The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition available on Linux!

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@PlayX83: Is that a new download? I've heard previous "leaked" version of the beta which Steam pushed out had no binary.

 

[PlayX83]

yes downloaded all new

my witcher 2 folder only shows this:
View attachment 3380

maybe the devs could update this pakage, too!
http://steamdb.info/sub/8465/

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@PlayX83: No idea, I'm not familiar with Steam really. Try reaching to the technical support (or use this section of the forum: http://forums.cdprojektred.com/forums/40-Tech-Support).

 

[araxth]

Thank you CDP. Your games determined me to keep a Windows partition on my PC for a long time. Looking forward for future products from you, my collector edition list needs some addition.
P.S. Looking forward for the GOG Linux branch, maybe i will be able to grab the installer from there (i got my copy originally in a collector edition box in the prelaunch sales years ago)

 

[Osiris666]

wow! just bought both games 2nd time on steam, even i had it on gog very long ago. supporting linux platform-thats what i like!

 

[PlayX83]

So let the shitstorm begin. after a few hours the linux gamers find out that your cool port is just a wrapped windows version.
And If you remeber Limbo or CID we dont like this.
If we want use the Windows Version with wine, we can do this on our own.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@PlayX83: That's not news really. It was known for a while that it's a version wrapped in the eON library from Virtual Programming. (See discussions here: http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/21058-Multi-platform-support-of-CDPR-Games-(Linux-Mac-OSX-and-etc-)?p=1279917&viewfull=1#post1279917).

So far reports from users aren't very good. Looks like performance of the Windows version in Wine is way better than this "native" version. I.e. Wine's translation layer is better than eON.

 

[Garrison72]

Bravo CDPR. Embracing a fully open OS, one the fans have been asking for.

 

[mavowar]

I really hope openGL and SteamOS take off. It would be nice to buy a small portable, yet powerful steambox so I can play The witcher games whenever and wherever I want!!!! I might add that is why I plan to also buy a NVidia Shield 2 so I can stream the witcher 3 from my home computer wherever I can get a decent signal!!!

 

[cassandra31eee]

This is very good improvement. You people in CDPRED are real professionals.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@cassandra31eee: They are, but I suspect the credit here also goes to developers from another company. I hope they'll be fixing bugs in the timely manner as well.

 

[volsung]

Thanks CDPR Finally, a wonderful game on a truly DRM-free system. All we need is the DRM-free version of the game

What can we expect for The Witcher 3? I think a good approach for the retail versions would be to include all core files in normal installation discs and having an extra disc with system-specific installers and binaries. This is yet another good reason to use open standards (like OpenGL): not duplicating efforts.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Some interesting information from one of the Virtual Programming developers who worked on the Witcher 2 Linux port:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/20920/discussions/0/522728086957775869/#c522728180901709821

I wish to note that while I am one of the developers from VP who has worked on this game, I am posting to this forum offering my support entirely on my own time, and of my own volition.

I've been asked to respond about the post concerning "WINE uses Windows drivers and we use Linux drivers". This was a misunderstanding by a non-technical member of VP. He confused WINE with OS X Boot Camp, and has been corrected now

We are aware there's going to be potential rough spots with our port as this is our first big Linux release, but we are looking to improve the technology wherever possible. I've also been authorised to explain a bit further about our eON system, and why this has been used to port Witcher 2 to Linux. So here goes.

eON is a middle ground idea between what WINE does, and a native port. It is tuned and customised to each game we port - we do not simply slap a Windows binary into it and ship the game. For example, we often customise the D3D9->GL code path in various ways to cater for the title. Shaders are often rewritten to native GLSL, etc.

There are various reasons why a 100% native port is not feasible or possible - middleware, financial and technical constraints etc. This does not mean that a non-native port is always going to be inferior. The alternative would often be no port at all.

Personally I am excited that VP are looking to help bring more games to Linux - not just because I get paid to do it!!

I know exactly how WINE works... but WINE is written to be a generic Windows emulator, and to emulate everything Windows does, exactly (in theory) as Windows does.

This is not our goal with eON - it is targeted to run games.

WINE has command line switches and settings to tune, but we actually tune and recompile eON at the source code level, per game.

More here: http://steamcommunity.com/id/jaycee1980/posthistory/

 

[Sirnaq]

Holy shit, poor guy. They are eating him alive on those steam forums...

 

[natewiebe13]

So let the shitstorm begin. after a few hours the linux gamers find out that your cool port is just a wrapped windows version.
And If you remeber Limbo or CID we dont like this.
If we want use the Windows Version with wine, we can do this on our own.

The issue isn't so much that they used a wrapper. But that playing the windows version with wine is said to be significantly more performant.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Holy shit, poor guy. They are eating him alive on those steam forums...

Yes, I find some comments by other participants there to be really weird. May be we should invite him here?-) Hopefully he'll be more welcomed.

 

[Sirnaq]

I suppose that cdpr testing the waters with this port before they commit real money and manpower to create true native version. Same thing did from-software with first dark souls pc port which was god awful... But hey, maybe they improve it next time. It's not like, linux users can't play it normally with windows on dual boot, it's just a matter of what you care more about, your os or actual games.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

@Sirnaq: I think it's simpler. Same folks worked on the OS X version of TW2. So making the Linux release using the same approach was the shortest route for CDPR. I'm not sure what eON supports exactly, but I suspect that it won't be so easy to apply it to TW3 because it uses DirectX 11. I really hope there CDPR will go with a full blown native support of OpenGL in TW3.

 

[Sirnaq]

Well, considering they are going ps4 do they have any choice?

 

[Licaon_Kter]

SO they finally see the light
Cheers