Linux Games

[Googer]

http://www.tomshardware.com/bu...ss/20041230/index.html

 

[bersl2]

I usually find Tom's Hardware to be FUDelicious, but this time is an exception.

Basically, what it says is that more game developers need to use OpenGL instead of Direct3D. OpenGL and Direct3D are equally capable, despite some people's assertions.

I'll extend this to say that if game companies started programming in OpenGL, they'd get more sales, and they would not have to spend anywhere near as much time porting the game.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: bersl2
I usually find Tom's Hardware to be FUDelicious, but this time is an exception.

Basically, what it says is that more game developers need to use OpenGL instead of Direct3D. OpenGL and Direct3D are equally capable, despite some people's assertions.

I'll extend this to say that if game companies started programming in OpenGL, they'd get more sales, and they would not have to spend anywhere near as much time porting the game.

I agree, If they used openGL more they would get a better return on their investment. And alow for better compettition in the OS market.

And What do you mean by FUDelicious?

 

[PoopyPants]

since D3D 9 directx has pulled away from openGL by leaps and bounds,,, OpenGL is a long ways behind directX not only that but its bulkier and takes more processing power to handle.

and friggin dont even talk about wolfnestien or quake and whatever,, old school old style OpenGL

the latest rev's of OpenGL are definately nice but DirectX is still more robust and allows for much much more elaborate graphics

Linux and games,,, yeah sure,,, therre are a F E W and they are few and far between and then you have to pray to your linux bible that you have a video card that even has hardware support, or drivers that even work without killing X environment.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: PoopyPants
since D3D 9 directx has pulled away from openGL by leaps and bounds,,, OpenGL is a long ways behind directX not only that but its bulkier and takes more processing power to handle.

and friggin dont even talk about wolfnestien or quake and whatever,, old school old style OpenGL

the latest rev's of OpenGL are definately nice but DirectX is still more robust and allows for much much more elaborate graphics

Linux and games,,, yeah sure,,, therre are a F E W and they are few and far between and then you have to pray to your linux bible that you have a video card that even has hardware support, or drivers that even work without killing X environment.

Did'nt you read the article? just look at the latest example of openGL: DOOM3.

 

[Nothinman]

The problem is that OpenGL is only for the graphics, for sound, input, network, etc there are other libraries that need to be used. SDL can handle some that, but I don't think it does network. With DirectX they have DirectSound, DirectPlay, etc.

I would love it if developers would use OpenGL over DirectX, but there are still gaps that need filled before we have a complete DirectX replacement.

OpenGL is a long ways behind directX not only that but its bulkier and takes more processing power to hand

Then how do you explain UT2K4? It uses DX on Windows and OGL on Linux and from my experience it runs exactly the same on both platforms.

Linux and games,,, yeah sure,,, therre are a F E W and they are few and far between and then you have to pray to your linux bible that you have a video card that even has hardware support, or drivers that even work without killing X environment.

There's no praying required as long as you have an nVidia card, if you bought ATI you deserve what you get.

 

[MNKyDeth1]

Opengl with it 's latest revision can keep pace with DX9. There is no question to that. The only main difference from what I have seen is that DX makes it so the time of development is reduced. Opengl is capable but seems to take longer for programs to get there games to market. SDL in Linux is basically DX wich handles the sound, input/output calls and such. I do believe there is a network part of SDL aswell. The nice thing is with using Opengl and SDL is that they are both cross-platform. Yes, SDL works on windows and can do with opengl, what DX seems to do as a whole.

As for UT series. They can use opengl or DX on windows machines. It's just a matter of selecting the proper options to turn on opengl in windows. Same for WoW and WC3. they both have and use opengl it's just not seen or mentioned anywhere. Create a shortcut to the games and put a -opengl in the start line and it should use opengl. WC3 opengl works damn nice but WoW still has some issues, mostly pertaining to the mini-map from what i hear.

 

[Googer]

What is WoW and WC3? if you are going to list games please spell out there full name so everyone knows what you might be talking about.
I play Counter Strikel; CS is both openGL and Direct 3D.

Thanks.

 

[MNKyDeth1]

Hmm, ok.....

