Using the Wesnoth engine

Nev · Post by **Nev** » December 20th, 2006, 11:41 pm

Hi guys

I guess this post is targetted at the developers, but if anyone knows the answer they could probably answer me.

I just wanted to know if the Wesnoth engine is free to use to create another game in the style of this one? I've been involved in game development for years now and worked on a good number of projects (as an artist), but am "old school" when it comes to my taste in gameplay and have always preferred turn-based games to RTS. There seem to be far too few decent turn-based games available these days and it's refreshing to see that guys like you are still "flying the flag" for turn-based strategy. I'd be very interested in creating my own turn-based game (not fantasy based) of exactly this kind of complexity - Advanced Wars-esque if you like. Myself and a friend run a small, independent game company and have an on-going project Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy (http://www.stickmanstudios.co.uk), that is nearing completion and I'm looking to get my teeth into something new very soon and it WILL be turn-based. I don't want to give too much away at the moment, but I have a couple of ideas that would perfectly suit this engine - but with a total graphical overhaul, rather than a simple mod of the existing one. So if anyone could give me a heads up on this or a thumbs up (even better), then that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Nev

Gus · Post by **Gus** » December 21st, 2006, 12:01 am

I am not a lawyer, nor a developer, but this game is licensed under the GPL. You're free to use any part of it as long as you licence the final product under the GPL.

EDIT: thanks turin for the precision. Do note my answer is absolutely not a final legal answer. Only an indication.

Post by **turin** » December 21st, 2006, 12:12 am

Gus wrote:I am not a lawyer, nor a developer, but this game is licensed under the GPL. You're free to use any part of it as long as you licence the final product under the GPL.

Note that this only means that all of the code must be GPL'd. The content can be under any license you please.

Post by **Jetrel** » December 21st, 2006, 2:01 am

turin wrote:
Gus wrote:I am not a lawyer, nor a developer, but this game is licensed under the GPL. You're free to use any part of it as long as you licence the final product under the GPL.
Note that this only means that all of the code must be GPL'd. The content can be under any license you please.

And by this, he means "Your" content, not ours. Our content has to be GPL'd (which doesn't mean a lot, since it is it's own source code - the only real requirement is that any use of our content needs to have it made clear to players that they can reuse said content elsewhere under the GPL). Your content can be whatever license you please.

The 800lb. gorilla in the room is that It is legal to charge money for a GPL'd project. Whether it's saleably feasible; that's another matter.

One thing worth noting is that having no copy-protection, and making it clear to purchasers that "payment" is tantamount to "donation" can actually cause sales to spike dramatically - mostly because the donors know all the cash is going straight to the developer, and none to pigopolists. This effect has been demonstrated many times on webcomics - they have vastly disproportionate sales of their stuff, because the audience is directly familiar with the creator, and wishes to support them by buying merchandise.

Just my 2Ã‚Â¢

Post by **Darth Fool** » December 21st, 2006, 4:48 pm

Search the forum for spacenoth. It is another GPL'd project developed using the wesnoth engine as the backend, but with completely different graphics and somewhat different mechanics (obviously still within the limits of the game engine.)

davidshq · Post by **davidshq** » March 13th, 2007, 4:29 am

I am looking forward to trying to get into the gaming engine in the near future as well, and am very thankful that it is GPL'ed. It can help avoid a lot of reinventing the wheel.
David.