After seeing the topic titled PlaneShift Client (without some bugs and with movierecorder) moved and censored "for review due to possible licensing issues", I decided to research the topic of PS license and the claim of it being an "open source game" in detail.

As many of you know, I did not register here just to start some big argument but rather to make some good and thoughtful suggestions, many of which people liked and complimemted on. However, what I found out did not make PlaneShift and Atomic Blue Corporation look good at all. It looks like there are some major issues with PS license. For one thing, ABC calls PlaneShift an "open source game", which evidently isn't true, based on a lot of solid evidence provided in places like this and all over the internet. Why not be honest about it instead and call it a free game with a hybrid license? After all, only the engine is open source but that isn't the game.

Apparently, some people associated with ABC have also resorted to editing and later attempting to delete the Wikipedia's definition of what qualifies as an open source game, after deleting a forum post here that pointed it out. Its original definition being that of a game with an open source engine and open source content, such as OpenArena. PlaneShift's content isn't open source. The Crystal Space 3D engine the game uses has a license requirement to keep it open source, so, obviously, no credit goes to ABC for that part. Also, quite a few people from Blender communities don't think that PS deserves to be called an "open source game". This is, obviously, a major reason why many potential developers don't want to join the project. A big reason for a very slow development instead of it simply being a "hobby in spare time".

I've also found some other major issues with the game and the community treatment. Apparently, anyone questioning the license or the text parser quest system was usually ridiculed and insulted by both staff and "fanboys". Some developers and contributors have left because of that and because the team has refused to improve the quest system. For example, I found out that a poster named Xanacru, who has contributed some of the current PS icons (setup and updater), and also made a popular "Black UI" has left because the team did not want to try a better NPC dialog and quest system. Many other people have suggested a better system and in-game maps and mini-maps (including a little girl, who was insulted on the forum by some people with no brain), and of course now it's suddenly a good thing but no apology was offered by either the staff or the regulars who tried to ridicule and insult people for suggesting it in the past. It looks like those people were right, after all.

Additionally, the game has been advertised as a competitor to commercial MMORPGs in the past but when that part is taken into account for the game's development cycle and quality in reviews, "fanboys" try to insult the reviewers by saying it's a "non-commercial project" as an excuse. Then there is an issue with spoilers and spoiler policy, while the main site is linking to a PS community, which openly posts spoilers. Yet, the link isn't removed from the site. Yet another issue is the game asking for donations on the main site and to specify which feature you'd like to see the most, as if the money influences its priority. At the same time, ABC claims "0 budget" for the game's development. Then there is an "Alpha" vs "Beta" issue that the team can't make up their minds about.

One site (SA) shows "Talad" saying that "the project is the king!". This is completely wrong! The project is not the king, the customer or the playerbase is the king! Anything from 5-star restaurants to best game developers will tell you that. No customers/players, no game! And if you piss your playerbase off, the negative publicity will spread like a wildfire. No wonder there are so many bad reviews of the game on the net. You can't blame players for your failures. This is like blaming restaurant customers for its bad food when they complain.

Some of the staff often mentions "pessimism" when people speak of near-empty servers, lack of activity, and overalll slow game development but there is also such term as unwarranted optimism. This is where you cannot back up your words with actions in development of the game. In fact, when the "fanboys" are complacent, it's due to their inactions that the game is being damaged. Everything is A-OK, hunky-dory for them, so the game never improves.

Being a "free" game can only work as an excuse to a point. There is also another standard that people will hold you for, and that standard is MMORPG, something that you chose to make, and therefore have taken a certain responsibility that goes with it. You can't possibly hope to retain a playerbase with no active development, regular updates, and open communication with the community. All of this is expected in successful MMORPGs, free or not.

It seems that there's overall a big censorship going on at these forums, a group of complacent "regulars", and not enough respect given to the playerbase overall.

For all the reasons stated above, I don't want to be a part of this, so I'm leaving this game. And even if this post is censored here for some reason, you can't control it being posted on the more independent sites on the net.

It depends on a lore. On the other hand, usable magic shouldn't depend on the glyphs created by Talad. It's like saying that if Talad didn't create the glyphs, there would be no magic users in PlaneShift.

@Rigwyn
1. That's what windows are for. Also, closed doors keep the warmth inside, with the fireplace and all. They also keep the bugs and dust outside.
2. Do you mean that the captain of the guards is charged with guarding a tavern? That's what bouncers are for.
3. It wouldn't be a pita or all in game doors would always be open. Anyway, the closed doors was an alternative, not the only suggestion.

