The overlord system caught in the flashlight
by Mikael Pettersson · 10/07/2008 (11:36 pm) · 12 comments
for about two years ago the overlord system made it's premier here on Garagegames. And the reception was mixed.
Since February last year there have been no further development of the system, and the users are getting restless.
The system have great potential and would definitely grow if it got some more development.
As it is now the author seems to have no time for it. And he haven't posted more then 8 posts this year .
The reason for my write up of it here is to shine some light on this neglected diamond in the torque community's arsenal.
As the development have stalled we have started to petition Jakob to ether pick up the project again, or release it under GPL so that we may pickup in his place.
Forum thread link
Since February last year there have been no further development of the system, and the users are getting restless.
The system have great potential and would definitely grow if it got some more development.
As it is now the author seems to have no time for it. And he haven't posted more then 8 posts this year .
The reason for my write up of it here is to shine some light on this neglected diamond in the torque community's arsenal.
As the development have stalled we have started to petition Jakob to ether pick up the project again, or release it under GPL so that we may pickup in his place.
Forum thread link
About the author
Web and interface design consultant.
#2
10/08/2008 (7:51 am)
Releasing the source to all existing users would do a lot to increase its longevity, I agree. 
#3
I just browsed through the entire download, and every file is either PHP or Javascript. What are you missing?
10/08/2008 (9:26 am)
Quote:we have started to petition Jakob to ether pick up the project againUnless he has recently changed his mind, Jacob has stated that he has ceased development. You can't really force him to resume development.
Quote:The system have great potential and would definitely grow if it got some more development.I still use Overlord, and it works great for me as it stands. I'm not trying to play devil's advocate, but what improvements do you want/need? What's to stop collaborative development between existing users in the forums?
Quote:Releasing the source to all existing users would do a lot to increase its longevityI may be in mistaken, since it has been a while since I installed the product, but what source code is missing from the installation?
I just browsed through the entire download, and every file is either PHP or Javascript. What are you missing?
#4
if he have ceased development of the system himself ... then he only got to win from releasing it under a GLP license so that we can pick up and carry on.
and the reason for this post was not to force him in any way but to make people aware of a system that has great potential exists. And Jacob would gain more from releasing it under GLP then to let it wither and die.
And just because something works is no reason to stop developing it further. what would you say if GG stopped developing Torque 5 years ago ... it was good enough to make games back then. ... it had already powered Tribes 2.
Considering the source ... there is legal obstacles that hinder us from doing it today.. since we can't upload the source to a controlled location ...
10/08/2008 (9:39 am)
its incomplete and in some instances unstable. if he have ceased development of the system himself ... then he only got to win from releasing it under a GLP license so that we can pick up and carry on.
and the reason for this post was not to force him in any way but to make people aware of a system that has great potential exists. And Jacob would gain more from releasing it under GLP then to let it wither and die.
And just because something works is no reason to stop developing it further. what would you say if GG stopped developing Torque 5 years ago ... it was good enough to make games back then. ... it had already powered Tribes 2.
Considering the source ... there is legal obstacles that hinder us from doing it today.. since we can't upload the source to a controlled location ...
#5
10/08/2008 (12:23 pm)
I like Overlord as well and have not had a problem with it. I *love* Assembla, though. Novak turned me on to it. Very sweet setup! 
#6
What you want is Open Source Software.
For things like this, I always think Open Source Software is the way to go. No legal hassles for making changes, and if the author abandons it then you can always create a fork and continue maintaining / enhancing it.
Try Trac... I think it has every single feature Overlord has, except Trac only supports a single project unless you use one of the plugins that extends it.
Oh... and it has many (hundreds?) of plugins that integrate it with other products. Check out the Trac Hacks website. It's devoted primarily to hosting plugins for Trac.
I'm not knocking Overlord because I've not actually used it. I'm sure it's a great product.... but if you want new features and you want something that is being actively enhanced by hundreds of developers (including the plugin developers), Trac is probably the better way to go.
10/08/2008 (3:05 pm)
@Mikael - Have you tried Trac?Quote:Considering the source ... there is legal obstacles that hinder us from doing it today.. since we can't upload the source to a controlled location ...
What you want is Open Source Software.
For things like this, I always think Open Source Software is the way to go. No legal hassles for making changes, and if the author abandons it then you can always create a fork and continue maintaining / enhancing it.
Try Trac... I think it has every single feature Overlord has, except Trac only supports a single project unless you use one of the plugins that extends it.
Oh... and it has many (hundreds?) of plugins that integrate it with other products. Check out the Trac Hacks website. It's devoted primarily to hosting plugins for Trac.
I'm not knocking Overlord because I've not actually used it. I'm sure it's a great product.... but if you want new features and you want something that is being actively enhanced by hundreds of developers (including the plugin developers), Trac is probably the better way to go.
#7
Trac is GREAT for what it costs and what it does. For my work, I like ActiveCollab. It costs buckage, but it has practically everything I need to manage multiple projects with spread team grouping for multiple customers. Some really nice 'email tickets to system' and SVN integration features coming that make AC even more enticing. Like Overlord - the source is there.
10/08/2008 (4:18 pm)
I like Overlord - still own my license somewhere. The team didn't end up using it because it wasn't a perfect fit. Sadly - there are few, if any, perfect fits. The secret to success is consistent use. Trac is GREAT for what it costs and what it does. For my work, I like ActiveCollab. It costs buckage, but it has practically everything I need to manage multiple projects with spread team grouping for multiple customers. Some really nice 'email tickets to system' and SVN integration features coming that make AC even more enticing. Like Overlord - the source is there.
#8
10/08/2008 (5:02 pm)
@Tony - Thanks for the Trac recommendation. I'm gonna check that out this weekend =)
#9
10/08/2008 (6:57 pm)
Overlord is quirky but I've been using the same build from early 2007 and it suits team management just fine. I wouldn't mind if it were better but once you own it you have all the code anyway no? Just mod it for your particular needs.
#10
"Project Overlord":
I have been in this since beta and let me tell ya, it is worth alot more than they charge for it...
http://www.give-soft.com/
10/08/2008 (8:32 pm)
There is another thing base on the name "Overlord"."Project Overlord":
I have been in this since beta and let me tell ya, it is worth alot more than they charge for it...
http://www.give-soft.com/
Torque 3D Owner Ross Cook
Overlord was top of my list when I started researching project management options and discovered there was a solution right here under the GG banner. It was very rapidly scratched off after a little research, although I kept looking back at it with that nagging feeling it should be a better option than it is.