Author Topic: Ferrium; Who's heard of it, who hasn't? (Read 5455 times)

Stormkeeper · **on:** December 17, 2008, 02:39:32 am

I'm just curious. My curiousity often leads to something more, but for now, who's heard of Ferrium, and who hasn't? If you have heard of it(other than in my interview of Maeglor, or Martinus), where, and do you know what it was meant to do?

ssmit132 · **Reply #1 on:** December 17, 2008, 03:09:19 am

Although I heard Trashman mention it a few times (In context of the Archangel), I don't know what Ferrium is, so I voted no.

JGZinv · **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2008, 03:19:53 am

Yes... it's a metal here in the real world.

eliex · **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2008, 03:22:08 am

Never heard of it till now. I'm going to check it out whatever it is on the net now.

TopAce · **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2008, 06:49:01 am

It was an attempt by SCP coders to start a new code from scratch, saying that the FSO engine will reach its limitations sooner or later.

It didn't get vey far. They were received a badge and a public forum where there were some general coding discussions going on (recommendations, ambitions, enquiries, etc.). As always, everyone was occupied by other projects. It was shut down soon.

When "the Smart Man" came along, he threatened the Ferrium project that he would shut it down if he got the license for efesthree. He called it the "Ferrious Oxide" project.

Wobble73 · **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2008, 06:58:39 am

*Sings in a scouse accent*

"Ferrium across the Merseyum"

Galemp · **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2008, 08:46:06 am

I thought Kazan started Ferrium was started before the source code release, as a way to basically recode the engine from scratch and have full control over it. The actual source code release killed it.

Black Wolf · **Reply #7 on:** December 17, 2008, 08:55:58 am

Quote from: Galemp on December 17, 2008, 08:46:06 am

I thought Kazan started Ferrium was started before the source code release, as a way to basically recode the engine from scratch and have full control over it. The actual source code release killed it.

Yeah, that's how I remember it all playing out.

Kie99 · **Reply #8 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:27:12 am

Way I remember it it was supposed to be a replacement for the SCP when it reached its limitations.

Stormkeeper · **Reply #9 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:53:32 am

So Ferrium was started before the source code release, to recreate the FS2 engine, only under that now it would be like a community project, so to speak, and wouldn't be the IP of any company?

Galemp · **Reply #10 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:00:02 pm

yeah... it was basically an attempt to start the SCP without actually having access to the original code.

shiv · **Reply #11 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:04:27 pm

Ferrium? What the hell is that?

Galemp · **Reply #12 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:23:16 pm

Read the thread.

jdjtcagle · **Reply #13 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:50:05 pm

No it wasn't the SCP release that killed it. It was started while the source code project was pretty solid around the time of the Derek incident, IIRC. Basically like TopAce put it.

GT-Keravnos · **Reply #14 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:55:04 pm

I think that we are all here because of Ferrium. Honestly.

HLP, the graphics upgrade project all the renovation work currently being done, NONE of those would have been possible without the release of the source code by its rightful holders, Volition.

Volition itself realised just how badly people wanted to improve FS2, because of Ferrium.
It stepped in, released the code, and even if it killed Ferrium on the short term, on the long term (and after a lot of work by the coders) we now have...

-Babylon project
-WC saga
-Redline

Media VP's, stunning viduals and all too many things to mention.

Kudos to Volition which saved all the coders from 3-4 years of coding into the wilderness, and then so much time re-creating all the missions from scratch (as there would be no way for the old missions to be compatible to a completely new game)

Kudos also to Ferrium and its originator, Kazan, who, by starting all of this caused the release of FS2 source files. This, of course is my theory, but I am sticking to it. Kazan and Volition saved Freespace from oblivion and gave it a new lease of life and a rebirth that we are all now experiencing and the modders are a part of.

chief1983 · **Reply #15 on:** December 17, 2008, 06:57:37 pm

The source code was released in 2002, the copyright date on the Ferrium website is 2004, and those don't usually get update once the author puts the site out (not impossible, just not usual). Even if it did, I don't think the project was started before 2002 and then still managed to keep kicking enough to warrant even updating the site for a full 2 years afterwards. I have a feeling it was started at some point after 2002. I can't find any more information without digging deep into the forums though.

Also, from the home page: "Hopefully by the time the current engine becomes infeasable to upgrade efficiently we will have the Ferrium Engine Ready."

Implies they were already upgrading the engine when they were working on ferrium. So it's not like the page was stagnated immediately after the source release, there was definitely work being done on Ferrium well after that point.

Stormkeeper · **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2008, 08:36:57 pm

So, as far as I can see, there are two schools of thought as to what happened to Ferrium.

1) It was meant to create the FS2 engine under an open license, but was killed when Volition released the source code for FS2
2) Ferrium was meant to replace the FS2 engine when it reaches its saturation point, but work on it fizzled out after the source code release.

chief1983 · **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2008, 10:09:58 pm

The last parts of both of your sentences sound like the same thing. I think the second one should have read, Ferrium was meant to replace the FS2 open source engine when it reaches its saturation point, but work on it fizzled out.

Polpolion · **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2008, 10:15:28 pm

Quote from: TopAce on December 17, 2008, 06:49:01 am

It was an attempt by SCP coders to start a new code from scratch, saying that the FSO engine will reach its limitations sooner or later.

It didn't get vey far. They were received a badge and a public forum where there were some general coding discussions going on (recommendations, ambitions, enquiries, etc.). As always, everyone was occupied by other projects. It was shut down soon.

When "the Smart Man" came along, he threatened the Ferrium project that he would shut it down if he got the license for efesthree. He called it the "Ferrious Oxide" project.

Oh god! I remember that board!

Vasudan Admiral · **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2008, 10:35:18 pm

The source code release didn't kill it - as has been said, the SCP was already reasonably well established by then. At the time though the SCP was plagued by what seemed to be insurmountable bugs, and Ferrium was proposed and started up as a replacement engine. A bit got done, but nothing hugely significant - people, though excited by it, weren't all that interested in working on it, and so it stagnated and died.

Those insurmountable bugs have pretty much all since been ....surmounted, and the SCP is continuing stronger and more bug-free than ever.

So basically there's no need for Ferrium anymore anyway. It was fun while it lasted though.

News:

Poll

Have you ever heard of Ferrium, and what its meant to do?

Author Topic: Ferrium; Who's heard of it, who hasn't? (Read 5455 times)

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