Why Xonotic isn't as popular

[1]Smile, _para the discord link will be added shortly, i think we wanted to do it a long time ago and then forgot about it.... which makes me wonder how people manage to find it anyway.

[2]_para the campaign should/could probably include tips and then there's the tutorial Spike is/was working on, though he seems busy with other things nowadays. If you know mapping, ask him about the status and he might tell you how to help.

1) I somehow stumbled upon it via google or the forum directing me to the thread where it's linked.

2) Sounds good. Maybe having tailored maps with simple explanatory graphics and minimal text are enough. Or animated models.


And that this is the most popular one sounds good to me. One more reason to start pushing the marketing.
I mean you could wait for it to be finished to have the greatest potential that new players will stick or you present it as unfinished community project and maybe attract some devs to finish it.
In the long run and regarding how long xon now survives with our quite active core community the second options sounds quite plausible to me. Then new players also would see some progress which keeps them interested even if not in the gameplay at first which could bridge the time it takes to really learn the gameplay. Reply

Xonotic is not popular because people are stupid. Reply

I get to know about Xonotic while looking for a linux-friendly and lightweight multiplayer FPS. At first i looked in GNOME Software, where i found Red Eclipse. But there were very few people, menu was very-very complicated, mechanics itself was also too complicated (i am a complete newbie in arena FPS), and i don't know, it just did not touch me.

Then i went to Steam and found CS-GO and TF2, which i played last time 15 ago. It was nostalgic but i also did not find what i wanted. I even wanted to try Alien Arena, which is also on Steam, for 2USD or smth, but i also was interested in smth more "linuxish".

So (ba-dum-tss!) i googled smth like "best open\free games linux, fps linux" etc. And actually Xonotic IS rather POPULAR in that sense. For example it is #2 in Slant (https://www.slant.co/topics/1933/~best-o...urce-games) among ALL opensource games. It is listed on ItsFOSS (https://itsfoss.com/free-linux-games/).

What made me suspicious about Xonotic was, no offense really, little bit dated look of a website, no, it is fine, just you can think that it was made long ago. And Xonotic Blog with latest post of JULY 2018 made me think that project is probably droped. But i decided to give a try.

And, man, it's AWESOME. Like in EVERYTHING. I have discovered few in-game tech problems (Segmentation fault bugs(?)), but they was not large.

Yes, it would be helpful for newbies to have IN-GAME better tutorial for weapons and movement like in Team Fortress 2. But i think it is a lot of hard work to make it, and it is not really MUST-MUST have. And that's all for the game itself.

Too much\too many people on servers. Difficult space maps for newbies (yes, they are). It is a gamer-base problem i guess. Maybe it can help to have 24/7 NEWBIE_Server with (T)DM and simple maps. Where top players will have little interest to play and you won't be killed/pushed every 5 secs. Maybe. But also it is not such a big deal. If you like arena FPS you will probably adapt sooner or later.

So, as it seems from a newbie newcomer main problem with Xonotic popularity is marketing, SMM, PR. More videos on Tubes, more posts in social networks can maybe raise game popularity. Also presence on different platforms like GNOME software and Steam (i am not a fan of it, and yes, i have read Steam related topic). Of course it is hard to do it without money and it is probably a barrier for or all opensource projects. By the way i did not find "Donate" page on website. Maybe it will make sense. Reply

Well, Xonotic and Red Eclipse are the only 100% FLOSS FPS that I encountered. All other usually have some non-free assets. The most common being CC BY-NC. And Red Eclipse has some totalitarian dev. Reply

Well, Xonotic and Red Eclipse are the only 100% FLOSS FPS that I encountered. All other usually have some non-free assets. The most common being CC BY-NC. And Red Eclipse has some totalitarian dev.

Btw, with great interest i have read your notes on libre gaming, i hope this ecosystem will develop. Reply

@Lyberta I'm wondering whether CC BY-NC limits us. Reply

https://freedomdefined.org/NC Reply

https://freedomdefined.org/NC

Thanks, this helps. Reply

Btw, your server is very cool, hope too see it online more often, thx Reply

I revisit Xonotic every once in a while but I've never stuck with it for long enough periods.. often I just play the singleplayer campaign against bots to blow off some steam and barely even get online.

I think what would make me stay in the game longer, personally, is less focus in competitivity and more in coop modes. I was pretty hyped when I heard about the plans for an invasion-type mode where you fight against monsters. I don't have the time or the dedication to get too deep into the competitive scene, but a no-pressure coop mode I could dig it.

Maybe there could be some doom-style maps that combine CTS with some enemy waves and that can be used as a tutorial level that's non-intrusive (as in, one that gives indications but doesn't force feed them to you so it's not tiresome to re-play), so that it can be fun to play in multiplayer coop too. Reply

I found this game from linux software centre (I was using 'ubuntu') 

Best, smoothest graphics and game play iv experianced in a looonnnggg time. 

Its amazing the devs have not charged us for any of it and I'm greatfull  

Best game ever.... Best weapons.,....

It could do with acouple open-area maps.... Like a Medium sized town or village.... Alien landscape or something Reply

@FinBiteLeaf, thanks. I got busy with life these few months, but I'll try to update my server and keep it up more often.

@LeeDaGandy, Xonotic supports a lot of maps, beyond the bundled one. I've seen quite a few village maps (I even remember there was a server focusing on such maps -- I think the name had 'ut4' in it). Anyway, you can find new maps here: http://xonotic.co/ Reply

Arena shooters are kind of niche so it's not much of a suprise that Xonotic isn't more popular. Still I never have trouble finding people to play with so I can't complain too much. Reply

Arena shooters are kind of niche so it's not much of a suprise that Xonotic isn't more popular. Still I never have trouble finding people to play with so I can't complain too much.

Do you usually play on EU or US servers? I notice a few EU servers are quite popular, but I usually get 150+ms ping on those servers. There aren't that many US players around compared to EU ones it seems. Reply

Arena shooters are kind of niche so it's not much of a suprise that Xonotic isn't more popular. Still I never have trouble finding people to play with so I can't complain too much.

Do you usually play on EU or US servers? I notice a few EU servers are quite popular, but I usually get 150+ms ping on those servers. There aren't that many US players around compared to EU ones it seems.

I Play mainly on EU servers so that may be the case. Reply