Civ ii source code

[McMonkey]

Most of the discussion about the quest for the source code seems to be going on in the General forum: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=183163

Obviously I will be checking into the Scenario Creation thread regularly and will pick up any posts, but it may be best to add any comments to the thread in the general forum

[Blue Lion]

In the source code petition for Civ 3 2K posted, that THEY WILL NEVER RELEASE ANY SOURCE CODE TO ANYONE: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpo...35&postcount=1

[McMonkey]

I should have posted here as well as in the General thread. It has been conformed that 2K never received the Civ II source code and it seems to have been lost over the years as the rights but not the data were transferred between Microprose, Hasbro, 2K etc...

As it looks like 2K wouldn't be that willing to release the code anyway there is no point even trying to track down the code even if by some miracle it did survive on an ancient hard-drive Thanks for the info Blue Lion

[curtsibling]

Looks like insane legalism wins again.

I was talking to one of Microprose's old staff (he worked on Gunship 2000!)
last week, who now works for UK's Blackrock Studios, and he did not know
about the fate of the source code for any of the old games...

Perhaps lost in time...!

Just think, there will be an old cream-case PC with the code out there somewhere...!

Two options now remain...

1) to continue with CIV2 loyally, till the fanbase dies off and we become Ringwraiths.

2) We adopt a new game like Freeciv and transfer our CIV2 wisdom to a game where we can make our dreams come true...

I will not abandon CIV2, but I am ready to try the 2nd option too!

[Case]

What a shame. I guess that the current owners of the code don't think that it's worth their effort digging up the code and posting it somewhere given how old the game is...

[curtsibling]

Lawyers - Always a problem...

[DarkCloud]

Heya, you don't want to lose rights to your intellectual property...

[curtsibling]

I'd see their point if we were charging money for our mods, but we are merely keeping the legacy of a great game alive...

Naturally, the lawyers don't see it that way...

[McMonkey]

Well the Lawyers are only really an obstacle for the Civ III people. 2K are saying that they never even got the Civ II code when they inherited the rights. Its a shame that such a classic game, loved by millions of gamers over the years, could be handled so carelessly but life goes on!

[DarkCloud]

Curtsibling, they could still theoretically lose all rights to the game's IP if they let anyone do whatever they want with its underlying code. I doubt that they would lose those rights and have not heard of any company actually losing the rights to their game by doing that, but opening up the underlying architecture of a game seems tantamount to abandonment rather than just "fair use" which game "mods" seem to be covered by.

They may be afraid that they will lose the rights to the game IP, what makes civ civ; rather than the coding. I hope that's their real worry. The coding is nearly 10 years old and is useless, but the IP "civilization" series and the game design and framework is still all good.

Remember, Civ has seen its fair share of litigation. (from Avalon Hill, to the Call to Power series litigation, etc.) Perhaps 2KGames really wants to keep themselves extremely safe?

[DarkCloud]

Curtsibling, they could still theoretically lose all rights to the game's IP if they let anyone do whatever they want with its underlying code. I doubt that they would lose those rights and have not heard of any company actually losing the rights to their game by doing that, but opening up the underlying architecture of a game seems tantamount to abandonment rather than just "fair use" which game "mods" seem to be covered by.

They may be afraid that they will lose the rights to the game IP, what makes civ civ; rather than the coding. I hope that's their real worry. The coding is nearly 10 years old and is useless, but the IP "civilization" series and the game design and framework is still all good.

Remember, Civ has seen its fair share of litigation. (from Avalon Hill, to the Call to Power series litigation, etc.) Perhaps 2KGames really wants to keep themselves extremely safe?