9/20 Free Gamer - open source games

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Free Gamer - open source games NAEV 0.4.0 review September 19, 2009 at 6:50 am NAEV Items [more shots] NAEV 0.4.0 is out, a game of the space trading and combat simulator genre, inspired by the non-free Escape Velocity. Win32/lin32/lin64/mac binaries are available here. The new version has parts of the user interface changed and is better accessible, for example through in-game gui keybind editing. Three aspects of NAEV show that usability is a priority: 1) the tutorial is informative without overwhelming too much 2) most combats can be evaded through the run away-tactic (this might be unintended, but definitely liked by me). 3) The automatic jump system, that allows consecutive jumps to systems without having to manually repeat standard maneuvers gives much relief to the player. The changelog also lists better-looking visuals as well as new sounds and music tracks. As a bonus, all the art in the game is licensed under Debian-friendly licenses. [license.txt: audio, visuals] Gameplay Wingmen fighters in action In NAEV the player starts with a small trading ship and needs to earn money to buy new vessels and equipment. Trading or patrolling missions are the key to income. Though I'm no fan of playing lots of similar missions in a row, I did feel satisfaction, when discovering the most effective way to earn money with them: play patrolling missions and a lot of them at the same time. Along with the repetitive, generated tasks, there are some original missions of different difficulties that allow the plot to progress and/or provide alternative methods of earning credits. They alone are reason enough to give NAEV a spin. The developers want to include more and more story missions, so contact them via IRC or mailing list if you're up to some sci-fi 'quest' writing! :) A third (or is it fourth?) method of increasing wealth is observing prices and buying where prices are low and selling where products are expensive. However, there is not much of an economical simulation implemented in NAEV yet, so I wouldn't recommend this path for now. Yet another battle Scout ships, fighters and battle-cruisers are available in the shipyards of NAEV, different kinds of energy and missile weapons can be bought, various upgrades can be installed. The brainless method of costlier=better didn't work for me, I had to balance the effects and firepower against speed an maneuverability. Running away is more enjoyable to me than fighting and waiting ten seconds for my ship to turn. The coolest item in the game is the fighter bay. It allows to host small allied ships in your cruiser. After 'shooting' them into space, they will attack enemies and can be controlled with a few simple commands. Place two is occupied by the afterburners, which will give a temporary speed boost at the price of having the view shaken. Interviews Next, two questions for the current top 5 NAEV contributors (and two extra ones for the lead dev): Q1: What is your role in NAEV development? bobbens: I am the lead developer of naev. Deiz: I do a bit of everything, as required. Done graphics, sound, missions, etc., but most of my time has been spent on making the sprites look nice and getting the game to a fairly balanced state. For sound I mostly hunted things down and vocoded a few sounds to get the results I wanted. For graphics, most of the ship models are sourced from Vega Strike, many of the outfit graphics are based on models by Joss that I've heavily hacked up. brtzsnr: I coded a couple of features that NEAV lacked (one of them is the faction disks), now I'm working on 3d-models and sometimes I fix bugs. I wish I had the time to implement more complex features. stephank: I wrote some code to save configuration. It was unable to at the time. BTAxis: I've provided some game content (two missions and half a dozen systems so far). That is the extent of my active role in NAEV's development. However, I also occasionally put forward proposals for new or improved game mechanics on the project mailing list, and if I can make them convincing enough and/or talk bobbens into seeing things my way, they may one day find their way into the actual game. I enjoy doing that. Thinking up game mechanics, making them work in my head and fitting them into a bigger picture is fun for me. Q2: What do you want the game to become in the future? bobbens: I want the game to be as good as the memories of my childhood playing original EV made it to be. Deiz: Ultimately I'd like to see NAEV be appealing to a broader audience. At present if you're not somewhat familiar with the Escape Velocity/Elite/Freelancer/etc genre there's not too much to grab your attention. brtzsnr: I hope NAEV to become more RPG-like (have a crew with different skills tree, say one engineer, one pilot, one commander, etc). Also I want more non-linear/intricate stories. stephank: I played a lot of Escape Velocity, so that's why I got interested in NAEV. It looks and feels a lot like EV right now, but it looks like the (active) developers are mixing in interesting features from other games in the same genre, and even innovating. I would like them to surprise me, more so than me influencing them. :) BTAxis: I already mentioned the proposals I wrote up. They're essentially the answer to this question, or at least they're the story so far. But if I'd have to explain it in two words, I'd say that I want naev to be a space exploration game that offers a high degree of interactivity while at the same time providing and engrossing and believable world for the player. That is not an easy goal to meet. Most space games that I know of sacrifice one aspect to pursue another, and in the end NAEV may have to as well. But at this point in time, I believe it's doable, and I hope to be part of making it happen. [For more information check out the proposals on NAEV's mailing list] Q3: What made you start the project? bobbens: I started the project about 6 years ago by myself when I realized that there was no game like EV (which I had played extremely intensively as a kid) on linux. EV also had major gameplay flaws that should have been worked around. Since I had no projects at the time I started out with the ambitious NAEV, which over the years has slowly been taking shape and was released recently (one year ago) to the general public. As of 0.4.0 I'm starting to be pretty impressed by the results. Q4: What do you think of Star Control II (The Ur-Quan Masters) as an example of a EV-like GNU/Linux game? bobbens: I only played Star Control II after someone mentioned it to me about 6 months ago. It does seem to have a lot of EV features, but it seems to lose a bit the fast paced-ness of EV and customizeability of the ships. However it does have other great features that EV lacks like the zooming in systems and the dialog use. It's good to find good features in other games and use them for inspiration in NAEV, it's evolved enough that it no longer is an EV clone. It also takes from all over while trying to keep itself unique. Latest NAEV gameplay video NAEV 0.4.0 beta gameplay   This email was sent to g4mezblog@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.

