Why develop games in a Linux environment? An interview with a Linux-based game studio is now available
System76 Blog — Developing Games on Linux: An Interview with ...
https://blog.system76.com/post/654884924769370112/developing-games-on-linux-an-interview-with
Q: Q:
Tell us about Little Red Dog Games. How did you find it?
Ryan Huwer (Ryan):
Little Red Dog Games has been based in northern New York for about 10 years ... no 8 years. However, Dennis lives in Germany. We started as a hobby circle for making point-and-click adventure games, and have been developing games using various tools on the market. Every time I made a game, I thought, 'OK, why don't you go a little further?' And 'Why don't you push yourself a little further?'
It's no longer a hobby, everyone is a full-time developer. We have released 4 commercial games in our studio. Among the companies that use Godot, an open source game engine, I think it is one of the major companies specializing in Linux.
Q: Q:
How long have you been developing games using Linux?
Ryan:
Lead programmer Dennis works in a Linux environment, which is a prerequisite for us to do anything. We need to get along well with Linux.
Dennis Contes (Dennis):
It is my responsibility to develop games using Linux. I think the first one was still developed based on Windows, but since 2016 I've been using Godot. I've been using Linux since around 2008, so I just used the tools I always use.
Q: Q:
I don't think Linux and Godot are often chosen as game development platforms. Why did you decide to develop your game on Linux and Godot?
Ryan:
We're not just developing on Linux, and we're not just using Godot's system and not other platforms. For those of us who develop many products on Godot, migrating from Windows to Linux is literally a switch, and it will take less than 30 minutes to support Linux users. Linux users make up 7% of the game market, and it's well worth the minimum work needed to bring your game to Linux.
Dennis:
Linux is my favorite operating system, and I do all my work and music production on Linux. It's no surprise to me that most game engines support Linux.
And I chose Godot not because it's Linux-enabled, but because I really like the workflow. I've tested several engines, and the one I especially liked was Godot.
Q: Q:
What advantages do you think game development on Linux has over traditional game development methods?
Dennis:
I usually use the tools that everyone likes. Of course, when developing a game, a certain agreement is required, such as which game engine to use. However, some people use Linux and others use Windows. All the members are developing using what they like within the limits of the project. It doesn't force you to work on an OS you don't like.
Q: Q:
What are some of the issues when developing games on Linux?
Dennis:
Most work is translatable, except when tools are required that are not available on Linux. A compatible layout like Wine makes it easy to run Windows software on Linux without any problems. As a Linux user for many years, I used open source software before migrating to Linux, so migrating wasn't difficult.
Q: Q:
What do you think the future of games for Linux is?
Ryan:
At this point, there is virtually no pressure or incentive for game developers to develop for Linux. If anything, the spillover effect of trying to use a variety of new tools is great. With relatively new game engines, Godot's market share is slowly expanding. As more developers use Godot as their engine, I think more Linux games will inevitably hit the market, and there's no reason not to. Not releasing a package for 7% of users is a big mistake for developers, and Godot makes it easy to do.
Many Linux users are grateful for all of our games offered in the Linux environment and are very supportive. These promotional activities are so effective that we encourage developers to look at markets that are often overlooked.
Dennis:
One thing to keep in mind is that developers must provide support for Linux as soon as they release a product for Linux. For us, support for Linux is easy, and if the lead programmer is already working on Linux, it's okay. I use Linux every day, so all builds are tested on Linux by default.
Godot is very easy to work with and I don't think there were any Linux-specific bug reports, how was it?
Ryan:
In the field of development, I'm always having problems with Windows, and I often say, 'I'm having no problems building Linux.' However, Linux builds are generally less stable. For example, file naming conventions that are acceptable on Windows are often not acceptable on Linux. Therefore, developers are advised to mix multiple operating systems early in development.
Q: Q:
Do you play games on Linux? What is your favorite title?
Dennis:
Recently, the number of games that can be played on Linux has increased, so I only play games on Linux. Until a few years ago, Wine was used to run games for Windows on Linux, but nowadays it is becoming more reliable for Linux as well. Now you can easily play the Linux version on Steam. Surprisingly, when I usually buy a game, I don't even check if the game is Linux compatible.
To be honest, I can't say that I can play enough of my favorite games. I like strategy games and adventure games, but my favorite title I recently played was Beyond a Steel Sky, which was natively Linux-enabled.
Q: Q:
How does it compare to playing on Windows?
Dennis:
I rarely play on Windows. On rare occasions, I use Windows when the game just doesn't work, but I haven't had that case for a while. Most PC game stores, including Steam, have their own launcher, and you can install the game with just a few mouse clicks, so there's no difference between the Windows and Linux versions.
Q: Q:
What is the future development of Little Red Dog Games?
Ryan:
Well, I have a lot to tell you. For example, we have embarked on the largest and most ambitious project to date. I don't like ' Magnum Ops ' because it's an overstatement, but the project is really big enough to fit the word. Our team will experience rapid growth over the past year.
Dennis:
I don't feel any pressure.
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