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Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:14 am
by pd
I've contacted him and am currently waiting for a response.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 3:52 pm
by MikkoM
Geoff the Medio wrote:It's probably not going to be very useful to ask for sound effect contributions until we have a set of events and objects involved in events that need sounds to accompany them. In order to decide what objects and events need sounds, we probably need a basic working combat system, or at least some mockups and/or a plan about what sounds and parts of sounds will be needed. Having that, we can make an Audio Work page... without that, we probably can't..
Yes, this is why I asked about our current audio situation. The recruitment posts can wait until we have something like the Audio Work page set up, or at least a decent understanding of what kind of sounds are needed and where. I can do the recruitment posts when the time for them is considered right, or if someone else feels that he/she should do them or is just eager to do so, the links to those two forums and posting rules (which might however change over time) can be found from this topic.
Geoff the Medio wrote:If recruitment posts are just asking for sound contributions, not having an Audio Work page or list or equivalent will probably make contributing rather difficult.....
Could/should sound recruitment posts be about something else too than asking for sound contributions?
Geoff the Medio wrote:* He said to me in an email a year or two ago that he wasn't fond of the CC-BY-SA without NC license, and that he might change his mind about releasing the current FO music track under it.
This doesn`t sound very promising. I hope that we can at least keep the current FO music track. And I wouldn`t mind having more of his tracks to be considered for FreeOrion, since if I can still remember right some of the other music tracks that he made sounded quite good.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:20 pm
by Geoff the Medio
MikkoM wrote:
Geoff the Medio wrote:If recruitment posts are just asking for sound contributions, not having an Audio Work page or list or equivalent will probably make contributing rather difficult.....
Could/should sound recruitment posts be about something else too than asking for sound contributions?
Probably not...

We will eventually need someone to decide what sounds and music to use, in addition to contributing some of their own. This would be an audio lead, essentially. We can't really recruit for such a position directly, though, as such authority would only be acquired by demonstrating competence and sticking around long enough to make it apparent that someone is worth paying attention to.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:59 pm
by lord_midnight
for sound effects, look into sfxr, its free, and generate basic bleeps bloops and blips all day long. a quick high-pass over rough ones and a little reverb in audacity or what have you and they are good enough for laser fire. It output 44khz wavs, that you can do whatever you want to. I think it should more than adequate to get something n place for the time being. I can put together a pack of a dozen sound effects ion an afternoon if you give me a list.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:06 pm
by MikkoM
I was looking for some programming forums a while ago that could be good places to do some recruiting, and found these two forums that seem at least some what promising:

http://cboard.cprogramming.com/

http://www.programmingforums.org/forumindex.php

The first one of those linked forums, C Board, at least advertises itself as a "resource for C and C++" so it might be a place where herds of C++ programmers gather during their coding seasons. The down side of this forum seems to be that although it has a "Projects and Job Recruitment" section it doesn`t allow updates to be posted to the recruitment thread. And major updates apparently should be announced in an all new thread. I was unable to contact the moderators of this forum, but at least I couldn`t find anything that could prevent FreeOrion to be advertised on it.

The second forum is a more generic programming forum. It has an “Existing Project Development” section, which can be used for recruitment posts. This forum also allows updates about the project to be posted to the original thread.

Again, if it is considered to be a good idea to make recruitment posts to these two sites, I could make the posts. Unless of course someone else wants to make them or feels that he/she should make them. And if I will be the one making these posts, I will follow tzlaine`s example and post my drafts here first, so that they can be reviewed by others and if necessary corrected.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 3:33 pm
by Geoff the Medio
MikkoM wrote:Again, if it is considered to be a good idea to make recruitment posts to these two sites, I could make the posts. [...] I will follow tzlaine`s example and post my drafts here first, so that they can be reviewed by others and if necessary corrected.
Sounds good to me.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:25 pm
by MikkoM
Draft number 5

Subjects:
FreeOrion seeks C++ programmers willing to learn. (C Board)
FreeOrion seeks programmers (mostly C++) willing to learn (Programming Forums)

Body:
Hello! FreeOrion is a non commercial community game project that aims to create a new high quality 4X space strategy game. The project is already well under way, and at the moment version 0.4, which deals primarily with space combat, ship design and tech tree additions for both of the above, is being developed. Future stages include things like diplomacy, AI, ground combat, espionage, governments (SMAC-style) etc.

FreeOrion is being coded primarily with C++. Python is also used for AI scripting. The project uses modern C++ features, makes extensive use of the Boost C++ libraries, and uses the Ogre 3D library to handle rendering in the client. FreeOrion can be built on Windows, Linux or MacOSX. The project tries to keep the quality of the code to a very high level. This is necessary for an enterprise as big, complex and ambitious as FreeOrion.

