Topic: Vega Strike  (Read 1818 times)

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Offline Nemesis

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Vega Strike
« on: May 16, 2005, 05:20:26 pm »
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What is Vegastrike?

    * Vegastrike is an OpenSource 3d Space Simulator. Currently in Beta development, the project, at version 1.0, is to be a generic space simulator. Current features include split-screen play, trading, exploration and of course plenty of shoot 'em up action .

Why Vega Strike is important to Open Source Software

    * Hello folks, this is Daniel Horn, the lead developer from Vega Strike speaking (you can e-mail me at hellcatv users.sourceforge.net (where the space is really an at). I attempt to answer all e-mails I get; however, occasionally one gets missed or something. If I don't answer right away feel free to mail me again...it is in my interest to answer every soul who messages me :-) Or post on the forum so that my answers can be seen by the world!

    * Vega Strike is a fully functional, commercial quality space simulator under the GPL. I have always felt the importance of working together on large projects, and I feel it is so important that developers work together and build on what everyone has accomplished instead of just what one person has accomplished.

    * Vega Strike is important because there are not many complete-feeling games in the Free Software area. Most games have a few levels and limited gameplay that can last an hour, yet Vega Strike has an entire universe of unique star systems and space phenomena along with plot fragments and things to do. If someone spent the time discovering the systems and secrets within they could easily spend weeks flying through star systems. Some users tire of such gameplay quickly, but some love the unbridled freedom that Vega Strike offers (and interesting things that one can learn to do)

    * Being the Lead Developer I am normally modest; however, being a Free Software advocate I must declare that Vega Strike has a commercial quality engine with said gameplay, and is moving towards commercial quality art at this point. Many people comment how art from other games simply looks cleaner and better when they try it in Vega Strike with the unique reflection engine and unheard of floating point precision. You do not need a greedy company to make quality software I believe. The main thing Vega Strike lacks is an easy way for a beginner to catch on and learn how to explore the region of space around (to simply fly there would take days, the user must use autopilot and F9 and F10 to compress time). However this will be the focus of the next release.

    * My goal for Vega Strike was to have a centrally modified deverloper tweaked Vega Strike that had a large developer and artist base with which to improve.

    * Many programmers come to the Vega Strike site and scoff saying 'FreeSpace 2 has prettier art and is Open Source as well'. However FreeSpace2 is NOT Open Source--it is under a restrictive license that could corner someone into the receiving end of a lawsuit if that person looked at the code and copied the techniques into Vega Strike for instance (people often demand that I add the 'Free Space Nebula effect' to Vega Strike; however, I will only add a DIFFERENT (VS has one) nebula effect if a developer or myself comes up with an original effect!).

    * Vega Strike started out on my hard drive as more or less a copy of Wing Commander (new engine of course), complete with Origin's beautiful art and wholesale IP borrowing for the factions. However when I decided to publish Vega Strike on the web, my soon-to-be friend and helper Alexander Rawass reminded me about the importance of Open Source software having original artwork and completely free sourcecode. This lead me into modelling many models with only emacs (a text editor) and graph paper. Eventually I had enough (now 30 flyable ships!) for the actual game.

    * Slowly other artists started contributing art to Vega Strike, and I assured that there was no trace of IP left in the data tree of Vega Strike. I continue to assure this by not viewing the code of the Volition-owned FreeSpace2 engine.


Link to Star Trek Mod - You will recognize a name here.

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Star Trek mod for Vega Strike 26 images in this album on 3 pages


I have not tried this game.  I just heard about it a few hours ago and thought that people here might be interested.
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Offline J. Carney

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2005, 07:37:35 pm »
Nemisis... +1 on blind faith just because you found a game that we might be able to do something with.

I got 10 gigs of HD left right now... I'm thinking about checking this out.
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for. - Earl Warron

The advantages of living in the Heart of Dixie- low cost of living, peace and quiet and a conservative majority. For some reason I think that the first two items have a lot to do with the presence of the last one.

"Flag of Alabama I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service, and my life."
   

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2005, 09:01:16 pm »
Nemisis... +1 on blind faith just because you found a game that we might be able to do something with.

I got 10 gigs of HD left right now... I'm thinking about checking this out.

One of the things that look interesting about it is the way it has versions for multiple Operating Systems.  Each of us could use it on whichever OS we wanted.

All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP), All POSIX (Linux/BSD/UNIX-like OSes), OS Independent (Written in an interpreted language), Linux, OS X
Do unto others as Frey has done unto you.
Seti Team    Free Software
I believe truth and principle do matter. If you have to sacrifice them to get the results you want, then the results aren't worth it.
 FoaS_XC : "Take great pains to distinguish a criticism vs. an attack. A person reading a post should never be able to confuse the two."

Offline J. Carney

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2005, 09:35:17 pm »
Yeah, no more worrying about getting the game ported. Mac or PC, Windows or Linux, everyone could play.

I've D/Led the game, and I'll start playing it tomorrow.
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for. - Earl Warron

The advantages of living in the Heart of Dixie- low cost of living, peace and quiet and a conservative majority. For some reason I think that the first two items have a lot to do with the presence of the last one.

"Flag of Alabama I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service, and my life."
   

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2005, 06:10:37 pm »
Yeah, no more worrying about getting the game ported. Mac or PC, Windows or Linux, everyone could play.

I've D/Led the game, and I'll start playing it tomorrow.

Any reports?
Do unto others as Frey has done unto you.
Seti Team    Free Software
I believe truth and principle do matter. If you have to sacrifice them to get the results you want, then the results aren't worth it.
 FoaS_XC : "Take great pains to distinguish a criticism vs. an attack. A person reading a post should never be able to confuse the two."

Offline J. Carney

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2005, 06:18:48 pm »
Yeah, no more worrying about getting the game ported. Mac or PC, Windows or Linux, everyone could play.

I've D/Led the game, and I'll start playing it tomorrow.

Any reports?

LOL... sorry, I've had a series of unfortunate events (work ran over today, had to help a friend move in, had to help another move out, and had to buy food) that's kept me form it. :-[

Reading the manual now. ;)
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for. - Earl Warron

The advantages of living in the Heart of Dixie- low cost of living, peace and quiet and a conservative majority. For some reason I think that the first two items have a lot to do with the presence of the last one.

"Flag of Alabama I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service, and my life."
   

Offline J. Carney

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2005, 06:30:51 pm »
OK, I popped in for a fit of free-flight to see what the controls are like and i can tell that this is going to take some getting used to. It's easier to fly on Orbiter!
Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for. - Earl Warron

The advantages of living in the Heart of Dixie- low cost of living, peace and quiet and a conservative majority. For some reason I think that the first two items have a lot to do with the presence of the last one.

"Flag of Alabama I salute thee. To thee I pledge my allegiance, my service, and my life."
   

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Vega Strike
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2005, 06:56:37 pm »
OK, I popped in for a fit of free-flight to see what the controls are like and i can tell that this is going to take some getting used to. It's easier to fly on Orbiter!

Sounds like it might be good.  I'll keep it in mind to try after Mirror Mirror.
Do unto others as Frey has done unto you.
Seti Team    Free Software
I believe truth and principle do matter. If you have to sacrifice them to get the results you want, then the results aren't worth it.
 FoaS_XC : "Take great pains to distinguish a criticism vs. an attack. A person reading a post should never be able to confuse the two."