The warnings you're seeing are because there were no Mods enabled in flare-engine by default. If you use the mods/mods.txt file from flare-game, it should clear up those warnings. That mods.txt file defines the default enabled mods. For flare-engine it's an empty file. For flare-game it uses fantasycore and alpha_demo.
The flare-engine repo is a "clean slate" for modders who want to make a new game, or keep their engine up to date by using that upstream repo.
You could package flare (the game) by just using the flare-game repo, using the same techniques you used to package the old flare repo. If your main intent is to release the game, that's the way to go.
One day we might release the raw flare-engine with no mods enabled as the primary engine package, but we're not ready for that yet.
mdwh, that looks like the terms of use for the site (e.g. forums, comments, etc) and not the game publisher's agreement.
Specifically, I'm looking at my copy of the Desura Application Store Terms and Conditions and it doesn't contain that language.
Here's the most similar clause; note it doesn't have the "with our without attribution" and the uses are much more fairly limited:
The licence permits Desura to make any use of the Publisher Content for an Application in the course of advertising or demonstrating the System or in the course of advertising or demonstrating the Application to third parties
1. I don't know if the terms of service are actually compatible with the GPL. Note that Flare is not owned by 1 person (all contributors keep copyrights to their work), so I can't give you additional permissions not already granted by the GPL. I'm not even sure that I can put the game on Desura. I think other GPL games have landed on Desura, so you'd want to talk to them about their license decisions (e.g. Wesnoth).
2. I didn't have time to support the Desura builds at the required level. E.g. I think the terms say that Desura needs to get builds on the same day that other systems get builds. I think there's some support requirements like same-day response time. I personally can't commit that kind of time.
3. We're still in Alpha on the Engine. We haven't started production on the actual game. I'm not sure an alpha tech demo belongs on Desura.
If anyone is able to grant permissions for Flare like this, it'll be me. I don't know you (yet), or your qualifications for taking this on. If I'm going to hand Flare off to Desura to someone, I need to know they're going to do it right. So drop me an email to talk further about this.
Vsync in SDL 1.2 only works when using OpenGL (which we aren't using). Unfortunately it's not something we can solve easily. The options are all drastic: wait until SDL 1.3, rewrite everything to use OpenGL, rewite everything to use something else (e.g. SFML).
In Flare's current alpha demo retreading ground is definitely an issue. When we're designing the final maps for Flare 1.0 I plan to add teleport waypoints spaced out just right to take the player back to town when it's appropriate. We'll try to avoid dungeons that end in dead-ends, instead having some that loop back to the beginning (I tried making the Ancient Temple a circular route for this reason) or that end with a teleporter point back to the action.
Obviously it'd be better to have several towns. It's just too much art to create at this point. Future tile sets will better support having multiple towns/cities in a game. This first game will hopefully get us enough momentum to build more ambitious projects down the road.
My opinion is going to be controversial here, but it's worth sharing.
There are things that players love, that are addicting, but are poor game design. I think it's borderline unethical to waste a player's time that way.
Obvious example: slot machines. All the colors, flashing lights, sounds, random chances, etc. are perfectly tuned to addict the player. But is a player having genuine fun? They're getting the same addicting chemical releases, but they could be doing something more enriching. Something with substance.
I decided early on to not support Lootris in Flare. That's a term from Diablo where items take up more than one slot, and the player would often spend time rearranging their inventory to carry a few more items (stacking them perfectly like Loot-Tetris, thus the term). Some people find this really "fun". I actually like the larger item icons for art reasons. But just because it appeals to our obsessive-compulsive personalities doesn't mean it's a wise thing to have in a game. If a player doesn't have to obsessively rearrange their inventory, where will they spend time instead? More questing, more combat, more dialog -- elements with vastly more substance.
I think wasting a player's time is a "cardinal sin" of game design. Perhaps I have the luxury to believe that because I'm not trying to addict people to my game, or make a living off some free-to-play model. I just think it's unethical, and I wish we could break gamers of bad habits. We shouldn't be tempted to pour 1000 hours into our favorite game, collecting every item and unlocking every achievement. That player could be experiencing new games instead, new core gameplay with nice substance.
I don't plan on supporting Achievements in Flare. I think it artificially extends a game's playtime, when a gamer could be out enjoying other things (games or otherwise). I don't plan on supporting New Game+ modes either -- again, artifically extending a game. How about we have games that are a few rich hours and done.
I don't begrudge games that do Achievements and New Game+, as I can ignore those options easy enough. But if a game's design is up to me, I really enjoy trimming the fat.
Decisions related to the core gameplay (combat, questing, character advancement) are great.
Most other decisions are bad. Example: right now the death penalty in Flare is 50% gold. An optimal player would hoard items, and only sell them when they're ready to buy an item (to minimize gold loss). This exposes a terrible design. A player has to break immersion to decide whether it's best to hold or sell an item that is useless to them. At what point does the player stop and think "wait, what am I doing? This isn't fun". So the death penalty needs to be changed.
Player choices should be fun and interesting, that's the basic guiding principle.
Hm. I can't figure out what's going on.
When you run the game, I assume you're getting the "default" mod at least? Are the title screen buttons a plain grey style?
Try opening the Configuration menu, the Mods tab. What does it show for available mods and enabled mods?
