Slashdot Mirror
Freespace 2 Source Code Released
Initri writes "I read a news article (here) on Gamespot that the Freespace 2 source code has been released by Volition. You can download it there, or you can also download it here. Since I don't have the game installed anymore, I wasn't able to try out the code, but it did successfully compile under MSVC 6.0. Looks like there's a lot of learning potential here." Freespace 2 was one of my favorite games, and I wasted many hours playing it.
They are charging for downloads, $10 for their ftp service.
The art and models and whatnot aren't included. You have to either own FS2 or make your own... but it certainly opens up a lot of modding opportunities, as long as they're not sold for profit.
this place has more information, and the code for free download. it's only a 4MB download so it won't take long. let's see how fast it gets slashdotted...
http://www.freespace-2.com/ddn/sources/freespace2
Gamespot has gone to a pay for use service, try the 2nd link to download. And as to downloading the "whole file", its listed at 3.84 MB...even on 56K thats not much of a DL
/*
* Copyright (C) Volition, Inc. 1999. All rights reserved.
*
* All source code herein is the property of Volition, Inc. You may not sell
* or otherwise commercially exploit the source or things you created based on the
* source.
*
*/
It's a space shooter. Kinda like descent, but instead of being in tunnels and stuff, you are in free space, hence the name.. Pretty nice graphics too.
Freespace2 is a space combat simulator - take a look at the official site for some info and screens.
:-)
Beautiful graphics, huge battles between capships, great gameplay and a fun story.
I've mirrored the code on FilePlanet for those of you who can't download from 3DDownloads. Enjoy!
Freespace 2 is a space flight sim, vaguely similar to the Wing Commander type games. The storyline is basically linear, though there are a few branching points here and there, a few optional missions. You have numerous opportunities to earn medals throughout the game, you can finish with a ton of medals, or none at all. There's a good selection of ships and weapons to choose from, and a very interesting storyline, good graphics, all-around a very satisfying arcade flight sim. Not terribly realistic though. Freespace 2 also has some very good multiplayer modes, from a traditional deathmatch to some mission-oriented games, even a multiple mission storyline to play through. Again, you can earn medals and like kinds of things in multiplayer. There was also a very nice editor for the game. I wasted several months of my life to this game, it was great fun. Unfortunately, it's hard to find a multiplayer game anymore..... I've still got it sitting on my HD though, and I still play it fairly often. Still haven't seen another space flight sim this good.
yrs,
Ephemeriis
"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." -Oscar Wilde
Well, first off, there's more information at http://www.freespace-2.com/ddn/sources/freespace2/ , along with a rar version that's about 2.7 meg.
/ , along with information about the engine and a mailing list.
The source code for Descent 1 and for Descent 2 has also been released, and you can find them at http://www.freespace-2.com/ddn/sources/freespace2
I'm not entirely sure, but since Parallax developed Descent 1 & 2 for Interplay, and Volition developed the Freespace games for Interplay, I think that Interplay would be the one to get credit, at the very least for convincing the other two to release the source. Interplay is earning major karma points...
-Jason-
For is interested in developing MODs and whatnot for this game I'll stick a load of links to the fan communities for this game and with some info about them.
Hard Light Productions It has only been going for about a year but this is where the main development for freespace goes on with active forums containing Render art mods and general discussion.
Freespace Watch The freespace branch of Volitionwatch, a large fan site covering all volition games with fairly strong links to Volition themselvs. Volition frequent the forums there. The place is slightly less MOD oientated than HLP but there are still lots of projects hosted including one total conversion for Babylon 5 which is well underway.
People have stopped palying[sic] FreeSpace about 3 years ago
:-)
:-)
That doesn't stop people from learning from the code and making neat projects with it.
Open Source isn't just about getting a free dinner...it's about getting to play around with code. We just covered Wolf 3d and Doom algorithms in our graphics course when covering older graphics techniques.
If you want direct, practical, non-developer benefits, it's led to Linux ports of neat games, such as Bungie's Marathon/Aleph One. It's led to improved games, like PrBoom. It's revived development interest in various projects, such as zsnes (still the only Linux snes emulator that can do Seiken Densetsu 3).
Besides, maybe you're the type that plays games for a bit, but there are also people (myself included) that don't play new releases much, but love going back and playing an old nostalgic game now and then.
I guarantee you that people will be poking around at and playing with Freespace 2 much longer because of the source release. I suspect that most people would have forgotten about neat games like Abuse had it not been for its open-sourcing. The result of an open-source clone -- Exult has produced quite a bit of Ultima 7 playing again. The same goes for scummvm, the clone of Lucasart's engine used in Day of the Tentacle and Sam and Max. Plus AGIL and Sierra's AGI system.
Open Source is generally a Good Thing. Please don't rag on people for doing good things like this -- sit back and enjoy it, or if you aren't yet interested, wait until someone hacks around with the code a bit. Then enjoy.
I wanna know if this will compile under gcc.
May we never see th
there's a robotech mod for freespace. very neat. i'm hoping the source to freespace will help them out.
bah. start over
It would take quite a lot of effort to port it to Linux -- its all written in DirectX 5 and the rendering code isn't particularly well abstracted.
There's also a glide backend. And one of the links posted in another comment said that there's also a bare-bones opengl renderer, so it sounds like the whole thing's pretty well abstracted.
See you, space cowboy...
> why couldn't the author try out the code without having the game installed?
:)
:)
Like Quake, Doom, etc, the data files were not released, only the code for the engine/exe.
> I'm wondering if it is still available for sale somewhere
Yes. I bought the Virgin Interactive "White Label" edition, which includes FreeSpace 1 and 2 for under £10 a few months ago. You should be able to pick up a copy. £10's damn good concidering that's 6 CD's worth of game
> From the screenshots, Freespace 2 appears to be similar to Homeworld [sierra.com] and Terminus [vvisions.com].
Not quite. FreeSpace 2 is more like a space flight sim; you get to fly about in a fighter craft, often around big-ass capital ships you either get to protect, destroy, or run away from. Sometimes in quite yummy nebula's (quite a sight when you see the shadow of an enemy superdestroyer come into view, filling half the sky before melting one of the destroyers you're escorting in one shot
The beam weapons are lovely and substantial; get hit by an anti-fighter beam and you get knocked about like a tin can while you desperately try to get out of it's way.
There are a few very good quality mods too. I can personally recommend the truely excellent Derelict; VolitionWatch is down at the moment though.
You forgot about Vega Strike, the Open Source 3d space sim for OpenGL in linux, etc :-)
:-) just needs some art and networking components
it's already ready for a major release here
http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/
has all the stuff FS has really feature wise
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.