Civ2's source code petition

[Harry Tuttle]

So what license should we be looking for? And how should we ask for it?

[CapTVK]

At this point I would say "GPL"* but there is an entire dessert menu of open source licenses available. Some more specific and limiting than others. A good point to start is www.opensource.org.


So preferably one where the code can be shared (distributed) without legal hassle. You would want to have the freedom to let "outsiders" (people who don't have the original) to be able to play it and tinker with the code.

At this point we haven't made official contact yet so we can come up with suitable solution. We could propose that they seperate the code and graphics side (apart from the DLL's) The graphics could be left copyrighted while the code itself could be released under the GPL. The orginal game can be released as freeware (still copyrighted) and the source code is available for the codetinkerers and the true fans.

An ideal situation would be two releases. One releasing the game (binaries) with all the graphics as freeware (free to be distributed but not for commercial resale) and two releasing the source code under GPL.






* Actually the best "license" to release it under would be to release it as public domain. No legal hassle whatsoever, but it also means that anyone can do what he/she/it wants with it.

[CapTVK]

P.S
An alternative is buying the code and rights to Civ2/ToT ourselves for a symbolic fee.

That's not likely, but it happens on a rare occasion.

[Harry Tuttle]

Well, I'm no programmer, but I think what we really need is just the code for the executables, the dat files, and the pedia files. We already work with everything else.

The graphics are not needed, that is unless the way the graphics interact with the executables is copyrighted.

Ideally, I think we just need to know how and why such things as the events and units files are limited. Then write code to expand and improve upon the interaction and range.

[Eivind IV]

Extend the amount of playable civs would be my personal first priority

[conmcb25]

Being able to have more events would be my second.

John Ellis recently ran into the brick wall on that with Colonies IV, he had to prioritize and select which events to use instead of using everything he wanted to do.

Has anyone at all heard from Javier? Its been well over a month. I hope he is alright because this is very unlike him..............

[N35t0r]

Increase the max # of cities comes to mind also.

[CapTVK]

All very good gameplay related points, worthy of discussion, but shouldn't this wait until AFTER you get the code?

[Heresson]

Yes, no reason to get excited now and cry later.

[Eivind IV]

It's the dream that has gotten us this far

But sure, no need to get our expectations too high...

[Cifer Almasy]

One more thing- though we dont have the code yet:

I would love to have real Artillery and Plane - Bombing, as in Civ3! Planes and Cars carrying missiles would be the solution. I would love it!

[Harry Tuttle]

ok, ok, give me material for the letter, we can put a wish list together later

[jim panse]

Originally posted by Cifer Almasy
One more thing- though we dont have the code yet:

I would love to have real Artillery and Plane - Bombing, as in Civ3! Planes and Cars carrying missiles would be the solution. I would love it!

I´d like to second that idea.

Maybe the difference between a rocket-carrying sub and a plane-carrying flat top should be in there as well

[sezoN]

Originally posted by Harry Tuttle
ok, ok, give me material for the letter, we can put a wish list together later

ok, so what kind of material we're need now?

[Harry Tuttle]

More reasons for releasing the code, the specifics of the files that we want & need (I say no graphics or text files), and a list of proper names for the websites involved.

Those would be my choices.