Free Empires
From Pigasoftware
Engine: Gambas Genie
Type: Real Time Strategy Game
Genre(s): Historical
License: GNU General Public License
Website http://freeempires.yoll.net
Free Empires (FE) is a Piga Software project to make a Free Software clone of the Microsoft and Ensemble Studios strategy game Age of Empires (AoE). It is intended to run on GNU/Linux and other Unix-like operating systems, others are interested in making it work on Microsoft Windows. The series will chronicle the rise and fall of human empires and civilizations as they advance through history. There are four games planned for the series, spanning from the Pleistocene to the Modern Age.
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History
The idea for making an Age of Empires-like game came soon after the Piga Software developers first played Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings in 2005. The original idea was to make a Age of Kings-like game called "Age of Kingdoms", however that was abandoned, then development on Free Empires was started. It was originally being developed in Game Maker 6.1, but it stopped being developed in April 2007.
GNU/Linux Development
Development on the GNU/Linux version was started in April of 2007 and webmaster Graham L. Wilson created the first draft of the Free Empires website. Later when a discussion about running Age of Empires on GNU/Linux through WINE cropped up on the Linux Questions forums Hamish Wilson announced the project. This brought a lot of initial interest onto the newly created modern version of the Piga Software Forum, with many complimenting FE as a good idea and offering their services. This community has died down since then but this is mostly due to a lack of released content to talk about, though there is hopes for it to be revitalized by the new October 2009 release. Since the project began numerous development shots have been released, including one from the very first night of development.
Due to popular demand, Free Empires released its first Source Release on June 21, 2007 and another was supposed to be released on October 26, 2007, the tenth anniversary of the release of Age of Empires. However, because of technical difficulties it was not released until November 9, 2007. These two Source Releases were primarily focused on setting up and exploring a variety of different game features, rather than starting outlines for game play itself. On March 24, 2008 a representative from the Extreme Tux Racer project named Christian Picon (cpicon92) came to the forum and announced that he wanted to make Extreme Tux Racer and Free Empires partner projects, just like that project had been doing with other free software projects. The projects still remain partners. Around this time work on the spin-off game Age of War began.
A technical demo for Gambas Genie showcasing mouse-based unit movement was released on July 15, 2008, after assistance from Christian Picon helped fine tune the needed formula. For many months all that was released about the development of FE was vague statements on the Piga Software Forum. However, in early August 2008 news a notable experimental technological advancement was released, as well as a new development shot showing an alignment of Villagers in the form of "FE! Piga" (not a game play feat, however, but a potential drawing one). A later development shot showcased texturing (building on from the old drawing experiments). Two other tech demos were being created showing resource management and another technological research. One was started in December 2008 to try creating basic attack controls and enemy artificial intelligence.
All of these were being created to build up features to be merged on top of the new object rendering and texture system in SR 3.0. Graham Wilson later announced that he had stopped working on the tech demos, and was working on a "tech demo to rule them all", which was aimed at creating something half playable, using inelegant tricks for the moment if necessary (object rendering for example). The first source release for this project, Lamp Refugee was completed October 26, 2009. The offical release date for any final release is "When it's Done." Free Empires for GNU/Linux is being made in Gambas with primary development being on Griffindor, with more and more development being done on Snape.
Microsoft Windows Development
Microsoft Windows development began on July 6, 2007. There is currently no source code released. The Windows version of Free Empires is being developed using Visual Basic 2005 Express on a laptop running Windows XP Home, Service Pack 2 .
As of August 2008 new plans have been made regarding the Windows port. After GNU/Linux development goes beta the Windows project will be redone from scratch. At that time, all existing attempts at a Windows port will be released. The plans for the Windows port is that it is still to be done in Visual Studio 2005 Express to ensure compatibility and ease of access to programming tools. However, if anyone has any suggestions for other Visual Basic, or GAMBAS-like tools in Windows feel free to add to the discussion page links to them.
More recently new plans have been made including the possibility of creating a detailed instruction document for running coLinux.
