Month: October 2013

LL seek to model Desura open-source client after SL viewer model

Posted on by Inara Pey

Desura's former Terms of Service included language similar to that found in LL's ToSUpdate: Linden Lab sold Desura to Bad Juju Games on November 5th, 2014.

In 2011, Desura announced that their client-side software would be released under the GNU GPL v3, allowing it to be developed and enhanced by the open-source community, with the server-side of the service remaining proprietary. The code itself was released on January 21st, 2012 under the project title Desurium.

A small community formed around the project, focusing on the development of the Linux client, with release candidates appearing from November 2012 through until around May 2013 (RC 0.8.0 RC10 for Linux 32 and 64-bit). Since then, things have been relatively quiet, no doubt in part because of Desura being acquired by Linden Lab in July 2013, although commits have continued to the project’s repository on Github.

Now that looks like it may be changing.

On September 24th, Oz Linden published a statement of intent on the Desurium community pages outlining how the Lab proposes to carry the Desurium project forward.

desurium

Essentially, the Lab will be continuing the project, but under a structure that mirrors the current arrangements for open-source development of the Second Life viewer. Part of this is a proposal to change the licensing for the client from the General Public Licence v3 to LGPL version 2.1, which is currently used with the SL viewer. The company is also proposing introducing a Contribution Agreement “substantially similar” to the Contribution Agreement used with the Second Life Viewer.

The Lab believes the licence change will “help to clarify that game developers can incorporate Desura client technology in their products however those products are licensed, and remove the need to drive software design in order to insulate non-open source games from the viral aspects of the GPL.” It is noted that all work submitted to the project prior to the licence change will remain under the GPL v3 licence, and the change, once implemented, will only apply to the project and contributions from that point forward.

Rather than seeking to make an arbitrary change to the licence, the Lab is looking to do so collaboratively, with the announcement noting:

Changing the license will require that we initiate discussions with past contributors. If some contributors are uncomfortable with this new structure, we may need to evaluate the impact that could have and whether we may need to make any adjustments. Contributors should each expect to hear from us soon.

The announcement also highlights that the Lab wishes to see client development move forward on the Windows and Mac platforms as well. It also carries strong indicators of their commitment to Desura, noting that they are in the process of recruiting additional personnel to undertake Desura / Desurium related work in terms of client development and project management, with a strong emphasis on coordination between development work undertaken in-house and development work undertaken by open-source developers.

Response to the announcement has been muted but favourable from the Desurim community.

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Farewell to a garden at the end of the world

Posted on by Inara Pey
World's End Garden, circa November 2011
Worlds End Garden, circa November 2011

I first introduced to Worlds End Garden back in 2011, when I was taken there by Himitu Twine. After that visit, it became a regular haunt until one day the region it was on was under new management, and I thought the garden had been closed. In fact, Lucia Genesis, the garden’s creator, had relocated it to her own homestead region, and I’d missed any / all notices about the move prior to it happening.

However, in perusing Flickr, I came across an image by Lucia which carried a short announcement that Worlds End Garden will be closing on October 18th 2013, and that while her store on Kowloon and her SL Marketplace presence will remain, she is apparently ending her creative work in Second Life.

Worlds End Garden, October 2013
Worlds End Garden, October 2013

There are and will be many who find this news to be sad. While some are ill-at-ease with the various religious motifs found within the garden, many – myself included – have always found it a place of tranquility, where the heart can be put at ease and the mind can contemplate the imagery present in the region or simply float free.

The garden has gone through small updates and changes during its time in SL; but the central themes and motifs – the aforementioned religious motifs, the use of water, light, and sound (do have ambient sound on should you visit) – have remained constant.

Worlds End Garden, October 2013
Worlds End Garden, October 2013

There are now only two island vignettes remaining, and although the sky scene is still present, the teleport system appears to have been unlinked. Whether this is all part of gentle preparations for the forthcoming departure, I’ve no idea. However, for all of those who have enjoyed Worlds End Garden and haven’t visited for a while, the clock is now sadly ticking. For those who haven’t yet visited, I’ll leave you with some images of the garden, past and present and remind you that it will be available to see through until October 18th.

