TSE 4 Linux Collaboration?
by Dreamer · in Torque Game Engine · 11/25/2005 (11:07 am) · 9 replies
Sorry to hog the forums folks, but I've been thinking about this for awhile and want to ask it really quick.
I'm not trying to say this will be easy, but honestly I'm thinking once the TGE 1.4 port is complete, why don't we start in and roll our own TSE.
TSE's major difference from TGE in terms of graphics, appears to be from what I understand that it relies really heavily on DirectX. But I've also heard that OpenGL has now standardized, and has most if not all of the features of DirectX.
In my mind at least this means a TSE port could be possible, and most of the work could be as simple as finding the corresponding OpenGL calls. I realize this is really an over simplification of the issues at hand, and I know that GG wants to "port it once". I also imagine Atlas will be a much tougher nut to crack than the rest of it.
But with the clearly very active and vocal Linux and hey even Mac community for that matter, I think we should be able to do most of the leg work pretty quickly, 6 months a year or so, and so when they are ready to officially release TSE we won't have to wait for a Linux version.
Honestly I think TSE is going to be the best thing to happen to gaming since Pong.
Personally and proffesionally I'ld like to see a plethora of multiplatform games already running TSE as quickly as possible after it's release.
It would be really good Karma for Indie Gaming in general and Commercial Indie Gaming on Linux specifically.
Thoughts?
I'm not trying to say this will be easy, but honestly I'm thinking once the TGE 1.4 port is complete, why don't we start in and roll our own TSE.
TSE's major difference from TGE in terms of graphics, appears to be from what I understand that it relies really heavily on DirectX. But I've also heard that OpenGL has now standardized, and has most if not all of the features of DirectX.
In my mind at least this means a TSE port could be possible, and most of the work could be as simple as finding the corresponding OpenGL calls. I realize this is really an over simplification of the issues at hand, and I know that GG wants to "port it once". I also imagine Atlas will be a much tougher nut to crack than the rest of it.
But with the clearly very active and vocal Linux and hey even Mac community for that matter, I think we should be able to do most of the leg work pretty quickly, 6 months a year or so, and so when they are ready to officially release TSE we won't have to wait for a Linux version.
Honestly I think TSE is going to be the best thing to happen to gaming since Pong.
Personally and proffesionally I'ld like to see a plethora of multiplatform games already running TSE as quickly as possible after it's release.
It would be really good Karma for Indie Gaming in general and Commercial Indie Gaming on Linux specifically.
Thoughts?
#2
11/25/2005 (11:21 am)
@Robert, Karma in this instance is the way the world percieves you. But in more classical terms think of it like a checking account, you make deposits and withdrawls to your karma by the actions that you do in life.
#4
I agree, that looks like a good read, I have some handy links I'll post in a bit.
11/25/2005 (11:28 am)
Ah ok, kinda like the english word Regard.I agree, that looks like a good read, I have some handy links I'll post in a bit.
#5
11/25/2005 (11:53 am)
From what I understand from the info in Ben G's .plan is that the rendering layer of TSE is abstracted out, and only has a DirectX renderer for it right now. So add an OpenGL renderer and that would be half the battle. The other half naturally would be the platform stuff.. 
#6
The 'Law of Karma' is central in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, & Jainism. (These religions were formed in India). All living creatures are responsible for their karma and for their salvation (or release from samsara). As a term, it can be traced back to the early Upanishads.
The 'Law of Karma' is taught among western esoteric movements, like the Rosicrucians, as the 'Law of Cause and Consequence/Effect' [1] and, in Esoteric Christianity, as the Law being mentioned by Paul of Tarsus in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (15:55,56).
(This excerpt is taken directly from Wikipedia, delete it if that's not allowed =)
11/25/2005 (12:10 pm)
Karma or "Karm"(Sanskrit: कर्म from the root kri, "to do", meaning deed) or Kamma (Pali: meaning action, effect, destiny) is a term in several eastern religions that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma is a sum of all that an individual has done and is currently doing. The effects of those deeds actively create present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.The 'Law of Karma' is central in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, & Jainism. (These religions were formed in India). All living creatures are responsible for their karma and for their salvation (or release from samsara). As a term, it can be traced back to the early Upanishads.
The 'Law of Karma' is taught among western esoteric movements, like the Rosicrucians, as the 'Law of Cause and Consequence/Effect' [1] and, in Esoteric Christianity, as the Law being mentioned by Paul of Tarsus in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (15:55,56).
(This excerpt is taken directly from Wikipedia, delete it if that's not allowed =)
#7
11/25/2005 (2:25 pm)
Sounds an aweful lot like what I just said ;)
#8
11/26/2005 (11:28 am)
I'm all for it, but I would think that we are a bit stuck without an officical OpenGL implementation. Would GG be willing to go with an OpenGL layer written by the community.... if not we'd be wasting an awefull lot of time making one.
#9
11/26/2005 (12:27 pm)
I think it would most likely depend on how good and/or stable it was. 
Torque Owner Robert Stewart