Units and Buildings Currently in Free Empires
Villager
The Villager is a usable object that says "Rogan" when engaged. When the player left clicks on the map it exclaims "Ommos" and zips instantaneously to the player's cursor (this has been rectified in other GG developments). It can gather wood when placed EXACTLY on top of a tree, this action is also instantaneous. This action is also done when hunting the Gazelle. The unit is to come in both male and female forms however only the male is present in the latest release. The Villager can be slain with the "Delete" key. The graphics for the Male Villager is under the GPL 3 but the "Rogan" and "Ommos" sounds are used under the permission of Ensemble Studios which allows its use under non-commercial purposes. GPLed sounds are to be added in SR 3.0.
Wild Men Villager
What will one day be the CaW version of the "Gaia" Villagers from AoE. Currently it just stands there exclaiming "Rogan" if engaged. The Wild Men Villager's graphics and under the GPL 3. The "Rogan" sound is used under permission from Ensemble Studios for the use under non-corporate conditions. A GPLed sound is intended to be added in SR 3.0.
House
The House is a usable object that makes a sound when engaged. Eventually going to be used to store units, right now however, it is just a decorative object. It can be destroyed by hitting the "Delete" key. The graphics and sounds for the House is under the GPL 3.
Town Centre
The Town Centre is an object that may be clicked on by the player. It can be used to start a building sequence for a new Villager. This sequence is as of yet flaky and does not ever actually build a Villager. Advancements on this front are to be added in SR 3.0. The option to go to the "Neolithic Age" is also available but is not allowed in CaW. It can be destroyed by hitting the "Delete" key. The graphics and sounds for the Town Centre are under the GPL 3.
Market
The most functional of the objects in SR 2.0 the Market allows one type of resource to be traded for another (I.E trading stone for food). This is done through mathematical formulas controlled by various buttons. Be warned that the formula is not yet complete and still occasionally allows for bugs (I.E getting in debt). It can be destroyed by hitting the "Delete" key. The Market graphics and the sounds are under the GPL 3.
Pine Tree
The Pine Tree is usable source for wood. If you click on it you see the object's title, icon, and how much wood is to be gained by its destruction. If you place the Villager EXACTLY on top of it you hear a single axe chop and the tree disappears and wood is added to your tribe's stockpile. The Tree graphics are under the GPL 3.
Cave Bear
The Cave Bear is a menace for the Villager. Click it and hear its growl. It may kill your Villager if you place it EXACTLY on top of it ("okay, so it is only dangerous if the Villager is a moron"). Better hunting of humans and the ability to hunt Gazelles is an idea for future source releases. The Cave Bear graphics and sounds are under the GPL 3.
Gazelle
The Gazelle is another resource that may be gathered by the Villager. Place your Villager on top of it and BOOM! Juicy meat! The Gazelle graphics are under the GPL 3.
Common Engine
Free Empires is intended to be modular. Current source releases have the levels built into the engine. However, before FE goes beta it is planned that the levels, objects, sounds, textures, etc will be completely separate modules from the base engine. The end intention being to create a series with a common engine but separate levels, and objects.
Games in Series
There are four games planned for the Free Empires project. Each game is set in a different period of human history.
- Free Empires: Chiefs and Warriors (Pleistocene)
Currently being developed, it is to only contain Neanderthals originally however later other hominids will be added.
- Free Empires: Emperors and Barbarians (The Ancient World - 600/1000 CE)
From the dawn of farming to the era of world wide decline between 500 CE and 1000 CE.
- Free Empires: Kings and Tyrants (600/1000 CE - 1500 CE)
The world slowly advances and recovers from the age of decline, the modern state of Europe and Asia emerges.
- Free Empires: The Renaissance (1500 CE - 1800 CE)
Having surpassed the Ancients the European powers explore and conquer new worlds, hacking their way through the locals.
- Free Empires: The Age of Superpowers (1800 CE - 2000 CE)
This game is mostly to focus on the major super powers of the modern age: Britain, Germany, France, America, and the Soviet Union. It will also discuss their smaller allies, and involve themes of small nations trying to maintain their sovereignty in the modern age.
Free Empires: Age of War
Is an in-development spin-off title of Free Empires called Age of War being developed for FreeDOS (compatible with MS DOS and DOSBox). Using ASCII graphics, number manipulation and probability you lead your tribe against its bitter enemy while building up your capital, with technology roughly spanning from the Paleolithic to the Bronze Age (though the encyclopedia documents history beyond this). The "Age" in its title is a reference to the Age of Empires series where it derives much of its design.
See Also
External Links
Categories: Games | Historical | GAMBAS Programs | Released Software | Unreleased Software | Strategy
