I've received this question few minutes ago:

Can the source code of PlaneShift be downloaded?

the answer is:

Surely yes, you can download the source from sourceforge, instructions are here:

http://www.planeshift.it/sources.html

We provide compiling guides, we ensure the server and client work from the package you can download, all sources are GPLed.

The good part is that the code which runs on your computer when you play the game is publicly available, so it can be checked by numerous people for any adware or spyware. In fact PlaneShift has been proven to be adware/spyware free by 3rd party organizations.

In case you are a developer, you can look at the code and learn more about it. Learn how a game is made.

Not the question I asked. Can you setup a fully functional planeshift server from your source code?

Originally posted by Talad

We provide compiling guides, we ensure the server and client work from the package you can download, all sources are GPLed.

Yes, as I said. You can setup a server.

Will it function the same as the current planshift servers minus the art ?

It will be a fully working server, but will have just a base set of quests (tests only), rules, items, etc... In short you can think to it as all the technology is deployed but you miss the "content", so the parts which are specific to PlaneShift game and setting.

Whats the "other planeshift only" things not included in the source of your open source game?

I do not understand your question. Everything that's source code is open to the public, server and client. All the specific game content, like rules, spells, quests, etc... are just basic ones to test the client and server functionalities. To make your own game you will have to add your setting, races, story, etc... But all the functions and features are the same as the main server we use.

Something I was told suggested that the art and rules are intertwined into the code in such a way that it would be a major undertaking for anyone to seperate and remove the parts of the code under a proprietary licence from the rest of the game.  Someone suggested that it would take so much time to turn it into a (legally) useable platform that they might as well just create a new platform.  Is this true, or is just something that person made up?

Talad promotes uncivil behavior.

Originally posted by Tuxide

 

That is bull, you can download the source code from SVN yourself and run it using your own art. SourceForge won't allow anything proprietary on their servers. The only reason other libre MMORPG projects choose to start from scratch instead of using the PS codebase is that they hate PlaneShift more than they like their own project. Which is quite a pathetic excuse.

It really seems like a technical issue, not a political one.

Talad promotes uncivil behavior.

Hmm.  It's not that long a read, but I'll do my best.

    25 [23:07:04] <Morrighu> game & engine are intertwined
    25 [23:07:18] <Cayle> with help from the planeshift team, it is workable. It is kind of spaghettilike in places. They have been working on it for five years and it shows
    25 [23:07:37] <Cayle> game and engine are intertwined in ugly ways
    25 [23:07:55] <KrYoS> And finding all those fused locations would be a nightmare of a job unto itself.
    25 [23:08:22] <Morrighu> yeah and then purging them, rewriting the pertinent sections
    25 [23:08:35] <Morrighu> etc. which will be a maintenace nightmare
    25 [23:08:57] <KrYoS> And then ensuring that your fixes didn't break it somewhere else because of the intertwining.

and later...

    25 [23:13:17] <KrYoS> Personally, I don't think the headache of doing away the marrying of the PS from the CS code base is worth the effort. In the same amount of time almost, something better can be achieved with a different source engine.

Talad promotes uncivil behavior.

Originally posted by Tuxide

 

 

To answer your original question, I don't think the people in ryzom are referring to any legal issue, but the ability to customize the source code of PlaneShift. I'll admit the documentation provided with the SVN leaves much to be desired. I've seen projects such as Anepsosis choose not to use PlaneShift's codebase just because it's not as documented as they need it to be. Not to say I wouldn't be willing to write such documentation myself; I would, but I haven't had the time I needed to since July 2006.

 I think the code itself includes documentation of what each line is.  When I use to work with DOS computers, I would leave notes to myself in the autoexec and config files about changes I had made, why certain lines were inactive or redundant, etc.  I think the PS team has done the same thing, though I haven't loooked at the code personally.  In the IRC log though, they hint at the documentation not being always helpful:

 25 [23:06:56]  Cayle, what's wrong with maintaining that code base... The comments are ingenious... //*this code does something to help the game move along

And I'm not sure it isn't a legal issue.  There are things in the code that are copyrighted and if you use the platform without removing the copyrighted materials you put yourself at risk.  Not necessarily litigation, but it might be as simple as a legally binding "Don't do that."  I agree with you though that it's more a practical issue than a legal issue, but there's the same challenge in either case.

Talad promotes uncivil behavior.

Well I know for a fact that Talad has made a big deal about Planeshifts content being meant for Planeshift (by content I mean rules, art, music, and other stuff under that license).  Various arguments have been put forward, including the desire to keep Planeshift unique, control over creative works, and making sure that the works are only used in "quality projects".  So it is a big deal to certain people, including Talad.

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Originally posted by pstruth
Well I know for a fact that Talad has made a big deal about Planeshifts content being meant for Planeshift (by content I mean rules, art, music, and other stuff under that license).

---

Do you know what they're talking about in that log then? (I'm not convinced.)

I tried to download the source code and it worked! It took me ages to figure out how to do it, because I'm not a programmer, but I wanted to understand myself if that was right or not. The code is fully available!  

How hard will be to make another game out of it?

Talad promotes uncivil behavior.