8000: battle for the open source - Developer(s) required!

[raptorus]

Hello,

First the teaser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mFlzXAfcs4

Im a design-student from Germany. Some time ago i was infected by the power of open source community.
Unfortunately I never saw a turn based rpg game, which is set in the future.
After some thinking I was ready to create an own project. I hope we can enrich the open source culture with this project. I hope this project will be not one of many open source games which copy commercial games and dont innovate.
I searched a long time for a good open source turn based rpg game engine, and i found the engine of this game
http://www.allacrost.org/
It has much potential.

Now the biggest problem with my naive idea is:

Im not a coder. Im a just a designer.
I never heard words like "Subversion (Version Control for Source Code)".
So i mostly failure in the simples tasks...I cant even set up the code on sourceforge....

And a project needs at least one coder.
You as coder will not obey my ideas. I just want to create "stylish"-art for a game.
So it will be the other way around ;D Because YOU as coder has a much bigger value than me as designer.
That means that you will be the administrator.
So if you would like to create probably the best looking 2D open source game, you are welcome.

Something about me:

Im seriosly interested in this project, im sure we could even create a new RPG Primus.
I will develope this project at least 2,6 years (end of my studies) and I will consistet improve my skills and use them for this project.

The skills which i already have:

- very advanced Photoshop knowledge
- advanced After Effects
- advanced 3D Studio max
- advanced Adobe Flash
- advanced HTML, CSS
- basics in PHP, Java-Script, VBA

I hope you are interested in this project!

Contact pls per forum.

The Homepage:
http://www.eightk.org

Visit the Art development forum:
https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/eigh ... um.php?f=4

Here some screenshots (this game could be looking like this if a coder would compile the new code....help please!)




best regards Anton
sry for bad english

[Julius]

It's nice to see that someone is interested in the 8 Kindoms engine/game again. It's a pity that while quite complete already, it lacks a bit of final work to make it enjoyable.

Have you tried to contact the original developer of it? Maybe he is interested in working with you on the 8000 project too? Might also be an idea to work on the normal 8kingoms a bit first to get into the engine, and once you feel comfortable with it take up the idea of 8000 again?
This would have the benefit that it is easier for you, and in case you loose interest (which is not unlikely, lets be honest about that) some work has been done on an almost complete game, instead of starting a new one.

[raptorus]

Hello,

Yes, i contacted the developer.
At first, when i met 8 Kingdoms, i started to work for 8 Kingdoms. Later i recognize that im not the guy for medieval art. I simply cant create traditional elves or knights.
Volunteer work must create fun, i dont have fun to create such models. Sorry.
I know, that the start of a new project will parting some people, and this is the most part i hate on my project.

Otherwise, 8000 is more a Mod for 8 Kingdoms than a stand-alone-game, if somebody solve a bug or problem in 8 Kingdoms he solve the problem for my project, too.

[Sindwiller]

(Man, where have the international forums gone? Even though it seemed as though people had rarely used it, I certainly found it pretty useful when people without profound knowledge of the English language seeked aid :P )

Hi Rapturus, and welcome!

From your hard to decipher sentences (I don't blame you ^^) I deduced that you aren't quite sure how to go with your idea. However, I'm thoroughly happy that you gained interest in FOSS game projects.
Now, it will be really difficult to find programmers that are willing to help you, not to mention programmers who'll stick to it. I do read in the forums though that you have found some volunteers, that's cool. I'd also reckon that you're actually forking the game?

Anyway, if I were you, I would go around posting help requests including the splendid website of yours on several FOSS communities (as for FOSS game communities, there aren't many - one that might interest you is http://opengameart.org/ ). The Ubuntuforums and ubuntuusers.de might be good places.

[alapshin]

Hi Raptorus!

I am glad to see you at this forum! Is this a strict decision that this should be a 3D game? I am just not sure that 2.6 years is enough for coding/scripting/art/testing and so on for 3d game.. That could be a hell to prepare high quality 2D game in that time frame I suppose.. That depends on tools and number of team members, but my feeling is that 2.6 years is not enough.. I took a look at the engine screenshots. Is your final vision of the game looks like those screenshots? (That's difficult to express, but I am just trying to understand amount of work in this project).

And... I like your site and your style!

[raptorus]

@Sindwillers;
Yes, English was my most hated school subject...Now i miss my english lessons.
And thanks for your advice!

@alapshin
I dont develope a "new" game.

Careful - noob-alert:
My "Masterplan" is,
I install 8 Kingdoms on my PC, overwrite the 3D Model Files with my 3D Model Files, change the xml files, change the BitmapFiles.
Ready...
Of course there will be problems, (for exampel: i cant load the game with my new models--> Error: Cant load a model.)

