Curse

Stevizard · Jan 12, 2012, 08:17 PM // 20:17

Hi all,

I've just upgraded my Operating System from Windows 7 to Linux Mint 12. For years, I've watched Microsoft repackage the same software (with the same old bugs) and put bigger price tags. When using Windows, I must reboot my computer almost everyday, and I definitely need to shut it down at night so that it runs well the next day.

Linux Mint is totally different. My computer almost never needs rebooting (only when I change a hardware driver, etc.). It also runs MUCH faster than it did with Windows XP or Windows 7.

My question is this: Why don't the Guild Wars developers put out a Linux distribution? Getting Guild Wars to run on Linux can be a real battle. I've played GW for years, but I'm not sure that I want to go through all of that installation crap again to play GW-2. But give me a Linux GW-2 installer and I'm already there!

Stevizard

Iceblue · Jan 12, 2012, 08:33 PM // 20:33

You mean a Linux version and not distribution.

Are you asking about GW2? There's another forum for that.

As for playing GW on linux, I play it on Ubuntu. Yes it needed tweaking before it would work smoothly, but that's the price you have to pay for not following the lemmings over the cliff with their wallets wide open....

Mig Coconut · Jan 12, 2012, 09:33 PM // 21:33

Building and maintaining a Linux/Mac version costs money. It's not cost effective for ANET to do so for the small number of people who want such a feature.

My advice is either dual boot or get a second PC dedicated to Windows gaming. Jumping through the hoops to get it to work on Linux (via Wine or some other method) is very annoying, but you may feel differently.

Spiritz · Jan 12, 2012, 10:22 PM // 22:22

Hmm - im using win 7 and i dont require daily booting - infact my systems usually on 24/7 and 1 reboot a week if unlucky which is usually an update.

betonboor · Jan 12, 2012, 11:37 PM // 23:37

Guild Wars relies on DirectX. DirectX = Microsoft.
Creating an OpenGL implementation would simply be too much work (especially considering the small size of the live team) and they'd gain too little profit from it.

KZaske · Jan 13, 2012, 12:03 AM // 00:03

both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 are designed for the mass market. With less than 10% of the computers running Linux, it is not a mass market. The mass market is Windows, which runs on over 80% of all operational computers.
For that very small group of people that run Linux or MacOS you can setup a dual boot to Windows, or try to use Wine.
DirectX is a Microsoft product, both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 use DirectX. Converting either of those games to run on OpenGL would require a rewrite of the entire game. There are projects that are attempting to build a version of DirectX for Linux, I understand that they have got most DirectX 9 features working.
In short, it's a lot of work and there is just not enough money there to make a profit doing it.

Sacred Gee · Jan 13, 2012, 12:19 AM // 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevizard

My question is this: Why don't the Guild Wars developers put out a Linux distribution? Getting Guild Wars to run on Linux can be a real battle. I've played GW for years, but I'm not sure that I want to go through all of that installation crap again to play GW-2. But give me a Linux GW-2 installer and I'm already there!

There would be WAY too many headaches for the developers considering the vast number of Linux distros that exist. I was even shocked when I found out that ArenaNet & NCSoft do not support running Guild Wars on Windows 7.

MithranArkanere · Jan 13, 2012, 12:37 AM // 00:37

My laptop has been running on Windows 7 since I bought it the pre-installed copy. Downloading and uploading files all day long, and only rebooting when there's system updates that require that.

By older laptop ran since 2005 like that with Windows XP, also with the version of XP pre-installed and it broke because of my mother hitting it repeatedly with the vacuum cleaner and throwing water on it. First the screen backlight exploded, then the videocard died when wet.
All the parts I salvaged from it still worked perfectly, RAM, hard disk, wireless network card, battery, etc...

Needless to say, laptops are NOT designed to run 24/7, but I had to use laptops because of space and mobility constraints, and I have to keep them on 24/7 too.

Nevertheless, the only blue screen I've seen in my entire life was the one you get in Windows 98SE when you try to read a CD that has been removed, back when I had a Pentium III in the previous century.

The combination of OS and system are a bit like single components. You may get lucky and never run into a problem in your entire life, or get a faulty one that will make you hate the brand, when it's just a bad one that slipped through the inspections.
It may also have been a problem from handling, even with you not noticing it, like someone hitting it, or you installing some malware by mistake...
One thing is for sure, companies may be evil and want to make us all slaves that work for free and pay for crap, but they rarely sell actual crap, because despise of what they want, there's still a few consumer protection and freedom when buying. They want us to want to buy their stuff, and that can only be achieved either by putting some silly fruit logo on it and dealing with consumers as if they were members of a cult, or by selling things that work so consumers want to buy more stuff again.