9/18 Relax Games Blog

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Relax Games Blog Micro Flight 5 September 17, 2009 at 2:43 am Micro Flight also simulates types of vehicles not simulated by other general aviation programs, such as: Hanggliders, Paragliders, Gyroplanes, Helicopters, Trikes, Balloons and more. Flight instrumentation and navigational aids were made to resemble real ones, this includes the hand held GPS, standard flight instruments, head up display and more.The whole enviroment which the user interacts with is three dimentional, even operating the instruments in the cockpit is made by manipulating them with the mouse and not just by pressing keys. The terrain model used is detailed and optimized, giving the terrain a photorealistic look while still maintaing a high frame rate during run. The program supports a wide variety of scenery formats, and can import aerial photography and USGS digital elevation data directly. The program includes flight recording and anaylis, giving the user the ability to study the flight in detail and export its path in digital form for any purpose. The program has netplay mode which enables users to fly and communicate with each other. All this and more make the program a unique and valueable tool for flight simulation. Download No password!!! Interchangeable link!!! Empire Builder Ancient Egypt v1.0-TE September 17, 2009 at 2:42 am Become ancient Egypt`s greatest architect and construct world famous monuments as you raise an empire from the sands of time! Help powerful pharaohs build along the lush Nile River and solidify their life legacy in Empire Builder - Ancient Egypt. This detailed Strategy game challenges you to protect your people from locust plagues and terrifying mummies, while creating some of the Wonders of the World! Download No password!!! Interchangeable link!!! Zumas Revenge v1.0 September 17, 2009 at 2:42 am The ribbeting sequel to the ball-blasting classic! Enter an all-new world of Zuma where evil tiki bosses rule the land! Conquer over 60 levels by firing stone spheres to make matches and destroy the deadly stream of balls, then take on six tiki boss battles and guide your agile amphibian to victory! Leap into action in four game modes with explosive new features and amazing new gameplay: Slide and hop for smarter shots, hit targets for exotic bonuses, and detonate new power-up balls! Will you succumb to the perilous pitfalls, or can you tame the jungle in this PopCap ball-blasting challenge? Download No password!!! Interchangeable link!!! Legends Of The Wild West Golden Hill v1.0 September 17, 2009 at 2:41 am Enjoy hidden object fun in the Wild West as you play this first installment of an all new series of casual games set against the backdrop of one of the most extraordinary times and places in history. Follow Luka, a handsome knife thrower for the Italian circus, and Natalie, a beautiful French girl who cares for the horses used in the shows, as they give in to the lure of the Wild West and learn that love can blossom even on the dusty frontier. Solve a variety of hidden object puzzles and experience a non-violent story of friendship and loyalty in this thrilling adventure. Download No password!!! Interchangeable link!!! Flock-RELOADED September 17, 2009 at 2:40 am RELOADED have just released a strange and smallish (176MB) puzzle game called "Flock" which was actually released in April but looks like no scene groups have released it until RELOADED just now, basically you have to control a UFO and try to "Flock" animals to the mothership. Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a … lovable animal-herding UFO! In Flock, players take control of an alien UFO that is tasked with herding animals to its mothership through a variety of interactive levels. Players will have to overcome the stubbornness of the temperamental beasts (this may require the use of fear, or amorous yearnings, etc.), as well as a series of environmental puzzles that must be solved using Flock's physics-based gameplay. By finding or making a passable route, players can herd the animals safely toward the ship. Solving the puzzles within the suggested time limit yields exciting rewards. But players can also take their time to find more hidden bonuses. Flock uses a sophisticated physics engine that drives the challenging puzzle elements of the game. Whether it's using the Tractor beam to move obstacles out of the way, or the Depressor beam to stamp out crop circles to guide your herds, being an extraterrestrial has never been this addictive. Friends can also join in through co-op play. And when all the levels have been completed, users can make their own with the level editor that comes with the game. Download No password!!! Interchangeable link!!!   This email was sent to g4mezblog@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.

