Author: Hoak <[email protected]>     Reply to Message
Date: 7/26/2004 10:49:21 AM
Subject: RE: A Little Disappointed...

Infernal, while I agree with all your points, I was thinking (and hoping) more in terms of the long term for Open Source game development and WFF.

While certainly commercial engines will always be a source of innovation, just as Microsoft Windows has been (no sarcasm intended); there's no reason an open source engine can't remain competitive, and even take the lead in exciting features and technology.

I've looked at a lot of the other open source engines; I have links to forty projects I watch and follow, and while several offer as you suggest render technology that is better looking then Q3A, and some even feature competitive with next generation engines; I believe that each is critically lacking in some key area of features and technology that will make those engines accessible and appealing for wide scale game development and/or modding. I also think we'll see a similar situation with many next generation engines.

ShadowSpawn's WFF engine appears unique in this regard, and ShadowSpawn does seem sincerely interested in creating a 'Developers Engine' that would well serve the sort of thing I've discussed in 'A Linux Of FPS Engines'. Render features and candy are far from being the 'end all and be all' of popularity or even gaming fun; in fact most game-play is not even on what would be regarded as current generation game engines.

I'm well aware that game engines just like operating systems are not a 'one size fits all' proposition. But, one operating system, game, game engine, or game application will typically prevail as the most 'popular', widely appealing, and widely and most enthusiastically played and supported.

Few would argue in the case of FPS gaming for example that the 'realism' genera has prevailed in popularity. Similarly the id Software BSP format engine has done very well. It's these two points; realism game format popularity, and the ubiquity, familiarity and wide support of the id engines with mature robust tools and excellent documentation that I think would/could really ring in a hallmark project for Open Source.

I'm well understand that this is ShadowSpawn's project; his labor of love, done out of his enthusiasm, his spare time, his generosity -- and it's unfair to foist my hopes and expectations on him to meet any needs or aspirations wider then those that interest him. But I do hope... The guy is obviously very talented, capable, earnest, and results oriented; which rings bells of parallels of Linux, and makes me itch with hope and anticipation.

Linux was built by one guy and is only an kernel not an operating system (not trivializing it), it was at it's inception not particularly innovative in anyway, or 'special' in any regard other then it was free of cost and and you were free to use, modify and improve it. Today Linux has taken the lead in many important OS technologies and features and has thriving and capable GUN OS applications that ride on it.

I don't expect that WFF, or any Open Source game engine can replicate Linux history with the massive infrastructure that has come up around Linux; though that's certainly not impossible as the game industry is larger then the OS industry in many regards. I just want and hope for what Linux had early on, and what gaming development and modding used to have, a really exciting, thriving and fun community of Developers of every strip working together.

Saturation of the game market with new games, game engines, and SDKs every day that are self-obsolescing -- has fragmented the community and vitality that I at least once saw in game and mod development. Once there were only a few games and engines that you could work on or mod - today...

I think a lot of people are ready for an Open Source game platform and would welcome it. There are roughly 400 mod/mod team failures for every mod that actually is completed as a playable game, and many that are completed are hopelessly marginalized in quality and/or visibility by the same conditions that create so many mod and original game development failures. An Open Source engine that really heralds itself as such, will offer an opportunity for continuity and prevent a lot of the loss and waste that's seen in the bulk of hobby game and mod development.

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