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Author Topic: Proposal: Open Game Lounge System / Community  (Read 10804 times)
Noya
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« on: April 08, 2009, 05:25:32 AM »

Hello everyone!

Today I'd like to present you an idea that is centered around free and open
source games. It was born via a discussion on mailinglists and IRC-channels
between people from Freedesktop-Games, freegamedev.net and GGZ [1] in the course
of the last two weeks.

The vision is an open, cross-platform game lounge system, used to play online
with people from around the world, browsing through and easily joining
multiplayer games. Its core elements will be:

 * a set of open standard protocols describing the communication between a
game-lounge-server, a game-server and a game-client
 * an open API for games implementing these protocols
 * a game-lounge-server including community features (user-database, statistics,
chatting, etc.)
 * a game-browser

The main goal of the project is to make the creation of an open community for
games and gamers eventually possible.

Most of you will certainly know services like Gamespy, Steam, Windows-Live,
Xfire and possibly more. It seems like there currently is no free and open
alternative to them, and this project aims to change that. Maybe we can change
that together.

A more detailed overview of how the system could look like, what the goals and
what the benefits are is available at:
http://apps.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/glou/index.php?title=ProjectOverview

Just a word about what this project is not: it is not a replacement for your
current lobby-system. It may be if you want, but it will be created in a way
that it can be used in parallel to your own system.

I have sent this mail (or forum-post, wherever you read it) to the most
influential [2] open source games. You can see a complete list here:
http://apps.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/glou/index.php?title=Projects

Ideally this project will be a cooperation between the major open source games
out there. But that's for you to decide. I invite you, game developers and
people interested in open source games, to the Glou (= Game LOUnge) mailinglist,
a place to join the efforts and discuss how this project should look like. You
can join the mailinglist here:
http://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/glou-devel

To hear from you would be great. As a starting point it would be interesting to
know...
 * what features the lounge system definitely should have
 * what features the current lobby system of your game has
 * if you feel the need for an open gaming community
 * if you would use the system in your game if it is done "the right way"
 * and what you think about the idea in general

For now that's everything. Thank you all for your attention and patience Smiley .
Hopefully we'll see each other on the mailinglist to shape the future of this
project together.

Best regards
- Sven Pfaller (aka Noya)

[1] http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Games
    http://wiki.freegamedev.net
    http://www.ggzgamingzone.org
[2] This is obviously subjective. Feel free to contact projects that may be
missing and add them to the list.
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pulchr
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« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2009, 07:55:19 AM »

I like the idea and hope all goes well with gathering as many interested games as possible.
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Case
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« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2009, 09:22:20 AM »

can't wait to see some code Smiley
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vindimy
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lolwut?


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« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2009, 11:45:36 AM »

Can't wait to see code of the prototype as these things are impossible to build perfectly from scratch. I can offer you hosting, if you need it - nginx, php, perl, virtual server in California.
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Case
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« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2009, 02:33:51 PM »

Sourceforge is a good host Smiley
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vindimy
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lolwut?


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« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2009, 11:18:42 PM »


 * what features the lounge system definitely should have
 * what features the current lobby system of your game has
 * if you feel the need for an open gaming community
 * if you would use the system in your game if it is done "the right way"
 * and what you think about the idea in general


i say the feature set has been probably exhaustively finalized by all the non-free game lounge software packages, so you won't have trouble choosing which features to implement.

imho, the most important goal is to:
   a) support popular open-source games
   b) implement the basic functionality - game servers, players, clans, instant messaging (maybe even voip), whatever else...
   c) promote your project on the gaming websites such as this one Smiley

it would probably be widely accepted if done right Smiley

in general, the idea is great, but end result will of course depend on implementation Smiley
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fromhell
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GET A LIFE!
**********

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« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2009, 09:57:14 PM »

when I think "game lounge", I picture something like EscOnline for UT in my head, which was basically a 'hang out' mod that took place in a bar and violence was minimal. Am I on the right track?
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asking when OA3 will be done won't get OA3 done.
Progress of OA3 currently occurs behind closed doors alone

I do not provide technical support either.

new code development on github
fractor
Nub


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« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2009, 05:20:44 PM »

hl2 lobby server!
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Noya
Ok i've posted twice!


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« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2009, 03:35:14 PM »

I like the idea and hope all goes well with gathering as many interested games as possible.

Thanks Smiley .

can't wait to see some code Smiley

Can't wait to see code of the prototype as these things are impossible to build perfectly from scratch. I can offer you hosting, if you need it - nginx, php, perl, virtual server in California.

Sourceforge is a good host Smiley

After the basic concept is up we'll write code as soon as possible. The first prototype will then probably come early Smiley .

If we need additional servers we'd be glad about everyone who wants to help with hosting. I can just encourage you (and anyone else who is interested) to join our mailinglist and step up to help if you see we are in need Smiley .

i say the feature set has been probably exhaustively finalized by all the non-free game lounge software packages, so you won't have trouble choosing which features to implement.

imho, the most important goal is to:
   a) support popular open-source games
   b) implement the basic functionality - game servers, players, clans, instant messaging (maybe even voip), whatever else...
   c) promote your project on the gaming websites such as this one Smiley

it would probably be widely accepted if done right Smiley

in general, the idea is great, but end result will of course depend on implementation Smiley

You're right, most proprietary game lounges alreade have a decent set of features we should "copy". But I don't know every game-lounge-system out there, so if Glou seems to miss some feature, please point me to it.

And yes, actions speak louder than words Wink

when I think "game lounge", I picture something like EscOnline for UT in my head, which was basically a 'hang out' mod that took place in a bar and violence was minimal. Am I on the right track?

Nope, it has nothing to do with such a mod. As said before you can think of it as something like Gamespy / Steam / XFire, but open, not proprietary.

Thank you all for your input people Smiley .
See you
- Sven
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