Does the mods folder actually contain the fantasycore and alpha-demo mods? Those are in flare-game.
The warnings you're seeing are because there were no Mods enabled in flare-engine by default. If you use the mods/mods.txt file from flare-game, it should clear up those warnings. That mods.txt file defines the default enabled mods. For flare-engine it's an empty file. For flare-game it uses fantasycore and alpha_demo.
The flare-engine repo is a "clean slate" for modders who want to make a new game, or keep their engine up to date by using that upstream repo.
You could package flare (the game) by just using the flare-game repo, using the same techniques you used to package the old flare repo. If your main intent is to release the game, that's the way to go.
One day we might release the raw flare-engine with no mods enabled as the primary engine package, but we're not ready for that yet.
mdwh, that looks like the terms of use for the site (e.g. forums, comments, etc) and not the game publisher's agreement.
Specifically, I'm looking at my copy of the Desura Application Store Terms and Conditions and it doesn't contain that language.
Here's the most similar clause; note it doesn't have the "with our without attribution" and the uses are much more fairly limited:
The licence permits Desura to make any use of the Publisher Content for an Application in the course of advertising or demonstrating the System or in the course of advertising or demonstrating the Application to third parties
In that case, based on your clarifications, it sounds like Flare could be a candidate for Desura.
I'll drop you a private email to discuss further.
I've been asked before to put Flare on Desura.
I declined in the past for several reasons.
1. I don't know if the terms of service are actually compatible with the GPL. Note that Flare is not owned by 1 person (all contributors keep copyrights to their work), so I can't give you additional permissions not already granted by the GPL. I'm not even sure that I can put the game on Desura. I think other GPL games have landed on Desura, so you'd want to talk to them about their license decisions (e.g. Wesnoth).
2. I didn't have time to support the Desura builds at the required level. E.g. I think the terms say that Desura needs to get builds on the same day that other systems get builds. I think there's some support requirements like same-day response time. I personally can't commit that kind of time.
3. We're still in Alpha on the Engine. We haven't started production on the actual game. I'm not sure an alpha tech demo belongs on Desura.
If anyone is able to grant permissions for Flare like this, it'll be me. I don't know you (yet), or your qualifications for taking this on. If I'm going to hand Flare off to Desura to someone, I need to know they're going to do it right. So drop me an email to talk further about this.
Vsync in SDL 1.2 only works when using OpenGL (which we aren't using). Unfortunately it's not something we can solve easily. The options are all drastic: wait until SDL 1.3, rewrite everything to use OpenGL, rewite everything to use something else (e.g. SFML).
In Flare's current alpha demo retreading ground is definitely an issue. When we're designing the final maps for Flare 1.0 I plan to add teleport waypoints spaced out just right to take the player back to town when it's appropriate. We'll try to avoid dungeons that end in dead-ends, instead having some that loop back to the beginning (I tried making the Ancient Temple a circular route for this reason) or that end with a teleporter point back to the action.
Obviously it'd be better to have several towns. It's just too much art to create at this point. Future tile sets will better support having multiple towns/cities in a game. This first game will hopefully get us enough momentum to build more ambitious projects down the road.
My opinion is going to be controversial here, but it's worth sharing.
There are things that players love, that are addicting, but are poor game design. I think it's borderline unethical to waste a player's time that way.
Obvious example: slot machines. All the colors, flashing lights, sounds, random chances, etc. are perfectly tuned to addict the player. But is a player having genuine fun? They're getting the same addicting chemical releases, but they could be doing something more enriching. Something with substance.
I decided early on to not support Lootris in Flare. That's a term from Diablo where items take up more than one slot, and the player would often spend time rearranging their inventory to carry a few more items (stacking them perfectly like Loot-Tetris, thus the term). Some people find this really "fun". I actually like the larger item icons for art reasons. But just because it appeals to our obsessive-compulsive personalities doesn't mean it's a wise thing to have in a game. If a player doesn't have to obsessively rearrange their inventory, where will they spend time instead? More questing, more combat, more dialog -- elements with vastly more substance.
I think wasting a player's time is a "cardinal sin" of game design. Perhaps I have the luxury to believe that because I'm not trying to addict people to my game, or make a living off some free-to-play model. I just think it's unethical, and I wish we could break gamers of bad habits. We shouldn't be tempted to pour 1000 hours into our favorite game, collecting every item and unlocking every achievement. That player could be experiencing new games instead, new core gameplay with nice substance.
I don't plan on supporting Achievements in Flare. I think it artificially extends a game's playtime, when a gamer could be out enjoying other things (games or otherwise). I don't plan on supporting New Game+ modes either -- again, artifically extending a game. How about we have games that are a few rich hours and done.
I don't begrudge games that do Achievements and New Game+, as I can ignore those options easy enough. But if a game's design is up to me, I really enjoy trimming the fat.
Decisions related to the core gameplay (combat, questing, character advancement) are great.
Most other decisions are bad. Example: right now the death penalty in Flare is 50% gold. An optimal player would hoard items, and only sell them when they're ready to buy an item (to minimize gold loss). This exposes a terrible design. A player has to break immersion to decide whether it's best to hold or sell an item that is useless to them. At what point does the player stop and think "wait, what am I doing? This isn't fun". So the death penalty needs to be changed.
Player choices should be fun and interesting, that's the basic guiding principle.
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