I'm interested in using this engine.

(Deathwinger) #1

Hello to the team at Splash Damage,

I am interested in using the engine or the source code from this game to make my own standalone first/third person perspective action game. I would like to obtain information on it say the limitations, any additional knowledge over c++ to work the engine, cost factors if anything both in terms of releasing a freeware multiplayer game or a commercial game, any additional tutorials or help you can give and any other additional information or alternative suggestions you can grant.

You can reach me at mikkell@gmail.com and I look forward to hearing from you.

(Mr_Tickles) #2

I’m sure if Splash Damage did reply to this, a lot of other people would be interested. I certainly am :slight_smile:

Will be keeping an eye…

(nUllSkillZ) #3

You should firstly ask who the owner of the engine is.
I guess it’s id or Activision.

(Foonr) #4

afaik, it is id (Activision are the publishers), id made Quake series for which ET runs on the Q3 engine so… :wink:

(SCDS_reyalP) #5

Contract Todd Hollenshead at id for Q3 engine licensing. However, the going rate for Q3 engine licenses was around $150K if I remember right, so unless you have a little cash to spend, you might want to look elsewhere. See http://www.idsoftware.com/business/technology/
There have been rumors that the Q3 engine will be GPLed fairly soon, so that might be a good alternative if you can accept the GPL terms.

I would guess you would need to contact activision for RTCW or ET engines.

Or consider if you can make your game as a total conversion mod, without the engine source. The gamecode is free for Q3, RTCW and ET. If you want to give away your mod/game, I would suggest using ET, since the game itself is also free to your end users. If you plan to sell your mod/game, you would still need to negotiate some kind of commercial exploitation license.

As far as engine capabilities, I’d suggest:

  • look around at the q3 engine games/mods out there (being aware that many engine licensees have added features to the engine).
  • look at the include files and *_syscall.c files to see what sort of features the engine offers. In general, the engine is quite low level and all the gameplay, physics and visual elements are defined in the game code and media.
(Demolama) #6

The Almighty Carmack said the Q3 engine should go open source by the end of the year… might as well just hold out a while longer

(carnage) #7

if splash damage reply this post will be interesting to every1

i think that to actutaly buy the q3 licence is expensive then if you sell the game then you have to give a persentage as well, so a total conversion seems a good idea to me but i dont know the legal obligations and you may be forced to distribute the software as freeware (i dont think you are alowed to sell maps of mods, its on the agreemets that they give you the mapping software and source code as its for the comunity and increase the popularity of the game so they make more money and not you)

but saying that make a new game from scratch sounds like a realy cool idea and is many moders dream, if you ever get this idea off the ground i am looking to get experience in comercial games market and would be willing to help (mapping)

(Loffy) #8

When John Carmack worked for Softdisc, the owner said: “Woa, cool programming! You should patent this engine-code.” (From the book “Masters of Doom”.) Or something similar.
Carmack replied “If you make me patent game code like this, I’ll quit here and now.” The boss backed away. Carmack later founded id with three other persons. The rest is history. (I recommend “Masters of Doom”.)
I bet he didn’t even look up from the screen when he said it.
// L.

(carnage) #9

lol, liked that last line

he sounds like a decent guy, i thin we should all apreciate people in the industry who make games for the comunity and not just for money, its what sets sets PC and playstation apart, you can smell the comercialisation a mile off

its great they realese the source code for games and does any1 know if its true that they are going to realese the Q3 engine code

if so i will have to lean C++ realy fast

(bacon) #10

Carmack said they would…this would make one hell of a christmas present from id :smiley:

Since all the other iD engines are open-source now, it was only a matter time (after doom3 came out that is) until we would see the engine source.