[xman15]

Hi! I'm new to this forum.

I have a quick question about the Freespace Open Installer:
Can I still play and use the mods and FRED2 Open if I don't have a copy of freespace 2? Or do I need a copy of the original Freespace 2 in order to basically use this, if you will? I understand that I won't be able to play freespace 2, more along the lines of whether I'll be able to play the mods, make levels, etc. you know what I mean.

I'm also a legality paranoiac, so if someone could please reassure me that this whole thing is, indeed, a legal thing (don't take it personally, I'm just that kind of guy XD)

Thanks for answering! I really appreciate it!

[Herra Tohtori]

Hi! I'm new to this forum.

I have a quick question about the Freespace Open Installer:
Can I still play and use the mods and FRED2 Open if I don't have a copy of freespace 2? Or do I need a copy of the original Freespace 2 in order to basically use this, if you will? I understand that I won't be able to play freespace 2, more along the lines of whether I'll be able to play the mods, make levels, etc. you know what I mean.

I'm also a legality paranoiac, so if someone could please reassure me that this whole thing is, indeed, a legal thing (don't take it personally, I'm just that kind of guy XD)

Thanks for answering! I really appreciate it!

Short answer - you need the original FreeSpace 2 game for the community created content to work. You can get it from http://www.gog.com at about six USD, and for another 6 USD you can get original FreeSpace and Silent Threat expansion, if you're concerned about legal stuff.

Elaborated answer: The original VP files from the retail FS2 are required to form the backbone of the game. The content in them has largely been replaced by improved graphical goodies, but large amounts of the original game are still used: Interface files, table files, some graphical assets that haven't been re-worked yet.

The intellectual property of the original game also still belongs to Interplay, so that alone means that we can't (and definitely shouldn't) make the game independently working. Requiring the original game's VP files practically ensures that Interplay won't be suing us about intellectual property theft. For a long period of time, FreeSpace 2 was not commercially available by any official distributor, so that was an era of private distribution (the community basically was handing copies of the game data to each other as needed just to keep itself alive).

When GoodOldGames started re-selling FreeSpace games at very reasonable price, we pretty much stomped down hard on illegitimate methods of distribution and started to refer people to GoG.com instead, and subsequently I've heard that FS2 is one of their best selling items.

As to the legality of all the community content: The FreeSpace 2 source code was released by volition on a non-profit non-commercial basis (means as long as you don't make people pay for it you can do almost whatever you wish with it), and that means the engine is definitely legal.

The community content is a mix of original content (for mods) and upgraded versions of original designs. We have had some contact with Volition members, and they have never mentioned anything about something being illegitimate or problematic in the way the community operats. And, while we haven't exactly talked with Interplay representatives directly, we've never received any objections from them either, and considering the community is what has kept the game alive and competitive as computer systems have improved, I'd say their silence is a form of tacit acknowledgement and approval.

Regarding FreeSpace 1 and Silent Threat expansion... those you technically don't need to own, since all the FreeSpace 1 assets have been ported to work in FreeSpace 2 and FSO engines as a mod, and there's no viable way to require the original FS1 content for that to work. Silent Threat has also been re-done as Silent Threat: Reborn, which is an excellent mod that requires FreeSpace Port mod to work.

If you are worried about legality issues, or just want to support Interplay, Volition and GoodOldGames, by all means buy the original FreeSpace + Silent Threat from GoG.com as well, like said it's only 6+6 dollars for the whole set.

I personally own physical copies of FS1+ST+FS2 Colossus + FS2 full game...

[Ypoknons]

It's probably better to play FS2 first anyways, given how much of the new content builds on it. Alternatively you can play some of the standalone mods - The Babylon Project for example.

[xman15]

Hm I thought I posted a reply on here...

Well, anyway, thank you so much for your detailed response! I never really understood what intellectual property rights were until in this context, so I also learned something!

Thank you also for clearing up the legality issue. My next stop is Good old games

Thanks also to Ypoknons for taking the time to post! As an avid lover of FS I will definitely play FS2 first

I have a physical copy of FS1. Would I be able to enjoy FSO graphics with FSO?

Also, what's FS2+Colossus (sidenote)?  I've heard of FS1, ST, and FS2 XD is it like an expansion pack or something?

Once again, thanks for your responses. I really appreciate the fact that there is a strong and helpful community on hard light.

Cheers,
xman15

[General Battuta]

Colossus is just a partial version of FS2, it's not worth tracking down.

You can play FS1 in the FSO engine using the free FreeSpace Port.

[Mongoose]

Just as another info point, there are certain total-conversion mods out there that don't require any content from the retail game whatsoever to run, as all of that content has been replaced by the mod team.  Mods like that can be freely distributed, since the only part of FS2 they use is the free source code.  The only released mods that fall in this category are The Babylon Project and demos for the Wing Commander Saga and (defunct) Beyond the Red Line projects, but projects in the works like Diaspora, Star Wars: Fate of the Galaxy, Starfox: Shadows of Lylat, and probably a few others will be released this way as well.

[xman15]

I'm so sorry for not responding to these threads! D:  Thank you all for your help!

Okay so i'm confused on the FS1 deal: can you explain to me this whole porting thing? I'm sorry for being a tech noob but that's me, I'm afraid :/

Secondly, on the total-conversion mods, does this mean I just download the FSO installer and run it, then download something like the Babylon Project, and I can play it?

Sorry, it's just the instinctive human nature to save money And seeing as it is an online purchase, I am always inherently distrustful of financial stuff on the web.

[General Battuta]

To play FreeSpace 1:

Get FreeSpace 2
Install FreeSpace Open using the Installer, it should include the FreeSpace Port. Select it as your mod to play FreeSpace 1.

[FelixJim]

To play FreeSpace 1:

Get FreeSpace 2
Install FreeSpace Open using the Installer, it should include the FreeSpace Port. Select it as your mod to play FreeSpace 1.

Out of curiosity, where does one stand legally playing the FSPort without a copy of FS1 somewhere? Presumably asset-wise one should be in almost the same situation as with FS2?

[xman15]

Once again, sorry for not being here for some time However, thanks for the reply, General Battuta!

Felix, to answer your question, I don't think there's any way you can play in the first place without a copy of FS1 / FS2. So thus, legality wouldn't come up.
This is of course only my take on it. I might be wrong, but it makes sense that if you can't play it there's no point, is there XD

xman15

[Jeff Vader]

Felix, to answer your question, I don't think there's any way you can play in the first place without a copy of FS1 / FS2.

FSPort is a mod for FS2 so you can fully well play it without FS1. That is why FelixJim asked about the legal (or moral) issues regarding playing FSPort while not having a purchased copy of FS1.

[xman15]

ah i see. thanks, jeff!