Does anyone know the status of the GPL maps? I'm kinda wanting to implement it in nQuake during the summer.

Does it really work this way in legal terms (reproducing the exact same thing from scratch)? I mean, it might in the case with maps (because Romero released them under GPL), but what about the rest of the content? Isn't the concept itself is copyrighted aswell, in which case I see no point eof doing it becaus original ID's packs could be replaced only partially.

The maps being released as GPL was an important step. Of course the other things need a GPL or compatible license counterpart as well. The retexturing and remodeling project offer some decent materials to work with. For a complete replacement things need to be converted to be close to the originals format wise though.

It will look slightly differenty of course..

Well, yes, that's the goal of this project but that's not my question. My question is at what point this "slight difference" wouldn't be considered as stealing? Let's suppose we have replacements for every single needed file dne by guys like Moon[Drunk] etc, then what? Do we have a right to distribute this package labled as FreeQuake or something like that? Not that I like this whole copyright thing in the state it is now, but it should taken into account (And I guess you guys do because otherwise why would you be cared about this project at all)

(Edited 2012-06-14, 07:29)

It's not hard to convert textures from QRP. I converted all maps from Quake using QRP textures some time ago, they look better than with textures from id software.

AFAIK the GPL maps don't even use any textures. They have been replaced with one "averaged" color per texture. That means they are 100% GPL. That means it's 100% legal. Then, with the QRP texture pack, which is not GPL, but is still free and legal, and is downloaded SEPARATELY from the GPL maps using nQuake, the GPL maps get nice textures.

That seems totally legal to me.

The only thing I'm waiting for, is the lighting to be remade, which is what Tonik has been working on. I hope he still is or that he will be finished soon, 'cause then I'll add them to nQuake, and remove that silly pak1.pak requirement.

(Edited 2012-06-15, 09:10)

What is really needed is a GPL textures, models and sounds, yay.

I don't agree with that. It's more important to have a free playable Quake without need of piracy, than a good looking Quake. Nobody will play Quake for its eyecandy anyway.

The gpl portion of the maps are just the .map files not the textures. So, u can legally compile the .map sources as long as u provide your own textures.
> tga2lmp < (credit to baker5 for this utility, source included)
this is a utility to convert a 24b img to quake's .lmp format that can be added to a .wad file so that u can have QRP textures ported to the .map before u recompile it. As long as the filenames are the same the map will use them when it's built.

(Edited 2012-06-18, 19:29)

The QRP textures are not GPL licensed, afaik. That means you can't legally compile them into the GPL maps.

I think the main issue right now is the authority on who declares those maps to be a final version. A textureless version sounds pefectly fine for our needs. I have no idea about the lighting Tonik is/was working on..

From my understanding we need our clients to accept the new maps and allow compatibility with the original version. Or else we could just rename them with a _gpl suffix but that is probably not what we want.

So this probably means we have one shot to make it right. Once compiled they have a checksum that will lead to a versioning hell if someone whats to make additional changes afterwards.

Who is gonna do these once-and-for-all-official-unofficial GPL map versions that will be exchangeable with the official ones? Where is the high QW Council when you need it?!

Also I might be wrong on the technical side - perhaps someone feels to clear things up here.

You're right. Tonik is working on the lighting on the maps, which got messed up when the maps were recompiled. I have no idea about the status of this project right now.

Since we have nQuake, getting the "correct" versions out there will be no problem. Apparently, the support is already implemented in ezQuake and MVDSV. We just need the maps to be compiled.

All the technical challenges were solved long ago. The only reason I didn't compile an 'official' pack with colored lighting is that I wasn't entirely satisfied with AquaShark's average-color flat textures.

I was under the impression that someone could come up with a more esthetically pleasing texture set. But two years on, nothing has happened. Should we even bother releasing anything if the community doesn't care?

It would be really great with an nQuake version that doesn't require pak1.pak.

You look significantly older on the avatar than I imagined.

If you click my nick you can see how I actually look.

At least having flat shaded dull looking textures in the map makes it clear that the real textures are supposed to be loaded from external sources.

There is of course the possibility to use the QRP textures - but it seems no one is sure if that is compliant with the GPL. Since there have been doubts I guess it is OK to avoid the whole quarrel at a whole.

Let's just release something "officially" :-)

You cannot use pak0.pak to create something standalone legally anyways.

Standalone as in nQuake, yes. It's legal both in GPL eyes and Id gave the project its blessing.

If no GPL maps are released before say 20 august, I won't release nQuake v2.0 until perhaps next summer. Just saying.

elo,

maybe release a minor version, before the GPL maps are available then ?....

Was that an implicit promise to release nQuake v2.0 significantly earlier than next summer if you do get the maps before 20 August? Okay, I'm on.

http://bukva-yo.ru/dm2-6_e1m2-gpl.zip

These are dm2..dm6 + e1m2 from Aquashark's original GPL release, with color lightmaps integrated.

Not included are AquaShark's dm1 and end, they seem to be incompatible with the originals. It seems that inline brushes are numbered differently from id maps, so end will not even compile with an original .ent, whereas dm1, when you try to play it on a normal server, some entities disappear but two triggers on the stairs suddenly become visible instead. I'm not in the mood to fix this, sorry.

I should've mentioned they have the same CRCs as in AquaShark's original release, so if you're using ezQuake no older than 2 years, the maps should "just work" on any server.

*awesome* news!!!!
i'll keep an eye on this... =)

nQuake v2.0 is now finished.

I just need to upload it to sourceforge and get the mirrors updated.

There. Uploaded.

Any input should be given to me before 24-25 August.

The dm3 map has some textures that aren't working.

The top texture of lifts and some of the roof textures (e.g. the roof over quad area).

http://bukva-yo.ru/texture_fix.zip

This fixes known texture problems on dm3 (lift top, roof) and dm4 (fullbright). Also, fixes sky color on dm2, dm4, dm5, dm6.

The dm3 roof texture is missing from nQuake, so I added the tech01_5.tga I found on my HDD. You may want to use the jpg version instead.

The rest of the problems are due to CRC mismatch between GPL and vanilla textures. I fixed these by adding .link files in dm3/ etc subfolders.

Just noticed two more missing ceiling textures on dm3. One is tech01_6, it's identical to tech01_5 so you can fix it with a .link file. Another one, on the way from window to quad, I could not identify.

Gee, thanks!

Is there any way you could fix a GPL e2m2? I've had it requested by ctf players.

(And is there any way of you re-linking that "easymove" ezQuake binary for me again, I have lost it since you gave it to me and my brother keeps bugging me about this?)

(Edited 2012-08-21, 19:30)