will elite dangerous ever become open source?
- Thread starter williams1
- Start date
I remember reading about that, but i dont remember it being opensource / public domain
More likely as a free, single player game packaged to run all from a single computer.
And of course with a static galaxy, so no bgs nor anything remotely dynamic - since that would requite some services and some databases rolling in the background 24/7
Why are my fruit pastilles soggy?
God, I hope not.
Seems some folk in this thread don't understand how open source works*. I'd love a crack at Elite's source code. I definitely couldn't fix all the game, but I could fix some of the game. Like my personal graphic modifications, I'd do it for me and make the optional changes available for anyone interested.
Same goes with the server. Heck, I'd settle for the APIs and database specs, along with a way to tell Elite to use my own written-from-scratch personal server instead of an official server.
It's all a dream, however. No way I'd place a bet in favor of Frontier ever releasing any source code for Elite. It's already locked down way more than most of the other games I own, with obfuscated files and assets. I can't even do something simple like replace the inane NPC text comms with something more believable. A company that goes to so much trouble to hide the inner workings of their game isn't just going to open-source it someday.
EDIT
* I'm talking about Frontier someday saying, "We're done with Elite, and instead of shutting it down and burying the code, we're releasing it to anyone who wants to tinker with it." This is obviously very different than turning Elite into an active Open Source project like the Linux kernel. Think of original Doom as an example of what I'm (and I believe DB was) talking about. So I guess I'm technically talking more specifically about public domain than GPL open source, which I think was DB's original intention as well.
Same goes with the server. Heck, I'd settle for the APIs and database specs, along with a way to tell Elite to use my own written-from-scratch personal server instead of an official server.
It's all a dream, however. No way I'd place a bet in favor of Frontier ever releasing any source code for Elite. It's already locked down way more than most of the other games I own, with obfuscated files and assets. I can't even do something simple like replace the inane NPC text comms with something more believable. A company that goes to so much trouble to hide the inner workings of their game isn't just going to open-source it someday.
EDIT
* I'm talking about Frontier someday saying, "We're done with Elite, and instead of shutting it down and burying the code, we're releasing it to anyone who wants to tinker with it." This is obviously very different than turning Elite into an active Open Source project like the Linux kernel. Think of original Doom as an example of what I'm (and I believe DB was) talking about. So I guess I'm technically talking more specifically about public domain than GPL open source, which I think was DB's original intention as well.
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I remember that from kickstarter, but not sure if he said he would make the code open source, or that he would allow others to operate the ED servers, so binaries only.
Nah, I remember it too. Over the years I also remember lots of other people saying various things that they thought would get them sales / kudos / breathing room / power / votes / laid. (delete as applicable)
Some may even have meant them at the time.
I have no idea which category David Braben fitted into in 2014, nor whether it has changed in the interim, but won't be holding my breath in anticipation. If and when ED gets shuttered I'm expecting to have to move on to pastures new in my spacefaring adventures. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
powerplay... OR the burger alternative
That guy said a lot of things.
-Ship interiors, including content related to it (not going to happen because it would be "boring")
-Proc gen upper atmo for gas giant
-Fauna and "big game" hunting on planet
-Damage model on ship (only on anaconda)
-Repetitive pattern are bad for proc gen
Any time now.
Well, everything in that list is costing dev money. And they probably could Not get the engine to be able to draw a lot of things in that list except maybe damage models on ships.
But i guess even getting those damage models working would have taken a lot of dev hours that could not be justified to the board.
FDev being a PLC means DBOBE may not be able to call the shots in actions that may look like wasting shareholders money in non-profitable endeavors.
I'm wondering if DBOBE's love for Elite would have been big enough for him to setup a small private game studio to deal only with Elite.
How would have been worked out? Would have been self sustaining? Guess no one knows.
I think the issue is transitioning from a small studio with a "dream" into a relatively big AAA publisher and developer.
While Hello Game, for example, certainly didn't keep all their promises, they kept the "passion" alive. They deliberately didn't increase the studio size or scale of what they do. They keep it as it was. In return, NMS keep on becoming better, for free, years after release.
Meanwhile, ED is one of several games in Fdev game pools, they have shareholders and DB have a lot more to do than to keep "his baby" going.
It's a simple reality of life. Fdev turned from a "we really want to make this game" into a regular company, with all the expectations and needs required. Everything has to be thought through the "is it worth it ?" lens. What's the cost of adding a feature ? What will we get in return ?
Meanwhile, HG doesn't care, it's free anyway. They want to have space pirates ? They add space pirates.
Stuff like releasing the source code is OK when you are a small indie dev team. But for Fdev that's a big juridicial quagmire I assume, and a lot of explanation to give to shareholders and company executives.
Yeah Soon (tm)
Well, I blame the avid data-miners that scour those files for any models or POIs they would need to find through gameplay, otherwise.
Can you point me to the Panther Clipper XL, which has been in the files for years, or the "mamba light" (odyssey addition) ? Thanks.Well, I blame the avid data-miners that scour those files for any models or POIs they would need to find through gameplay, otherwise.