[Jeff Vader]

And even if they changed something about FS2, it would most certainly concern the game engine. If you use the FSO engine, the original engine of the game will be ignored and any changes in it go completely unnoticed.

[Polpolion]

Here's the thing: If you care at all, then you care enough to buy the game. If you don't care, then stop whining and "procure" it before the prices rises above a few hours worth of internet usage.

[chief1983]

That's the thing, it's not abandonware.  Just because Interplay is too poor to enforce their rights over the game doesn't mean they don't still own it.  GOG has no custody of it.  They're merely a distributor, Interplay is still the publisher, and Volition is still the game's developer.  Interplay still owns the license to the universe and the game itself.

[Mongoose]

From all reports I've heard, even though it's still in a closed-beta phase, GOG has quite a product.  No DRM, no Steam-like interface, no reporting back to some central server somewhere.  Just a simple download that you can back up as many times as your little heart desires.  I'm half-considering signing up for the beta myself.

[chief1983]

I already did.  Hope I get accepted soon.

[Akalabeth Angel]

    If anything this should boost the number of members on HLP and other places as Freespace becomes more accessible to more individuals, it should bring more players and more interest into the community. Likewise, the large community should stimulate interest in GoG and potentially increase their sales to some extent though probably not to the same extent that it helps modding.  So unless HLP is crimping their business I don't see why anyone would crak down on us.

[tinfoil]

makes sense, although you never know what sort of fit they might through if we're percieved as a threat...

[chief1983]

The only threat we pose is that there are currently numerous places to get the ISOs that they're charging $6 or whatever for.  We could stop distributing retail data if this looks like a viable method of acquisition, and there would be no more threat from us.

[blackhole]

Out of curiosity, would it be possible to distribute only free, community content with FS2, in the case of a total conversion like BtRL?

[chief1983]

I think that if there is an active publisher for FS2, it'd be in the community's best interest not to try to compete with them.  Don't you agree?  I mean we do want them to make money off of it don't we?

[Colonol Dekker]

Only if they're gonna continue the series personally. . . To a standard at the very least.

[tinfoil]

I think that if there is an active publisher for FS2, it'd be in the community's best interest not to try to compete with them.  Don't you agree?  I mean we do want them to make money off of it don't we?

Personally er... not really

[Mongoose]

No one's going to continue the series, but the point still stands that promoting a cheap, convenient, legal means of acquiring the game serves the community's best interest.  FS2 seems to be one of those games that has a decent amount of notoriety around the PC gaming world, so if people realize that this Good Old Games source exists (and from what I've seen, a decent amount of word has gotten out about it), they'll be more likely to either try it for the first time or pick it up again after a long while.  More people playing FS2 means more people learning about the SCP (providing we do our jobs right) and potentially getting involved in the community, which is a good thing.  There are communities out there that would kill to get their games featured on a similar service.

[Akalabeth Angel]

I think that if there is an active publisher for FS2, it'd be in the community's best interest not to try to compete with them.  Don't you agree?  I mean we do want them to make money off of it don't we?

Personally er... not really

     So you think it's in the communities best interest to provide FS2 illegally while an online store provides it legally for rock bottom prices?

[Turey]

I'm all for removing our ISO links once this site gets underway. It looks like they're going to have a forum, a few well-placed posts could significantly increase SCP downloads.

[chief1983]

I think that if there is an active publisher for FS2, it'd be in the community's best interest not to try to compete with them.  Don't you agree?  I mean we do want them to make money off of it don't we?

Personally er... not really

Look, since you're 13, I'll go easy on you.  Basically, since there are currently no official distributors of Freespace, there's no one to actually care that we make it fairly easy to get a copy of the game at no cost.  But if Interplay, the company responsible for the game we love, actually does enter into an agreement with a distributor that starts helping them make more money, it would not help anyone to keep that up.  Even though I already own the game, I'd be tempted to buy another copy just to prove a point.  It is piracy after all, and when there's actually someone around that it could hurt, it definitely changes things.  HOTU has no problem telling people where to acquire old games, if they're still around, and we shouldn't be any different.  It's DRM free, and even if the game itself is somehow broken with the SCP after any possible changes they make, everyone should at least be able to say they've legally acquired their copy somehow.

[tinfoil]

i hate it when i post random things and forget about it. i must have been half asleep or somthing

  sorry looks like i'm still a noob

[Flipside]

My excuse is that I bought FS2 on the week it game out and the discs got old. Since I'm paying for a license, not a disc, if distributors are to be believed, then the loss of the disc through age does not destroy the license, therefore I still own FS2 even if the original discs are destroyed now.

[Mars]

People are much more likely to try the game if it's free, and the community is much more likely to grow as a result.

What we could do is stop distributing retail data, but widely distribute a FSOed version of the original FS2 demo.

[chief1983]

Yeah we can distribute all the demo data we want.