Just a bit of forewarning for those who will try the game. If you attempt to play getting through the tutorial does require that you read every word and follow the instructions it gives you.
I really had no trouble at all with the tutorial and I am not a game player. I prefer programming and I spend a lot of time in terminal mode. I don't think it is too complex, Sad to say I personally have told people who asked me about regular expressions to read about it themselves, there is just no easy way to explain it in a one-liner. Some things that have great value require a little effort . I have noticed that the link for tutorial has popped up pretty quickly when people come to #planeshift IRC and ask about the tutorial. And there is the problem, you do actually have to read the text, but considering the years of development and the commitment of people like Talad (and others too numerous to mention) is 2 minutes of reading time too much to ask for unlimited FREE time of play? IMHO how can anyone complain about that?
I am actually impressed by the tutorial. It's very evident that it was written with the shortcomings of the quest system in mind. I'm also happy that the dev team released a spoiler for the quest, something that's never been done for the players before.
I personally love the tutorial and i think it is a great addition to the game. Yes it may be seen as an annoyance to those who just want to "get into the game" but the thing is, PlaneShift is not that kind of game that you can just jump into. Im not really sure how to explain this, but its a lot "slower" then a lot of games, for example, it would take months of constant training to max out your character, whereas that might not be the case with other games. The tutorial explains in-depth some of the most difficult concepts to grasp, and is very informative if people take the time to actually read.
I honestly have no pity for someone who cannot get through the tutorial (barring language barriers obviously) because it is very straightforward and is only difficult if you dont bother to read Oh and it takes 10 minutes...TOPS!!!
PlaneShift is not that kind of game that you can just jump into... I honestly have no pity for someone who cannot get through the tutorial (barring language barriers obviously) because it is very straightforward and is only difficult if you dont bother to read
There's no reason that Planeshift's learning curve can't be improved. If parts of the game are frustrating to newcomers, it is a bad thing.
The tutorial is designed to be intuitive, but if someone has difficulty with it I see no reason to punish that person or blame them for the shortcomings of the game.
I gave planeshift a try. As a long time linux user and huge fan of open source software I really like the ideas behind planeshift. Also, The dated graphics don't bother me as graphics are the least important thing to me in a game. Unfortuanetly, I just couldn't deal with the having to type to NPC's thing. I understand the reasons behind doing it, i personally just didn't enjoy it.
I tried the tutorial yesterday and it seemed fine, if a bit old fashioned as in you have to actually write whole sentences or key words (reminded me alot of EQ1). However I got disconnected during the tutorial, I will try again later on.
But of course it is good if a game is as intuitive as possible, it can have great depth in gameplay but an easy interface.
We are working on it continually. Unfortunately, the single largest problem people tend to encounter is directly related to not reading.
Most game have audio and such to fill in for these needs in orienting a person to a new game. We really do not have the resources to add the kind of rich tutorial experience many games provide.
The second problem people experience is troubles if they log off in the middle of the tutorial or if the server crashes. The engine team is working on a solution.
I noticed many here are saying the game is group friendly and the community is very good, well I personally did not find that kind of experience, I had tech difficultys with the installation a while back and as I tried to get help in the forums I found nothing but people that wont get off there high horse and think they know better then you and quite rude in there own way.
Now of course a game like this will have a more mature community but when I did try it even before then when the game installed for me the people where taking rp way to seriously and trying to police everything, you I agree keeping the channels and the game more rp since that is the devolopment but ooc has existed for a long time and should not be frowned upon just because they dont like it.
It is not only there game its everyone who plays it, rp is something thats suppose to be fun not serious anyways these are just my experiences.
I agree that the community has its snobs and trolls, but going out of character is against the rules if it's done excessively or in a way that disrupts others. Planeshift is a roleplaying game and going OOC should be frowned upon.
Interesting to find my name mentioned in so many replies. And yes, I did find the comment about my needing to read rather flippant, especially when my real complaint/comments related to difficulty moving my character due to controls that I felt were awkward.
I mentioned the parser not because I don't care to read (for heaven's sake, I play EVE, all we do is read) but I'm not a fan of having to type, especially when it involves "guessing" what the npc want's me to say. That's an old school technique that I gave up years ago in games such as Bard's Tale, Wizardry and Might and Magic, along with my graph paper.
