I've heard from several sources that, even with the headaches wine creates and the hacks needed to make it work, its better to run tribes via wine than to use the Loki iteration. Issues with getting online aside, why?
I play via windows. However I'm asking simply for comparison's sake since I would rather have a choice in what I play with, and know where which option is deficient in.
I think (but don't take my word for it) that you should just play Tribes under Windows until there is a good base for linux to play the game. I don't know a lot about Loki, but from what it sounds like is that the Loki software creates a wrapper around the game as like WINE (but WINE converts the windows API calls into 'Linux friendly' calls). Loki might seem better since it's a wrapper FOR the game, as WINE just converts calls from any windows program. But with TribesNext coming out with new patches, the Loki wrapper might need to be updated (which I'm sure they wont do). WINE should still work (when they integrate all the windows API calls).
Still, your best bet would play on the platform it was intended to play on: Windows, even though you'd probally like to play it on Linux...
**Again, don't take my word for the first paragraph... I'm just speculating on the knowledge I have so far with Linux (since I'm not a Linux guru or anything)
The reason TN isn't supported on Loki is because I don't have the time to port the native code changes to it. To create that port, someone would need to dig through the executable and [at minimum] find the address for the console entry point (for evaluation), and the console function addition entry point (to add new native functions); after that, they would need to connect the Ruby interpreter to the game, add the rbEval native function to the T2 console, and add the tsEval native function to the Ruby environment.
At the moment (RC2/RC2a), Wine support is broken. I'll do a more complete test for RC3, and try to get the Wine experience comparable to the Windows one.
I personally don't have the time to poke at Loki's port though.
Understandable given the complexity. Given the game's age and your average machine's specs nowadays what kind of performance hit should I expect, if any going through wine?
Running under Wine shouldn't be too bad, the only issues I've ever noticed were keystroke (keys would require double-tap) and audio (which could be misconfiguration on my end).
aCk! wine is broken with rc2a alright.. I can confirm that. WINE 1.1.25 here.
Some of us don't own a copy of windows, and are against software piracy, and am not paying for an OS just to play -one- game, when all my other games work. so until this is fixed, i can't play anymore. =(
It worked 100% perfectly with RC1E. I guess I'm stuck til it's fixed.
Yeah, for what it's worth I'm still using RC1 and it hasn't prevented me from joining games or otherwise been a trouble, so you could probably downgrade back.
You only need RC2 for making accounts. Logging in with RC1 works without problems.
So if you don't have an account already I think somebody could make one for you and send you the data. No need for RC2 then.
The reason TN isn't supported on Loki is because I don't have the time to port the native code changes to it. To create that port, someone would need to dig through the executable and [at minimum] find the address for the console entry point (for evaluation), and the console function addition entry point (to add new native functions); after that, they would need to connect the Ruby interpreter to the game, add the rbEval native function to the T2 console, and add the tsEval native function to the Ruby environment.
Can you point me to any literature on how this is done in Windows? I found a possible article on how to do this with ELF executables (link in another thread here) so perhaps if I compare what's done with T2 under Windows I can start to dig around in the Loki binaries and attempt to reproduce it there. (I'm used to digging around in compiler library sources at the assembler level, and cut my teeth writing 6800 code and entering it in hex. While I haven't actually done code injection, I understand the theory. And I have a Torque license.)
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Still, your best bet would play on the platform it was intended to play on: Windows, even though you'd probally like to play it on Linux...
**Again, don't take my word for the first paragraph... I'm just speculating on the knowledge I have so far with Linux (since I'm not a Linux guru or anything)
The reason TN isn't supported on Loki is because I don't have the time to port the native code changes to it. To create that port, someone would need to dig through the executable and [at minimum] find the address for the console entry point (for evaluation), and the console function addition entry point (to add new native functions); after that, they would need to connect the Ruby interpreter to the game, add the rbEval native function to the T2 console, and add the tsEval native function to the Ruby environment.
At the moment (RC2/RC2a), Wine support is broken. I'll do a more complete test for RC3, and try to get the Wine experience comparable to the Windows one.
I personally don't have the time to poke at Loki's port though.
Some of us don't own a copy of windows, and are against software piracy, and am not paying for an OS just to play -one- game, when all my other games work. so until this is fixed, i can't play anymore. =(
It worked 100% perfectly with RC1E. I guess I'm stuck til it's fixed.
Cheers,
-m
RC2 does not, however.
So if you don't have an account already I think somebody could make one for you and send you the data. No need for RC2 then.
Can you point me to any literature on how this is done in Windows? I found a possible article on how to do this with ELF executables (link in another thread here) so perhaps if I compare what's done with T2 under Windows I can start to dig around in the Loki binaries and attempt to reproduce it there. (I'm used to digging around in compiler library sources at the assembler level, and cut my teeth writing 6800 code and entering it in hex.