The Chaos in the Nexuiz Community

[Baker]

Either you know what this is about or not.

Don't ask what it is about if you don't know, but feel free to read up so you know:

http://alientrap.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6043

I really think what is going on is evil and a betrayal to the whole idea of FOSS.

Except that I believe that LordHavoc, who is has given so much to multiple communities in both code and education, deserves the best regardless of the circumstances.

I have to say I hope Console Non-GPL Nexuiz is a failure, but that the project benefits LordHavoc.

I think what is happening to Nexuiz is an abomination, at the same time I want LordHavoc to have all the success, achievement and happiness he can get as he has given so much.

/Ironically, this gives justification to private fears of certain mod authors that their work could be misused. I know R00k fears that the Clan Arena X source code could be warped by evil commercial interests. I also wonder about the community solution to avoid a Nexuiz-like problem with other FOSS projects.

[Downsider]

I like the idea. Bringin' Quake to the box. Maybe I can run my own mods through a bit of reverse engineering!

I'm not the kind of guy who understands indie game developer ideals, at least the ideals of those in this community. I mean, I develop for fun. What do you guys develop for? Fun != drama over a member graduating from the indie scene to "real" development.

Then again, I wasn't here in 1997.

[metlslime]

hard to tell for sure from the guy's post, but it sounds like the engine will not be a branch of darkplaces but the main darkplaces project, meaning the engine source will obey GPL (since the SVN repository is public anyway.) If it's a branch we just have to make sure they release the source from their branch.

If the art and other content are all commercially produced (and it seems like they will be), then they are not bound by GPL.

The gamecode is the only thing that sounds a bit fuzzy there. If the nexuiz gamecode is GPL, and this game is based on that code, they will have to release that source too. It's hard to tell if they intend to do that.

[metlslime]

Oh... having read more responses, it seems that they intend to violate the GPL after all and attempt to make a closed-source engine based on GPL code? That seems decidedly fishy. I saw a claim that they obtained a commercial license to the code from id software and lordhavoc, if this is true it must mean they think those are the only two copyright holders on the darkplaces code. Which could be possible if lordhavoc wrote 100% of the SVN commits and never grabbed code from other people or engines, i suppose.

[Baker]

[Downsider]

[Baker]

[Error]

The Chaos in the Nexuiz Community

Leave it there

[Error]

Disclaimer: this post may make you hate me

I am a large supporter of open-source. I'm a bigger supporter of people from this community really making it in the business. I think it's amazing that people are STILL getting recognized for... basically Quake mods. Yes, they had to step on a few toes to get there, but congrats to LordHavoc and Vermeulen. Sorry to those whose toes have been stepped on.

I've been reading up on all the happenings resulting from the choices that they made, since it was announced. Yes, it may be quite sketchy. Yes, almost the entire Nexuiz community is pissed, probably beyond repair. I'm not a lawyer, and I'm definitely not a Nexuiz player, or even a Nexuiz contributor.

Most people aren't even complaining about the code being used, as I'm quite sure it's the only asset they are using from the GPL Nexuiz. Most people are whining about the name. Now, keep in mind, I only said whining about the name. I don't consider them to be "whining" about the code. I believe they have every right to complain about the code. If I worked on a project for a long time, and someone decided to make a profit from it, then I'd be pissed.

I do truely feel sorry for everyone that worked on this great game... but honestly, what can you do? They seem quite set in stone. The deals are done. The money has been spent. Yadda Yadda Yadda.

[Error]

I'm sorry... did you just delete your own posts before I could finish reading them while clarifying my own statements?

[Error]

as a point of reference... this same sort of thing arose when the game Laser Arena was sold. It used a ton of GPL released code from... I believe it was TomazQuake and a few others.

[Baker]

[Spike]

[frag.machine]

[avirox]