Re: Don't release the code yet
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:53 pm
In his Kickstarter update, Josh said, "I will prepare the source code for release." So I assume he'll do exactly that. Not shelve it, not sell it, not sit on it for 2-5 years until he's ready to try again, but release it within the next few months in some form.
The only question, I think, is what that form is/should be.
As I said earlier, this could be anything from just dumping it into a public repository with a "public domain" statement and letting anyone do anything they want with it, to giving control over the code to some individual (I do not mean me) who will put together a team to bring what's there into a state that allows a working game to be completed, even if that game is not the original vision.
The first option would be Josh making a grand gesture of washing his hands of LT. The second option, which admittedly applies a somewhat generous definition of "release," would be the most practical path toward completing LT as a game.
I personally hope for the second option. Give a small group of dedicated, competent people exclusive access to the code. I don't think he'd want to, but Josh could certainly participate as a team member in coding new parts of the whole system. (Imagine unleashing him on the things he actually enjoys doing.) Then if, even with some features removed (such as the procedural generation of infinite star systems or a closed economy), the team agree, "Nope, parts of this code are interesting but the thing as a whole can't be extended into something that can work as a game," then they can always dump it into a public repo.
If the code goes fully public right away, then I expect there'll be competing groups grabbing it, arguments about ownership, possible legal complaints if (depending on licensing) someone tweaks the code and tries to sell it, etc. And the possibility that a more-or-less working Limit Theory game that lots of us can play gets made goes way down.
Unfortunately, I suspect that latter option is what will happen. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
The only question, I think, is what that form is/should be.
As I said earlier, this could be anything from just dumping it into a public repository with a "public domain" statement and letting anyone do anything they want with it, to giving control over the code to some individual (I do not mean me) who will put together a team to bring what's there into a state that allows a working game to be completed, even if that game is not the original vision.
The first option would be Josh making a grand gesture of washing his hands of LT. The second option, which admittedly applies a somewhat generous definition of "release," would be the most practical path toward completing LT as a game.
I personally hope for the second option. Give a small group of dedicated, competent people exclusive access to the code. I don't think he'd want to, but Josh could certainly participate as a team member in coding new parts of the whole system. (Imagine unleashing him on the things he actually enjoys doing.) Then if, even with some features removed (such as the procedural generation of infinite star systems or a closed economy), the team agree, "Nope, parts of this code are interesting but the thing as a whole can't be extended into something that can work as a game," then they can always dump it into a public repo.
If the code goes fully public right away, then I expect there'll be competing groups grabbing it, arguments about ownership, possible legal complaints if (depending on licensing) someone tweaks the code and tries to sell it, etc. And the possibility that a more-or-less working Limit Theory game that lots of us can play gets made goes way down.
Unfortunately, I suspect that latter option is what will happen. I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.