So, you want your own server?

[DaveG]

No.

Ok, long answer now:
Yes, people who build from source can set up their own PlaneShift server for testing.  It's a great idea, and really helpful.  However, that being said, it's a test server in the most litteral sense of the words.  The CVS database contains only test and demo game content and data.  The most advanced quests are Star Wars spoofs; NPCs have names like "Merchant" and "Male Enki"; there is only a very limited set of item types, and and even more limited set of scripts to run them.  What stuff is on there is usually just a mini version of what we use on the real server.

You will not be running a full-fledged PlaneShift server using this, for the following reasons:
1)  You cannot.  You simply lack the game data/content/rules to create a functioning server.  Sure, you could write your own to get it all working, but...
2)  You may not.  We run the only PlaneShift world.  We don't want to divide the community, and you're simply not allowed to use our art/maps/models/content/data/items/rules/scripts/NPCs/stories/etc. (aka, the game itself) for anything other than playing PlaneShift on our server(s) or testing.  (using our codebase/engine to create your own game is another matter)
3)  Why?  Unless you're going to have another hundred people or so connect to your server, what's the point?  Sure, you could technically set up a PS server to play on by yourself, but you need other people playing with you to make the game worth playing.

Yes, the PlaneShift engine is free and open-source.  You can take our code and make your own game with it.  We'll even help you if you ask, however you have to make your own game and not using parts of ours.  (all new art/maps/models/content/data/items/rules/scripts/NPCs/stories/etc; a completely new game using the PlaneShift game engine)  Yes, this is quite possible.  No, you and a couple friends are not realistically going to do this, and the PS codebase isn't really ready for generalized use yet unless you're really ready for some futzing.

There have been a couple people who thought you could just install this and then make your own game over the weekend.  I'm quite sorry to burst their bubbles, but unless you have a team of skilled artists and skilled programmers and are willing to dedicate years to this, it's not going to happen.  A better idea would be to apply to work on an existing project, like... um... us. 

[AryHann]

Just for the chronicles, I have been using PS engine for my project (see my signature), which is a finished game with some bugs (of course!) and some new features. I was alone and I had the assistance of some people for some tasks to hard for me (e.g. avatars and their animation) however I did the main 2d and 3d art, conceptual design, changes that could suits better the rendering of my world and so on.
Of course, the game is not a commercial-pretentious creation, but still it is playable, used and appreciated for its purposes.
I won't discourage anybody saying to not try it, but I would say that it requires a will strong like steel, a lot of time, skills and patience and a good understanding of CS engine.

[Vengeance]

It's also worth mentioning that Arianna's Virtual Annelov project was not attempting to be a full game and still took her a year or more.

- Vengeance

[AryHann]

I guess it depends on what you mean with full game.
For me, that is a full game, since people *actually* play it :-)
(And from the modelling to the game completion it took from December 2004 to June 2005 - the conceptual design took other months earlier - but that is not considered in the majority of the games as actual work :-) )