Thank you, Lucia, for providing such a haven for so long in Second Life.

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SL projects update week 40 (2): SSA, group ban list, upcoming bug fixes

Posted on by Inara Pey

Server Deployments – Week 40 Recap

As always, please refer to the week’s forum deployment thread for the latest news and updates.

  • There was no Main channel deployment in week 40
  • The three RC channels all received the same update, comprising a fix for a bug affecting group notice delivery to large groups whereby the notice randomly fails to reach some group members; a new JSON_DELETE option for llJsonSetValue(); interest list preparatory work for more correct sort order during scene load – release notes (BlueSteel).
Having fun at the Server Beta Meeting
Having fun at the Server Beta Meeting

Upcoming Bug Fixes

There are a number of upcoming server-side bug fixes due. It is hoped all of these will reach one or more RCs in week 41. However, this depends on them passing QA, etc. The fixes include:

llGetCameraRot() Issue

There has been a series of bug reports from across the grid being raised about problems with camera updates when operating in Mouselook with scripted objects using llGetCameraRot() (HUDS, weapons, etc), and which may also affect scripted objects using llGetCameraRot()  when in 3rd person view. Commenting on the issue at the Server Beta meeting, Maestro Linden had this to say:

There were a few bugs reported today [Thursday October 3rd] about llGetCameraRot() being ‘lazy’ about updates, which we’ve been able to confirm. If you’re aiming in mouselook and make subtle adjustments, the llGetCameraRot() rotation doesn’t change (but should) …

In any case, Andrew took a look at the bug and found the cause; one of the interest list changes affected how often the simulator updates the reported camera rotation value. He had added some hysteresis so that only large changes that would affect your interest list (cone of objects you’re seeing) would cause the value to update, not realizing that it affected llGetCameraRot(). There’s a fix pending, so we should hopefully have that ready for the next rolls.

Group Access to Parcel when “Sell Passes” Set

I reported on this issue in my week 39 updates. Essentially, if a region is set to group access and to “Sell Passes”, Group members ended up unable to enter the parcel at all. The problem was accidentally introduced with the recent parcel access updates, and while not widespread, is still recognised as a pain for those using the option.

Region Crossing Fixes

There are two upcoming fixes for region crossings.

The first is a fix for “‘Ghost’ avatars and vehicles sometimes appear to an observer at the sim border”. This is caused by an avatar or vehicle making a region crossing just at the limit of the observer’s  draw distance, so the simulator that the vehicle / avatar was leaving didn’t send an ObjectDelete message, since it figured the destination region would handle future object updates. However, as the observer’s viewer wasn’t connected to to the destination region, no update would be received, leaving the “ghost” image in view (“touching” it would cause it to vanish).

The second is a fix for “Vehicles which exit a region with a passenger are incorrectly autoreturned and ‘ghosted'”.  This is related to a vehicle being rezzed in a region with auto return set, and then “loitering” in the area before coincidentally trying to cross the region boundary at the time the auto return delay expired. during the crossing process, the vehicle would appear to be unoccupied to the region it was leaving – and thus be returned to the owner. In addition, the vehicle’s collision body would be “left behind” (marked as “pending delete” without actually being deleted) which could then be run into as a “ghosted” object by other vehicles.

Currently, a region restart fixes this issue.

SL Viewer Updates

There has been no promotion of an RC viewer to the de facto release viewer so far in week 40. The Maintenance viewer (support for new particle capabilities; automatic avatar render limit and feedback system) gained a further update on September 30th, with the arrival of version 3.6.7.281793.

Mac OSX 10.6 Viewer roll-back

As reported here, due to the recent Cocoa updates causing regression for users on Mac OSX 10.6, the Lab has opted to roll-back all users on that operating system to version 3.6.4.280048 (August 20th, 2013).