Swinging out doesn't give more room inside, if the doors were opened to the extremes of the walls. Keeping the doors stuck outside and in the middle blocks what is apparently a wide entrance, not to mention the wind would likely slam the doors into each other producing an annoying noise each time. As for bashing the doors in, you could brace the doors from the inside (with chairs and tables) pretty quickly, so even if the lock is compromised, it won't be easy to do, unlike pulling on the doors. And if you're not around to brace the doors, then picking the lock, sawing through a bar, chopping the doors with an axe or just bashing it in won't stop someone determined from doing so. Besides, didn't you mention the guards outside?

EDIT: There is also something called a "lock-in" in some places that has a use for locked doors instead of relying on guards outside.

...a “lock-in” occurs when a violent, or potentially-violent patron is removed from the premises, and the doors are deadlocked to prevent the individual(s) from re-entering, and to prevent patrons inside from leaving for a short duration so as to prevent contact with aggressors (as a measure of duty of care). During the lock-in period, it is often a traditional courtesy of the venue to provide free drinks and snacks.

The game's setting and immersion don't change anything in this case. If they do, I'd like you to point out which part of the settings makes a difference here. In fact, because the game doesn't have the best collision detection, it is better that the entrance is wide without the doors stuck in the middle in a funny position. And this is based on playing the game, not real life.

@Thoss
Not at all. The doors can swing either way, depending on an establishment. If the doors swing outwards, the entrance is typically inside a niche or an arch of some sort, so that an open door doesn't block a walkway or a road outside the establishment. Otherwise, such doors usually stay closed, and return to a closed position after someone opens them to walk in. In case of fire, taverns aren't a bus or a train. Not to mention it would be easier for some perpetrators to trap the crowd inside by bracing the doors from the outside. There are also usually dedicated emergency exits, not to mention windows. Here are a few examples of taverns/pubs with the doors swinging inwards:

The Williams Arms, near Braunton, North Devon, England
The Eagle, City Road, Islington, London
The Eagle, Clerkenwell, London
etc.

There are also types of doors that can swing both, inwards and outwards.

Whatever way the doors swing, they should not be blocking the middle, if they were meant to be opened in a wide entrance. Even if the in-game verion was an entrance and an exit side by side, it still looks awkward.

Based on the settings, it should probably be Azure Way that is given the bonus.

@Illysia
Thanks. The suggestion was for whenever the "manpower" is planning to update the music.

@zanzibar
As shown by the graph, there is a huge volume jump starting in column 15. The first time you hear the track, you'll want to turn up the volume because it plays really quiet, only for it to become too loud past the the two-something minute mark. Having a good audio system and/or headphones makes a difference too.

@Madoring
Music matters a lot. It can set the mood and add to the overall atmosphere. Any games lacking in audio department will get their overall scores lowered by reviewers, and a lot of players simply like music in games. Have you considered why you didn't have the music on for years? Maybe that's a hint right there. Updating music won't take away from "different implementations" because it would be taken care of by musicians, except a small code update for a looping secondary track.

In addition to my original suggestion:

When talking about factions and moods, I was, of course, referring to public areas accessible by everyone. Traveling around a city or exploring the open areas outside the cities. The traveling music doesn't quite go with the darker characters, for example. That's why I also mentioned the epic tracks that can, indeed, have a specific mood and be specific to a location, regardless of one's faction. Playing those tracks in a loop in regular public areas is what doesn't quite work for an overall atmosphere for some factions/characters.

Places only accessible by a certain faction, such as Black Flame temple, would obviously benefit from customized tracks, both epic and ambient alike. Death Realm should be pretty dark in music. And, of course, any areas meant to be dangerous, suspenseful etc can sound accordingly.

There are also exceptions like taverns, for example. It's ok to have that typical fantasy tavern music, even if it's cheery because that usually implies that some tavern musicians are playing it in the background, and that's what you would hear if you walked into a typical tavern. Unless, it's in Kadaikos.

Alternatively, think of it as primary and secondary tracks where a primary track plays once, while secondary plays in a loop. Maybe that's what Dana DiAnda was trying to do, as most of his tracks have parts one and two. It doesn't even always have to be a mystery ambient track as a secondary, as long as it's a kind of version that works well in a loop.

Think of your favorite TV shows. Typically, they'll have a main theme of some sort, usually sounding somewhat epic. As you watch the actual episodes, you can hear many different versions of the same theme playing slower or faster, in minor or major, depending on whatever is going on at the moment. A similar approach can be taken with various themes in a game.

Why don't you have an official YT channel for PS? You could have anything from dev podcasts to new upcoming feature demonstrations all in one place.

@mordraugion
I was referring to sounds like "Rargh!", "Ugh" etc. Emote sounds/words could be implemented as well.

It would also be a good idea to record different vocal combat and crafting sounds diffrent races and genders make, such as with weapon/tool swings and spellcasting. A variety of such sounds mixed with silence on and off, so it doesn't get grating, would add to the game's atmosphere. A slider can be inlcuded for the frequency of such sounds.