Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General Suggestion: SteamOS version

Since the game is already announced for Linux I would suggest to contact Valve and ask them for some information and support about SteamOS which is based on Linux.

SteamOS could be a real alternative for Windows next year and it's highly possible that it will become the OS of choice of many hardcore gamers, especially when it allows games to run faster than Windows.

So please, Larian: make a dedicated SteamOS version of DOS. It's a PC-only game and SteamOS could be the future of PC gaming together with AMD's new mantle API and stuff.

It may be a tad late in the development cycle to promise that for release day, but since they said Linux versions are coming, that should be good enough?

I think a SteamOS version should be even better than a "normal" Linux/Ubuntu version. I guess it would run on SteamOS as well, but I would really prefer a dedicated version.

First we have to find out more about SteamOS which will be released in November. But perhaps Larian could contact Valve/Steam right now and claim their interest in further corporate informations. I think Valve/Steam would offer serious support for early adopters so it might be worth the effort.

Just think about the publicity and marketing effects to also develop for SteamOS or change Linux version to that. In that case DOS would even be a release title for the new steam machines in 2014 with SteamOS preinstalled...

In that case, don't expect it. I mean seriously, this new Steam stuff was only announced this week with minimal details. Like nobody at all knows what exactly is going on there. It's ridiculous to expect a SteamOS version by February.

Besides, I rather think that the idea of using Ubuntu as the core of SteamOS is so that Linux versions of games will run on SteamOS without needing to be specially made for SteamOS. I don't think a lot of developers would be eager to jump onboard if SteamOS and Linux were substantially different.

You know, I could think of an email from Swen at Steam with something like that as content:

"Hey guys,

we've heard you're on the edge to release SteamOS in November. We're at the moment fully in development of our newest title Divinity: Original Sin and we already plan to make a linux version. Will a "normal" Linux be compatible with Steam OS? What would it take to make a "full" SteamOS release out of it? Could you give us more information, tools or support?

Greeting, Sven fro, Larian Studios"


Just checking out the possiblities. It's easy to call something impossible or not reasonable before you have even asked for more information. Some things in life are a chance and it's silly not to use a certain chance if you could gain from it. So all I ask is to consider the options and make a profound decison based on facts.

How about they at least first release it for Windows and then think about experimental platforms that has no audience yet?

SteamOS will probably have a bigger gaming audience within weeks than Linux and Mac have now and there are versions for both announced.

I'm all for a Windows-first strategy but it can't be wrong to explore other possibilities. If not for release then at least for a later date and occasion.

I think I read somewhere that steamOS is a linux core so your game can work on it if it is a linux version, you do not need high performance for a TRPG IMO

Well it is not clear to me that steamos is not compatible with linux (did valve indicate this is the case?)
-
From the initial statement it is not clear to me (at a technical level) how valve is distinguishing steamos from linux. I.e, are they still using X or by passing X and introducing a new api for direct FB writes (X has an extension that supports this for things like games) likewise for keyboard - are they improving X handling of the keyboard (lower latency) or again removing X ?
-
I guess once they release it more information will be available.

SteamOS is "just" a linux environment optimized for steam. If you install Steam on Ubuntu you have pretty much the same "Steam OS". If you are talking about making a "SteamOS" game, it insinuates integrating the steamworks API that works just as well on any steam client on any platform. It not something new.

What you people are asking for is Linux compatibility. Swen told in the latest Q&A that they are working on this.

Do you know if Valve's changes are at the kernel level; or just the wrappers around the various core components (kernel, x, ...) with perhaps custom driver for their joystick ?
-
I.e, are they just packaging or actually make core changes ?

No, we don't know. We don't work for Valve. I would assume that any Steam OS changes that happen are more about optimization and not changing the way inputs and outputs of information to various components work. If a game designed for Linux had to be altered to work with SteamOS, that would be counterproductive to the entire idea.

SteamOS is a Linux distribution and D:OS also runs on Linux. So all that Larian would really have to do is implement Steam controller functionality and possibly a few other features into the game. That's it really, pretty simple.