Linux Support

As some others are pointing out; the linux support thread is currently one of the most popular threads in the marathon discord server.

I would just like to point out the reasons why windows is bad.

1. Difficult to install: the installation process for windows is atrocious. Forced sign in, ai assistant and windows recall enabled by default, and no default driver support out of the box. While many might buy a windows machine pre-installed, in the modern day, linux is just easier to set up. For many gamers these days, being forced to use windows to play your game is unnecessary friction for the end user.

2. Privacy: Privacy is a big word in the open source world, and it's a big reason why many linux users have ditched windows entirely. By not giving players the option to play on linux, Bungie is implicitly asking users to compromise their data and privacy. This is --in my opinion-- a drastic oversight that once again leads to friction to play Bungie's games.

3. Performance: Not only is windows insecure, and difficult to manage, but it also saps computer rescources. For potential players that might have a low-end machine, or are currently troubleshooting their graphics card, --like me!-- asking them to use windows is yet again, an implicit removal of a choice. It's not a gaurantee, but it's generally commonly agreed upon that --even with a compatibility layer, like steam proton!-- that games will run better on linux.

4. Cheaters: I wanted to mention this, because a common argument I've seen is that linux is more hackable and could potentially introduce vulnerabilities that might allow for hackers. However, this is an oversimplification that borders on lying. Simply because, BattlEye (Marathon/D2's anti cheat software) supports Linux, and has for a while! I've played plenty of games using both BattlEye & Easy Anti-Cheat on linux, and I've never encountered a problem! Of course, I'm personally not certain how easy it is to make the switch, although it doesn't seem *too* much more complicated than a simple lever switch.

This situation has been especially frustrating to me, because all of the above issues I've listed in this post matter to me quite deeply, But I want to play this game and enjoy it to it's fullest, and I don't think that allowing players to play on their choice of operating system is too much to ask. I'm not sure how Bungie is structured, but it seems that they have a problem with leadership not getting the memo. I'd like that to change.

ty 4 reading, 

~Lewa