0 A.D On Linux

I'm not a big gamer. I have enjoyed playing around with a few PC games over the years, but if I ever wanted to really get into gaming I would probably buy a Playstation or XBox, get myself a dedicated gaming device. Yet I'm very encouraged to see games coming to Linux as one of the excuses for those who don't want to leave their safe (unsafe) Microsoft world is that there are no games on Linux.

Two games I particularly liked back in my Microsoft PC days. One was Heroes Of Might And Magic, a turn based game that had a nice fantasy theme. Linux has a similar game available called Wesnoth. The other MS PC game I liked was Age Of Empires. And that brings me back to 0 A.D.

Wildfire Games, the creators of Age of Empires, has created an open source game that is quite similar to Age of Empires. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, 0 A.D. Alpha 11 was released on September 7. I stress the fact that this is an Alpha version, there are missing features, a few things could use some polish, but that doesn't take away from the fact the game is both usable, and the graphics are quite impressive. The music is not bad either. For a free Alpha game version that the creators claim will be free even when the full version is released--it's an impressive piece of work.

I'm quite excited by 0 A.D. for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the fact it is open source. To me an open source project is a living thing, not solely held captive to the whims of its makers, and not limited by the imagination of its makers, but open the great suggestions of its users and anyone willing to improve it. It may take awhile, but 0 A.D. is definitely one to watch, and it's fun to play with as is.

If you want more information you can check out the 0 A.D. Wildfire Games page there you will find a FAQ and link to the 0 A.D. forum and other information. I will be keeping an eye on this one, have already enjoyed playing it, and look forward to the finished version.