My project is a Mod for 8 Kingdoms... maybe it will be in 2,6 years a stand-alone-game. And I dont want "end" the development in 2,6 years. After my studies I wont have sooo much the time for the development.
And BtW isnt ready, too. And they develope for ten years, dont they?
And i created in 2 weeks two "normal-good" 3D models. In 4 month I could/will create 16 3D models for units, that more units than starcraft 2 has ))

sorry for bad english
thanks for your interest into this thread, you give me more info than you imagine.

[Sindwiller]

What you're essentially planning to do is something that is referred to in the software/FOSS world as a fork. Read up on this here. Regarding your e-mail: No, I'm actually not from Germany, but rather from the German speaking part of Switzerland. I noticed I didn't enter it in my profile details.

Now, whether uu.de is a good place to ask for help or not is a tough question. Though I'd reckon that there ought to be some people who are interested in your project and who might help you out, even if just with small bits and pieces. But at least it'll be something! You will also be able to communicate in your mother tongue! That's what you have to keep in mind aswell, apart from striving for the ideal situation of having a few permanent core people, you have to make your project as easily accessible (read: tasty ) for potential contributors as possible, in the hope of having other people help you out as well. If you search for people, spread the word.

Communities like opengameart.org can help you with constructive criticism and maybe somebody might be interested in helping you out as well. Graphics, sounds, music, whatever. Check out their forums.

If you have IRC, join #opengameart and #freegamer on irc.freenode.net, that might be useful sometimes. You'll later find other useful channels as well.

[raptorus]

I understood my orders, SIR

[qubodup]

Maybe suggest the developer that you will create an alternative theme for the game and be able to work with them?

[Sindwiller]

Maybe suggest the developer that you will create an alternative theme for the game and be able to work with them?

Do you know whether he is still active? :S

[charlie]

Maybe suggest the developer that you will create an alternative theme for the game and be able to work with them?

Do you know whether he is still active? :S

No, dunno.

[qubodup]

rpcgen committed revision 41 to the kralovstvi SVN repository, changing 1 files
posted by rpcgen 23 days ago

http://sourceforge.net/projects/kralovstvi/

[raptorus]

Done.
5 weeks ago.

He never wrote back.
Is my english sooo bad?


Edit:

theme fork;

do i really "fork" a game if the last release was years ago?
and there was some code sumitted... but the administrator never include it in a new version....
*me-taking-cover*

The game was created by some students from Czech Republic, then it was released as open source, a french student take it over.

[shazzner]

raptorus do you have an email address I can contact you with? Or you can send me a shoutout at *my-username*@gmail.com thanks!

[qubodup]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/kralovs ... dex/page/1 an answer! Probably some email got caught by a spam bot.

[charlie]

URL'd link: Intention-to-mod thread with developer response

Forks are healthy. He's taking it the wrong way. The only valid point he has is about the name, but even then I don't think that 8000 or eightk is that confusing with 8kingdoms.

[qubodup]

I think raptorus just didn't get the reply email and the project maintainer interpreted his further action as "I don't care what you think, I'll do things my way!".
It seems to me that the maintainer would like to adopt the sci-fi style, so I hope there will be an agreement and then there will be rainbows.

[Julius]

So what kind of art-style do you want to go for... keep to the sort of representative board-game like art you can find in 8kindoms already?
Do you have some concepts or mockups for the style you want to go for?

[raptorus]

Souceforge has a problem with email.......

@shazzner:
done, my email is raptorus@gmx.de

@charlie:
?, ...

@qubodup:
no, I didnt get a email....

@Julius
May you take a look at this ?
https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/eigh ... hp?f=4&t=2
and this
https://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/eigh ... um.php?f=4

Long Range Unit and Slowmoving Attack Damage Dealer are mostly complete

I wrote a answer on the 8 kingdoms thread.....

still best regards

[qubodup]

Here are two finished works I found on the forums:

http://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/eight ... 4&t=14#p32


http://sourceforge.net/apps/phpbb/eight ... 4&t=13#p23

[TheAncientGoat]

Those look pretty darn cool

[Julius]

Hmm, not overly convinced by those models to be honest.

Have you thought about "recycling" models from another FOSS project? Maybe it would be cool to make a Tremolous TBS? Doesn't have to be set in the same setting, but the models would be cool for reuse.

[qubodup]

I like the models. The ground texture should be changed though

[raptorus]

texture is only a placeholder. your eye should be focused on the model ;P

[raptorus]

guys I think you should check out

www.eightk.org

again
or at least enjoy the teaser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mFlzXAfcs4

best regards