Linux shooters preoccupied with Quake?

[Deiz]

Alien Arena, Sauerbraten, Nexuiz, Warsow, OpenArena, World of Padman - Six of the more popular FOSS shooters, and they're all greatly similar to Quake 3 in terms of gameplay. Assault Cube and Urban Terror don't fall far from the tree either, save the weapon selection of the latter.

I can think of two unique shooters: Tremulous and True Combat: Elite. The former is still too twitch-based, and the latter is far too realistic for my tastes.

Now, it seems most FOSS shooters strive to largely clone Quake and innovate in a handful of ways, but the gameplay always feels too similar in my opinion.

Are there any slower-paced shooters for those of us who don't pop Ritalin, which are also more forgiving than True Combat:Elite? (I do not enjoy getting shot in the head by someone I didn't see from halfway across the map, then waiting three minutes for the next round.)

[raul_]

I don't know about any other, but just to clarify things: those games use the Quake engine. It's code is freely available.

[Deiz]

I don't know about any other, but just to clarify things: those games use the Quake engine. It's code is freely available.

I'm aware of that, but they don't really change the gameplay. There are plenty of HL2 modifications that play nothing like the original game.

[raul_]

You got a point, but you have to admit that World of Padman doesn't resemble Quake at all :)

[DirtDawg]

Ooooh, I couldn't agree with you more, Deiz! Most FOSS shooters are basically Quake with different skins. All fast paced, all with boingy-spring-jump-thingies, all with the same basic weapons. Snooze-fest.

TC:Elite is my favorite FOSS FPS, but I can't find a populated server with a ping under 200 to save my life, so I quit playing. (That and I hate accidentally connecting to servers that download half-arsed mods that screw up my entire installation).

Savage (http://www.s2games.com/savage/) is pretty entertaining, if you haven't played it already. It's not FOSS, although it is 'free as in beer'.

[Bios Element]

I Really thing what we need is a game like Half Life 2. The Source engine is simply amazing for modifications and if a cross platform engine was created or hell, Even the source engine ported over to Linux, it would be a godsend for gamers.

[Phenax]

The problem is that there are usually one developer or a (very) small team of developers working on a game based on the Quake engine, and often the Quake game-code. Most teams are deficient in many areas and therefore cannot produce much of an original experience.

I have a (small) bit of experience on a few teams making Quake-based shooters and when it came down to it there was a lack of artists, programmers, or experienced gamers willing to contribute to the game-play.

[detrate]

There is a good reason most games resemble quake (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Quake_-_family_tree.svg) (click).

I can't really offer advice outside the named games. Tremulous or Sauerbraten really sound more your style, perhaps give them a second look?

[Vadi]

Savage 2 ftw.

[Irritant]

I always cringe when people compare Alien Arena to Quake's gameplay, it's much closer to the Unreal Tournament series in almost every single way. I guess to some that is still "like Quake".

[avik]

There's Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein:_Enemy_Territory), which despite being difficult to install, is pretty good. Try it out, and if you like it, you can also buy the sequel, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_Territory:_Quake_Wars). Don't get fooled by the name; it plays like W:ET.

Too bad neither is FOSS, though the former has the source for the gameplay logic available for modders. It's not the most ideal solution, but it's something.

[Deiz]

There's Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein:_Enemy_Territory), which despite being difficult to install, is pretty good. Try it out, and if you like it, you can also buy the sequel, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_Territory:_Quake_Wars). Don't get fooled by the name; it plays like W:ET.

Too bad neither is FOSS, though the former has the source for the gameplay logic available for modders. It's not the most ideal solution, but it's something.

Played W:ET religiously a few years back, find I don't like it as much now. Played the ETQW demo for two or three weeks when it came out and found it didn't really hold my interest.

[darksoul7]

As soon as I build a machine that can run TF2 in Wine without dying, I'll be a happy camper.

[EdThaSlayer]

Strange, I thought Urban Terror was more like Counter-strike but the rest of the games are as you said, like quake. Good to hear that an fps like Enemy Territory still exists since, I'm going to download it right now. :)

[DirtDawg]

Strange, I thought Urban Terror was more like Counter-strike but the rest of the games are as you said, like quake. Good to hear that an fps like Enemy Territory still exists since, I'm going to download it right now. :)

True Combat:Elite is also very much like counter-strike, from what I understand (I've never played counter-strike). It's an Enemy Territory mod. You might want to check it out.

[nacho32]

Ooooh, I couldn't agree with you more, Deiz! Most FOSS shooters are basically Quake with different skins. All fast paced, all with boingy-spring-jump-thingies, all with the same basic weapons. Snooze-fest.

TC:Elite is my favorite FOSS FPS, but I can't find a populated server with a ping under 200 to save my life, so I quit playing. (That and I hate accidentally connecting to servers that download half-arsed mods that screw up my entire installation).

Savage (http://www.s2games.com/savage/) is pretty entertaining, if you haven't played it already. It's not FOSS, although it is 'free as in beer'.

lol nail on the head

[Frem]

Savage is open source. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=343115) (Scroll down a bit)

Honestly, most FPS games resemble each other quite a bit. Urban Terror isn't very quake like at all, either; save for the engine. Nexuiz is more similar to Unreal Tournament.

[nickgaydos]

Err..correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Sauerbraten the sequel to the Cube FPS? I think it's an engine of it's own.

[Irritant]

Err..correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Sauerbraten the sequel to the Cube FPS? I think it's an engine of it's own.

Correct. And it's gameplay, really isn't so much like Quake, other than it's an FPS deathmatch game.

