silentdragon

The core of this is that we all recognize that one of the major problems with SubSpace/Continuum is that it is being so inappropriately managed and locked down for no reason the community has suffered. Obviously this game would naturally die off anyway, as things like this do, but Priitk and others are smothering it with a pillow. Open Source and Transparency is only going to help keep things going, I would be extremely surprised to see anything "stolen" from a game designed in 1995 and its subsequent open-source project aimed at cloning it. Cheating is a threat, but openness will help crush that much more effectively as well.

The GPL is extremely simple and I would disagree with you that "Most software developers don't understand the GPL" but I might agree with you that they "choose it because it's the cool thing to do" but I personally think software should be freely available. The GPL only restricts people from completely profiteering off of you without their personal contribution being equally available. Tons of software is licensed GPL and still wildly profitable. Even huge corporations regularly contribute to; modify; profit off of; and make their contributions publicly available. Microsoft is one of the largest contributors to GPL and really all open-source software in the world. It is healthy to make these things open source and GPL protects it to the extent someone is willing to pursue legally. SubSpace without an open source platform or a supporting company to maintain a release will become little more than a LAN party that it almost already is.

when did you play and what was your nickname?

Jeff Peterson, Rod Humble, Priit Kasesalu SubSpace (video game) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubSpace_%28video_game%29

http://web.archive.org/web/19980121161120/http://subspace.vie.com/ http://web.archive.org/web/20010707135852/http://subspace.net/

I published the original Trench Wars settings somewhere, I will try to find them again. and I have a copy of every SCF West/VIE SCF setting file somewhere too.

here is a mirror of the old einexile's minefield probably one of the first blogs or gaming news sites in the history of the internet. All about SubSpace http://einexilesminefield.blogspot.com/

I've been whining about the topics that have been endlessly discussed since 1997. I have repeatedly hoped someone would do that very thing. I am just offering more text to the endless discussion.

Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows 8 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/hh852363.aspx Write Windows 8 apps in native Java http://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2012/09/12/write-windows-8-apps-in-native-java.aspx

The windows 8 app store would be a great place to get a metro-enhanced subspace game. connecting it to the existing billing and game servers might be something we have to re-think. Its almost worth wondering if the server admins even know subgame is running on their networks anymore anyway. -silentdragon

I can host any websites you need. I also thought of two things. I think it would be cool if you targeted 3 major release points, with the option to branch out Windows (with a Portable Version too!) Ubuntu/Debian Linux Apple OSX and then added to that: Google Chrome Application. The Google Chrome Application target could be limited to just "Alpha Zone" which would encourage a huge boost in population, imo. The second thing is I think you should name it Subspace: Aphelion I think you're safe from litigation honestly. This java client is pretty exciting silentdragon

So what are the current Subspace Projects? Aphelion Phoenix SubSpace2 Discretion What are the statuses, programmers and missions of those projects? and are there more?

Hello. I have not been involved with SubSpace since around 2001 or 2002, but before then, starting around 1996(ish) I was around a lot. When VIE went under there was a lot of work put into keeping subspace alive because it was free, extremely fun and until then was the best online game ever to exist. Hell, its graphics were pretty amazing compared to even non-online games. Since the dissolution of VIE we have all known we needed a new client to stay afloat, and when Continuum was made by Priitk we clung to it extremely hard. It was originally a hacked to pieces version of subspace, which is why a lot of features that we all wanted could not be done. I am also not convinced he ever got any form of a source, considering how choppy and poorly made the client is even today. If Priitk had not been a lead programmer for Kazaa and Skype, I'd probably chalk it up to him being a noob, but he clearly isn't. That being said, I know that my opinion is definitely not solicited and more than likely not shared by the currents in the community but I felt the need to share it, especially since this Phoenix thing looks like its going to be successful. So I thought I would share my opinion in the things that I feel are necessary for not only success in this one project but the overall continuation of life I see it possibly breathing into this game. Instead of writing some huge manifesto, I thought I might just make some quick bullet points: Whatever language you select, just make sure you're thinking about cheating and how to curb it. Open Source isn't exactly necessary, but making sure you are thinking globally about platforms is, targeting Ubuntu as a launchpad project might be a genius idea, considering the linux/ubuntu userbase is typically a very good audience for a game like this. Minimalism Make your first version an exact replica of SubSpace 1.35 Use the exact same graphics and sounds, since the copyright to this material is ambiguous I would wait for a cease and desist and make moves to make new graphics for a later release. No seperate settings for arenas No bots. No advertisements, no big sexy graphics no embossed text in the maps. Decide on a resolution and then stick with it, it is unfair for someone running at 800x640 to not be able to see as far as someone running 1920x1080 [*]Chat We all fell in love with subspace because it had a built in IRC channel where we could be tacticians and make lasting friendships. This is important but at the same time its also important to make it easy to learn and to play. People will naturally Phoenix, cloned subspace but with some subtle features Have a version of Phoenix with the chat removed for non keyboard media platforms for future portability, (Boxee app with the ability to plug into a gamepad?) Customization available but not made into the interface additional sounds added to a folder = changed sounds additional images added to a folder = changed images and backgrounds [*]Available Zones [*]I feel like a very limited number of zones with mostly VIE settings will help keep things stable and easy to learn for the audience something like a google chrome app or boxee app or getting added to the Ubuntu Software Center would do for us. [*] Alpha Zone (VIE Alpha) Chaos Zone (VIE Chaos, no flags) War Zone (Flags) Trench War Sheep Cloning Facility (You could automate a weekly schedule between Extreme Games and ASWZ and whatever else) Extra Thoughts A tablet version with a place to put your fingers on the screen to move and shoot guns and bombs but nothing else, with no chat and minimal screen clutter would be cool as a separate available zone, ie the tablet version iOS/Android/KindleFireAndroid would all share their own zone, with only one zone option which would serve as a tool for getting them to use the computer version Imagine a zone called Sub Space Zone (homage!), where all of the Phoenix clients can connect but their ships can only fire guns and bombs and are max greened out of the gate, so it is literally just a place where you fly around and kill eachother. Chat is disabled on the tablet versions but doesnt have to be for everyone else. I do wish you well and I feel free to completely disagree. I haven't slept and I all of a sudden felt convicted to post my opinion. Oh yeah and look into xpilot if you want to steal any of their code silentdragon eblana space police subspace map makers guild vie sheep cloning facility trench wars

I am into this. I cannot code to save my life but I would love to help in any way. Making this into a google-chrome app wouldn't be hard since you're writing it in java, and google has a server cloud, though it might be database only, im not sure.

Sorry to not articulate well. I mean, are there servers out there other than the ones that come stock with the downloaded continuum, controlled by other groups?

I haven't been around for a long, long, long time. Last week I started programing a SubSpace client for the OSX platform for fun, and started looking around and found you guys. This is pretty amazing that the community still exists. I do have a quick question, is the PriitK/Etked Continuum the same as (someone said ' our ASSS server') any other network? I guess what im asking, is are there other networks out there other than the Continuum ones? -s_d (silentdragon)