That means that you only need to implement elementary actions such as move in a straight line and shoot a shoot target X yourself. All actions that are more complex actions can be dealt with by user defined scripts. You don't have to write them as the game developer. Individual players will write them and you can facilitate that players exchange the scripts with each other.
A RTS game that allows that much AI deployment might also provide a target for AI tournament from research groups that at the moment play robot soccer against each other to show the prowness of their AIs.
You could even make unit infoboxes completly customizable with scripts that users can exchange with each other.
You can allow users to use custom skins for the look of units. You can use the existing 3D models of Warzone 2100 for the first version of the game.
After a while you can take some scripts that nearly every player uses and ship them with the default version. Taking that strategy of making a lot of the game highly customizable greatly reduces the work that you need to do to develop the game. You will only have to design the plugin architecture, the physics of how units move and what units can do. It would also add an interesting aspect to the game that existing RTS's don't have.
As far as maps go I would go for automatic map generation. It will reduce scripts that are focused on specific maps and force every script to be general. It also means that you don't need a map editor.
I'm not 100% sure but it could be possible to sell some scripts/skins in a closed license. You could even run an online shop that sells scripts that other people wrote and take a 30% cut.
I think that even a very lowly featured game would be fun to play at the beginning where everyone needs to write a few scripts for themselves. It could be an interesting game for people who can code. If you get such people interested in playing your game and the feel the game needs some improvements they will also contribute to the rest of your codebase.
Even when it's legally possible to use the same name I would suggest that you change the name slightly. You could use Warzone 2200 or Warzone 2101You are 100% correct- and I've been guilty of underestimating this sort of thing many times, ha. Taking it slow here, and moving pieces forward as I can- the first was to make sure this is even legally doable. With that out of the way, I am now concentrating on building out a roadmap and doing some art/code tests myself.
. That will make it easier to google your new game and allow people to talk about it.
That not clear GPL is designed to be pretty viral.If they are, then as long as they remain licensed under the GPL (as well any derivative works), then it should be ok. It's just like if you wrote a book based on WZ2100, the story remains GPL, but that does not mean the medium via which you display the story must be GPL.
Names aren't protected by copyright but by trademark law. However if you search in the US trademark registry it doesn"t seem like there are registrations that would prevent you from using the name. http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=s ... qph8k3.1.1It all depends if the "story" and name (Warzone2100) are indeed GPL.
*I'm no lawyer and it might still be useful to consult one.
contra principia negantem non est disputandum
