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 <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > > 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:[email protected]>* > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming > <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-gaming> > Post to : [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming > <https://launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-gaming> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming > Post to : [email protected] > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >
_______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-gaming More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
