Let's make a FREE WoD game

[Javokis]

I've been thinking about this for quite awhile and we are talking just a basic idea here, but what about putting down all of the mods we're working on and find an engine that's either very cheap or even free that we can use to build our own free limitless WoD game?

No need to compete with big companies and high-tech trends. Just us programmers and artist making a fan based game of the original WoD as a FREE (possibly open source) videogame using what ever engine we can afford considering the non-profit nature of the project. The engine can support the WoD content in general - not just vampires, but an engine modified to handle hunters, werewolves, mummies, and anything else we can pack in.

The more I think about it, the more I want to make jab at it. This project would not only be a great learning curb for newb programmers like myself (Yes. I would be a newb to a project of this magnitude), but a great way for other talents to show themselves. Heck, we may even find ourselves attracting a potential employer in the gaming industry.

Or at the very least make an attempt at showing that great things can come free. Most free games tend to limited and or crappy - with only few exceptions, but maybe we can be the first to look past the greed?

[Xaltar]

This is exactly what I wanted to do a while ago

Have a look at the overdose engine. At the moment all it needs is client code (AI, model support, interaction etc.) It supports all maner of nexgen features and some that nexgen does not even have yet.

http://www.quake2evolved.com/blurforum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=6

Its opensource so its FREE, and you are allowed to use game code from other opensource quake X games. AI could be taken from quake 3 for example.

Just an idea. Bare in mind that this would be a HUGE amount of work for everyone, especially the coders at the begining. You would need to develop a scripting engine to handle dialogue/disciplines/quests etc. Then there is all of the code based work that needs to be done.

Well, you know all this already. If you use this engine COUNT ME IN

If not, well it depends on the engine you use, I am learning to create nexgen models so I want to be able to make quality models

[El Gostro]

To arms!!!

[Javokis]

I'm thinking this would be a lot more fun than anything I've done in the past. I looked at the Quake2Evolved engine and I'll take a look at this. I do want an engine that is built for graphics - not some mmorpg basic engine. I want an engine built to handle the horror elements of WoD. That includes dynamic shadowing, bump mapping, quality model meshes, and high-res textures.

A lot of work is needed, yes, but we should find something that works. An engine should be a TOOL, nothing more. Cutting edge technology is for the money makers - we're just fans trying to make a game we would rather play than just look at.

[Xaltar]

Overdose - Normal maps, specular maps, glow maps. Highly modified q3 map format. MD5 model support, bloom and instance bloom, customisable sound effects reverb etc. Dynamic real time lighting and shadows. multiplayer support and a heap of other neat features.

I have been helping out as a tester for this engine and I have to say, I'm very impressed. I am also in contact with the projects coder so I can get the latest builds and source before its even on SVN. I have wanted to make a game for a long while now but lacking all the skills I would need have had to make do with small scale mods. I have become  a compitent modeler and texturer and even have a bit of experience with shaders in overdose.

end sales pitch

[Ezykeyal]

Cool, I'm up for it if somebody needs an artsy hand....

[Javokis]

I've been looking over the source scripts to this engine and I find the code well layered. I'm not fully familiar with c++, but this code is put together well enough that I can still figure it out given enough time. I think I found something I prefer to play with. I'm going to study this Q2E engine extensively and see if I can figure out how to rip it up and build it the way I like it. The fact that it uses a familiar mapping editor format (my favorite) and a language that I endeavor to understand make it ideal for the cause.

Forget Wodal, this is a much better idea and I can see that people are all for hopping on this band wagon. I'm all caught up on homework for this week so I'm going to spend some time studying this engine. I think I know what I'll be doing this summer. 

[edit]

I've been looking into c++ documentation and tutorials. I find this site:

http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/

rather useful. I have played with basic stuff - like building exe files that create txt files, but the more serious stuff (like understanding Q2E) is going to take much longer.

[EtaYorius]

Fill me in.


But awww... no wodal? :sighs:


What are the plans? the game will be similar to redemption clic and go? is will be more keyboard based? also... will there be jumping, swiming etc and ST? i really hope for a ST similar to redemption.

[El Gostro]

 job i gots n movin will I be soons,so back in the barracks will I be ready to lend my most shaky and insane of hands!

[Javokis]

I'll have official plans posted for this engine as soon as I can figure out how to get past these errors:

Overdose Errors
http://www.e-mods.net/OverdoseError.htm

Q2Errors
http://www.e-mods.net/Q2Error.htm

Xaltar, you know the guy behind Overdose, right? Can you post this over there while I'm waiting for them to authorize my account? Let them know I am using the Visual Studio C++ Express ENU edition with the OpenAL and Microsoft Platform SDKs. I feel that every new error brings me closer to success. I know this is currently way out my league, but the purpose behind Id Soft launching Q2E was to help people learn all this stuff. So I'm willing and patient to learn these engines.

Any help in the form of academics is much appreciated. 

[Xaltar]

If I remember rightly the source is written in VS 2005.  I'll get the lead programmer to have a chat with you on MSN and you can ask him directly. He told me that if you want to make a game you would be a lot better off using the Overdose engine, all its features are native and Q2E is mostly messy hacks.

Oh and to compile both games there are some files you need to copy from your openAL inst into some other system folder, includes I think it is under your compiler. Have a look through the q2e forums, I think its there somewhere.

[Javokis]

Yes I did look through the their forum and found that info and had already did what the topics instructed. The errors I'm getting are different.

[edit]

or something. I think I'm missing a lib folder, but I don't know what...

[Bloodywolf]

I'll have official plans posted for this engine as soon as I can figure out how to get past these errors:

Overdose Errors
http://www.e-mods.net/OverdoseError.htm

Q2Errors
http://www.e-mods.net/Q2Error.htm

Xaltar, you know the guy behind Overdose, right? Can you post this over there while I'm waiting for them to authorize my account? Let them know I am using the Visual Studio C++ Express ENU edition with the OpenAL and Microsoft Platform SDKs. I feel that every new error brings me closer to success. I know this is currently way out my league, but the purpose behind Id Soft launching Q2E was to help people learn all this stuff. So I'm willing and patient to learn these engines.

Any help in the form of academics is much appreciated. 

I'm not the top of my clas in C++ but check if you did the correct includes, Micosoft has been changing the includes all the time and that the functions are correctly named.

[Javokis]

Well the warning starts here:
LINK : warning LNK4098: defaultlib 'LIBCMT' conflicts with use of other libs; use /NODEFAULTLIB:library

then turns into over a hundred errors of unresolved externals on Overdose and over 70 on Q2E.

This occurs for both engines. I also get this:

idLib.lib(Lib.obj) : warning LNK4075: ignoring '/EDITANDCONTINUE' due to '/INCREMENTAL:NO' specification

from the DOOM 3 engine followed by more unresolved external errors (well only 3 on doom 3 src).

[El Gostro]

Blast it ,spongin off my progenitor ta be I wish I was's,won t get me gold until two weeks on current jobbie n it barely be makin the cut