So, every now and then someone will come and ask for any game to be released for linux too.
Companies that have money and time may listen and make a linux version, but most won't, because it's always possible for players to have Windows installed along mac or linux, yet not always possible for developers to take the time and resources for those extra versions.
Anyways, for most people there's no hurry on switching to Linux if it isn't strictly necessary, considering the some of the problems Linux still has for them.
And since most people won't change, most companies won't bother too.

ruk1a · Jan 13, 2012, 02:39 AM // 02:39

I've used windows XP for years and my computer runs absolutely fine.. and I don't have to jump through loops to play the games I like. I haven't turned my computer off manually in years, literally. The only time it ever restarts is when automatic updates force it to.

obastable · Jan 13, 2012, 03:48 AM // 03:48

A computer is only as smart and resilient as the person using & caring for it.

I have owned just about every sort of computer available to home users over the decades (many decades ...) and not a single one of them ever "died" or malfunctioned on its own accord. In fact, none of them "died", though my son did once fry a motherboard on me by dumping a can of root beer in the case while I was inspecting an errant clicking sound (he was 2 yrs old).

As someone who's been building & repairing computers for nearly 3 decades I can say with absolute certainty that whatever problems you had with your computer were in fact your problems & not the computers.

Showtime · Jan 13, 2012, 04:03 AM // 04:03

dual boot is always an option. win7 isn't bad I hear.

gremlin · Jan 13, 2012, 04:50 AM // 04:50

Made my pact with microsoft years ago when it became obvious that to play computer games on a pc you really needed windows.

Sure you can run pc games on other systems but you have to work at it.
Vista has been stable for me over the last 4 years.

While I do know people who run their pcs 24/7 without problems I usually don't.

Quaker · Jan 13, 2012, 04:02 PM // 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevizard

I've just upgraded my Operating System from Windows 7 to Linux Mint 12. For years, I've watched Microsoft repackage the same software (with the same old bugs) and put bigger price tags. When using Windows, I must reboot my computer almost everyday, and I definitely need to shut it down at night so that it runs well the next day.

While I like bashing MS as well as the next guy, I must play devil's advocate here.

- I haven't noticed any significant change in the basic price of Windows (home) over the years, especially when you take inflation into account.

- Linux is just as much a repackaging the same old software, with different names - Red Hat, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.

- you should shut down your computer when not in use anyway. It saves power, and wear & tear - particularly on mechanical parts like hard drives and fans - plus, it reduces the time in which your computer is open to attack from online sources.

Skyy High · Jan 13, 2012, 05:54 PM // 17:54

I use Win7, I probably shut my laptop off once or twice a week on average, and that's mainly for updates. I should shut it down more often, yes; point is, I don't have to.

Amy Awien · Jan 13, 2012, 07:16 PM // 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacred Gee

There would be WAY too many headaches for the developers considering the vast number of Linux distros that exist. I was even shocked when I found out that ArenaNet & NCSoft do not support running Guild Wars on Windows 7.

I haven't noticed any problems, a lot of games, even older ones, just run fine, Guildwars causing trouble would have ended my interest, possibly in it's successor as well.

No need to expect problems with the many distro's, the Linux version of NWN
ran just fine on FreeBSD. Different distro's are just that, different packages of the same OS.

Kada · Jan 14, 2012, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Were you keeping your Win7 up to date properly? I got a laptop preinstalled with Vista and unlike many I never had any problems with Vista because I kept it up to date religiously. When Win7 came out I made the switch and I still haven't had any problems and in fact would say my laptop runs better on Win7 than it ever did on Vista. The key to making sure your OS doesn't give you hell is to stay up to date - major distros generally bring in significant fixes and upgrades. This goes for anything, not just Microsoft; Linux and Mac too.

With that said, I don't jump into an OS if my current OS is working well unless at least an SP 1 is released. That way you miss the early-adoption teething issues.

lorazcyk · Jan 14, 2012, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Running Guild Wars in Linux is super easy.
Install wine. Click the Guild Wars icon.
Enjoy.

Unless you've got a piece of crap Intel chipset, in that case... buy better hardware next time :P

Hmm.. since it seems GW2 uses a similar (the same?) engine as GW1, I truly hope it will work under Wine. This will be my dealbreaker. I'm already on the fence about buying GW2, if it doesn't work with Wine, then I will not bother to buy it.
Life's too short to bother booting into Windows.