I know right? I was actually put off from trying DLTCEP for a while simply because I assumed it was maybe an editor for some other video game that takes place in the Dragonlance setting.
Releasing the source code would enable unrestricted piracy and therefore deal a crippling blow to profits that a small company like Beamdog could not survive.
He asking about source code, not the game assets. Company can release source code using the same matter as id Software and John Carmack did for every game series like Doom, Quake, Enemy Territory etc (before ZeniMax buy the studio): releasing source code of the engine as GPL without changed game assets legal status. So anyone can distribute game code but can't distribute game files. Also because GPL, other companies cannot make modification to it and release it without source code. This allowed communities to expand engine capabilities and even boos sales of the original games because you still have to get game assets.
Beamdog give BG series a second life by making EE editions. Releasing source code would give those games an immortality.
I never knew G3 started out as the Delainy forums! That's a delicious piece of irony considering it's one of the few mods which were truly abandoned for good there. It's like it died a martyr's death to enable so many others to flourish.
What @ALIEN said. From the financial point of view, which is paramount, of course, releasing the source code would most likely increase the profits of Beamdog. I don't see it having any impact at all on piracy, piracy is there already and it ain't gonna change much. But the injection of new life into the modding community could easily lead to yet another revival of the franchise.
Releasing the source code would enable unrestricted piracy and therefore deal a crippling blow to profits that a small company like Beamdog could not survive. It would put the company in serious financial jeopardy. Definitely never going to happen.
Considering it's already been DRM-free for god knows how long, I'm not sure piracy is really a factor to think about.
PS Just in case, don't look at me if you want the source. My opinion on the matter is no more decisive than any other modder's.
My main issue with NI is that it doesn't display the name of things, just the code. So if I want to mod Belhifet I can't look for Belhifet's name.
The good news is, this can indeed be done in NearInfinity. Click "Search" at the top, and then click "CRE/ITM/SPL/STO" in the list. It gets you to a screen where you can search for creatures, items and spells by name.
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I know right? I was actually put off from trying DLTCEP for a while simply because I assumed it was maybe an editor for some other video game that takes place in the Dragonlance setting.
I usually forgot that NI has this awesome search function.
He asking about source code, not the game assets. Company can release source code using the same matter as id Software and John Carmack did for every game series like Doom, Quake, Enemy Territory etc (before ZeniMax buy the studio): releasing source code of the engine as GPL without changed game assets legal status. So anyone can distribute game code but can't distribute game files. Also because GPL, other companies cannot make modification to it and release it without source code. This allowed communities to expand engine capabilities and even boos sales of the original games because you still have to get game assets.
Beamdog give BG series a second life by making EE editions. Releasing source code would give those games an immortality.
PS Just in case, don't look at me if you want the source. My opinion on the matter is no more decisive than any other modder's.