OpenMW FAQ

[Gez]

NetImmerse/Gamebryo is described on Wikipedia as "a modular set of libraries" that can be extended as needed. Morrowind is just that: the NI modules needed by Bethesda Game Studio, extended by their devs, with their own code added. Things like the ESP/ESM format, the BSA format, all the RPG mechanics (attributes, skills, levels, etc.) is certainly not to be found in NetImmerse; and inversely I'm sure there are NetImmerse features that they did not need for Morrowind and thus weren't incorporated in Morrowind.exe.

Saying OpenMW is a reimplementation of NetImmerse would thus be claiming it's a full-fledged suit of middleware, rather than a game engine.

[Zedd]

So, this is my first draft and hopefully the last one. I focused on adding the OpenCS to the FAQ and evading confusion by keeping things simple and correct. I didn't change too much but what I changed I consider to be elementary so the faster we can get this updated, the better. Please be scrutinizing because we can't afford to be 'ok' once this project reaches v1.0 and the faq will be read by billions of people.

Spoiler: Show

What is OpenMW/OpenCS?

OpenMW is a new and modern engine based on the one that runs the 2002's Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. The engine (OpenMW) will come with it's own editor (OpenCS) which shall offer the user to edit or create their own games.
To give you a better idea of what this project is about, here are some of the aims for the future of the OpenMW engine:

• Be a full featured reimplementation of the Morrowind engine.
  Run natively on Windows, Linux and MacOS X.
  Support all existing content, including Tribunal, Bloodmoon and all user created mods.
  Allow much greater modability: change game rules, create new spell effects, etc through scripting.
  Fix system design bugs, like savegame “doubling” problem.
  Improve the interface and journal system.
  Improved graphics to use more modern hardware.
  Support to improve game mechanics, physics, combat and AI.
  (Possibly) Support to implement multiplayer

NOTE: Playing Morrowind with this engine still requires one to own the Morrowind data files.

OpenCS will support editing for all OpenMW features. Features added in post v1.0 OpenMW releases will be implemented for editing in the OpenCS. The editor is made to allow one to make editor plugins, that can be used to extend the editor, and even use it as a debugging tool for OpenMW content. The OpenCS is not based on the editing tool which came with the original Morrowind game, it is a program made by modders for modders.
Important properties for the OpenCS are:

• non-blocking
  multi-threaded
  multi-document support
  multi-view support
  high scalability
  customisable GUI

We've made a video in which we try to explain the most common questions about the project.
<FAQ video>

OpenMW/OpenCS is released under the GNU General Public License version 3, and all source code has been written completely from scratch. It also builds on various other open source tools, most notably OGRE for graphics, and Bullet for collision (and possibly physics).


OpenMW objectives for v1.0

No changes

Who is working on OpenMW/OpenCS ?

No changes, title changed somewhat though.

What is the “Old” OpenMW vs the “New” OpenMW?

No changes, although I don't think anybody who reads the FAQ knows anything about an "old" OpenMW, so I strongly suggest we leave this part out.

What Technologies Does OpenMW/OpenCS Use?

OpenMW is built with various open source tools and libraries:

• Programming language: C++
  Graphics: OGRE
  Physics: Bullet
  Sound: OpenAL
  GUI: MyGUI
  Input: OIS
  Scripting: Homebrew implementation of morrowind scripts.

OpenCS is written in Qt.

The ESM/ESP and BSA loading code was written from scratch, but with much help from available community-generated documentation.

Likewise, the NIF (proprietary 3D mesh) loading code was written with the help of available online information. Special thanks to the NIFLA / NifTools gang!
(For an additional list of the technologies in use, see Development Environment Setup: Third-Party Libraries and Tools.)

How Do I Help?

No changes.

License and legal stuff

No changes.

Note that I left the Do I need Morrowind part out for reasons explained in my original post, I added a note (in FAT) to inform people of the fact they need the Morrowind data files, that should do the trick for normal people.
I wasn't able to edit the source so evidently the layout isn't correct and no hyperlinks are used.
Does the OpenCS use other 'technologies' than being written in qt, should I add something to that part?

[sirherrbatka]

OpenMW is a new and modern engine based on the one that runs the 2002's Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

Wrong. It is not based on any other game engine. It is made from scratch using the OGRE3D renderer, bullet physics engine etc.

(Possibly) Support to implement multiplayer

Should be removed.

OpenCS will support editing for all OpenMW features.

All? Features? Makes no sense.

Features added in post v1.0 OpenMW releases will be implemented for editing in the OpenCS.

I would say "content features handled by OpenMW engine".

and all source code has been written completely from scratch

Not needed.

It also builds on various other open source tools, most notably OGRE for graphics, and Bullet for collision (and possibly physics).

Could be written better. It is doubled in the What Technologies Does OpenMW/OpenCS Use? anyway.

