
Download GCC 2.7 for Amiga (from Aminet)

Search google for many more pages about GCC for Amiga.