Open Source Game development?

    I actually downloaded and played Nexuiz today, yeah my Steam is out of action, I don't own any non-steam games and I was bored.

    It was impressively well made, engine and interfaces seemed smooth (though the interfaces looked like they were designed by 80s d&d nerds) but the in-game content was pretty poor. Mostly pitiful maps (tho I did eventually get to one that looked passable) and the characters were meh. Best thing about it were the weapons & weapon effects, it got quite 'pretty' when there was a lot of action on the screen.

    Probably won't play again though, gameplay was just tedious dated deathmatch, I mean even something like the Tribes (1) demo, free and 6? years old mops the floor with it.

    Quote from leileilol

    The main thing why no 'pro' artist ever contributes to FOSS game projects is that their holy art will be MODIFIED!!! and BUTCHERED!!! and DAMAGING TO THEIR EGO!!! Plus they can't really make their portfolio level artwork then release it to some game because it'll totally be derived from.

    Haha you are so hilariously bitter.

    Quote

    The main thing why no 'pro' artist ever contributes to FOSS game projects is that their holy art will be MODIFIED!!! and BUTCHERED!!! and DAMAGING TO THEIR EGO!!! Plus they can't really make their portfolio level artwork then release it to some game because it'll totally be derived from.

    Actually, it's more likely because FOSS games don't pay, and it seems like every single artist wants to get paid for their art even on indie/freeware projects. What the hell happened to actually making art for a project just for fun?

    Quote from ChopperDave

    Actually, it's more likely because FOSS games don't pay, and it seems like every single artist wants to get paid for their art even on indie/freeware projects. What the hell happened to actually making art for a project just for fun?

    Well, there are still lots of mod projects, where artists contribute lots of stuff...

    Does any of my stuff count?

    All the tools I make for source are free and some of it, like VTFLib is GPL'd so you can do what you like with it pretty much.

    would a creative commons style repository for open source cg art assets be useful? (PSD's of texs, source model files, level files, cg scenes)

    You would have to stick some pretty nice/decent stuff on it otherwise it would turn out like a not-for-profit turbosquid with tons of crap assets on it.

    It would be awesome to have features on some really well done stuff, like a nice looking level, or a set of textures, or a rendered scene - with a nice write up with pictures explaining how things were set up - and then have all the source for download. Might be hard to find artists interested in giving that stuff up though.

    Quote from Wunderboy

    Does any of my stuff count?All the tools I make for source are free and some of it, like VTFLib is GPL'd so you can do what you like with it pretty much.

    I think so Since all your stuff is GPL'd and the source is available and everything ^^ But your tools aren't for an open source game or engine, I wouldn't call them a contribution to Open Source Gamedevelopment.

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    would a creative commons style repository for open source cg art assets be useful? (PSD's of texs, source model files, level files, cg scenes)

    Yeah, that would sure be really useful for lots of projects out there. There's already FreeGameArts and also FreeGamer's common media project, though especially FreeGamer's project is in its fledging states and FreeGameArts isn't very active plus you can't upload stuff yourself (how could they afford that anyway? They don't have a huge bag of money and a horde of FTP servers - that's why they use community services). It would be good to guide those projects to the right direction. Creating another repository would only make sense if it's really necessary.

    Another good way to improve FOS game development in general is by sharing knowledge, theoretical or practical using FOS software (or not ), and "recruiting" people. A friend of mine started a community Wiki for that purpose: http://unixgamedev.wikispaces.com/

    Quote from zaphod

    would a creative commons style repository for open source cg art assets be useful?

    Yes, but no Creative Commons (((( LGPL, Modified BSD, MIT or GPL license is great though

    Quote from Sindwiller

    FreeGameArts isn't very active

    they just added my mesh the other day

    Quote

    Yes, but no Creative Commons Sad(((( LGPL, Modified BSD, MIT or GPL license is great though

    That's not your decision CC-by-SA is a fine license for art and media in general, and it's widely spread. There's nothing that speaks against using it imho.

    Quote from Pongles

    IMO it'll just take one kick-ass game and people will start to take it seriousally.It just takes the right bunch of people.

    the problem with a good open source game is that there would be as many versions as there are cs maps..

    Quote from Skjalg

    the problem with a good open source game is that there would be as many versions as there are cs maps..

    Sorry, but that's a common excuse of wannabe-"1337" & "e-sports" projects (aside from the "making cheating easier"-part) (such as UrT, TCE, CPMA and what the hell not, and some other bunch of retards), for not open source'ing their project respectively not even thinking about the Open Source model as a possible model in their project, and not of someone who is clearly knowing what he's talking about. But then again most of you simply don't know the scene enough to judge correctly.

    It's true that Free Software allows you to fork stuff, make a new project out of it, et cetera. But did that kind of thing happen to a living project? Especially a big one? Neither Nexuiz, nor TORCS, nor Sauerbraten, nor Wesnoth, nor Neverball, nor Warsow, nor Tremulous, nor Maryo Chronicles, nor Netpanzer, nor Wormux, nor what-the-hell-ever happened to get forked for no particular reason while the project was actually living. Keep this in mind please.

    And why don't people just fork big projects? Because, game design can't be applied to jack and shit. And remaking art is a pain. And smaller mods... aren't forks.

    The Open Source model has actually some really nice benefits for a project. For example, when someone contributes a piece of work to the project, he can't forbid the redistribution of his work by said project - which sounds like a right's restriction, but actually make sense, since you work for a project, and not yourself. This can also make a whole project collaps (/me points to Warsow where the lead mapper left and took all his maps with himself).

    Another benefit is that reanimating dead projects is possible. An example for that are the various Tux Racer forks. The "original" Tux Racer development started in 2000 and the project died in 2001. Years after that, Planet Penguin Racer forked Tux Racer, thus making a new project. Two years ago, the project died, too. Now has Extreme Tuxracer reanimated Tuxracer again is making some nice progress (new tracks, new functionality on the way, etc.).

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