[MUD-Dev] Libs for 3D Client/Servers

[Adam Martin]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Luke Carruthers" <luke at hiddensignal.com>
To: <mud-dev at kanga.nu>
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2001 3:34 AM
Subject: RE: [MUD-Dev] Libs for 3D Client/Servers


> I'm curious as to why no-one has mentioned the V12 engine from
> Garage Games (www.garagegames.com) in this thread yet. On the
> surface at least, it seems to fit most of the criteria -
> "commercial" quality (was the basis for Tribes 2), cheaply
> available (US$100), relatively unrestrictive license that allows
> commercial efforts, and highly customisable via available tools
> let alone the fact that you have the source code (it would seem,
> anyway - RPG's (www.planettribes.com/rpg) have been built on the
> Tribes 1 version of the engine just using the available tools). It
> may be missing many of the elements such as database access
> required to implement (larger scale) persistent worlds, but it
> would seem to be possible to produce a set of add-ons covering
> these things if they are too difficult for a sizable enough
> segment of the market. There are of course still things like art
> and (god forbid) gameplay design to do, but even so it seems to
> fit the requirements for a commercial platform. Am I missing
> something?  >

>From looking it over, although its an opportunity to get a really nice
looking 3D engine, there are two major problems:

  1) It's really only a 3D engine with some basic scripting
  facilities.

  2) The license is *nasty* (given that they loudly promote "only
  costs $100").

  1: Yeah, its a *good* 3D engine, but then you could have Quake for
  free, if you so wished. Or, if you're aiming for big commercial
  concerns, Quake2 for a one off payment of $100k
  (c.f. www.idgames.com -> corporate section -> licensing section).

It appears to do none of the interesting & important things that are
specific to MUDs, beyond the basic scripting - so you would
effectively need to write yourself a MUD from scratch anyway, and
also spend time to integrate it with their 3D engine.

  2: Whilst this might not sound too bad, if you make what turns out
  to be a popular game, you might seriously regret using their
  engine. Quotes from the small print of their license:

    "You must deliver all games you believe are ready for
    publication to GarageGames only"

    "For example, you could not create a game directly for
    Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Yahoo, America On-Line, Sega, etc.,
    but GarageGames can help you get your game into these channels."

    "if you make a game, it must be distributed through GarageGames"

    "You agree that, by your delivery of the games to GarageGames,
    you are granting to GarageGames all electronic distribution
    rights such as Web, EDS, and box rights to that game for five
    years"

    "GarageGames.com will pay you fifty percent (50%) of the net
    proceeds from the sales or licenses of the games you published
    through the GarageGames.com website"

Adam M.

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