But just remember, I was playing these games before many of you were even born, and attempting to belittle my opinion (which you asked for, remember?) is certainly not the best way to win me to your side.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Interesting to find my name mentioned in so many replies. And yes, I did find the comment about my needing to read rather flippant, especially when my real complaint/comments related to difficulty moving my character due to controls that I felt were awkward. I mentioned the parser not because I don't care to read (for heaven's sake, I play EVE, all we do is read) but I'm not a fan of having to type, especially when it involves "guessing" what the npc want's me to say. That's an old school technique that I gave up years ago in games such as Bard's Tale, Wizardry and Might and Magic, along with my graph paper. But just remember, I was playing these games before many of you were even born, and attempting to belittle my opinion (which you asked for, remember?) is certainly not the best way to win me to your side.
Remember the Bard's Tale copy protection wheel?
"I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone." Robin Williams
Umm rp or not, it should never be constantly forced not everyone feels like rping everyime they login frowning upon ooc is a snobby attitude if people want you to be opened to rp and if your not they call you narrow minded then why cant rp people be opened to ooc?
It should be a choice all these mmos you can roleplay or not.
WOW, I'd forgotten about that. All of those games had copy protection schemes like that. One game printed code words in black text on a dark red background so you couldn't photocopy them, and many a game used to ask you questions from p. 33, paragraph 3, line 2, 13th word in the sentence, 3rd letter in. (damn, and sometimes they didn't work)
In fact, my name on this forum is taken from one of the evil Wizard's in Bards Tale One, you may recall Kylearan's Tower (I dropped the "a" to avoid copyright problems)
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Umm rp or not, it should never be constantly forced not everyone feels like rping everyime they login frowning upon ooc is a snobby attitude if people want you to be opened to rp and if your not they call you narrow minded then why cant rp people be opened to ooc? It should be a choice all these mmos you can roleplay or not.
I have to disagree, there should be some havens for role players, where they don't have to submit to OOC if they don't want to. If the play style doesn't appeal to you, don't play.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Umm rp or not, it should never be constantly forced not everyone feels like rping everyime they login frowning upon ooc is a snobby attitude if people want you to be opened to rp and if your not they call you narrow minded then why cant rp people be opened to ooc? It should be a choice all these mmos you can roleplay or not.
Planeshift is a game for roleplayers. The devs made it for IC gameplay, and OOC is against the rules. The game is meant for people who want to be IC most if not all of the time. It's not a matter of snobbery.
I would have to say that after a lot of thought, I have looked at the latest technology and games with massive polygon counts and seamless integration and stability and new concepts in adaptive interface. Planeshift wins, not on technical issues, but on something that is beyond and better than technology PEOPLE. This game in some odd way in all it's many flaws and imperfections allows the one greatest thing in the universe to shine through the play.
I would have to say that after a lot of thought, I have looked at the latest technology and games with massive polygon counts and seamless integration and stability and new concepts in adaptive interface. Planeshift wins, not on technical issues, but on something that is beyond and better than technology PEOPLE. This game in some odd way in all it's many flaws and imperfections allows the one greatest thing in the universe to shine through the play.
<modedit>
The fact of the matter is that Planeshift's graphics are antiquidated, and its performance is poor given what you get for the CPU power put into it. Is that the only measure of the game? No, but it is a fact.
It's just a game, and there are definately areas where it needs improving.
I've looked into 0.5 release, and it still doesn't have everything you may expect from a complete game, but I see many progresses!! Good work devs!!
I would like to see some special abilities when you develop your weapon skills. Also I heard there are mounts in game, but very hard to find, is that feature still hidden from the normal players? Is it working?
Exploring the new release is nice anyway, good new effects on chars (some spotlights or similar).
Sorry for bringing this back from the dead, but I feel must say something.
I have been playing MMORPGs for the past 3 years ( and RPGs and other games, in general, for a lot longer), and started playing Planeshift only a few days back. Before this I have played Last Chaos, Wonderland Online, Magic World Online, Myth Wars, Silk Road, Dragon Oath, Conquerors 2, Phoenix Dynasty, AdventureQuest Worlds, Anarchy Online, Angels Online, Aurora Blade, Deicide Online, Destiny Online, Dream Of Mirror, Dofus, Zentia, Zodiac Online, Trickster Online, Second Life, Secret of Solstice, Metin 2 and a whole lot more which I seriously can't recall. Sorry if it's a big list. I've just had too much free time(though that situation has sadly changed).
