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OpenQuartz: A GPLed 3D Shooter
CitizenC writes: "Most people don't really associate the phrase "open source" or "GPL" with games. However, that is just what Galbraith Games is trying to change. Today on 3DActionPlanet, Sabre takes a look at the recently released tech demo."
Opening up the source of Quake was the worst thing that ever happened to it. Suddenly, from a few games being unplayable because of cheating, now you can't find a server out there that doesn't have people who've compiled in their own new cheats, as well as the ones that were present in the non-open-source one. And there are cheating servers as well - ones that give an advantage to the cheaters who run them.
Team Fortress Classic is bad enough now with cheaters being all over the place, I shudder to think what would happen if all those lamers could compile stuff into their clients to give them infinite armour, infinite ammo, infinite health, extra speed, automatic aiming and a really small bounding box.
I have to wonder what motivates the cheaters, but the fact is that they are out there, they use every cheat they can find, and giving them access to the source is the worst possible thing I can imagine.
The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
Do you want to know why?
:P Lolo, i will always have you..
Because GPLed games actually have a tiny chance in hell of being ported to the macintosh.
Seriously. I really kind of honestly believe the bit about gpled games will never quite reach the quality level of commercial software, (although i have seen some damn good shareware/freeware games) but i will say this: poorly ported gpled games are much better than *nothing*.. which, as a mac os x user, is exactly what i am getting right now.
Well.. all i have to say is thank god that it's so much easier to write emulators that run on the PPC than it is the x86
Umm, but anyway. Yeh. I am pretty sure i will never see a Worms Armaggeddon for mac os x, much less Worms World Party, but although i can't play OpenQuartz either, i at least have the *option* of porting the damn thing myself. Which just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. So.. well.. THANK YOU, TEAM OPENQUARTZ!
P.S. : Sierra : Where the fuck is tribes 2?? You were promising us a simultaneous cross-platform release for awhile there!! What happened?? GRRRR!!
^_^
P.P.S. You think we could go hunt down the original creator of Scorched Earth and convince them to go GPL?
P.P.P.S. Crossfire is damn ugly. Couldn't you at least have the quality of Taskmaker? Sheesh.
...
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
As another poster said, you've got it backwards. Not only do add-on modules sell poorly for the most part, but they are also the easiest part of to come up with. I mean, take a look at places like Planet Unreal and see how everyone and his brother is making add-on modules. But how many people can write a 3d engine like the ones found in Quake and Unreal? Then look at how many companies are licensing those engines. id licenses the Quake engine for a couple hundred thousand dollars. Seriously, how many people bought Quake 2 for anything other than the nifty keen engine?
The big problem with non-commercial games is the lack of press.
What other GPLd games are out there?
I think the biggest barrier to the development of open source games is more the lack of artwork and sounds etc.
So let me get this straight:
You're up against a bunch of evil trees, and you don't have a chainsaw?
Perhaps the game has changed under your nose, and you haven't even noticed. Perhaps the game has turned into "who can be the best hacker" instead of "who can be the best fragger". If you want hot fragging action, then play Q2 or Q3... that's what they're out there for.
When they released the source to Quake, they opened the doors to gaming challenges of the future, namely - who can write a better AI, whose bot will emerge victorious. Since this doesn't rely upon fast-twitch skills, but real coding prowsess... as a geek, how can you complain?
- passion
I think the title of this story is misleading; they are using the already GPLed Quake 1 engine. They are "just" replacing the restricted content (models, textures, maps, sounds) with their own.
This is pretty good though; something like NPRquake released the other day could be released as a full package, instead of requiring you to own the original Quake (which, if you don't have it already, is pretty tough to find).
After marketing, technology is the dominant factor in a game's success. Quake 2 had no gameplay innovations. It sold on reputation and nice (brown) graphics. Thief, Thief 2, and System Shock 2 had innovative gameplay and good stories. They didn't sell, because of the low-polygon graphics.
I'm not criticizing the market or the industry (although there is something wrong with Eidos pumping millions into Daikatana while Looking Glass went bankrupt)--graphics sell. Summer movies become blockbusters on effects, alone.
Successful free software projects, like gcc, Linux, Apache, etc., have a long lifespan. The development effort remains worthwhile for years. High-tech entertainment has a short lifespan. The incentive structure for games is similar to that for movies: compete for mainstream dollars with flashy effects.
That said, I do believe there is room for gameplay innovation. The variety of a choose-your-own-adventure book would be welcome. The unpredictability of Clue would be nice: play it again and maybe it's not the butler, this time. Adventure-game conversations could go from turn based, so to speak, to real time.
You have reached the final level. You will now battle the Grand Desructor of All Time . . . this feature has not yet been implemented. Please contact Galbraith if you wish to contribute.
A respecatable company like Microfsoft wouldn't ever produce a violent game like this. It would alienate their customers and subject them to a potential lawsuit if it causes someone to act out these violent fantasies in real life
GPL developers on the other hand don't have to wory. They can claim "someone else must have wrtitten that bit".
The GPL will destroy society through violence, and MS is trying to prevent it
Actually, Games seem to be a perfect fit for OpenSource. Open the code for the game engine, then sell add-on modules. The gaming market is one of the strongest for commercially dold upgrades. In fact it's one of the only markets where the customer base doesn't scream bloddy murder when a company offers to SELL them an extension pack for a game. It really is a perfect fit.
--CTH
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