[RTS+RPG+LTS] Politial Space Warfare

[schorote]

Hi all,

I like to present you my open source project, Political Space Warfare. Its a Genre Mix of RTS, RPG and a Long Time Part (like Browser games but in own Client). Its set in a Science Fiction World.
all three Modes will in future used seperatly but eah change the Games World. The Client is in C++, and stores data in XML, while the Game Server will be in php/mysql.

I am now near the first release of the RTS Part, and if you like to see more folow the Link below:

edit: V0.1 is now released
edit again: V0.11 is now released
http://psw.schorote.net

There you find actual Pictures, a Link to the SVN Repository on Sourceforge, the Code Documentation, and further Information.


Thanks for your Time,

Regards Schorote

[Sindwiller]

So, Homeworld with RPG elements? Should be interesting. Frankly though, I currently can't find any time to try your project, but I will definitely do so soon

[schorote]

yes, the rts part is near to homeworld, but without gimbal lock. when the rts mode is done, it will provide you also battles on planets, maps for rts will contain whole solar systems. But until its that far, some time will pass right now ill finish basic commands like ship movement, and standard gui features like selecting all kind with double click, than a first release will be donloadable.

thanks for your reply,

regards, schorote

[KroArtem]

No Linux support? That's sad

[Sindwiller]

No Linux support? That's sad

I'm afraid he has written everything in WinAPI, making it quite a task to rewrite. On the bright side, it's all OpenGL. Which makes it an ideal candidate for a port job.

[KroArtem]

I'n not sure he is eager to port it to linux

[schorote]

actualy we do not think about to port it to linux; we will port it... ...but right now there is to much else to do (changing the code work with mingw first, worked until now with borlands free bcc55) keep your heads up, there will be some day a linux version IS out

Thanks for your replys,

Regards Schorote

[KroArtem]

no problem, I've just complained here but haven't done anything myself

[schorote]

Thanks for your Replys,

Theres now Release 0.11 online. Still its Windows only but the default resolution is changed to 800x600, and CHANGABLE in-game through the Options Dialog. You need to restart PSW to take effect. Also theres now a RTS Start Menu to Start a Game, and other small changes. Some Bugs still remain un fixed, but they are next on the list.

The Download is again on Sourceforge, get the link on http://psw.schorote.net

Regards
Schorote

[TheAncientGoat]

schorote: Game looks excellent; I gave you a shout-out on the blog

[schorote]

thx Goat! you "boomed" my side trafic

[TheAncientGoat]

Hope you get someone willing to contribute in the process, or that it helps you stay motivated

[Skorpio]

This project looks really interesting and I wish you good luck. Maybe I'll contribute some space ships in the future, if you need some. And I hope someone will create a turn based strategy mod, something like Flotilla. That would be awesome!

[TheAncientGoat]

Congratulations on the Linux port! Looking forward to the next release, you can rely on Freegamer covering it

[Julius]

Hmm you should really try to make a nice multiplayer space RTS like Homeworld first, and add the rest later. This way you would have something really playable much quicker.

Edit: You are aware of this: http://opengameart.org/content/shipyard ... spaceships ?

[Skorpio]

Edit: You are aware of this: http://opengameart.org/content/shipyard ... spaceships ?

Yes, I sent him an e-mail already. I'd also like to see a functional multiplayer combat version first, but RTT instead of RTS.

[schorote]

first comes rts. because the players will build there own ships; some parts of the long time game part will be introduced, befor the whole longtime game part is done. also this will be the way to select maps in rts. Right now i am working on the Turrets, so ships will defend there selfs against multiple attackers if so selected. After full support of all ship atributes, the planetary fights are added, as well as "on board" fights of marines in huge ships (frigatte or higher class).

thanks to a team member we do have now a virtual server for the project, to hold all download able content and the game server itself, witch actualy is not invented jet somewhere else then paper.

Edit: You are aware of this: http://opengameart.org/content/shipyard ... spaceships ?

I did and its what i am looking for. But i just tested in a short time and i cant open the file. (i am right now travling much around, without my computer)
(it will tae some time to save each object and convert it, as well as texturemapping. but its a huge step forward in the games content)

[Julius]

I did and its what i am looking for. But i just tested in a short time and i cant open the file. (i am right now travling much around, without my computer)
(it will tae some time to save each object and convert it, as well as texturemapping. but its a huge step forward in the games content)

Tried downloading from the original source on BlenderSwap (And of course you need Blender3D installed )?

The only problem with these is that they are rather high poly, and not UVmapped yet..., but other projects seem to be succesfull to incorporate them in their games with pretty good results.

Anyways, great to hear you are going for a RTS first... would love to have a great looking FOSS Homeworld like game to play with some friends.

Where do you need help for development right now? Not much time, but I would love to help out a bit.