My point is, I know what's out there(talking about F2Ps), and know what makes them what they are. Great graphics, wonderful intuitive systems, good support- just so many vital components to a good F2P MMORPG. That long list of games you see above; I have played them tirelessly, risen through the ranks, made friends, lead guilds, and a lot more. And you know what I got from it all? Nothing!
I'm a roleplayer- I love stepping into the shoes of my character and becoming him or her or kra for a while. I love being immersed in the world of the game, reveling in it's rich backstory, amazing, original setting and enjoy communicating with others. I don't want to talk to other players. I want to talk to a dwarf, or a klyros, or a Nolthrir and perhaps go out with a hot diaboli woman(a dermorian can dream, can't he?).
What everyone here (and all through the forums) who have left negative comments must understand is that this is a roleplaying game- the first true one that I have found(and thank the lord that I did) in a long, long time.It's so rich, so varied, so deep; I could just lose myself in it. And I love that. The players really try their hardest to roleplay and where some of the new ones don't succeed, there are helpful and frienly mature players who help out, you just have to know how to ask, for which the forums(PS) is a great place.
This is a place for those of us who have a creative streak in them. Roleplaying takes imagintaion and lots of creative skill. It really makes you think. And I love that this game enforces IC conversations zealously. Otherwise the players would go lazy and OOC&OOC (Out of Character and Out of Control). And that just ruins it for those of us who take RP seriously.
Also, can you show me one game out there that is not led by a corporate team with millions at their disposal and the ability to hire people to work for them? PS is entirely free, no strings attached. The people working on it have a life of their own, their own personal problems, headaches, worries and responsibilities. Yet they find the time to work to deliver such a marvelous game. They're doing it coz they love it and expecting them to do any more is pure foolishness. They never asked anyone to play the game. All they did was say, "Hey, we made this interesting game. Would you like to play it?" If you don't want to play, then just don't.
PS works across all platforms and is completely opensource which not only means that it is accesible to most people, but that it really stands up for the spirit of impartiality. I mean, why should I be not able to play a certain game just because my OS doesn't support it.
I don't what else to say at the moment, so I guess I'll stop. I truly love this game and support it whole heartedly. I am not much good for anything, but maybe in the future when I'm more capable, I can help contribute to the game directly. If not I'll be sure to make at least financial contributions(when I can finally get a credit card). But that is far in the future.
I sincerely hope the development team will never get frustarted and say something like, "Aw, heck! Let's just give them a feature rich game that doesnt care about RP and has an IG mall to get us some moolah." Coz that would be sad day for people like me.
And to everyone else who still thinks that this game is rubbish, I humbly beg you to keep your opinions to yourself. I have been very civil and courteous here in this reply. Know that usually I'm as rough as a dwarf.
For now, that is all.
"Don't like it? Don't play. But keep your darned mouth shut, please..."
Kaylor,s you only started playing PS "a few days ago".... interestingly enough, your post is written like a true PSnoob. You're very unexperienced in the true nature of PlaneShift. Perhaps it is you who should take your signature's advice. Nobody likes inexperienced newbie reviews tbh, wait a year or three (I played two years) and you'll see. Try talking about any of your previous FTP games in the chat channel, there's social controls to prevent players sharing information about "competition".
Also, as a final note, please don't diss OpenSource by saying PlaneShift is OpenSource. Here's why:
1) The engine is the only OpenSource part of PlaneShift. The bare engine. Art, combat scripting, item database, quests, ingame settings, etc etc are ALL proprietary, so that no one can fork PlaneShift and put power in nicer people's hands.
2) The engine documentation has now been made proprietary and non-public. This means in order to get any of it, you'll have to befriend Talad. And he's not going to help you if your team contains any people who used to play/dev PS and left because of his behaviour.
3) According to Talad (the director), using the PlaneShift engine without his express consent and blessing constitutes STEALING. It's all in another thread about the IRC channel. So much for the nature of OpenSource, huh?
So, Kaylors, perhaps it is best if you read around and see what everyone is saying before posting based on "a few days" experience.