The development speed of the project is mainly slowed down by the lack of dedicated and skillful programmers; if you are interested in working with talented individuals on an open source game project such as this and don`t mind learning new things, FreeOrion is a project for you.

You can find more info about the project from here:

http://www.freeorion.org/index.php/Main_Page

… and more info on how to contribute to the project can be found here:

http://www.freeorion.org/index.php/How_to_Help

If you have any specific questions about some areas of the game or want to contribute to the project, please register to our forum:

http://www.freeorion.org/forum/

FreeOrion also has an IRC channel: #freeorion at irc.freenode.net.
This channel isn't always monitored however, so if you don't receive a reply to your post within a few minutes, please redirect your post/posts to the forums of the project.

A good summary of the game’s current situation (note the date of this post) can be found here:

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2009/08 ... ach-laine/
This page contains an interview with FreeOrion`s programming lead tzlaine.

And finally, here are some screenshots from the game (including a composite picture of preliminary space combat material):

Image
Image
Image

Personally, ever since Master Of Orion 3 turned out to be a disappointment for me, I have hoped for a project like this. The core team behind the FreeOrion project isn`t very big, but consists of highly talented and motivated individuals that all share a common goal.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:32 pm
by Geoff the Medio
MikkoM wrote:"FreeOrion, an open-source game inspired by Master of Orion, is a turn-based game of epic space strategy that builds on the classic '4X' model by incorporating the nation-building elements of games such as Europa Universalis 2 and a versatile tactical combat engine. While its modular, open-source design allows for a significant degree of customization of the game engine and the story elements by the community, the FreeOrion team is dedicated to the construction of a living, breathing universe in a 'grand campaign' model."
Haven't read the rest yet, but *please* don't use that bit of "vision statement" text in a recruiting post. It's poorly written, is quite misleading about the current state of the project, and reads like bad marketing text.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:37 pm
by MikkoM
Geoff the Medio wrote:Haven't read the rest yet, but *please* don't use that bit of "vision statement" text in a recruiting post. It's poorly written, is quite misleading about the current state of the project, and reads like bad marketing text.
Do we currently have anything that could be used to easily summarize the project? Or should I use a similar free description that tzlaine used in his recruitment posts?

I also started to wonder, if it is appropriate to say that we are “currently in stage 0.4, which deals with space combat, ship design and tech tree additions for both of the above” ? 0.4 is the stage currently being coded, so this way it might make sense. But will saying it like that make the reader think that 0.4 is already complete?

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:10 pm
by Bigjoe5
MikkoM wrote:I also started to wonder, if it is appropriate to say that we are “currently in stage 0.4, which deals with space combat, ship design and tech tree additions for both of the above” ? 0.4 is the stage currently being coded, so this way it might make sense. But will saying it like that make the reader think that 0.4 is already complete?
Presumably saying something like: "Version 0.4, which deals with space combat, is currently under development," shouldn't be too misleading.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:15 am
by Geoff the Medio
MikkoM wrote:FreeOrion is being coded with C++, Boost, Python, OpenGL and GiGi. The project’s programming lead is tzlaine, who is a professional C++ programmer, and our other main developer is Geoff, a grad student. The FreeOrion project tries to keep the quality of the code to a very high level. This is necessary for a project as big, complex, and ambitious as ours. Most of the "modern features" of C++ are also used in the project, though certainly not everywhere. Modern features in this case mean things like, templates, STL, and Boost.

The project currently uses the following libraries: Boost (most of its libraries), OpenGL, OpenAL, GraphViz, Ogre, Ogg, Vorbis, OpenSteer, and GG. GG is a GUI library that our programming lead wrote for OpenGL. It can be found here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gigi/
This needs to be rewritten. Note that FreeOrion is coded mainly with C++, but AI is scripted with Python. Modern C++ features are used, including numerous Boost libraries, and the client is built using the Ogre 3D library. Rendering is done with OpenGL. FreeOrion can be built on Windows, Linux or MacOSX.

* No need to list libraries twice
* Graphviz isn't important
* Don't need to mention my or tzlaine's names or aliases or our jobs
* Don't mix in first-person style "ours" in with otherwise third-person "The FreeOrion project"
* no , after like
The development speed of the project is mostly slowed down by the lack of dedicated and skilful programmers. So if you are interested in working with talented individuals on an open source game project such as this, and don`t mind learning new things, FreeOrion is a project for you
Could use some rephrasing, but basically OK.
You can find more info about the project from here:

http://www.freeorion.org/index.php/Main_Page

And more info about programming work specifically can be found here:

http://www.freeorion.org/index.php/Programming
Might want to mention http://freeorion.org/index.php/How_to_Help
Also, if you have any specific questions about some areas of the game or want to contribute to the project, I recommend that you register to our forum:

http://www.freeorion.org/forum/
Not really a reccomendation for contributing... (Rather, is a requirement)

