Open Source Possible?

#1 You can release the source to your scripts, but not the source code to the rest of the engine , i.e. level builder, particle editor, gui editor, scripts and c++ source . So there is not much point in GPL-ing a torque game because the core engine is proprietary-commercial (albeit with a very low- practically nonexistent barrier to entry) :-)

#2 I don't think that is totaly correct, Alex. IIRC, you cannot release any uncompiled source code/scripts or release your game/project with any T2D editors.

#3 Sorry! My mistake

Alex

#4 I think I saw some posts about a related issue somewhere before - and if I'm not absolutely wrong you can actually release uncompiled script code, as long as no torque-engine specific function calls are made.
So you could allow "modding" of your game, as long as you build your own API for interacting with your game, and don't directly expose call to t2dSceneObjects or something.
This should of course be cleared with some official from GG to be sure.

#5 Thats the Torque license but not the TGB one which seems to be even stricter. (and the thread you most likely read about it was the "is there a TGB book" thread ...)

#6 As noted, the TGE license and TGB license are different beasts. You can release the source code to your scripts in TGE. You cannot release the script source to anything that exposes the TGB functionality. If it is TGE functionality (unspecific to TGB), you can release it.

This is the relevant part of the TGB license to this discussion.
(e) Licensee may not distribute uncompiled script code which defines any Torque 2D-specific functionality, including but not limited to creating or mainpulating sprites, tiles, particle effects, etc, in any manner, unless recipient also has a license to the Engine.

Note that is not a requirement in TGE.

The source code section is the same between the two licenses:
(d) Licensee may not distribute the source code or documentation to the engine in any manner, unless recipient also has a license to the Engine.

#7 So basicly i'm screwed. Well thanks anyways. Guess my commercial license will have to sit this one out.

#8 You could release it to other engine owners, but that's it.

#9 Ok, I guess I just don't understand, but as far as I can see there's nothing in the Licence Agreement, quoted by David, which says I can't release script code, as long as it doesn't give away T2D/TGB specific functionallity.
If you put all necessary TGB function calls to spawn a new enemy sprite in a user defined function called spawnEnemy() - you don't give away anything about T2D/TGB, do you? Wouldn't that be possible to release to the public??

#10 You could release:

if (%var ==1)
   doStuff();

but you can't release

if (%var ==1)
   %obj.setPosition("10 10");

#11 I think it would. As long as the public doesn't get to see the body of spawnEnemy() in plain-text.

#12 @Johan
That reduces the usefulness of your code in an open-source context (though not in a library context; though you will need to be careful what type of game you are creating and how much you expose so as not to inadvertantly create a product which allows a large layer of T2D functionality without actually picking up T2D).

#13 @David
You're right - guess I stuck on the issue of exposing uncompiled script source at all... ;)

#14 Just wanted to chime in with the official answer that, yes, you can release your game script source code, as long as it doesnt reveal any T2D engine functionality (eg MySprite.setPosition(10, 10)). Thanks for pointing this out clearly guys.

I dont view this as a major encumberance... at most, it means that if you want your game script code to be available, you need to do a little extra reorganization in your scripts to keep engine calls away from your gameplay code, and maybe wrap some of the engine calls. Not a big, big deal.