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Open source the Aurora Toolset?

pscythepscythe Member Posts: 116
in Builders - Toolset
Just wondering how feasible is it for Beamdog to open source the toolset? Don't think sales would be hampered by it since we still need the game engine to play or test the modules. Actually it might even boost sales. If the community can help improve the Toolset directly by contributing enhancements and bugfixes it will only lead to a better Toolset which would attract more modders producing more modules which would in turn attract more players.

Comments

  • SherincallSherincall Member Posts: 387
    The license doesn't allow for it. It would require re-negotiating the license with all IP owners (even just tracking them down would be hard). Chances are, total cost would be less to make a new opensource toolset from scratch - which is something the community can do anyway; There were a few attempts, but there wasn't really a need for it.
  • virusmanvirusman Member, Developer Posts: 173
    Some extensibility similar to NWNX wouldn't hurt though.
  • AstroBryGuyAstroBryGuy Member Posts: 3,437
    Trent Oster replied in a previous thread about the NWN source code.

    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/924150/#Comment_924150
    TrentOster said:

    We have a limited use license for the Aurora source code, as such we cannot open source it or release it.

  • pscythepscythe Member Posts: 116
    AstroBryGuy said:

    Trent Oster replied in a previous thread about the NWN source code.

    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/924150/#Comment_924150

    TrentOster said:

    We have a limited use license for the Aurora source code, as such we cannot open source it or release it.

    Didn't see that, so thank you.
  • prwoprwo Member Posts: 70
    :) Deja-vu. We had this request already here and probably before that.
    Sherincall said:

    Chances are, total cost would be less to make a new opensource toolset from scratch - which is something the community can do anyway; There were a few attempts, but there wasn't really a need for it.

    Yet again, I would rather spend some little time in fixing a few things that bother me in the existing toolset than spending a whole lot of time in making a new one from the scratch. If just two or three others do the same a lot could be achieved with little effort.

    But since the license doesn't allow for it, it's a theoretical matter.



  • FreshLemonBunFreshLemonBun Member Posts: 909
    Again the assumptions made are that making edits of the existing toolset are trivial while assuming that creating a new toolset with libraries created for that purpose is needlessly complex. If ppl wanted an open source toolset they would have probably already made one since the file format specifications are open.

    Considering the last thread was over three months ago then presumably these three or four expert programmers could have at least made a working prototype by now. In theory of course.
  • dTddTd Member Posts: 182
    Well in true linux fashion, there are already OS tools to work on all the file formats, really a graphical user interface for editing areas with hooks for the command line tools seems an easier route. But I'm not a programmer so I can't really say.
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