Actually, if a game doesn't pull you in fast, then why should you bother to continue with it?
Also the engine is Opensource. Crystal Space is most certainly Opensource, in fact it's very well known for it.
Talada does not own the engine, he owns the individual components of Planeshift. Using those without his permission is stealing. The Engine itself is anyones.
Comments
Just a bit of forewarning for those who will try the game. If you attempt to play getting through the tutorial does require that you read every word and follow the instructions it gives you.
I really had no trouble at all with the tutorial and I am not a game player. I prefer programming and I spend a lot of time in terminal mode. I don't think it is too complex, Sad to say
I personally have told people who asked me about regular expressions to read about it themselves, there is just no easy way to explain it in a one-liner. Some things that have great value require a little effort . I have noticed that the link for tutorial has popped up pretty quickly when people come to #planeshift IRC and ask about the tutorial. And there is the problem, you do actually have to read the text, but considering the years of development and the commitment of people like Talad (and others too numerous to mention) is 2 minutes of reading time too much to ask for unlimited FREE time of play? IMHO how can anyone complain about that?
I am actually impressed by the tutorial. It's very evident that it was written with the shortcomings of the quest system in mind. I'm also happy that the dev team released a spoiler for the quest, something that's never been done for the players before.
I honestly have no pity for someone who cannot get through the tutorial (barring language barriers obviously) because it is very straightforward and is only difficult if you dont bother to read
Oh and it takes 10 minutes...TOPS!!! 
The tutorial is designed to be intuitive, but if someone has difficulty with it I see no reason to punish that person or blame them for the shortcomings of the game.
I gave planeshift a try. As a long time linux user and huge fan of open source software I really like the ideas behind planeshift. Also, The dated graphics don't bother me as graphics are the least important thing to me in a game. Unfortuanetly, I just couldn't deal with the having to type to NPC's thing. I understand the reasons behind doing it, i personally just didn't enjoy it.
-Currently looking forward to FFXIV
-Currently playing EvE and Global Agenda
I tried the tutorial yesterday and it seemed fine, if a bit old fashioned as in you have to actually write whole sentences or key words (reminded me alot of EQ1). However I got disconnected during the tutorial, I will try again later on.
But of course it is good if a game is as intuitive as possible, it can have great depth in gameplay but an easy interface.
We are working on it continually. Unfortunately, the single largest problem people tend to encounter is directly related to not reading.
Most game have audio and such to fill in for these needs in orienting a person to a new game. We really do not have the resources to add the kind of rich tutorial experience many games provide.
The second problem people experience is troubles if they log off in the middle of the tutorial or if the server crashes. The engine team is working on a solution.
I noticed many here are saying the game is group friendly and the community is very good, well I personally did not find that kind of experience, I had tech difficultys with the installation a while back and as I tried to get help in the forums I found nothing but people that wont get off there high horse and think they know better then you and quite rude in there own way.
Now of course a game like this will have a more mature community but when I did try it even before then when the game installed for me the people where taking rp way to seriously and trying to police everything, you I agree keeping the channels and the game more rp since that is the devolopment but ooc has existed for a long time and should not be frowned upon just because they dont like it.
It is not only there game its everyone who plays it, rp is something thats suppose to be fun not serious anyways these are just my experiences.
I agree that the community has its snobs and trolls, but going out of character is against the rules if it's done excessively or in a way that disrupts others. Planeshift is a roleplaying game and going OOC should be frowned upon.
Interesting to find my name mentioned in so many replies. And yes, I did find the comment about my needing to read rather flippant, especially when my real complaint/comments related to difficulty moving my character due to controls that I felt were awkward.
I mentioned the parser not because I don't care to read (for heaven's sake, I play EVE, all we do is read) but I'm not a fan of having to type, especially when it involves "guessing" what the npc want's me to say. That's an old school technique that I gave up years ago in games such as Bard's Tale, Wizardry and Might and Magic, along with my graph paper.
But just remember, I was playing these games before many of you were even born, and attempting to belittle my opinion (which you asked for, remember?) is certainly not the best way to win me to your side.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Remember the Bard's Tale copy protection wheel?
Umm rp or not, it should never be constantly forced not everyone feels like rping everyime they login frowning upon ooc is a snobby attitude if people want you to be opened to rp and if your not they call you narrow minded then why cant rp people be opened to ooc?
