Free Games and 3D Graphics

[benheath85]

The obvious solution to the proprietary video driver problem is to just use software rendering.

Yes and no. A Free driver without DRI will work with indirect rendering. But it will run much slower and the game will probably be unplayable. If developers ensure their game is fast enough without DRI, then it will work. But this imposes a heavy burden on developers, forcing them to be far more modest in the graphics area.

The whole problem is caused by people witholding info from others. CDRom devices have been through this, they got together and defined a protocol interface (MMC), so hardware technology is not exposed in the drivers. Now only one driver is needed for all cdroms. The video card industry is way behind in this area, but as these forums show, getting people to agree to a single standard isn't easy - and video cards are uniquely complex devices.

That's true. Probably, we would need a pretty small poly count to get it working on so many systems (actually I like that idea). But you're right, secrecy has really complicated the situation.

[Shadowfury333]

2) Descent

(don't remember)

Parallax Software, which later split into Volition inc. and Outrage Entertainment, both absorbed by THQ.

There are also 3 Descent games, and they are going strong. There aren't many players (1000 at most), but those that do play, play a lot (like myself, at least with Descent 3).

Also, all of the Descent games were groundbreaking (D2 not so much). Descent 1 was the first 3D computer game. As for the others, I'm not sure, ask here. I do know that Descent 3 was well ahead of its time, but I can't remember what features it introduced.

[ArtillaryGoat]

I love Wesnoth because (in order of importance),

1: It will run on this old machine I am sometimes forced to use (Mac G3 300Mhz).

2: It's free!

3: It's internet-multiplayer.
(A note, number 2 and 3 were a very close call)

4: Game experience is well above expectations

5: People in the community are great.

To be honest, if Wesnoth was a 3D RPG, I probably wouldn't be playing it because,1 it wouldn't run on this machine,, and 2, if I where on the great computer in the house, I would be busy looking at the jaw-dropping graphics in UT2004 (ironic huh? ), and wouldn't have enough time to care that there was a free 3D turn-based strategy game.

But because I am ussually stuck on this maachine, I remembered this game I once came across ( I can't remember how), and realizedd, "hey, maybe I will be able to do something fun online with this machine".

The drawback of using a suped-up 3d game, is that a lot of people are too broke to get a good machine, or they are like me, and are stuck on an old machine while others use the good hardware.

Personally, I am all for maybe a Myth type look. But maybe that isn't good for an RPG? Wesnoth seems like a Turn-based strategy game with a few elements of an RPG.

Also, if you want to make a good RPG, you NEED (as in "must have", "gotta get", "required", "don't even bother without it") a good plot and an in-depth world. I just got Neverwinter Nights (on the better computer of course ), and the detail that the writers put into that world is incredible.

I think having a forum setup for ideas or simply as a contradiction detecter is a great idea. Just don't be too heavily influenced by the people. Be influenced by the people's ideas.

[Rune]

Another good example of a 3D open source game is UFO: Alien Invasion. Unfortunately it looks kind of abandoned now, but the Demo (the Christmas special) is great. Its a turn-based tactical simulation based on the old UFO: Enemy Unknown. The 3D engine used is a modified Quake 2 engine, and it looks very good IMHO.