Major bug detected - wrong OS

Eisbaer · Post by **Eisbaer** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 12:32 pm

Hi all,

first, I have to say thanx for this great game!!! (Is there a superlative for "great" ?)

But how could it be possible, that the best game in the world is only available for the worst operating system?

We love this game, but running under LINUX, many users would like to get married with it ...

I think, that would ensure, that we all can play our favourite game even if Microsoft is publishing Win2001! I consider "War in Russia" or all my old DOS-games like "Clash of steel" aren't playable under Win2000. (Now, Clash of steel is only playable with the Linux-DOSEMU

)

Did I already say thanks?

Bye

renwor · Post by **renwor** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 6:15 pm

Originally posted by Eisbaer:
Hi all,

first, I have to say thanx for this great game!!! (Is there a superlative for "great" ?)

But how could it be possible, that the best game in the world is only available for the worst operating system?

We love this game, but running under LINUX, many users would like to get married with it ...

I think, that would ensure, that we all can play our favourite game even if Microsoft is publishing Win2001! I consider "War in Russia" or all my old DOS-games like "Clash of steel" aren't playable under Win2000. (Now, Clash of steel is only playable with the Linux-DOSEMU )

Did I already say thanks?

Bye

Oh, great idea !!!! I already love it, even before You even started working on the port!!! Have you I hope!!!

Eisbaer · Post by **Eisbaer** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 8:07 pm

Originally posted by renwor:
Oh, great idea !!!! I already love it, even before You even started working on the port!!! Have you I hope!!!

Yes, I know that the work isn't done at one afternoon, but if someone else than Matrixgames would like to do this job, the source-code should be available! I have to admit, that I were really curious about to have a look at the codes ....

It is true that the only reason for me to have a partition with win9X installed, is to play games like SPWAW or CivWarGen2 or even Quake (also available for LinuX yet). And I can hardly await the day I will sweep clean my HD's of this #%$&§§$

But the main reason I posted this message is very simple: SPWAW is such a good game, that I am sure, that I will play it at least as long as I played SP1. But I am not sure whether Microsoft will still supply us in 5 years with an operating system (or something similar), that is capable running these "old" 32bit-applications. You could answer: "Ok, then, I will use my old win98" But it takes for granted, that Win98 then will be adapted to the new genereations of hardware. And THIS seems much more likely with LinuX, but no one really knows.

I any case is SPWAW the best game, money can not buy at present!

Fuerte · Post by **Fuerte** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 8:37 pm

An open source Steel Panthers is a good idea. It would make bug bashing much easier. SPWAW 4.0 has many of the old bugs and some new ones, so it seems that Matrix didn't have enough manpower to fix these and test all possible features (there are plenty). Matrix could be the co-ordinator, and release all builds to the public, and all other programmers around the world would help them the get rid of the bugs. Much like Linux and Mozilla.

Probably this can't happen, because of the deal with Gary Grisby and SSI.

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 9:09 pm

Very interesting post, but you guys are way over my head with Linux, Win2001, etc.

I admire and respect your expertise and knowledge. I hope someone in our group will speak to this.

I only posted this to let you know we are reading these. You are not ignored, Eisbaer and others.

The sad thing is I have no idea on how to respond to this. I'm sure someone else on the beta test team will do so.

And thanks for the kind words on our effort. I did understand that part

Wild Bill

------------------
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games

Paul Vebber · Post by **Paul Vebber** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 9:49 pm

There are no plans to port the game to Linux.

Matrix has no say whatsoever in distribution of the source code. It is purely a Mattel/SSI decision that is in my opinion extremely unlikely.

Windo von Paene · Post by **Windo von Paene** » Thu Sep 14, 2000 9:50 pm

Well it's too bad SPWAW isn't written in Delphi...As Delphi for Linux is coming out soon, it would only take a simple recompile....

Oh well

renwor · Post by **renwor** » Fri Sep 15, 2000 11:24 am

Just curious, if it isn't secret of course:
What is SP (WaW) code written in?

Fuerte · Post by **Fuerte** » Fri Sep 15, 2000 8:16 pm

My guess is mostly C, maybe a bit C++, and perhaps even some assembler somewhere.

Reg · Post by **Reg** » Sat Sep 16, 2000 1:44 am

Originally posted by renwor:
Just curious, if it isn't secret of course:
What is SP (WaW) code written in?

I am pretty sure Paul mentioned the difficulty of debugging undocumented 'C' code in a previous post.

Even though you compile this with 'gcc' compiler under linux, you will still have to rewrite the graphics, sound and I/O routines to interface with the different OS.

[Sound of door slamming and footsteps receding into the distance....]

[This message has been edited by Reg (edited September 15, 2000).]

Ed Cogburn · Post by **Ed Cogburn** » Sat Sep 16, 2000 11:48 am

Originally posted by Fuerte:
An open source Steel Panthers is a good idea.

Yes, but I don't think there is a big enough "community" that could fully support an open source tactical wargame. The larger the community, the greater the numbers of coders available to work on it. There is a minimum threshold needed that I don't think is there, for now.

Ed Cogburn · Post by **Ed Cogburn** » Sat Sep 16, 2000 11:54 am

Originally posted by Reg:

Even though you compile this with 'gcc' compiler under linux, you will still have to rewrite the graphics, sound and I/O routines to interface with the different OS.

[Sound of door slamming and footsteps receding into the distance....]

There's a company called Loki Entertainment which has already solved that problem. They've ported more than a half-dozen major commercial games to Linux, graphics, sound, and all. So getting it to Linux would not be a problem; of course this is all theoretical since we know this won't happen with SPWaW.

In any event, don't shut that door on other possibilities. You never know, Matrix and Loki just might kick that door down one of these days.

Eisbaer · Post by **Eisbaer** » Sat Sep 16, 2000 1:12 pm

Another fact I forgot: Releasing SPWAW for Linux could possible solve the distribution problem. There are not only many, many mirrors (e.g. ftp://sunsite.unc.edu or [url="http://www.linuxberg.com)"]www.linuxberg.com)[/url] which are able to store complete games and patches, there are also some distributors like SuSE who were almost "horny" to release a game like SPWAW with their quarterly published distribution! (SuSE hands over StarOffice and some other commercial software this way)

The size of the files should also be no problem anymore. There are free available software packages in the Linux world, which are even larger than SPWAW, like XEmacs, Gnome, KDE or the complete LaTeX system!

PS: Have a look at http://www.lokigames.com/products/