[solved] Hosted forum for FOSS project (Syntensity)?

[kripken]

Hello,

In Syntensity (an open source platform for 3D games, http://www.syntensity.com, and #syntensity on FreeNode) we are thinking about having forums of some sort. One option that was mentioned is the possibility of having one here, on the FreeGameDev forums. Is that an option? If so, what are the requirements of projects for that?

Some things that might be relevant:

• Our code is 100% open source. However, we are a game-building project, and we don't force people to only make open source games. They can make non-free ones as well (but we encourage free stuff). We are kind of like Blender in that respect (the tool is FOSS, creations might not be).
• All the content that comes with the engine itself is Free. However, again, people can create content and we don't force them to make it Free as well (they keep copyright, and give people a license to use their content in Syntensity, and can of course offer their content under additional licenses, including Free ones).

- kripken

[Sindwiller]

I'm pretty sure that Charlie, hagish and Ghouly would be glad to set up a forum for you That's what the FGD community service is all about, isn't it?!

[hagish]

I just took a short look at your site and it seems to be free
Any special requests for the forum?

[adrix89]

I just took a short look at your site and it seems to be free
Any special requests for the forum?

A request would be a project sub-forum to discuss ideas or games created with syntensity platform

[kripken]

I just took a short look at your site and it seems to be free

Well, the engine is 100% Free, but the games people make are not necessarily so. Maybe Firefox is a better analogy than Blender that I mentioned before - Firefox is Free, but most websites are not. So, discussion about making websites in Firefox would usually be about non-Free stuff.

In other words, the question is, would it be a problem to have a Syntensity forum here on FreeGameDev, where some of the discussions are about helping people create non-Free games?

- kripken

[adrix89]

If in this forum we will discuss only open projects/games and the development of the platform itself witch is open there should be no problem
There will be non open games but we would simply not focus on them
Although it would be best to make clear our asset policy and about our current copyright to make things clear and see if we meet your standards
First games are scripted in javascript and use the google v8 engine and a modules system so in this respect there would be no problem for making open games by releasing the scripts under an open licence
(the scripts can be used be the intensity engine(the game engine);syntensity is the server and asset platform)
Second the syntensity policy states that all assets can be immediately used around the syntesnity platform so providing assets licences are needed only for outside of syntesnsity
Third currently the textures maps and assets (from gk) are currently under copyright so they cannot be used outside of syntensity so to make a true open project/game it would need there own assets

[kripken]

If in this forum we will discuss only open projects/games and the development of the platform itself witch is open there should be no problem

In that case, syntensity would need another forum somewhere else for non-Free stuff. Two forums sounds kind of complicated and confusing for users, so if that is the case, I don't think it makes sense for syntensity.

[charlie]

I think what we could offer here is a couple of subforums - one for Syntensity development/contributions and one for Syntensity users to get help. Something like the STK setup. Then game creators could post a thread in the Game Showcase forum for Free projects.

I thought you guys had a Nabble forum back when you were Intensity before Syntensity?

[kripken]

I think what we could offer here is a couple of subforums - one for Syntensity development/contributions and one for Syntensity users to get help. Something like the STK setup. Then game creators could post a thread in the Game Showcase forum for Free projects.

I thought you guys had a Nabble forum back when you were Intensity before Syntensity?

Yeah, we had a Nabble embedded forum a while back. The embedded part was annoying. But I guess Nabble (not embedded) would be another option for us now, if it doesn't make sense to do it here.

[Sindwiller]

In other words, the question is, would it be a problem to have a Syntensity forum here on FreeGameDev, where some of the discussions are about helping people create non-Free games?

I, for one, don't see why this would be against the concept of FGD. We'd/You'd provide support for 100% FLOSS middleware/software. The user is free to use that for whatever he likes to.

[kripken]

In other words, the question is, would it be a problem to have a Syntensity forum here on FreeGameDev, where some of the discussions are about helping people create non-Free games?

I, for one, don't see why this would be against the concept of FGD. We'd/You'd provide support for 100% FLOSS middleware/software. The user is free to use that for whatever he likes to.

That's true, but I would like to be sure the FGD people are ok with having discussions here that are directly about supporting non-Free games that are built using Syntensity. I don't know how many discussions would be of that sort and how many would be otherwise. But it would only make sense to set up a forum here if FGD is ok even if most discussions are about non-Free stuff (otherwise we risk needing to move to other forums later on).

Also, Syntensity's code is open source, but most of the existing art assets are not (I'm not happy about that myself, but it was a necessary compromise to get to where we are). So in a sense most of the existing discussions about art assets and their management are already non-Free.

[ghoulsblade]

fine with me =) how about making a poll if you want a general opinion ?

[charlie]

No poll needed, just consensus between the main admins. I'm fine with it.

[qubodup]

I will create the forums in about 4 hours (unless hagish protests). If the resulting layout will appear problematic to you, please discuss in this thread (EDIT: I mean the general look of the forum, things like forum title/descriptions are an issue, this thread is appropriate of course )

Also somebody should tell me who should have moderator-owner! rights (a moderator of the syn forums who would be allowed to assign new moderators) - post here or email me *shrugs*.

[kripken]

I will create the forums in about 4 hours (unless hagish protests). If the resulting layout will appear problematic to you, please discuss in this thread

Thanks

About the layout, sub-subforums like STK has would be great. Maybe 2 of them, 'Syntensity General' (mostly for support and announcements) and 'Syntensity Modding' (for topics specific to creating content)?

- kripken

[hagish]

i dont have something agains it

[qubodup]

Done! I can't believe I didn't misspell "Syntensity" even once!

[kripken]

Regarding the Syntensity subforum, would it be possible to later on export all the messages in there, if we want to?

- kripken

[Julius]

If we don't have a forum loss again...

j/k, dunno most likely yes, but you will have to ask one oder the administrators.

[hagish]

currently its a phpbb3 and i did not check it but it should be possible to export only a subforum.

[kripken]

Ok, thanks. Probably will never have a need for it, but was just curious.

- kripken

[qubodup]

I just added links to the syn homepage in the syn subforums after being asked by TheAncientGoat for them and after getting kripken's blessing.

I noticed that I accidentally enabled listing the subforum's active topic listing in viewforum.php?f=26 - do you want this list to stay? It might be confusing to users what it is, and why they can't post there.

[ghoulsblade]

for future ref : it's possible to dump the posts of just the two synthensity subforums (id 27 and id 28) by this query

{l Code}: {l Select All Code}

SELECT * FROM `phpbb_posts` WHERE `forum_id` = 27 or `forum_id` = 28

If you need a new one, just ask me or hagish.
If you want to access them automatically, for making your own regular remote backups without interaction for example, i'm sure we can set something up as well.

i somehow couldn't find a way to send a pm, q did you disable the pm system ?
anyway, the dump only contains publicly readable stuff anyway,
so i just uploaded it here :
http://syntensity.pastebin.com/pastebin.php?dl=m4b78f21
not much there yet, just 30 or so posts, but serves as proof of concept dump i guess =)

[qubodup]

If you want to access them automatically, for making your own regular remote backups without interaction for example, i'm sure we can set something up as well.

Note: a weekly backup of the forum has been configured, it is stored on another server. I will explain the details in the next Freegamer post (whenever that will be)

i somehow couldn't find a way to send a pm, q did you disable the pm system?

Yeah, the email function is better. (works like pm, no forum-depending storage, accessible outside forum)

[ghoulsblade]

ah ok, one problem i see with the email feature is that it doesn't allow file attachments.