[aclug-L] FW: This Game Could Be Your Future

["Dale W Hodge" <dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Linux_Desktop_Apps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:Linux_Desktop_Apps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 12:28 AM
To: dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: This Game Could Be Your Future



LINUX DESKTOP APPLICATIONS --- April 11, 2002
Published by ITworld.com -- changing the way you view IT
http://www.itworld.com/newsletters
_______________________________________________________________________

HIGHLIGHTS

* For a student project, PossibleWorlds exceeds the expectations with 
  an impressive array of graphics, an intricate story, and cross-
  platform compatibility. 
_______________________________________________________________________


This Game Could Be Your Future
By Eric Foster-Johnson

PossibleWorlds provides a fast-paced underwater action game that runs 
on Linux and Windows. Created by Gerwin Sturm and Eike Umlauf as a 
student project at the Technical University of Vienna, PossibleWorlds 
is an amazing feat for a student effort.

Based in a possible future, hence the title, PossibleWorlds defines a 
conflict between a united Europe (called the U.E.S.) and a diminished 
U.S.A. (According to the game's back-story, the Bush presidency and a 
break-up of Microsoft combine to drive the U.S. economy to ruin.) A UFO 
crash leads both the U.E.S. and the U.S.A. into a race to see who can 
first recover what is, presumably, valuable technology from the ocean 
floor. Each side hopes to become the only superpower using this alien 
technology.

The game has a very extensive and funny back-story, especially the 
graphics that accompany the predicted downfall of Microsoft. When you 
first play, I suggest watching the entire introduction. After starting, 
you can choose one of a number of missions, although you will want to 
spend some time learning the keyboard commands used to navigate your 
underwater vessels. PossibleWorlds includes a number of different 
underwater vehicle types, each with certain advantages and 
disadvantages.

The game requires a lot of RAM and CPU horsepower. In addition, you 
really want a graphics system with OpenGL acceleration in hardware. On 
a low-end system, PossibleWorlds drove CPU usage to nearly 100 percent 
and interacted extremely slowly. This game is not for all computers.

For those with enough horsepower though, PossibleWorlds provides a 
really cool game with amazing graphics. This game comes from quite 
impressive students. Download PossibleWorlds from the main site at 
http://possibleworlds.sourceforge.net/.

The game executable is quite small, 140 KB (compressed) for Linux or 
350 KB (compressed) for Windows. The game media, necessary for play 
though, makes up for these small sizes. At nearly 15 MB, this is quite 
a download.

About the author(s)
-------------------
Eric Foster-Johnson has written 14 books on Linux, Unix, programming 
and open source tools. Eric can be reached at erc@xxxxxxxxxxxx or at
http://www.pconline.com/~erc.
____________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Garage Games
Independent Games Newsletter
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a2 

Alpha-blending and the Z-buffer
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a6

Fast Text in OpenGL
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a5
____________________________________________________________________

ITWORLD.COM NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Index of Linux Desktop Applications
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a7

Hot News with HotSheet
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a3

KDE's Personal Information Manager Tool
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a56198a76028222a4
____________________________________________________________________

CUSTOMER SERVICE

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE:
- Go to: http://www.itworld.com/newsletters
- Click on "View my newsletters" to log in and manage your account
- To subscribe, check the box next to the newsletter
- To unsubscribe, uncheck the box next to the newsletter 
- When finished, click submit

Questions? Please e-mail customer service at: mailto:support@xxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________________

CONTACTS

* Editorial: Andrew Santosusso, Newsletter Editor, 
  andrew_santosusso@xxxxxxxxxxx
* Advertising: Clare O'Brien, Vice President of Sales, 
  clare_obrien@xxxxxxxxxxx
* Career Corner: Janis Crowley, Vice President/General Manager, IDG 
  Recruitment Solutions, janis_crowley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
* Other inquiries: Jodie Naze, Senior Product Marketing Manager, 
  jodie_naze@xxxxxxxxxxx

____________________________________________________________________

PRIVACY POLICY

ITworld.com has been TRUSTe certified 
http://www.itworld.com/Privacy/

Copyright 2002 ITworld.com, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
http://www.itworld.com


-- This is the discussion@xxxxxxxxx list.  To unsubscribe,
visit http://www.complete.org/cgi-bin/listargate-aclug.cgi