FAQ

From Shadowrun: Awakened

These are frequently asked questions stored here for posterity.

Project Questions

What is the Shadowrun Awakened project?

We are a team dedicated to producing an Open Source server and client that implements the Shadowrun 4th edition Pen & Paper RPG. We are also dedicated to creating our own Seattle 2070 using this free technology so fans and newcomers can enjoy an intense MMO experience centered on the collision of cyberpunk and fantasy. We are NOT profit-seeking. Our complete goals and an overview of our organization is contained in our Members Charter.

Who owns Shadowrun and how come they aren't suing you?

Two companies own parts of Shadowrun: The digital interactive rights to Shadowrun are owned by Microsoft Game Studios following their purchase of FASA interactive in 1999. In 2007, Microsoft licensed the digital rights for Shadowrun to Smith & Tinker. All other parts of Shadowrun are owned by WizKids, Inc. In turn, WizKids licenses development of the PnP game to FanPro LLC.

How did you get Microsoft's permission?

Our founding member approached Microsoft and gained permission in April of 2006 under the provisos that we remain non-commercial and maintain clear references that Shadowrun is owned by Microsoft and Wizkids respectively. Due to our reliance in the 4th edition rule set, we are in a continuing effort to reach a similar agreement with WizKids and FanPro; now InMediaRes. We have attempted to contact the new holder of the digital rights, Smith & Tinker, but have thus far not been successful.

What is Microsoft's involvement? And if you have permission, why does it say "WizKids LLC and Microsoft Corp. do not endorse, and are not affiliated with this project in any official capacity whatsoever." on your site?

Microsoft does not have any day-to-day involvement with the project nor are they providing any backing. They cannot endorse or affiliate with us in any official capacity.

How far into the project are you?

We have been working in earnest since March 2007. We have a comprehensive, high-level description of game mechanics as well as target features for game mechanics, client, content tools, and server. We have been working in code since June 2007. We have 2D art and 3D art on display in our gallery, along with screenshots of current engine capabilities. As of October 2008, we have some prototype applications undergoing internal testing. We are still months away from anything playable and potentially years away from version 1.0. Updates on the project are posted periodically on the website and sent out in monthly newsletters sent out to all members of the project forums.

How long will this project take?

The senior members of this project are committed to getting a living, breathing world no matter the cost. Realistically, it will be months before we have a working demo, and potentially years before we have our full version 1.0. If you are not ready to commit to that, you can still help; we don't turn away members based on how long they can commit to the project.

What kind of licensing are you utilizing for your product?

This covers intellectual property for our software, ideas, and art. This is a complicated matter from which no one has every derived immense pleasure; please don't mistake us for lawyers. We're just trying to give credit where credit is due.

• Shadowrun Universe - The Shadowrun Universe is owned by Microsoft Corp. and WizKids, LLC. We assert no ownership of the universe. This is our interpretation based on the entire catalog of presented materials through Shadowrun's 20 years of life, inspired by every piece of media that our developers found fun and interesting.
• Code - This is all the software that allows us to run a client and server supporting an MMOG. We must comply with all libraries we are using, also, we hope to share this code with others hoping to develop their own living Shadowrun cities. Thus, this is licensed under LGPL.
• Extended Game Engine Code - Not every part of our game is free. The assets (models, sounds, and levels) are all handcrafted works by our artists who may wish to maintain copyright over them. To this end, we reserve the right to extend the engine with closed code such that it complicates the activity of pirating our assets.
• Game Assets - All game assets - models, art, and music - are property of their respective creators unless specified by the owner otherwise. They are used and distributed under license from their creators with the understanding that this project is non-commercial.
• Shared Concepts - Contributed ideas added to the project - such as on this Wiki or in the forums - by an individual are licensed as "Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike". That means it will always be the owner's idea, we cannot make money on it, and any derived changes must be shared as well.

Members and Prospective Members

Can I help? How?!

Those looking to help can take a look at our page on volunteer positions. Serious entrants should proceed to our tutorial on How to get started with the project. Anyone looking to submit code directly, please do so over e-mail to Cris our QA Manager email. Anyone looking to submit artwork directly, please do so over e-mail to Stephen or Assets Manager email.

How do you operate? How are you organized to work? IE How do I submit my work? How do I know what work needs to be done?

All questions regarding how we operate can be answered by the Process Documentation that gives handy tutorials on how to get work done in our project and how we organize our effort.

How do I get on the SourceForge developer list?

The SourceForge developer list is the authoritative list of active members. The SourceForge list is for developers who consistently contribute. Also, those on the SourceForge list are entitled to vote on important issues as outlined in the Members Charter. In most cases, the lead developer of your department will add you to the list after they see your contributions. Should that not happen, you may want to just politely bring it up to them (we're only human after all). If you are dropped from the list, you are not "kicked out" rather you are just "inactive".

How do I become a senior member?

The senior members are dedicated contributors who have been in the project long enough that they can be trusted with project resources and autonomous responsibility. Most importantly, this means that only senior members are raised to administrator on any web resources available to the project. To become a senior member, you must show great dedication and all senior members must agree to your inclusion. Generally, one should not view senior membership as an ultimate reward or goal; however, we are always happy to have passionate members and would never deter anyone from trying.

How do I get an account for this wiki, the task tracker, the bug tracker, or the forums?

All of our web applications use the same set of usernames and passwords for each user which derive from your account on the forums. To create an account, go to the forums and use the "Register" option, then use it to login to any application.

Technical Questions

What Platform(s) are you looking to support?

For both client and server, we are supporting Microsoft Windows, with a focus on XP and Vista. We are committed to never excluding future support for Linux and Mac platforms; however, we have limited resources and we must prioritize to meet the largest audience possible.

What Programming Languages are you using?

For client and server, we are using C++.

What Integrated Development Environment are you using?

We support Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 Express as an option for IDE. See our tutorials for details on how to get started. It is also possible to convert the project to 2008 formats.

What technologies are you using?

For graphics, we are utilizing OGRE. For physics and simulation we are utilizing PhysX Physics Engine. For sound, we are using FMOD. For forms and widgets, we are using QT. All of these libraries are free for developers to acquire and multi-platform. See our tutorials for details on how to get started.

What Modeling program(s) are you using?

OGRE supports the "mesh" format. Exporters from various editors to OGRE's .mesh format are available here. Blender, being open source, multi-platform, and free to acquire, is a recommended starting point for any non-professionals.

What size should I make my model? What size are the units in the game?

For most editors, 1 editor unit equals 1 PhysX unit which equals 1 meter in our engine.

How do I get started coding?

Look in tutorials to get a primer on how to pull the project down from the SVN. Only trusted users setup with proper rights through their Sourceforge ID have commit access to the SVN. If you do not have commit access and wish to make a contribution, please forward your work to Cris our QA Manager email.