Maybe a new way?

[Rommel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKRnfwFOc_c

I am very excited about the RTS engine this guy is working on. Ok it is in it's infancy, but it can really take WZ to the next level I feel. There is actually a discussion about WZ on his forum and the RTS engine looks like it is almost taylor fit for WZ. This is also created with Unity 3D which is definitely going places...

http://unity.bretthewitt.net/forum/view ... art=10#p47

Of course WZ as it is is great, but really is it going to go any further than it already has? The current system/engine seems very antiquated, could it be better to move development over to this guys RTS engine? He seems very enthusiastic about it.

[crab_]

Unity engine is nice thing. It is cross-platform. I want learn it and re-create warzone on unity
Well i dream about re-making game It reminds me "I'm Going To Build My Own Theme Park With Blackjack and Hookers"

[Rommel]

I think this guys engine is a good start to look at, maybe even a foundation.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

Reminds me of Empire Earth.

[NoQ]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8835&p=93530&hilit= ... ine#p93530
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7927&hilit=unity+en ... =15#p81334

[crab_]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8835&p=93530&hilit= ... ine#p93530
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7927&hilit=unity+en ... =15#p81334

This links say nothing. I mean - there is no any useful information.
Warzone has few good ideas (Unit design, wide upgrade system, full 3d stuff)
This ideas can be implemented in some new game. Well, i think i need more 2-3 years of learning before start

[Rommel]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8835&p=93530&hilit= ... ine#p93530
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7927&hilit=unity+en ... =15#p81334

I too am unsure what these two links are supposed to signify, although I did see something about not being able to use GPL code with Unity, but really there would be no GPL infraction in "creating" wz2100 on Unity as none of existing code or assets would be needed (or wanted). It is more about taking the ideas and features from WZ and then implementing them in a superior and updated way.

I also see it as a way out for those whom, for one reason or another, are unhappy with the current community and find it impossible to be productive and work / discuss on something meaningful without getting flamed and insulted (and in the end be completely ignored).

It is evident from the past few weeks that certain differences of opinion are polarized to such an extent here that it is impossible to reach a middle ground. Maybe this new RTS engine as a way out for those who wish to take WZ in a new direction without the issues I outlined above.

[Rommel]

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8835&p=93530&hilit= ... ine#p93530
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7927&hilit=unity+en ... =15#p81334

This links say nothing. I mean - there is no any useful information.
Warzone has few good ideas (Unit design, wide upgrade system, full 3d stuff)
This ideas can be implemented in some new game. Well, i think i need more 2-3 years of learning before start

Maybe not so long of a time, I think if we could work closely with Brett, the guy that developed the RTS engine things could move along quickly, he seems to know what he is doing and is quite interested in implementing many of the features (if not all) of WZ. In the end, if the RTS engine is done properly it will almost be a matter of pure configuration and modeling to implement most of the game.

Now modeling is the issue, even Brett admits that this is one of the greatest challenges because he is not a modeler (that is why the current demo is ugly looking). But even then I have seen a few guys around that are keen to create new models for WZ so maybe they would be interested as well.

All I am saying is there is no need to create WZ from scratch, well not if Brett continues with his RTS engine. I think what he has done thus far is incredible and if enough people get behind him and give positive encouragement we maybe be on to a really good thing here.

Another thing of note for those of us that like massive armies - he is optimizing the RTS engine from the start to handle massive amounts of units and structures

[NoQ]

there would be no GPL infraction in "creating" wz2100 on Unity as none of existing code or assets would be needed (or wanted).

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11305

If the resulting product is distributed under the GPL there would be no problem.

you are not allowed to mix our codebase with UDK or Unity, or any other closed source non GPL engine *if* you plan to release it to the public. That would be a violation of the GPL.

Can GPL game use unity at all, even if it's not necessarily using wz codebase? Can a non-GPL game use wz story? Quite non-trivial.

[Rommel]

Can GPL game use unity at all, even if it's not necessarily using wz codebase? Can a non-GPL game use wz story? Quite non-trivial.

I am sure the amount of clone type games out there, many of which are based on games distributed by companies that aggressively defend their IP, demonstrates that doing a clone does not necessarily infringe the "idea source's" license. I was more interested in taking the gameplay and mechanics as opposed to story anyway - and these type of "ideas" fall more into the realm of patent than license.

