I have seen some ‘I’m in!’ messages where people say they are going to use Linux, but not all users inform that. I would like to know how many people is going to use Linux and which distribution. Personally I use Xubuntu (Ubuntu with Xfce).
Do you use Linux? Please leave a comment if you do!
Well, I did make some progress. The game has nothing else than graphics and a feature that changes the world when button ‘W’ is pressed.
We all love weapons, right? Oh, I also added the player character. It was supposed to be human, but drawing a good human takes some time and I have no extra time, so I drew that… thing.
(Click picture to watch the GIF animation. Size: 15.8Mb)
I made a lot of progress, actually: I added score, chain counter, balance meter (don’t ask), blood and the first enemy: bull! I also added some actual gameplay. Isn’t it wonderful?
Anyway, it’s already 21:25 here in Finland, so I think I have done for this day. I decided I will participate the jam instead of the compo like I originally planned. I wanted to use some scripts I forgot to share before LD30 began. And I need the third day. The more days the better, they say.
Okay, my game is finished now! Check this wonderful thumbnail I made for my game:
I was originally supposed to change the music, but I was too lazy so I did not. The current version is identical to the version I posted link yesterday, so I could as well submit this game as compo entry, but I didn’t have time to set up the Game Jolt page.
Anyway, now it’s finished!
Play: http://i.gjcdn.net/imgserver/game-thumbnail/588/32983_1.jpg
LD page: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?action=preview&uid=26965
I’m not going to post a “I’m in!” post yet, but decided to write a short concept what I’m going to say when the time comes.
First, I would probably tell you about my programming language and IDE. I think I would answer Html5/Javascript and Eclipse, but it’s possible I will go nuts this time and use C++. Or maybe I’ll make an Html5 game in C++ using emscripten! Or maybe not…
Or maybe I should start my “I’m in!” post by saying which OS I’m going to use. It’s not Windows, because using it makes me want to cut my toes with a rusty chainsaw. Instead I’m going to use Xubuntu… like last time. Or maybe also Linux Mint (xfce edition, of course), if I decide to use my laptop for some un0bvious reason.
Then I’ll probably tell all the other tools I’m going to use. Pinta and GIMP for graphics. AudaCity, bfxr and ButtonBass online tools for audio. Gedit as my text editor (you always need a text editor, even though you are using an IDE). Chromium and Firefox for debugging. I don’t think I need anything else.
In the very last lines of my upcoming “I’m in!” I’m going to say something like “Good luck for you all!”, “I hope you all win (no I don’t)!”, “Let’s conquer the world with our crappy games!” or “I’m going to beat you all! And I’m not talking about game making!”. Yeah, an idiotic sentence is a good way to end a post.
Yep, that kind of “I’m in!” post I’m going to make this time. I know you cannot wait, but be patient! It won’t help, but at least it will make you insane.
I added new features: now Mr. Spooky can drop bombs and get hurt! Isn’t it wonderful?
Because everyone else is spamming links to their games, why don’t I?
Because I’m here to talk about playing Ludum Dare games on Linux. As you might know, most games are Windows-only, they are either distributed in .exe format or they require Unity Webplayer (which means they also work on OS X, but not on Linux). To play those games, I had to boot Windows. And I prefer not to, for various reasons (which I stated here: http://www.64digits.com/users/index.php?userid=JNyknn&cmd=comments&id=503836).
I suggest you should upload a Linux-friendly version of your game if possible. Html5 and Flash games are probably the best alternative, but not the only one:
1) Linux binaries: many game engines allows Windows-users to port their executables to Linux. If it’s possible, do it!
2) Jar-files: they are platform-independent (almost), so they should work on Linux. NOTE: when you add a link to .jar file, do not name it ‘Windows’, because that means many non-Windows users think they cannot play your game!
3) If you have made your game using Game Maker or Unity, your Windows executable should work if run on Wine. But do not name your download link: “All platforms” if the .zip file has only Windows executable!
4) Python games should also work on Linux, but they usually require PyGame or other library, so most users may not want to install additional libraries for a single game
Why I’m saying this? Because I want to play LD games on Linux and I rarely give bad ratings, even though the game is not very good. I always try to find something positive in every game I play. So if you want me to rate your game (that works on Linux, of course), share a link to your game!
Or you can play my game (it works on every OS that has a browser that supports Html5): http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-31/?action=preview&uid=26965.