PDA

View Full Version : Old Interview with TB re: Source Code



verdant
02-05-2009, 04:03 AM
Another thread mentioned this interview: http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/features/interviews/adom.shtml


You've stated that after the release of version 1.0 (whenever that finally occurs), you will release the source code for ADOM to the public. What sort of effect do you think that will have on the game, and what offshoots of ADOM do you expect to see?

Well, the source code license I have in mind for ADOM currently forbids the distribution of any kind of variant for ADOM. I don't want to see variants because:

a) I most likely will get endless bug reports for variants for which I do not care,

b) I hate the thought of seeing my vision of the game world being diluted by folks who go for "neat" special effects ("Hey, let's have light sabers, chain saws and space orks!").

Since some impolite folks stated that they would disregard the license, I'm these days pondering whether I really will release the sources.

The positive side effects of releasing the sources definitely would be faster bug fixes, help with all the tedious stuff, etc. I'm just not sure whether this would be worth the trouble.


Man, he just doesn't get it.

"I want to release the code, but I want to maintain full control. I don't want anyone adding anything new, just do all the tedious stuff that I don't want to do. I'll keep all the fun stuff for myself and someone else can write test cases for bugs."

If you can't release a variant, then the only thing you could do is fix bugs. Sure, there would be a couple that people might fix as a scratch-the-itch, but no one is really going to go in and do any kind of significant work on the code. I can't imagine a more pointless way to release software - "here's the code, but you can't use it because any significant change would be a variant."

Modifying large pieces of software involves a great deal of time and effort just to get to know the code and understand it. No one is going to put in that kind of effort if their hands are tied by some silly "I will approve everything" change. TB could do a license that guarantees that it'll always be open source (GPL), or a license that forbids commercial release, but to forbid significant modification is ridiculous.

"these days pondering whether I really will release the sources". Gaaaaah...that interview was in 1998. Pondering for 10 years. It's not being released folks. And it's not being maintained. Move on and let it die.

This reminds me of someone who builds a spectacularly beautiful building, but then lets it crumble and refuses to let anyone else mow the lawn, fix the peeling paint, or repair the broken windows.

Salajem
02-05-2009, 04:15 AM
Don't desperate if he takes 10 years or 20. It's not that he is pondering about it all the day long, either. I think in my opinion that there is a chance of releasing, not a guarantee, but a chance.

Grey
02-05-2009, 08:03 AM
"these days pondering whether I really will release the sources". Gaaaaah...that interview was in 1998. Pondering for 10 years. It's not being released folks. And it's not being maintained. Move on and let it die.


It was not long after that he did come to the decision to definitely not open source the game, and he announced it clearly. Ever since then he's been clear on the issue and it's only now that the thought has arisen again (most likely because it's evident that he'll never release another version of ADOM himself). It's not like he's been publicly toying with the idea for the last 10 years or teasing fans with the prospect.

I'm a little confused by your "let it die" comment. Like I said in another thread, just because the game isn't being maintained and will never see another release doesn't mean we can't still enjoy playing it. If we end up on different operating systems in 20 years time then we'll likely still have emulators :)

Tannis
02-05-2009, 03:58 PM
I'm a little confused by your "let it die" comment. Like I said in another thread, just because the game isn't being maintained and will never see another release doesn't mean we can't still enjoy playing it. If we end up on different operating systems in 20 years time then we'll likely still have emulators :)

I don't know about you but I won't be playing ADOM in 20 years. I haven't played it since 2007. I've already won with most classes. What's the point? New content is added to Crawl every week, and new games like Incursion spring up. Once you've done it all, what's the point?

Sradac
02-05-2009, 06:40 PM
it cant be let dead because ADOM2 = JADE. ADOM lives on in its new environment!!! ADOM will never die, haha! nay-sayers say nay.

and new content is so not added to crawl every week the last update was in like august or october.

Tannis
02-05-2009, 08:15 PM
it cant be let dead because ADOM2 = JADE. ADOM lives on in its new environment!!! ADOM will never die, haha! nay-sayers say nay.

and new content is so not added to crawl every week the last update was in like august or october.

lol look at this scrub

http://crawl.develz.org/trunk/

The trunk version, always available for download in the link above, is updated constantly. Let's you playtest the work in progress stuff.

Sradac
02-06-2009, 05:12 PM
scrub? really? are we in 4th grade mr 80 posts?

Grey
02-06-2009, 06:22 PM
Since when does post count mean anything?

He's quite right that Crawl gets very active releases, with significant new content every few months. The development team for it is quite impressive. Of course this doesn't hold true for all roguelike dev teams - look at Nethack for instance. In spite of being open source its last release was only slightly more recent than ADOM's. Of course the big advantage to Nethack being open source has been the numerous ports, especailly the most most excellently designed NetHackDS. I'd personally love to see something like that for ADOM.

gut
02-07-2009, 10:41 AM
> are we in 4th grade mr 80 posts?

I laughed my head off at that one!

>> Since when does post count mean anything?

Well, it means nothing in my eyes, but it beats
childish name-calling by a country mile. It was
witty to boot.

I think Crawl is a great game, and was rather
obsessed with it until I beat it. After beating it
though, I haven't played it nearly as much as
ADOM, and I've been beating ADOM for about a
decade now.

Tannis
02-09-2009, 03:19 PM
scrub? really? are we in 4th grade mr 80 posts?

Any forum superstar knows that reg date is the only thing that matters ;)

I was just joking around, no hard feelings.

EDIT: Mr. 81 now, w00t

Epythic
02-09-2009, 04:43 PM
Any forum superstar knows that reg date is the only thing that matters ;)

Or user id...

I know it's stupid, but I only signed up because I could still get a user ID below 100 :D

EDIT: ...although I of course agree that those are just numbers and have no real meaning.

sgeos
02-17-2009, 07:43 PM
Of course the big advantage to Nethack being open source has been the numerous ports, especailly the most most excellently designed NetHackDS. I'd personally love to see something like that for ADOM.
I'd personally love to work on something like that for ADOM.