WC3 = WarCraft3
WoW = World of Warcraft


I will remember to always spell out the games from now on

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: MNKyDeth1
Hmm, ok.....

WC3 = WarCraft3
WoW = World of Warcraft


I will remember to always spell out the games from now on

Thanks! Abbreviations are ok, as long as you spell out the whole name at least once so everyone knows what you might be refering to. Its a basic journalism rule. Thanks again!

It could mean any thing like when I said last week you bought your car from SOB and she thought i meant a SON OF A BITCH. But i meant:
S.O.B.
SATURN
OF
BRANDON!

 

[drag]

Remember that when talking about DirectX vs OpenGL your not talking about equivelent technologies.

DirectX is all around thing for building applications and games from. It handles not only 3d graphics, but sound, probably some window/menu stuff (not sure), and mouse keyboard stuff.

OpenGL is purely 3d graphics only.

There are other aspects that seperate them.

OpenGL is a industry standard. It's specifications are set by a wide veriaty of companies and industry groups. Its standards are slower to adapt new technologies then Direct3d/DirectX, but it's extensable. There are groups of extensions that are almost standards that incorporate most of what new stuff that Direct3d can do. Stuff like the pixel shaders and stuff (which is nessicary, I suppose, for building GUI's using OpenGL).

OpenGL is very cross-platform. This makes it suitable for building things other then games. 3d modelling applications, imagining software, CAD, that sort of thing. DirectX may be very good for games, but that's about it.

The closest thing to DirectX that you can find for Linux/Unix/OS X/Windows is LibSDL.

LibSDL adds a extra thin layer of abstraction over OpenGL, and takes care of things like weither or not you have 3d acceleration aviable and such. So if you write a application using SDL it can dynamicly take care of it so that you don't have to.

It also has the ability to take care of sound, menu/GUI stuff for games and applications, and take care of mouse/joystick/keyboard stuff. That sort of thing. Then you have stuff like higher level languages that can use LibSDL like python with pygame modules. There are a few games that do custom OpenGL work for the 3d engine, SDL for everything else, and then python for scripting character roles and stuff that isn't speed critical.

The Unreal Tournament 2003/2004 port to Linux uses LibSDL for most of it's stuff. It uses OpenAL for sound, though. There is some eye candy that you loose, but it's nothing important to gameplay and it's not noticable unless you know it's missing. Stuff like on the warthog car thing you don't get to read what it says on the license plate. LibSDL isn't a full featured as DirectX, but it's perfectly usefull for most things.

For a long time lots of Windows games used OpenGL for the actual engine, but uses DirectX anyways. So many "directx' games actually used OpenGL for a large part of what they did. Black & White is one game that I know for a fact does this and even Quake3 required a certain level of DirectX for you to run it. Lots of times they use it for menus or splash screens and such. I don't think it's as common as it used to be though.

Also you can use LibSDL for making things like media players and such.

It's not as nice as DirectX, it's not as full-featured. But there are practical advantages to it such as it's cross-platform aspect and it's openness and there is no associated issues with licensing costs or any such thing. Plus for the customers it opens up things for enthusiasts a bit. Like I've heard that it's possible to get signifiant improvements in performance of the Linux version of UT2004 if you change out the default libSDL libraries that get installed along with the binaries of it with newer versions or custom-compiled and optimized versions.

If you want to make simple games that aren't speed critical using stuff like pygame with Python can make it VERY easy compared to programming OpenGL or DirectX stuff (plus you can compile python programs into binaries so that Windows users don't have to deal with all the dependancy issues). Hell they even have language bindings for PHP if your a web developer.

Also remember that games like Ut2004 and Doom3 are using Ogg Vorbis sound for games and such (Ogg Vorbis has always had the ability to handle up to 255 different channels for sound) and many indie games heavily use LibSDL and similar free libraries so Free sofware is slowly making it's way into gaming, too.

edit:

Also people are starting to get into building free software 3d engines for gaming. There is Orge for instance. Another one is crystal space. Also there are few hacked up versions of Quake1/Quake2 that are suitable for making your own games from. If your curious even Half Life2 still have remnants of original Quake 1 code in it.