9/11 Free Gamer - open source games

Please add updates@feedmyinbox.com to your address book to make sure you receive these messages in the future. Free Gamer - open source games OpenMW interview with Nicolay Korslund September 10, 2009 at 10:08 pm Early OpenMW GUI implementation OpenMW is a re-implementation of the (non-free) TES3 Morrowind game engine written in the D programming language. The engine makes use of OGRE and other open source libraries. The engine features an own scripting language called "Monster" and the latest release has the version number 0.6. Out of curiosity, I asked Nicolay Korslund (the lead developer) on year ago what his motivation for writing OpenMW was. Later I decided to ask some more and now you can finally read the interview, in which Nicolay tells us about Git, OpenMW's development and whether or not to expect original games as a result of the OpenMW project. The interview Q1: What is your motivation for writing OpenMW? Initially the project was started a few years ago (somewhere around 2004-2005, don't remember exactly), out from desire to improve a game I loved and from frustration with bugs and issues that made it less fun than it could be. Having been a programmer for about a decade, I felt that most of the bugs were unnecessary and could easily have been fixed if Bethesda has devoted the resources to it. I started getting that curious 'I could do this better myself' feeling, that you sometimes get when you've been doing a craft for years and aren't satisfied with someone elses work. (Not that I think Bethesdas coding is shoddy in any way, they're a company with limited resources like any company, and sometimes you just don't have the money to improve thing ad infinitum even though you would like to.) To keep up (or even start) a big project such as OpenMW, though, you'll usually need more than just one big motivation to drive you and keep you going. For example, I knew from the outset that this project was something that others would get excited about, and that's a big motivating factor. The amount of positive feedback I've gotten on OpenMW since release has been pretty stunning, and it really helps to know that what you're making will affect others in a positive way. I had always wanted to contribute to open source software, but so far hadn't found any project I burned for, and none of my own projects ever made it to the point of release. Another motivation you'll need of course is the joy of working on it - it's a hobby after all. I love programming, I love improving things, and I love reverse engineering file formats. Thee big pluses when you're doing a reimplementation. It also forces you to learn new skills - I've always wanted to learn more game development, such as using a 'modern' 3D engine, but I never had any real motivation to do it before I started OpenMW. On top of all that I had just fell in love with the D programming language, which blew me away to the point of abandoning C++ literally over night. D had (and still has, to some degree) a desperate need for more attention getting projects, and I wanted to help with that. I knew there would be challenges with using such a new language, but I was determined to show that none of them were show stoppers. Q2: Are other people involved in OpenMW or Monster? Yes, quite a few really. I started a mailing list for OpenMW about a year ago, after initially getting very positive feedback on the project. The list now counts over 130 members, and even more pay attention to the project through various forums. Only a very small fraction of those have contributed code of course, but many contribute other things like testing, knowledge about the file formats/mods, or simply through feedback and ideas. For Monster I've intentionally run a somewhat lower profile, but there are a few of early-adopter-type developers who are using it in their own engines. If things go as planned though, the two projects will become much more intertwined in the future, and I hope that Monster can contribute a lot to OpenMW (and make my job as lead developer a lot easier.) Q3: How did you find those people? Or was it them who found you? I've done very little 'advertising' for my projects - I think I posted about OpenMW on exactly one forum (the OGRE forum), the rest took care of itself. I had to create the mailing list simply because I couldn't keep track of all the individual conversations any longer. Q4: Are you going to make OpenMW usable with non-Morrowind content, so that new games can base on it? If yes, will you make such a game? It's very possible that the project will spawn an engine that's usable for other games, but we don't have any specific plans for that right now. Although we are on friendly terms with another project that uses much of the same technology, called DungeonHack. It's very likely that our two engines will share some code in the future. Even though we're not working on making a generic game engine, it will likely be possible to make much more extensive Total Conversion mods for OpenMW than for the original Morrowind engine. And the scripting features we're planning will let you bend the rules to the point where you would probably not consider it to be the same game anymore. Personally however I have very little talent for game creation (except for the coding part), so I don't think I'll be behind any of those mods myself. Q5: You've picked OGRE as OpenMW's 3D engine. What about the alternatives (Irrlicht, jMonkeyEngine, Crystal Space, writing an own 3D engine...)? I think probably all those (and many others) would have been good choices, except the last one. Writing a new engine and getting it to a point where it could compete with OGRE et al. would have taken years, and IMO it's usually a complete waste of time unless you're doing something really unique with it. There are so many good and free off-the-shelf alternatives out there (too many already...), and if you need some feature that they don't provide you can usually add it in yourself in 1/100th of the time it takes you to write a new engine from scratch. Q6: You recently switched to Git from SVN. What motivated the switch? Popular demand :) But after trying out Git (and taking the time to understand how it works), I fell completely in love with it myself. SVN is now ancient technology as far as I'm concerned. And with git-svn, Git is even a better Subversion client that Subversion is. However since it's so easy to integrate the two, we are keeping the SVN repositories on-line for the foreseeable future, and existing SVN users don't really need to change anything. I know it takes a real geek to obsess this much over a version control system, but that's how it is :) More development information You can find some technical details about OpenMW's codebase on its ohloh page. Latest OpenMW video OpenMW terrain test2: skydiving   This email was sent to g4mezblog@gmail.com.  Create Your Account Don't want to receive this feed any longer? Unsubscribe here.