If someone has a patent on using "artillery linked to a sensor in an RTS game" then it becomes a worry - this is exactly the reason why I hate software patents, but not an issue here I think.

Anyway, if the "wz story" is GPL, it can remain GPL, even if it is displayed via a non-gpl platform, just like displaying a document in windows or linux, either of which do not have any effect on the license of the document.

If you look closely at this document: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPL_linking_exception you will see why the "WZ Story" can be included with a Unity Based application and remain GPL and also not infringe the GPL. The crux is that any additions to the WZ Story that were made would need to also be GPL.

[Rman Virgil]

.

Elgar Storm is an other coder who has written RTS code for Unity with a Git repository. He has also documented his codeing in an exceptional 14-part How-To series here:

http://stormtek.wordpress.com/2013/01/0 ... ty-part-i/

I'm no game coder but I'm enthralled by Elgar's work. Think it has much to do with his disposition as well as the work itself.

========> Some related tid bits:

* What's come up here is essentially what the TA community did with the creation of the Spring Project in 2005, which is still going strong.

* In 2002 - 2003, when the outcome of the source liberation effort begun '99 was still uncertain, the WZ community went down this road, spearheaded by the codeing and design efforts of BLACKSABBATH.
.

[Rommel]

Interesting, there is also another one I found called Planetary Annihilation, while a bit cartoonish it does have nice mechanics - a very interesting thing is that these guys raised over 2 million on kickstarter.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659 ... ration-rts

Could Kickstarter be a way to movie WZ into a more modern (updated) architecture? I think if you can show the potential properly with decent demos and media it is definetely a possibility, if they could do it with Planetary Annihilation it should be possible with WZ.

[Rman Virgil]

Interesting, there is also another one I found called Planetary Annihilation, while a bit cartoonish it does have nice mechanics - a very interesting thing is that these guys raised over 2 million on kickstarter.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659 ... ration-rts

For sure. Been following their dev since January of this year. What I'm really hot for is their command / control mechanics and its GUI (the key missing dimension of viable WZ Commanders in MP, for FFA games in particular). Wrote about it here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10598&p=117305&hili ... on#p117305

Could Kickstarter be a way to movie WZ into a more modern (updated) architecture? I think if you can show the potential properly with decent demos and media it is definetely a possibility, if they could do it with Planetary Annihilation it should be possible with WZ.

Absolutely. In fact, what yahodahan is proposing for WZ 2150 could be done through Kickstarter. Actually, what he's doing right now could be run through Kickstarter by changing character and faction names, re-doing the cam story-plot and cut-scenes/FMVs and calling it "Totally WarZoneish 2102" or some such. No copyright infringement issues. Heck, the original WZ is derived from the SF Tropes of the original "Road Warrior" and "Terminator" movies. Even NASDA itself was derived from NASA and they were concerned they hadn't changed it enough - but they did.

GPL Question- May I use name/story/etc, build from scratch?:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11305

.

[Rommel]

GPL Question- May I use name/story/etc, build from scratch?:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11305

.

I am pretty sure you can, all because of the GPL's linking exception - this basically allows one to compartmentalize certain areas of a "distribution" that are not intrinsically connected to each other. It is a long story, but you just have to look at Joomla and WordPress allowing developers to release duel licensed extensions for their GPL licensed platform. This is mainly about allowing developers to release CSS and Javascript under a different license due to the fact that they are not intrinsically connected to the GPL Licensed PHP code. Images as well, look at the amount of commercial "themes" out there that are proprietary licensed css / images / js.

In light of the above, I would not even be afraid to use original WZ images and models with a Unity based distribution (probably wouldn't want to as it defeats the purpose), but just to illustrate my point.

In the case of WZ, the story is even more intrinsically separated from the Code / framework than JS / CSS / images, it is just text! The program can function perfectly well without it (ie, if you swapped out the story for another story it would still work) - the main thing is that if the Story is GPL, it remains GPL - ie whatever updates are made to the story they must be released as GPL. I guess you would also have to make the story "source" available as well.

Now the question I ask, is the "WZ Story" licensed under the GPL?

[Per]

Now the question I ask, is the "WZ Story" licensed under the GPL?

Everything that we got was GPL, which includes the data files that tell the story. So, yes. And as far as I can tell, there are no active trademark registrations in force, either.