In a similar spirit to Freedoom, for Quake fans perhaps you'll want to take a look at LibreQuake, which aims to do a similar thing.
As they explain best on the GitHub page:
The LibreQuake project aims to create a complete, free content first-person shooter game, but LibreQuake by itself is just the raw material for a game. It must be paired with a compatible engine to be played.
There is a massive back catalogue, spanning over two decades, containing thousands of Quake levels and other modifications (“mods”) made by fans of the game. LibreQuake aims to be compatible with these and allows most to be played without the need to use non-free software.
So with LibreQuake, you will be able to play through a bunch of classic Quake content without needing to mess around with the original proprietary Quake content itself. At least that seems to be the plan. You would pair this up with your favourite open source Quake game engine like Quakespasm, Quakespasm-Spiked, vkQuake or whatever.
Pictured - LibreQuake, credit: LibreQuake team.
It's not just about allowing you to play through Quake mods and conversions freely, it's also great for the modders too. They can base their mods on this, instead of the proprietary content from Quake, and have no issues with licensing then and no chance in future of mods being taken down if they're using free software. As the LibreQuake team say: "Most Quake projects are lax on reusing intellectual property".
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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8 comments
Well… this will always be sketchy since Quake (unlike Doom or Quake 3 – not sure about Quake 2 without checking) includes a copy of the used textures in the compiled map file. So if you use maps made for the original game, you use the original textures even if you use this project as a base.
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Quoting: KlaasWell… this will always be sketchy since Quake (unlike Doom or Quake 3 – not sure about Quake 2 without checking) includes a copy of the used textures in the compiled map file. So if you use maps made for the original game, you use the original textures even if you use this project as a base.I checked on the project page, Quake is already open source since the 90s, LibreQuake intends to replace proprietary assets.
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Quoting: amataiI checked on the project page, Quake is already open source since the 90s, LibreQuake intends to replace proprietary assets.Yes, but that isn't related to the issue at all.
A copy of the proprietary assets, i.e. the textures used on a map is included in the distributed map. So all the back catalogue of old maps contains parts of the original game.
Textures made by LibreQuake will only be used by new maps that are made with LibreQuake. All other maps use the non-free textures.
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Quoting: KlaasQuoting: amataiI checked on the project page, Quake is already open source since the 90s, LibreQuake intends to replace proprietary assets.Yes, but that isn't related to the issue at all.
A copy of the proprietary assets, i.e. the textures used on a map is included in the distributed map. So all the back catalogue of old maps contains parts of the original game.
Textures made by LibreQuake will only be used by new maps that are made with LibreQuake. All other maps use the non-free textures.
I doubt the maps themselves include the proprietary assets. They would just have references (i.e. keys/tags/names) to those assets within the game. If LibreQuake can act like a translation layer and swap out the proprietary assets for the free ones, old maps should be fine.
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Quoting: MurrayI doubt the maps themselves include the proprietary assets.Then look it up, please! You don't know what you're talking about! I hate it when everyone bangs on about something they don't know anything without checking.
Quake wasn't done the way that makes sense in hindsight.
The maps really contain a copy of every texture used, not a reference! Ask John Carmack why he has done it that way, but it it was he did. A copy of the wad containing the texture (what you need to use an editor) isn't even included in the game. The textures are only kept in the map files.
Last post – If you want to embarrass yourselves by keeping up correcting things without checking the facts, please keep going without me.
Edit: Since apparently everyone does not want to do a little search – here are the first results of a trivial search:
First paragraph on https://quakewiki.org/wiki/Textures
Paragraph 4.2.1 of https://www.gamers.org/dEngine/quake/spec/quake-spec34/qkspec_4.htm
Last edited by Klaas on 18 September 2024 at 6:44 am UTC
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Quoting: KlaasQuoting: MurrayI doubt the maps themselves include the proprietary assets.Then look it up, please! You don't know what you're talking about! I hate it when everyone bangs on about something they don't know anything without checking.
Quake wasn't done the way that makes sense in hindsight.
The maps really contain a copy of every texture used, not a reference! Ask John Carmack why he has done it that way, but it it was he did. A copy of the wad containing the texture (what you need to use an editor) isn't even included in the game. The textures are only kept in the map files.
Last post – If you want to embarrass yourselves by keeping up correcting things without checking the facts, please keep going without me.
Edit: Since apparently everyone does not want to do a little search – here are the first results of a trivial search:
First paragraph on https://quakewiki.org/wiki/Textures
Paragraph 4.2.1 of https://www.gamers.org/dEngine/quake/spec/quake-spec34/qkspec_4.htm
Makes sense since the maps were created by the team along with the assets what well need is new maps custom maps with the new custom textures because if you simply slap the new textures over the old map layout it's not allowed
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I'm 100% down to check this out. If it has local MP, that could be a good win for my gaming group!
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Quoting: MurrayQuoting: KlaasQuoting: amataiI checked on the project page, Quake is already open source since the 90s, LibreQuake intends to replace proprietary assets.Yes, but that isn't related to the issue at all.
A copy of the proprietary assets, i.e. the textures used on a map is included in the distributed map. So all the back catalogue of old maps contains parts of the original game.
Textures made by LibreQuake will only be used by new maps that are made with LibreQuake. All other maps use the non-free textures.
I doubt the maps themselves include the proprietary assets. They would just have references (i.e. keys/tags/names) to those assets within the game. If LibreQuake can act like a translation layer and swap out the proprietary assets for the free ones, old maps should be fine.
it only bakes in textures to the .bsp
stuff like keys are .mdls and have their own bsd3 texture
the only thing where this is an issue is when devs who make quake maps use stock quake textures (which technically they shouldn't be doing but but that's not are issue for librequake just an issue for the devs distributing id software textures though id software doesn't seem to care even including mods that use id-software textures in the quake 1 re-release
anyways many map jams and community map packs are made with community made textures which have their own set of licenses (usually non commercial) (example https://www.slipseer.com/index.php?resources/makkon-textures.28/)
librequake is only distributing our own textures and maps so im not sure what the issue is here
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