free ryzom?

[rundll32]

Im not debating that. Just scorning your use of 'nerd'. Each to their own. You like to pretend to drink fire wine, some people like to use firefox

[grimjim]

Im not debating that. Just scorning your use of 'nerd'. Each to their own. You like to pretend to drink fire wine, some people like to use firefox

Again, one to do with Ryzom, one not.

Reading the various commentaries at slashdot, Ryzom.org et al I do not get the feeling that most of the interested parties are actually interested in the game or in being our white knights on chargers coming to the rescue.

They're interested in 'sticking it to the man'.

[rundll32]

Again, one to do with Ryzom, one not.

Again, I wasn't debating that.

[katriell]

It is an RPG, not a tech-'em-up.

RP relevence > Open source

May I introduce you to another MMORPG, which is both the best graphical MMO for RP in existence, and free open-source: http://planeshift.it

[mithur]

May I introduce you to another MMORPG, which is both the best graphical MMO for RP in existence, and free open-source: http://planeshift.it

LOL... Better???

Better than WoW, maybe, yes. It's not better than Ryzom, and not better than DDO, and another MMORPG in recent years.

And, again, with free software (And, please, stop confusing people, Ryzom.org project is "Free Software" oriented; GPL is "Free Software", not "Open Source", it's not the same) you can make an ashtounding development, and a pathetic service.

[olepi]

Katriell, I am not trying to be argumentative, I've been a proponent of open source for 30 years. Truly. I was introduced to the power of open source in 1977, when we got the UNIX sources for the cost of the tape: $50

However, let's take a look at Planeshift real quick:

here is the server it is running on:
* Intel Pentium 4 2.66GHz
* Intel S845WD1-E Motherboard
* 1GB ECC Kingston PC2100 DDR-SDRAM
* 2x 80GB 7200rpm IDE Harddisks
* Running on Redhat Linux 8.0

That is much less powerful than my home machine, and about equal to my work laptop. And the population it is supporting today (from today's stats) never got above 200. That is basically the same as a large personal server, like for NWN, or Freelancer.

There is also some concern about how "free" or open it is, from the Wiki entry:
----------------
"The code of the game is open source under the GNU General Public License.

The artwork and rules are licensed under a custom license, the PlaneShift Content License, that protects artwork from modification and redistribution to keep the uniqueness of the setting. This license forbids redistribution and using the content for profit, and also using the game content on an unofficial server.

PlaneShift developers and content contributors must also assign the copyrights of their work to Atomic Blue, primarily to help protect the project as a whole.

The license system has also drawn some criticism from former developers and contributors. Probable source for their confusion is that such arrangements are not common in other open source projects. A vast majority of the contributors agree to the necessity of the license, however."
--------------

Ok, so the code is free, except any changes cannot be redistributed, and all rights go back to the company. Also, no private personal servers are allowed. And the artwork and rules cannot be changed. Notice that it mentions that there has been some criticism for the uncommon licensing method. This is not what I would call "open source" at all.

So I am thinking the title of this thread, "free ryzom", is a misnomer. Actually, the Ryzom.org proposal is a new business plan. If X number of people pay Y amount of money, Ryzom can continue, or restart, in a miniature way. Following the Planeshift method, we will pay money for closed servers and licensed content. Any modifications made will be the property of the new company, and private, "unofficial" versions are not allowed.

Perhaps you could answer these questions:

- will all the artwork be made available? and can I modify it at will?
- can I compile and run my own server?
- can I modify the source to build my own private custom versions?

If this is all yes, then it truly is "free". For example, I downloaded Linux, and compiled it for the machine I built. I can modify something, or write my own driver, etc, and recompile for my own machine. That is open source.

However, I will still pledge money I love this game. If given the chance, I will contribute codewise, and I would run my own server in a heartbeat.

Olepi

edit: just for fun, here is the Open Source Initiative's definition:
"The basic idea behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing."

Will I be able to "read, redistribute, and modify" the code?

[tryzovia]

- will all the artwork be made available? and can I modify it at will?
- can I compile and run my own server?
- can I modify the source to build my own private custom versions?

yes, yes and, yes

You realy nead to read the social contract ....
it's here http://www.ryzom.org/page/project_socialcontract

Luinil

[katriell]

Better than WoW, maybe, yes. It's not better than Ryzom, and not better than DDO, and another MMORPG in recent years.

I mean in terms of RP quality and suitability. In that, it excels beyond anything else I've played, including Ryzom (and I love Ryzom). Everyone roleplays in that game, non-RP guilds do not survive, its very purpose is RP. My point was to grimjim, that quality RP game and open-source are not mutually exclusive.

[olepi]

yes, yes and, yes

You realy nead to read the social contract ....
it's here http://www.ryzom.org/page/project_socialcontract

Luinil

Thanks, I will be very happy if this is true. Here is the part that threw me off:

"We would recognize, in Ryzom's case, that all the players are developpers ; after a completing a mentorship to ensure he knows the rules of the project, every player should be able to participate to the decision-making processes, and especially to the votes.

Not having completed a mentorship shouldn't be a reason in itself to prevent a player from accessing the game, and all the contributors to the project (founding members, until the rights have been bought) would not have to complete such a mentorship."

I will assume that I will be able to get the code, and make my own server independent of all this? There would be no need to pay any money to anyone? There would be no need to "vote" or be "mentored", right?

Olepi

[tryzovia]

Yes, u're right.

The Ryzom code, artowrk... all the intelectual property will be free. They will use the GNU for the code by exemple. It"s all in the social contract

Luinil