You might also mention the IRC channel, with a note that it's not always monitored, and to fall back to the forums if no reply is given within a few minutes.
A good summary of the game’s current situation (note the date of this post) can be found here:

http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2009/08 ... ach-laine/
This page contains an interview with FreeOrion`s programming lead tzlaine.
OK to mention tzlaine in this context.
Personally, ever since Master Of Orion 3 turned out to be a disappointment for me, I have hoped for a project like this. The core team behind the FreeOrion project isn`t very big, but consists of highly talented and motivated individuals that all share a common goal. To me FreeOrion seems like a once in a life time opportunity to create something that will hopefully be worthy of the Orion name.
Not keen on the "worthy of the Orion name" part...
And finally here are some screenshots from the game:
The last two combat renders are too similar, and aren't very interesting regardless. Could probably stick with just two or three images total.
Bigjoe5 wrote:
MikkoM wrote:I also started to wonder, if it is appropriate to say that we are “currently in stage 0.4, which deals with space combat, ship design and tech tree additions for both of the above” ? 0.4 is the stage currently being coded, so this way it might make sense. But will saying it like that make the reader think that 0.4 is already complete?
Presumably saying something like: "Version 0.4, which deals with space combat, is currently under development," shouldn't be too misleading.
Works for me. Could say "deals primarily" and "being developed".

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:00 pm
by MikkoM
I have updated my recruitment post based on the feedback that I received.
Geoff the Medio wrote:* Don't need to mention my or tzlaine's names or aliases or our jobs
If you don`t want that I mention your names or jobs I certainly won`t do so. However we could possibly use your and tzlaine`s jobs as a sign of quality that this project has, since tzlaine is a professional C++ programmer after all (don`t really know what kind of a job description grad student is). These job descriptions together with screenshots from the project could hopefully make more people interested in FreeOrion, as they could set FreeOrion apart from thousands of other hobbyist programming projects, which don`t have as professional members or the kind of quality that FreeOrion has.

Not keen on the "worthy of the Orion name" part...
Changed it to: "to create something that will hopefully carry on the Orion legacy."

The last two combat renders are too similar, and aren't very interesting regardless. Could probably stick with just two or three images total.
I will change the Ogre screenshot as soon as I find a good one to use.

Also, I am having some problems with my internet connection, so the progress of this recruitment post can be quite slow for a while.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:52 pm
by GlasShadow
First of all hi, i was a big fan of MOO1 back in the day and would like to help your development if i could, i am most suited to the graphics end of things with 3d modeling being the focus of most of what i really enjoy doing.

also as a added bonus i kno the basics of C++, java, html, and some assorted scripting languages.

as far as some past experience ive developed aircraft (ww2) for cfs3 and have recently released a bata map for Wallenstein:ET,

not sure how much 3d modeling is involved in this game, but i would be willing to work on most anything of that nature as well as contribute somewhat to the C++ code, my experience with that involves a course i took this summer at college on C++, got an A by the way im by no means an expert at it but i pick up on programing very fast and in fact working on a project such as this is more inline to further my computer abilities and do something i enjoy with them so let me know if u'd like me to help.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:27 pm
by pd
GlasShadow wrote: not sure how much 3d modeling is involved in this game, but i would be willing to work on most anything of that nature
There will be quite a lot of 3d modelling to do very soon. I'm in the process of preparing the concept art for ships(hulls) and some related things. What exactly are you capable of doing? High/low poly modelling? UVs? Normalmap creation? Texturing? All of it? Do you have some kind of portfolio? Please see this thread to get a rough idea of what will be needed.

If you want to help out with programming, you should first grab the latest code from SVN and compile it.

Re: Developer (and artist? and sound?) recruiting

Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:35 am
by GlasShadow
very nice, looks like about a million poly's (lol), that is just slightly better than what i can do. currently my only portfolio to speak is on myspace, username (Biohazard422) most of that stuff is fairly old but there are a few newer ones mixed in there, the ones that look way better lol, alot of it also is posts for my map i just did, not very organized at the moment, im learning flash at college and have to do a portfolio for that class that i plan to build off of for a personal one of that and some artwork but as of yet haven't gotten around to it.

i can do hi-med-low poly, UV and texture and haven't used normal maps, but i can pick it up, in fact looking it up now seems like a more advanced form of bump mapping which i have done, just never ran across normal mapping before.

Image
p40 apx 7500 polys, has 4 lod's effect helpers, animated gear, control surfaces etc, painted by me all from scratch did this about a year 1/2 ago. also i like to make the mesh mostly 1 piece cant stand all these intersecting shapes i see in some meshes (pet peeve)

Image

Image
This is a work i just started yesterday, more in line with what you'll be looking for i imagine