I couldn't disagree more about the characterization of the games being like "Quake with new skins". Are they like Quake in any way? Sure, they are FPS deathmatch games, but a number of them are no more like Quake than Unreal Tournament is like Quake. Just for example of some listed:

Nexuiz - more resembles UT than Quake. Alternate firing modes, game types like Domination, Onslaught, etc. Remember something people, Quake had ONE Gametype. Deathmatch. Quake 2 introduced Coop, and Quake 3 finally added CTF as an included game type.

Alien Arena - again, much more like UT than Quake. Alternate firing modes, vehicles, dodging moves, game modes like Deathball, Cattle Prod, and Team Core Assault, not to mention various game "mutators". Level design very different from Quake. Overall much more resembles UT2k4 than anything from the Quake series.

Warsow - While it's weapon set is pretty close to Quake 3's, the movement and style is it's own. Various game types like mid-air, clan arena, race mode, etc. Did Quake have any of this? Only in mods, and that is not Quake itself. Quake had Deathmatch, and that is it as far as online modes, until coop was introduced as part of Q2, and CTF part of Q3.

World of Padman - Weapons and style completely different from Quake. Various game modes that Quake never had even in mod form.

Tremulous - Again, completely different from Quake in gameplay.

Those are the major ones I can think of right now, really, the *only* one that qualifies as "Quake with different skins" is Open Arena, and that is *supposed* to be that.

My guess is alot of this is coming from people that don't play many competive FPS games outside of realistic "war" types like Urban Terror and Counter Strike, or they haven't spent the time exploring the various game modes and intricacies that each of these projects brings to the table.

I don't mean to offend anyone with this, but I think it's a bit of an insult to the developers of those games to classify them, or denigrade them in such a way. Everyone has their preferred game types. I think these projects all are moving along nicely, and get closer to commercial quality with every release. None are there yet, but perhaps one day, with encouragement, they will, and that will be a most glorious day.

[Deiz]

Correct. And it's gameplay, really isn't so much like Quake, other than it's an FPS deathmatch game.

I couldn't disagree more about the characterization of the games being like "Quake with new skins". Are they like Quake in any way? Sure, they are FPS deathmatch games, but a number of them are no more like Quake than Unreal Tournament is like Quake. Just for example of some listed:

Nexuiz - more resembles UT than Quake. Alternate firing modes, game types like Domination, Onslaught, etc. Remember something people, Quake had ONE Gametype. Deathmatch. Quake 2 introduced Coop, and Quake 3 finally added CTF as an included game type.

Alien Arena - again, much more like UT than Quake. Alternate firing modes, vehicles, dodging moves, game modes like Deathball, Cattle Prod, and Team Core Assault, not to mention various game "mutators". Level design very different from Quake. Overall much more resembles UT2k4 than anything from the Quake series.

Warsow - While it's weapon set is pretty close to Quake 3's, the movement and style is it's own. Various game types like mid-air, clan arena, race mode, etc. Did Quake have any of this? Only in mods, and that is not Quake itself. Quake had Deathmatch, and that is it as far as online modes, until coop was introduced as part of Q2, and CTF part of Q3.

World of Padman - Weapons and style completely different from Quake. Various game modes that Quake never had even in mod form.

Tremulous - Again, completely different from Quake in gameplay.

Those are the major ones I can think of right now, really, the *only* one that qualifies as "Quake with different skins" is Open Arena, and that is *supposed* to be that.

My guess is alot of this is coming from people that don't play many competive FPS games outside of realistic "war" types like Urban Terror and Counter Strike, or they haven't spent the time exploring the various game modes and intricacies that each of these projects brings to the table.

I don't mean to offend anyone with this, but I think it's a bit of an insult to the developers of those games to classify them, or denigrade them in such a way. Everyone has their preferred game types. I think these projects all are moving along nicely, and get closer to commercial quality with every release. None are there yet, but perhaps one day, with encouragement, they will, and that will be a most glorious day.

I'm not trying to tar all these games with the same brush out of disrespect, just an outsider's ignorance - I was never one for shooters that move this fast, and hence haven't spent more than a few hours with each of these games. The Quake series is engraved into my memory as the de facto run 'n' gun shooter, health, ammo, weapon pickups scattered throughout the levels, players relying mainly on movement skill and twitch aiming, most combat happening in close quarters. I suppose the "FPS deathmatch shooter" as you put it is a genre unto itself.

I suppose my revised point is that I find there to be little variety for the gamer who prefers slower-paced, more tactical gameplay.

For example, TFC was one of my favourite shooters of all time - I played engineer mostly and picked good places for sentry guns. Creating a crossfire to kill invading enemies was quite rewarding, and I find I don't get that same feeling when bunnyhopping around in various fast-paced shooters, flicking my cursor around trying to hit the other bunnyhopping players.

The pacing just doesn't do it for me. In TFC I felt like I was part of a team, guarding the base, and my teammates would run around the base waiting for intruders. In Nexuiz, the game I've played most out of those you mentioned, it seems there's little point to point defence - The enemy will fly in and be gone with the flag in a second or two, and the game seems to primarily revolve around hurling yourself at the enemy flag, dying, and repeating the endeavour.

[CC_machine]

Cube and Cube 2: Sauerbraten use their own custom engines built from scratch.

where does this "sauerbraten uses quake engine" mentality come from? I've seen it on many gaming sites and forums.

AssaultCube is a cube mod so it uses the Cube 1 engine.

[detrate]

I was never one for shooters that move this fast, and hence haven't spent more than a few hours with each of these games. The Quake series is engraved into my memory as the de facto run 'n' gun shooter, health, ammo, weapon pickups scattered throughout the levels, players relying mainly on movement skill and twitch aiming, most combat happening in close quarters.
While I see the point you are trying to make, I still find this condescending. It's not as simple as "Run n' Gun". It's okay not to like a genre but you should be more considerate when referring to them.