Interest List Viewer

It’s now believed that the Interest List viewer is around two weeks from appearing as either a project viewer or an RC viewer.

Continue reading “SL projects update week 40 (2): SSA, group ban list, upcoming bug fixes” →

A walk through Harrowdale

Posted on by Inara Pey
Harrowdale
Harrowdale

I recently had the opportunity to wander through the village and woods of Harrowdale, a new RP region currently under construction in SL. If I’m honest, my time there comprised two visits, each of them shorter than I’d have liked, thanks to RL tapping me on the shoulder or keeping me afk while there.

The region is the work of Arica Storaro, also known as the Blogging Elf, and features medieval fantasy role-play based on the Forgotten Realms. For those familiar with the latter, Harrowdale lies in the Dalelands on the west coast of the Dragonreach both north of Sembia and south-east of Cormanthor. The time frame for role-play is Tarsakh, the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR, two months after the Spellplague hit the realms.

Harrowdale
Harrowdale

A wooded land, Harrowdale is home to a large-ish village, an old, run-down port, and a fortified encampment, all linked by paths and trails, and a few more points of interest besides. A river splits the region in two, the village occupying most of one side of the watery divide, which is spanned by a single wooden bridge. New arrivals appear near the centre of the region at a crossroads, presenting a good opportunity to start wandering and meet the locals – some of whom, it has to be said, may not be friendly once the region opens for role-play!

The village would appear to offer several opportunities for RP employment, with a large tavern and several other places of business to keep people busy. Similarly, the encampment ringed by a protective cheval de frise offers another focal-point. It is apparently a refuge for the homeless, the pointed spars of the fence intended to help ward-off the bandits who roam the woods and may well be based at the old port. Elsewhere are cottages hidden in the woods, and a mystical-looking ruined tower, where torches are kept lit and a large glowing crystal lay nestled at its base.

Harrowdale
Harrowdale

There’s already a small community forming (several of whom had the pleasure of me landing on their heads during my second visit!), and Arica hopes it’ll grow as news spreads once the region is open. That is planned for the weekend of 5th / 6th October, which will see the region’s dress code / race code strictly enforced – suitable period / fantasy wear only, and only races common to the Forgotten Realms (e.g. humans, drow, elves, orcs, tiefling, dwarves, wizards, etc). Until that time, however, the region is open to casual visitors, whom I can attest will receive a warm and friendly greeting from the locals!

Harrowdale
Harrowdale

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Lab announces IndieCade nominees and official selections Desura distribution

Posted on by Inara Pey

LL logoOn Wednesday October 2nd Linden Lab announced it would be offering all nominees and official selections at the IndeCade International Festival of Independent Games, “an agreement for global distribution, without any listing fees, via Desura, a leading digital distribution service for independent games.”

The offer is open to all developers of games aimed at the PC, Mac or Linux platforms nominated / selected for the event, which is due to be held in Los Angeles on October 5th and 6th. In addition, all qualifying nominees and official selections opting to take up the offer “will also automatically be a part of Desura’s new partner program and will be supported with promotional advertising, courtesy of Linden Lab.”

An estimated 21 of the 36 nominees in this year’s IndieCade festival qualify for the offer.

The announcement came via an official press release, posted to both the Lab’s corporate website and on the Desura website. The press release reads in part:

SAN FRANCISCO – October 2, 2013 – Linden Lab® and IndieCade have announced a special prize for the IndieCade 2013 Festival, held October 5-6 in Los Angeles: for the first time, all nominated and official selection PC/Mac/Linux games will be offered an agreement for global distribution, without any listing fees, via Desura, a leading digital distribution service for independent games.

Additionally, IndieCade nominees and official selections that choose to take advantage of the distribution offer will also automatically be a part of Desura’s new partner program and will be supported with promotional advertising, courtesy of Linden Lab.

Desura has a large catalogue of successful commercial games as well as free titles. IndieCade-nominated free games are eligible for this offer and will be also extended the opportunity to participate in a forthcoming promotional initiative.

