Linux Gaming Thread

[megamaced]

Tremulous
Game Type: First Person Shooter
License: Free/Open Source

Tremulous is a free, open source game that blends a team based FPS with elements of an RTS. Players can choose from 2 unique races, aliens and humans. Players on both teams are able to build working structures in-game like an RTS. These structures provide many functions, the most important being spawning. The designated builders must ensure there are spawn structures or other players will not be able to rejoin the game after death. Other structures provide automated base defense (to some degree), healing functions and much more...

Player advancement is different depending on which team you are on. As a human, players are rewarded with credits for each alien kill. These credits may be used to purchase new weapons and upgrades from the "Armoury". The alien team advances quite differently. Upon killing a human foe, the alien is able to evolve into a new class. The more kills gained the more powerful the classes available.

The overall objective behind Tremulous is to eliminate the opposing team. This is achieved by not only killing the opposing players but also removing their ability to respawn by destroying their spawn structures.

NewsForge has a review here

[kenji san]

Thought this was worth posting:

the linux game tome is an excellent website with reviews of just about every opensource game out there.

Please check it out if you haven't already.

[Anti-Trend]

Frets On Fire
Game Type: Arcade
License: Free/Open Source

Guitar Hero clone. Frets on Fire is a free, open-source game which uses OpenGL and SDL to produce an addictive and fast-paced race down the fretboard. I can't stop playing this freaking game. Help me.

[Anti-Trend]

N.E.R.O.
Game Type: Strategy/Simulation
License: Free/Open Source

Our novel experimental game is called NERO, which stands for Neuro-Evolving Robotic Operatives. It is set in a fictional post-apocalyptic world, where robots struggle over the relics of human civilization.

Although it resembles some RTS games, unlike most RTS games NERO consists of two distinct phases of play. In the first phase individual players deploy robots in a 'sandbox' and train them to the desired tactical doctrine. Once a collection of robots has been trained, a second phase of play allows players to pit their robots in a battle against robots trained by some other player, to see how well their training regimens prepared their robots for battle. The training phase is the most innovative aspect of game play in NERO, and is also the most interesting from the perspective of AI research.

[Anti-Trend]

Parsec
Game Type: Shooter/Simulation
License: Free/Open Source

Parsec is going to introduce you to a whole new universe. The core of Parsec will be a network of gameservers each responsible for a single galaxy comprised of several solar systems. All gameservers will be registered at the central Parsec masterserver from where you can select a specific gameserver for playing.

The basic unit of game play is a single solar system but you can jump from system to system as you like. There are no game sessions that have to be started explicitly. You can seamlessly join and unjoin a gameserver at any time. But beware! While you are peacefully exploring the universe everyone else will try to shoot you down to advance their position in the roster of all-time Parsec legends. If you want to become a legend yourself, you will have to eliminate a lot of other spacecraft and still prevail to collect the honor.

[megamaced]

VDrift
Game Type: Racing
License: GPL

VDrift is a cross-platform, open source driving simulation made with drift racing in mind. It's powered by the excellent Vamos physics engine. It is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) v2. It is currently available for Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X and Windows (Cygwin).

Features
This game is in the early stages of development but is already very playable. Currently the game features:

* 12 Tracks: Brands Hatch, Detroit, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Monaco, Monza, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Road Atlanta, Ruudskogen, Spa Francorchamps, Weekend Drive, Zandvoort
* 19 Cars: AX2, CO, CS, FE, FF, G4, GT, M3, M7, MC, MI, RG, SB, T73, TC, TL, XG, XM, XS
* Simple networked multiplayer mode
* Very realistic physics
* Mouse/joystick/keyboard driven menus
* Fully modeled tracks, scenery and terrain
* Several different camera modes
* Basic replay system with Skip Forward/Skip Backward
* Day/night weather cycle
* Fully customizable controls
* Joystick and keyboard input filtering
* Brake lights

[megamaced]

The Ubuntu Document Storage Facility has a small list of games known to work in Ubuntu

[Anti-Trend]

Savage: The Battle for Newerth
Game Type: Multiplayer FPS/RTS/RPG
License: Freeware

As of September 1st, 2006, s2games released their gem, Savage: The Battle for Newerth, as freeware for Linux, Windows and Mac users. Though, don't go onto their web site in hopes of finding a link for your obscure platform of choice, for the Windows installer is only what you will find. To obtain a copy for Linux (same files should work for *BSD), head on over to the links provided below. And after you have downloaded all three of the files, head on over to this thread, in the RTS forums located here at Linux-gamers.net for more in-depth information on how to work around a couple problems, and also how to install the game to get that blank slate of a server list filled with some good games.

Note: You can use all zeros in your registration key, no servers will check it

[Anti-Trend]

Alien Arena 2007
Game Type: Multiplayer FPS
License: GPL v2

Do you like fast paced deathmatch? How about rich, colorful, arcadelike atmospheres? How about...retro Sci Fi? Then you're going to love what Alien Arena 2007 has in store for you! This game combines some of the very best aspects of such games as Quake III and Unreal Tournament and wraps them up with a retro alien theme, while adding tons of original ideas to make the game quite unique.

[Anti-Trend]

Finity Fight II » Kingdoms of Heaven
Game Type: Strategy / Space shooter
License: GPL v2

Thirty years after the great collapse of Europe, you are the greatest buccaneer captain to be seen in the 21st century, the infamamous Black Dog Sebastien. Your latest rivals, the Viker’s Brigade, is challenging your claim on the region. Travel from outpost to outpost, gaining support by destroying your rivals or by trading amongst your allies.

You start with two outposts, but there are nine others. Follow the lane markers to find new outposts. Dock with stations by pressing the dock key, which is TAB by default.