OpenMW is built with various open source tools and libraries:
Programming language: C++
Graphics: OGRE
Physics: Bullet
Sound: OpenAL
GUI: MyGUI
Input: OIS
Scripting: Homebrew implementation of morrowind scripts.

OIS→SDL2. Graphics→rendering.

Maybe we can have just "legal" section for license?

OpenCS is written in Qt.

Qt 4. Not 5 just yet.

[sirherrbatka]

While we are discussing this.

We should have something about multiplayer and android port.

[Zini]

OpenMW is a new and modern engine based on the one that runs the 2002's Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

Wrong. It is not based on any other game engine. It is made from scratch using the OGRE3D renderer, bullet physics engine etc.

At least the wording is a bit unfortunate. You could interpret "based on MW" as "based on the game mechanics and the game play of MW". But yeah, we should find a way to explain it more clearly.

(Possibly) Support to implement multiplayer

Should be removed.

I do not agree. We have no plans for short or mid terms. But in the long run some kind of co-op multiplayer might still happen (eventually).

OpenCS will support editing for all OpenMW features.

All? Features? Makes no sense.

Suboptimal wording and somewhat obvious.

Features added in post v1.0 OpenMW releases will be implemented for editing in the OpenCS.

I would say "content features handled by OpenMW engine".

Better. But also kinda obvious. The idea here is that OpenCS and OpenMW will be kept in sync regarding version numbers, e.g. when OpenMW 1.1 will add a new type of record, OpenCS 1.1 will get editing capacities for editing this new type of record. I don't know if that is worth mentioning. As I said, kinda obvious.

The editor is made to allow one to make editor plugins, that can be used to extend the editor

One might read that as if editor plugins will be developed in the editor. That is not the case. Also, this is clearly a post-1.0 feature. I think we should clearly separate that.

and all source code has been written completely from scratch

Not needed.

I do not agree. On occasions people asked to what degree we had access to the original source code.

OpenCS is written in Qt.

Qt 4. Not 5 just yet.

The distinction is not really that important. Just Qt is fine.

[Zedd]

OpenMW is a new and modern engine based on the one that runs the 2002's Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind.

Wrong. It is not based on any other game engine. It is made from scratch using the OGRE3D renderer, bullet physics engine etc.

According to my understanding, based on doesn't contradict the fact that's it written from scratch, it merely signifies the fact that our engine tries to have the same functionality as the original one.

(Possibly) Support to implement multiplayer

Should be removed.

As I read this line, we won't write OpenMW in such a way that any support for coop/multiplayer would be impossible to implement. I do agree it could be phrased better.

OpenCS will support editing for all OpenMW features.

All? Features? Makes no sense.

Why exactly,isn't that the ultimate goal, to be able to edit any in-game feature?

and all source code has been written completely from scratch

Not needed.

Since people have asked me when exactly Bethesda has released it's source code, I would like to let it stay

It also builds on various other open source tools, most notably OGRE for graphics, and Bullet for collision (and possibly physics).

Could be written better. It is doubled in the What Technologies Does OpenMW/OpenCS Use? anyway.

Agreed, someway I didn't take any heed to change that part, but it is indeed needed.
only "OpenMW/OpenCS is released under the GNU General Public License version 3" will do. I can add "Both OpenCS and OpenMW are written from scratch" behind "The engine (OpenMW) will come with it's own editor (OpenCS) which shall offer the user to edit or create their own games."

OpenMW is built with various open source tools and libraries:
Programming language: C++
Graphics: OGRE
Physics: Bullet
Sound: OpenAL
GUI: MyGUI
Input: OIS
Scripting: Homebrew implementation of morrowind scripts.

OIS→SDL2. Graphics→rendering.

OpenCS is written in Qt.

Qt 4. Not 5 just yet.

Check.

[Zedd]

The editor is made to allow one to make editor plugins, that can be used to extend the editor

One might read that as if editor plugins will be developed in the editor. That is not the case. Also, this is clearly a post-1.0 feature. I think we should clearly separate that.

Will do.

[Gez]

Support all existing content, including Tribunal, Bloodmoon and all user created mods.

Should be "most if not all user-created mods". Do not claim here to be aiming at supporting all mods, because at the moment, there is no support planned at all for any mod that relies on third-party extensions (MWE, MWSE, MGE, etc.) or for mods with scripts without a source.

[Zini]

We probably should state somewhere, that we do not support 3rd party binaries in any shape or form and also that content created with 3rd party tools may or may not work.

[WeirdSexy]

I do not think that possible future support for multiplayer belongs under design goals. It should be a QA format.
e.g.

Q:Will OpenMW support Multiplayer?
A:We currently have no plans for developing this feature. It would get in the way of our current development goals, we don't seem to have developers that are interested, and there are probably some technical factors about Morrowind that would make it extremely complicated, messy, and painful to implement. However, sometime in the future, some sort of co-op feature could be a possibility. If you are looking for an MMO, look elsewhere.