cdbeckman wrote:I feel a little saddened that I bought it on Steam. While this will allow me to use it to play multiplayer against my friend whenever that is added, but I have an OS X laptop, and I'd love to have the OS X version for the run. I also run linux and will probably find a time in the future when I'll wish I would have bought a copy for that operating system as well. I wish companies would allow you to buy it once and have it on any OS you own that they support... it would make things a lot simpler. I understand it's all a lot more complicated than that, however, particularly because of steam.
First off, welcome to the boards. Let my introduce myself. I am xander, the resident whiney Mac bitch. If it affects the Mac, and it ain't good, I will guarentee that I will be whining about it. You can take that to the bank.
As to running on Windows vs Linux vs Mac OS X: the Linux and Windows versions are about the same. They use the same data files, but a different executable. The boxed version of the game is the Windows version. Linux users can then download an executable from IV and use the data files from the Windows CD. So, if you have a Linux box, I would imagine that it would be possible to get the data files from Steam (it would be unfortunate if you could not, as modding is so dependant upon being able to play with those files), and grab the Linux executable so that you could play under Linux. However, I know next to nothing about Steam, and I may be way off base on that one -- does anyone know if you can get the data files out of Steam?
As to the Mac OS, if you have bought the Windows and Linux version from IV, you will not be able to play on an OS X box -- the Mac version is being published by Ambrosia Software (ASW). This version of the game uses the first two levels as a demo, and can only be bought from ASW (as a download, not a boxed CD). So, if you wanted to play on a Mac box and a Windows or Linux box, you would still have to buy two versions.
Also, I would like to note that the experience on the Mac is probably not quite up to the experience on Windows. Some of the more intensive levels seem to bring nearly every Mac to its knees. While my laptop is no beast, it is has a 1 Ghz G4 with a Gig of RAM -- most things don't bring it to its knees, yet there are certain levels in Darwinia where I am lucky to get better than 10 frames per second. Also, the Windows and Linux versions are up to 1.41 (I think). The Mac version is still hanging out at 1.2, and does not look like it will be patched very soon -- the Steam launch took priority for the last couple of months, and I would not be suprised if <the next next game> and Steam support take priority for the next couple of months. So, despite my Mac zealotry, if you have two boxes of more or less equivelent power -- one Mac, one Windows -- I would go for the Windows version.
Finally, I agree that things, if released for multiple platforms, should be available to all platforms with only one license. In the case of Darwinia, the reason that getting the Mac version does not entitle you to the Windows/Linux version (and vice versa) has to do largely with ASW (I think). ASW does not want to be supporting the Windows version of Darwinia without making any money off of it, and I am sure that part of the distribution deal is that IV won't release a Mac version without going through IV. As I understand it, the Modlink project has been having similar problems with regards to a Mac version because of ASW's agreement with IV.
xander