An xconq story and question

[Benjamin Brewster]

Stan, Hans, Eric, All,

Thanks for responding - thanks to Hans and Eric, for their comments, as 
well.

I'm basing the entire project on memories from 15 years ago - I haven't 
played xconq since then, nor have I ever seen the code.

Amen: if there is any money to be made trying a new game based on the 
context of an old game from 15 years ago, we'll see what happens.  In terms 
of probability of completion, though, it's more likely that I get sucked 
into another project... :)

If it's alright with you guys, I'd be happy to lurk on the list and post 
screenshots as I go - this is definetely a long-term project. :)

In any event, let me know if I'm doing something I shouldn't do.  I have 
tried not to read the rules manual for xconq so I don't accidently use ideas 
from it...

Moving my interface over to xconq is an interesting idea, though.  At this 
point, it renders the board and all units (that I've finished) succesfully.  
I wonder how hard that would be to hook into the game logic of xconq.  Let 
me get the engine more stable before I tackle that project.  But it's a good 
idea. :)  Hey, if I forget to post shots in a week or so, and anyone 
remembers, poke me via email and I'll get on it... Spring break is starting 
over here, so it's time for some R&R... 8)

-Benjamin Brewster

>From: Stan Shebs <shebs@apple.com>
>To: Benjamin Brewster <bcbrewster@hotmail.com>
>CC: xconq7@sources.redhat.com
>Subject: Re: An xconq story and question
>Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:30:14 -0800
>
>Benjamin Brewster wrote:
>
>>Hi All!
>>
>>Hi all!  I just subscribed - I've got a story and a question for you 
>>all...
>>
>>When I was a kid, my dad had some UNIX computers at home.  He worksat HP, 
>>and always had tons of equipment.  On them was this game called xconq that 
>>I absolutely loved.  Eventually, the computers were replaced, and xconq 
>>went with them - I forgot about it until last year.  Fast forward fifteen 
>>years...
>>
>>I'm now a student at Oregon State University, and I've been working with 
>>DirectX for awhile now.  So, not knowing that it still existed, I decided 
>>to start work on a copy of the old xconq as I remembered it, with some new 
>>rule sets that I had always wanted to see.  I've got the graphics engine 
>>pretty far along (in DX9), and am working on the models and rules.  (I'll 
>>try to post a URL of some screenshots soon.)
>>
>Cool...
>
>>Eventually, I thought I'd search for the old xconq, and blammo, here you 
>>guys are!  As I glanced around, I found that the rule set had grown 
>>enormously, and that it was now quite a complicated game. :)
>>
>Sorry; seemed like a good idea at the time. :-)
>
>>My question is this: I've named my game Conqueror, and I've included many 
>>game elements from that old xconq.  Am I going to get in trouble by 
>>releasing this thing? :)
>
>Depends on what kind of trouble you're looking for, heh-heh. If
>you've been working with the 5.x or earlier code, it's not actually
>GPLed; the two lines of "license" at the top of those old files is
>BSD-like if anything, but two lines is not enough to be precise
>about these sorts of things, one of the reasons I switched later
>code to GPL.
>
>In any case, the intent was to be pretty unrestricted about usage
>and distribution. The old license could be construed to disallow
>closed-source moneymaking versions of the sort that the BSD license
>allows, but if you can make a buck from the old code at this late
>date, I'll be amazed and admiring rather than unhappy.
>
>You might not find it too hard to move your interface over to the
>latest Xconq; the old stuff had a lot of X10/11 dependency woven
>into it, and that's all been moved into separate subsystems. Plus,
>there's plenty of people on this list who can help you if you
>have any questions.
>
>Stan
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
Find a broadband plan that fits. Great local deals on high-speed Internet 
access. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/