: Why aren't the data files from the full version provided? Why make the engine
: open source and still make people pay for the actual game?
This is kind of complex, but it has been years since Bungie released the source code for M2, upon which AO is based (they never did release the code for Infinity or M1, BTW). This occurred before Bungie was acquired by MS, so that tells you how long it's been. As I understand it, when Bungie released the M2 code as open source, part of the open source license precluded the use of any other of Bungie's intellectual property, meaning the maps, shapes files, images, music etc. My read on this is that they inititated the open source development of AO in order to keep Marathon alive, but they still wanted to be able to make money off their intillectual property by requireing people to buy the original games. Thus the community could potentially improve on the game engine and develop their own 3rd party scenarios, but they could not go it alone. This is not unlike what Apple has done with Darwin, open sourcing the OS X kernal so that 3rd parties can contribute to it, while retaining the rights to Cocoa, Carbon and the Acqua interface. Pretty clever, I think - they get the best of both worlds.
A lot has happened since the release of the M2 code and Bungie has conveniently and knowingly looked the other way as M1A1 blatantly copied their intillectual property to port M1 to AO, and as other scenarios such as Rubicon have made use of Bungie material without requiring the purchase of the original games. I guess that the open source community has felt that releasing the full games would be crossing the line, particularly since the Mac Action Sack is still available for purchase.
Would MS come after us if we were to release the full games online? Who knows, but I think that it's quite possible. Obviously once the MAS is no longer available and essentially "out of print", none of us would have any compunction about posting the full games for download. Let's hope that that will be a long way off, however, as I'd much rather have Bungie still keep a foot in the door by selling the MAS.
Oh, and please don't tell me you can't afford to spend $10 to buy the MAS. It's really a very small price to play for endless hourse of enjoyment.