“We’re a proud supporter of IndieCade and its mission,” said Rod Humble, CEO of Linden Lab. “Celebrating and supporting independent developers is a goal Desura shares with IndieCade, and we’re happy to be able to award distribution and promotion to all nominated and official selection games at this year’s event.”

Desura puts the best games, mods, and downloadable content from developers at gamers’ fingertips, ready to buy and play. The free Desura application can serve and patch games, mods, and add-ons directly for customers around the world. Developers and publishers can share news, images, videos, and other content through their profiles, while every member of the Desura community can post comments, submit reviews, and upload screenshots from their own playing experiences. Desura also demystifies user-made mods and add-ons for games by making them as easy to find and install or update as professional titles.

indiecadeIndieCade is an international juried festival of independent games, and is often referred to as “the video game industry’s Sundance Festival”. At IndieCade, independent video game developers are selected to screen and promote their work at the annual IndieCade festival and showcase events.

The link-up between Linden Lab and IndieCade would appear to be a logical step, given that the Lab has recently acquired the Desura digital distribution platform, which has been a sponsor of the event, and that Will Wright serves on both the Board of Directors of Linden Lab and on IndieCade’s Board of Advisors.

The move is clearly aimed at strengthening Desura’s market status and positioning as a front-runner in the global distribution of independent games and mods. It also potentially raises Linden Lab’s profile among independent game developers.

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WD Project Sci-Fi launches with L$230,000+ in prizes for machinima entries

Posted on by Inara Pey

If you had the power to choose to make a film in any time or place in the Universe – when or where would you choose? Another planet or perhaps another time or reality on Earth? Filmmakers, Animators and Machinimographers’ will have 30 days in November, to write, shoot, edit, produce and upload their creative masterpieces.

So reads the opening piece for the WD Project Sci-Fi challenge. As noted, filmmakers, animators and machinima makers are invited to spend 30 days from the 1st November 2013 through until the end of the month writing, shooting, editing and producing a sci-fi short, with a total of $10,000 Aus. in prize money for the winners.

Entrants must make a short film between 5 and 10 minutes for live action and a promo piece of between 30-60 seconds. Machinima must be between 3 and 10 minutes in length, promo piece optional and no longer than 30 seconds.

To ensure no-one gets a head-start in things, all films submitted must be on one of four colour themes – “everyday life”, “the environment”, “network/connections” and “speed and technology”. Entrants are asked to nominate two of the themes as the potential subject for their film as a part of the registration process. One of their nominated themes will then be allocated to them by the organisers at the start of the competition on November 1st, 2013.

Calling Machinima Makers

As noted above, Project Sci-Fi is open to machinima makers. This section of the competition is being sponsored by the University of Western Australia, and has $1,500 Aus. (L$230,000) on offer as part of the main competition prize pool, with $750 Aus going to the 1st prize winner.

In addition, further prizes are on offer for machinima featuring the UWA Centum created by West Australian Artist, Len Zuks and brought into Second Life by FreeWee Ling. The Centum does not have to be filmed in situ, copies may be taken for use in filming anywhere in Second Life.

The UWA Centrum
The UWA Centrum, Second life – right-click to obtain a copy for filming

Essential Points for Machinima Entries

  • Entry length to be between 3 to 10 minutes
  • If entering a promo – maximum length to be 30 seconds
  • All entries are to be made specifically for the ‘WD Project SciFi’ Competition
  • Entrants must register before the 1st of  November & nominate 2 of the listed themes (see below for how they might be interpreted)
  • Prizes for machinima will be awarded as follows: 1st prize: $750 Aus (+WD prizes); 2nd prize: $300 Aus; 3rd prize: $150 Aus; 4th and 5th prize: $100 Aus
  • Entrants can also win any of the overall prizes, including the $,3000 Aus first prize
  • Further prizes for the inclusion of the UWA Centrum in machinima entries.

Continue reading “WD Project Sci-Fi launches with L$230,000+ in prizes for machinima entries” →