Server Software?

[kolli1234]

Hi,

(if you don't want to read anything, just read the bolded question )

I'm new to this game. I read that the official server is offline due to technical problems and that there's no date or time known yet when it will be up again.

So my question is, since this game is open source, is the server software also available to the public? So that I could install it on my own machine and configure the client so that it connects to localhost. Of course, this would not be very multiplayer-like, but I'd like to try the game now and get used to it, so that I can directly start playing when the official server is back up again without having to wait now or without having to learn anything from the scratch on the real server.

Thanks for your answers.

[neko kyouran]

Have a look at this thread: http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=26726.0

[Caarrie]

dont forget http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=23915.0

[acid_head]

Since I was bored, with Laanx server being down, I built my own server following this guide http://planeshift.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/planeshift/trunk/docs/compiling.html
What you get:
- latest server and client executables, dynamically built (so they occupy less space)
- a small number of test maps
- a small number of npc's on those maps, doing neat things
- a small number of quests for test purposes
- a small number of rules (for ex you won't be able to craft things as ingame, or create the same spells)
- you can load the real game maps and just move through them (bare of any npc's or objects)
- neat thing: you can play GM (you have to, in order to teleport to realgame maps)
- you can play with adding content, adding quests
Well, there are probably another million things you can do with it. For example I'm looking through the code to see if I can create an application that checks the server status in the same way that the real client does.
Have fun!

[kolli1234]

Thanks for your answers.

But let me get this right: The server is not fully available, because we aren't allowed to use your game content? How do I have to understand this? Does the client download the maps, models, textures and so on at runtime? I thought they are part of the client and the server only coordinates the player's and mob's position and status? So, is the game content not integrated in the client?

[acid_head]

No, no.
All art and maps are available for free. You can copy them from your client install (they are downloaded with the client). However you can't redistribute this art and maps.
There is something missing though. The database content. That's where all the info about where to put NPCs on the maps, how to use forges and smelting devices and how to combine glyphs to create spells, etc (all the game rules). Also that's where the quests are stored, and items (swords and stuff :-D).
You get a database when you download the source, but it contains only test data, as I said.

[Aiwendil]

from http://www.planeshift.it/about.htmlhttp://www.planeshift.it/about.html

The source code is licensed under the GPL. The arts and game rules (game mechanics, skills, items...no idea how to call it all) are copyrighted to Atomic Blue Non Profit Corporation and no reuse is allowed. License: http://www.planeshift.it/license.htmlhttp://www.planeshift.it/license.html

Yes, the client comes with the maps and arts, but according to the license you are not allowed to use them for your own server (Correct me if I'm wrong). But things like items, skills, NPC-conversations are stored on the server (in a database I think). So you can build your own server. You even have the maps of PS to include them in your server, but you are not allowed to do so. And I think you won't get any of the other stuff that is kept on the server.

I hope I did this right

EDIT: Okay, too slow again

[acid_head]

I missed an important point that was explained by Aiwendil. You can't redistribute the art (maps, models, textures, etc) and you also can't run a public server with that art.
About the things that are missing, I'll give you an example with swords :-D
Let's say that in game we have "The Sword of Cutting +1". This item is made of:
- looks - 3d model, textures (you have this)
- type definition - textual description of the sword, damage rate, speed rate, the fact that you can use it with your right hand, etc (I don't think you have this)
- instances - how many swords of this type are in game, and where (you don't have this)

However, as I said the database that you can download, has a few axes, maybe some swords too :-P, but those are created for testing purposes.

[Lanarel]

Yes, the client comes with the maps and arts, but according to the license you are not allowed to use them for your own server (Correct me if I'm wrong).

You are allowed to use them for your own server, but you are not allowed to use that server as an open server for others to enjoy . All this license tries to avoid is for someone to create a copy of planeshift, and split the community. If you have your server for testing purposes and only a few others have access for finding bugs, no-one will complain though. That is, we expect those bugs to find their way to the bug tracker then of course

[Brinnen1]

So my question is, since this game is open source, is the server software also available to the public? So that I could install it on my own machine and configure the client so that it connects to localhost. Of course, this would not be very multiplayer-like, but I'd like to try the game now and get used to it, so that I can directly start playing when the official server is back up again without having to wait now or without having to learn anything from the scratch on the real server.

According to PlaneShift license:

http://www.planeshift.it/license.html

You can use our client only to connect to Official Servers.

You cannot host another server where PlaneShift Clients connects to, because our license on assets forbits it.

You are allowed to use them for your own server, but you are not allowed to use that server as an open server for others to enjoy

Then how is this an open source game, if there are no open servers? Doesn't the ability to only create private servers, in fact, "split the community"?

All this license tries to avoid is for someone to create a copy of planeshift, and split the community. If you have your server for testing purposes and only a few others have access for finding bugs, no-one will complain though. That is, we expect those bugs to find their way to the bug tracker then of course

Community is made of individuals. Isn't it a personal choice for each player which server they'd like to play on, based on ping and stability, for example, and which community they'd like to play with? Have you asked the community if they'd like more than a single server choice? A Poll, for example. Multiple servers work out fine in games like World of Warcraft. What about backup servers when the main server is down? PlaneShift license "forbids it".

If additional or backup open servers could be created, people would be playing PlaneShift by now, even with the Fragnetics server being down. Right now, there is no game with the current PlaneShift license because there is no server to play on. Consequently, people leaving PlaneShift to play other games instead does, in fact, "split the community".

[verden]

Planeshift the game is not open source. Planeshift the client/server engine is open source. Don't look at me, I didn't do it.

[ThomPhoenix]

At top days there are 200 concurrent players. What the bleep would we do with multiple servers? Enjoy the game with 20 others? More servers will be added when necessary, and they will likely work together to host one world. No sharding. (Though there's talk about separated RP and PvP servers). As verden says, the game engine itself is open source. However, PlaneShift strives to be a unique game and therefore the things that create its identity, the art and the quests/rules are not.

If this evolves into another "PlaneShift violates the GPL" discussion, this thread will also be quickly locked, since there have been about 20 threads about that already. And no, PlaneShift does not violate the GPL.

[kolli1234]

Thanks all for the nice explanations.

But one more question then: If only the engine is open source, but the rest isn't, who is funding the whole project? A fully open source game would be made better by a lot of people (for the hardware, the one or other guy would have a machine run the whole day, I could imagine). But how does this work with PlaneShift? Who does the work on the server software? Who runs the official servers? Who pays for the closed source work? And how can it be that the game is free to play then?

Don't take this as critics or suggestions, only as questions.

[Caarrie]

no one pays for planeshift development open or closed source, do a forum search this has been covered before.

the server is also donated so no one involved in the ps project but those that pay for hydlaa.com and planeshift.it have to pay