[Create Package] ProjectX (Forsaken port)

[BlueRainbow]

I've been playing the static build of this game for awhile, and had fun playing the executable on Windows. It's a port of Forsaken for Windows 98 called ProjectX (Not to be confused with the audio application).

360 degrees of movement means the gameplay is open and free, and weapons galore let you tear through the Mechanized Defense Force while collecting gold, or defeat other players online through a decentralized multiplayer system. Check out the attached file and compile it into a deb package if you think the game is as awesome as I say it is.

Homepage: http://fly.thruhere.net/
IRC: #forsaken #6dof on irc.freenode.net (https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=6dof,forsaken)
License: unknown

[Christoph Korn (c-korn)]

What is the homepage of the game?
Where can it officially be downloaded?
What is the license of this game?
Is it allowed to be redistributed?

[BlueRainbow (bluufoxx)]

The game can be has for free, from source, at http://fly.thruhere.net

The IRC channels where you can get more info from the developer, if He is still around, is #forsaken and #6dof on irc.freenode.net (https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=6dof,forsaken)

No license is explicitly mentioned on the website, or within the source code. This may be an issue that requires resolution.

Redistribution is allowed as the game can be downloaded and compiled, to my knowledge. It's just a pain in the neck for a greenhorn like Me to compile, and I think it would make for an AWESOME title for playdeb. There is one caveat that may stop it from becoming material on there;

It was known then as Forsaken, and anyone who used Win9x and receives the chance to play the game on Linux as ProjectX will recognize it as Forsaken. Despite the game being ported to an open platform, the Forsaken look and feel was all property of the now-defunct Acclaim Entertainment. The Nintendo 64 port of Forsaken was taken up by related Acclaim affiliates Iguana Entertainment and Probe Entertainment.

It is uncertain whether or not the Forsaken license still exists after Acclaim's bankruptcy in 2004, but as of present, the original Forsaken is recognized widely as "Abandonware", and since no updates were to be made for it in the foreseeable future, Methods of freenode's #forsaken and #6dof channels attempted to give the unique and thrilling shooter new life by creating ProjectX in SDL. needless to say, the porting of the game impressed Me enough to give it a nod and recommend it for compiling, to make it more easily accessible to the general public.

[Christoph Korn (c-korn)]

Hum, the game needs a writable directory.
This will cause problems because it gets installed into /usr/share/games/projectx

As there are no sources available this behavior cannot be changed.
The game could of course be copied into the $HOME directory.
But it is not a good solution and means 140MB in the $HOME directory
of each user.

[BlueRainbow (bluufoxx)]

It's something you'll have to talk to Methods about. I don't work on the game.

An alternative solution (though it would suck to do it like this) would be to use the static binary, put it in /usr/bin, then make a folder link in the root directory so that user-specific files are put into appropriate home folders. The static binary worked just fine out of the box, but doing as I suggest should only be a last-resort if Methods isn't cooperative and you still want to push the game via repackaging of the content.

It isn't exactly in the spirit of Debian/Linux, but it might be compliant to what is necessary to bring the game into fruition on PlayDeb.

[Aditya V (kroq-gar78)]

BlueRainbow,

You mentioned that you can't find a license in the code. Where is the code and how did you find it? Knowing that will make it MUCH easier to solve the "writability" issue. Thanks! :)

[BlueRainbow (bluufoxx)]

kroq: I'm off it now. methods has a plan in mind to involve playdeb in some form or fashion, so I am leaving it up to methods to handle this.

Go on freenode and join #forsaken. It'll save a lot of hassle once you get in touch with methods and discuss everything there.

[Aditya V (kroq-gar78)]

Christoph,

The sources are available at http://fly.thruhere.net/download/projectx.tgz
Looks like there can't be a nice watch file due to the fact that the naming scheme doesn't include versions.

[embrosio (embrosioi4c)]

Any updates ? :( This game looks awesome, would love if it would be on getdeb/playdeb.

[BlueRainbow (bluufoxx)]

Yeah, sadface. Since Linux Steam exists, maybe it wouldn't be beyond Gabe and the gang to host the game there, save the licensing issues.

There seems to be a lot going against this game. I have not much interest in it anymore, but I might dabble around a bit and fuss with some files.

Somebody is going to have to make this one writable and add sufficient version control before this gets off the ground. Until then just play the static binary.

[Christoph Korn (c-korn)]

Starting from scratch.

[Christoph Korn (c-korn)]

Package has been built for trusty.

[Christoph Korn (c-korn)]

Published.

Thanks.

---------------
forsaken (1.18+git20140805-1~getdeb1) trusty; urgency=low

  * Initial release (LP: #902323)

 -- Christoph Korn <email address hidden> Tue, 05 Aug 2014 20:27:15 +0200