Commercial Game Using Zandronum

[titan314]

(pardon me if this is in the wrong forum. I am new here)

Hi. I love Doom and other sprite based fps's with a passion and I want to make my own game. I would like to use Zandronum (possibly modified) to power my game. I have read the licenses and from what I understand to use Zandronum for my game I must

*Leave the same license on the engine
*Provide the source code for the engine and my modified product
*Not use the names of the authors or contributors to endorse my product.

I would like some help to know if I missed anything and/or misunderstood something in these licenses. Thank you!

[AkumaKing]

I don't think you can use Zandronum as a base engine, because it itself is based off Doom's engine, which is someone else's work. I may be wrong about this, but I'd think you would also need id's permission or something similar since they made the original code. Don't take my word on this, though, I'm just taking an educated guess on how things work. Also, if I'm wrong, I might end up doing something similar.

[Ænima]

http://action.mancubus.net


You can do anything you want as long as you have the proper permissions, credits, and you don't try to sell it for profit, IIRC.

[titan314]

@AkumaKing
Under the old license I would not be able to use it for profit. But the code was released again with the GNU GPL. From which I can gather that I can use it however I want, as long as I make the source code readily available to everyone who uses my product.
(I may also be wrong).

On GNU's website it says I have:
the freedom to use the software for any purpose,
the freedom to change the software to suit your needs,
the freedom to share the software with your friends and neighbors, and
the freedom to share the changes you make.
Thank you for your thought though.

*EDIT*
#ॐ Ænima
So you are saying that I can not use the doom engine for a commercial game. What if I got permission from the creators of Zandronum/Id software?

[AkumaKing]

At best, you could probably make a free game using the engine. That's what I think.

[Hypnotoad]

You can use the Doom engine and some ports of which to release a commercial game. However, with ZDoom and Zandronum specifically it is far more complicated because it incorporates many licenses including the build license and the FMOD licenses, see here: http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f= ... 06#p605164

[titan314]

What if I got permission from the creators of Zdoom/Zandronum?
*EDIT*
So I guess I will look for an engine some more.

[Ænima]

You have to pay $500 just to use FMOD in your commercial product.


Just make a free game, dude. I highly doubt anybody's gonna pay for a game that could easily just be an IWAD, even if you only charge $5 on steam or something. In which case you'd probably still not have enough money to break even from that FMOD royalty.

What if I got permission from the creators of Zdoom/Zandronum?

That doesnt matter, FMOD isn't theirs, they're using it under free license.

[titan314]

Ok thank you for the info.

[TerminusEst13]

You have to pay $500 just to use FMOD in your commercial product.

FMOD allows free usage for indie developers.

http://www.fmod.org/fmod-now-free-for-indies/

[Laggy Blazko]

Would it be allowed if you technically sold the WADs/PK3s and distributed the engine for free?

[Ænima]

You have to pay $500 just to use FMOD in your commercial product.

FMOD allows free usage for indie developers.

http://www.fmod.org/fmod-now-free-for-indies/

Whoa! Cool. That was only last year.

Okay so disregard what I said about FMOD being $500.

Would it be allowed if you technically sold the WADs/PK3s and distributed the engine for free?

Yes. As long as what you're selling is yours and doesn't require a license then yeah there's nothing wrong with selling data in a PK3. Can't guarantee a PK3/wad wouldn't be peer-to-peer'd within a week though.

[titan314]

Ok. So if I have 100% original content in my wad/pk3 and the Zandronum is downloaded separately from the game, I can use it? (or does it not need to be seperate?) Great!

[samsaraplayer]

Do a free game with it, maybe look for other ways to make profit with it, maybe a f2p

[titan314]

Do a free game with it, maybe look for other ways to make profit with it, maybe a f2p

I will be like EA. 500$ of DLC!.

In all seriousness perhaps I will make a free (shareware) version that only contains some of the game. And then perhaps Have a paid version. Just like Doom.

[samsaraplayer]

Do a free game with it, maybe look for other ways to make profit with it, maybe a f2p

I will be like EA. 500$ of DLC!.

In all seriousness perhaps I will make a free (shareware) version that only contains some of the game. And then perhaps Have a paid version. Just like Doom.

I doubt someone will buy it, there are games with better graphics for 5 dollars and using an engine like Zandronum for a paid game is not well seen, are you looking for fast money?.

[Laggy Blazko]

I disagree. People still like retro graphics these days. And Zandronum is a nice engine.

[samsaraplayer]

I disagree. People still like retro graphics these days. And Zandronum is a nice engine.

But people don't like to pay mods, did you forgot what happened when steam tried to sell mods? Making a true game is very hard, is not one man work and is not simple, people like retro graphics but they don't want doom, they want 8 bit sprites with a ton of content that a NES or SNES can't handle.

[Laggy Blazko]

If it doesn't use Doom resources it would probably still be considered a full game. And it wouldn't be the first time someone makes one.
The part about 8 bit sprites might be right, though. But who knows...

[titan314]

1. I understand that some people don't like retro style graphics. (I have learned by living with my brother)
2. They are not mods. It is like having a demo and a full version of a game.

If you won't buy/download it. I'm OK with that, but I am still going to make it just for the fun of it. The big problem with the gaming industry is that companies worry too much on what will sell, and not enough on making a game to remember.