[schorote]

You could work in any way on it actualy we need right now everything

As you say, somthing small for short times:
a texture, a sound file, a 3d model.

a bit more work but more needed would be xml language files (simply text) so this file couldbe replaced by other language files.
(for example <MenuText ID="Quit">Beenden</Menu> would be somewhere in the german.xml)
But that is missing ewnterily.

if you like to code, but that would maybe take some more time i think, there are many things still to do, from small changes like interface elements (a list, an image element, dropdown and so on) and bug fixes; to big changes, network part (is not yet in), openAL Music streaming.

also i am thinking about a blender import/export -er; this would be greate to support the building of blender users.

maybe theres somthing for you above

edit: and i forgot: an character editor and an editor for spaceshipblueprints (ingame) is also needed.

while i am only able to develope at the weekend, i copyed blender to the computer of my gf, so i can do some models in the time between the weekends. So maybe ill done with those models with texturing/UV Mapping next WE. the poly count does not be that hard for my game, ill looking forward using a distance model/detailed model/ dot3 bumpmapping for the models.

3rd edit :
I just looked on wikipedia for galaxys, the galaxy pictures are under public license by nasa and esa, can those be used by open source projects?
Regrads schorote

[Julius]

Can you link to the exact wording of the NASA/ESA license? But AFAIK yes... they are under something very similar to public domain if I remember correctly (IANAL).

Can't help with code, but maybe with modelling... would need a Blender exporter though, or how is your workflow regarding models right now?

[schorote]

nasa esa info:

under 'Lizenz' is the copyleft note:
http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Seyfert_Galaxy_NGC_7742.jpg&filetimestamp=20090723120827

---
the Model Workflow:

From the whole ship downwards to the Model:

a ship is build up in the local.xml by a list of 'ship-parts', contaning the Parts local Position. right now we have 3 ship parts: Designs, Guns and Engines.

Design Parts do have one Model and the assigned textures; while guns do have 3 Models (if you like to assign a carriage and a enemy facing turret-head as well as a Muzzleflash Model). Engine Parts do have a Model and Engine Glow/Lensflare Billboard Textures in addition.

for every part you can apply several textures, a color map, a normal map and a blur/glow map, each has rgb and alpha values (alpha is not used right now, but the alpha channel in the color map will be the players color painting on ships, like you know from homeworld, while the alpha channel in the normal map will become the specular-map)

Models are Mesh Data stored as xml files, containing the vetrices, face data and UV coordinates for textures. In the Future I like to store Bones/Joints for animation data (but without animation data, the animation will be external to be used by more than one model)

Worker (2m - 3m) this is just for Drones, Marines and Technican for ships self-repairing and borading other ships.
Fighter (10m to 30m = model units) design objects are whole ships right now (need to cut them to wings, cocpits, engines and so on)
Corvette Class (50 to 120m) no ship parts done for this right now
Fregatte Class (100m to 300m) do have right now some models for design

i do not have any deffinition further up, but i like to go up to 1km to 5km. so ther will be space for battle/capital and eaven more ship classes.

besides ship types and there parts we also need: very low polygon vegetation, city buildings (different types, skyscrapper, slums, desert huts like in star wars )
and asteroids, ship interior (rooms like commando bridge, enegy core, quaters)

---
Blender Im-/Export

So, right now i have used Milkshape, and wrote a milkshape3d Asccii format to xml converter. (its in the SVN misc folder) but i like to write a small import and export script for blender, i just opend one for obj files, this cannt be that hard, and a xml exporter would be a great addition to blender. Maybe ill have some time tommorow.

[schorote]

i did some work with blender exporter script:

http://karltronics.de/index.php?part=tutorials&tutorial=blenderxmlexport

this will now export models for PSW; with 2 minor problems:
Blender does not let me save Normals in a fast way, so i have to build them in PSW, and UV mapping of Textures were not saved corectly in the last XML Version of PSW, so this export plugin works right now, but the files exported will not work with psw until next weekend, when i have to do some changes to PSW.

Regards schorote

[Julius]

Nice, maybe I will find the time to have a closer look on the weekend.

Btw: Maybe these would be a cool base for the other "race", e.g. the enemies of the models posted before?
http://www.blendswap.com/3D-models/vehicles/gunship/
http://www.blendswap.com/3D-models/vehicles/vfighter/
It's quite high polygon, but could probably be used to render normal-maps. Also looks quite modular if modified a bit.

[Julius]

Hmm, ok I played around a bit with the space ship models... but my current PC is really not up to the task of 3D modeling work right now Damn I need a new Laptop... will have to wait for the summer though when I am likely back in Europe.

[schorote]

So... this game becomes realy serious now. after a few months (and thanks to the audity) we do have daily visitors, some contributers and even some kind of core developers (i think i can call them so). Thats greate and i did not thought in the first step going open source. Thank you all.

So, by learning all the network, and webpages working together, i went to http://libregamewiki.org/Main_Page witch seams to me the right place to post a manual. actualy i like to as if this is the right place to post a game manual (not a walkthrough or cheat list), it looks to me so but i did not find there a place to ask this so maybe some one here can answer me this. (i like to host it there because its wiki style, and i did not need to setup one my self)
some notes about the notes on http://libregamewiki.org/Main_Page:
political space warfare is under GPLv3, and all its Content (Media and else files witch do not belong to source) are under creative commons or by our selfs (witch is creative commons)
So its that the right place?

edit: by the way: i like to link to foss gaming relative pages. i do have now some in my list on psw.schorote.net, but please tell me thouse i missed. lso if you got a project on your own, and like to exchange links please contact me: kboot@web.de
Regards schorote