It should be a choice all these mmos you can roleplay or not.
Oh I dont remember it was long ago it was in the tech forums on the main site more then likely.
Yea I believe it was before that site, like I said I really dont remember best guess I can give you is a year or two ago.
Remember the Bard's Tale copy protection wheel?
WOW, I'd forgotten about that. All of those games had copy protection schemes like that. One game printed code words in black text on a dark red background so you couldn't photocopy them, and many a game used to ask you questions from p. 33, paragraph 3, line 2, 13th word in the sentence, 3rd letter in. (damn, and sometimes they didn't work)
In fact, my name on this forum is taken from one of the evil Wizard's in Bards Tale One, you may recall Kylearan's Tower (I dropped the "a" to avoid copyright problems)
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I have to disagree, there should be some havens for role players, where they don't have to submit to OOC if they don't want to. If the play style doesn't appeal to you, don't play.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I would have to say that after a lot of thought, I have looked at the latest technology and games with massive polygon counts and seamless integration and stability and new concepts in adaptive interface. Planeshift wins, not on technical issues, but on something that is beyond and better than technology PEOPLE. This game in some odd way in all it's many flaws and imperfections allows the one greatest thing in the universe to shine through the play.
<modedit>
The fact of the matter is that Planeshift's graphics are antiquidated, and its performance is poor given what you get for the CPU power put into it. Is that the only measure of the game? No, but it is a fact.
It's just a game, and there are definately areas where it needs improving.
<modedit>
I've looked into 0.5 release, and it still doesn't have everything you may expect from a complete game, but I see many progresses!! Good work devs!!
I would like to see some special abilities when you develop your weapon skills. Also I heard there are mounts in game, but very hard to find, is that feature still hidden from the normal players? Is it working?
Exploring the new release is nice anyway, good new effects on chars (some spotlights or similar).
The mounts are now available via questing.
Sorry for bringing this back from the dead, but I feel must say something.
I have been playing MMORPGs for the past 3 years ( and RPGs and other games, in general, for a lot longer), and started playing Planeshift only a few days back. Before this I have played Last Chaos, Wonderland Online, Magic World Online, Myth Wars, Silk Road, Dragon Oath, Conquerors 2, Phoenix Dynasty, AdventureQuest Worlds, Anarchy Online, Angels Online, Aurora Blade, Deicide Online, Destiny Online, Dream Of Mirror, Dofus, Zentia, Zodiac Online, Trickster Online, Second Life, Secret of Solstice, Metin 2 and a whole lot more which I seriously can't recall. Sorry if it's a big list. I've just had too much free time(though that situation has sadly changed).
My point is, I know what's out there(talking about F2Ps), and know what makes them what they are. Great graphics, wonderful intuitive systems, good support- just so many vital components to a good F2P MMORPG. That long list of games you see above; I have played them tirelessly, risen through the ranks, made friends, lead guilds, and a lot more. And you know what I got from it all? Nothing!
I'm a roleplayer- I love stepping into the shoes of my character and becoming him or her or kra for a while. I love being immersed in the world of the game, reveling in it's rich backstory, amazing, original setting and enjoy communicating with others. I don't want to talk to other players. I want to talk to a dwarf, or a klyros, or a Nolthrir and perhaps go out with a hot diaboli woman(a dermorian can dream, can't he?).
What everyone here (and all through the forums) who have left negative comments must understand is that this is a roleplaying game- the first true one that I have found(and thank the lord that I did) in a long, long time.It's so rich, so varied, so deep; I could just lose myself in it. And I love that. The players really try their hardest to roleplay and where some of the new ones don't succeed, there are helpful and frienly mature players who help out, you just have to know how to ask, for which the forums(PS) is a great place.
This is a place for those of us who have a creative streak in them. Roleplaying takes imagintaion and lots of creative skill. It really makes you think. And I love that this game enforces IC conversations zealously. Otherwise the players would go lazy and OOC&OOC (Out of Character and Out of Control). And that just ruins it for those of us who take RP seriously.
Also, can you show me one game out there that is not led by a corporate team with millions at their disposal and the ability to hire people to work for them? PS is entirely free, no strings attached. The people working on it have a life of their own, their own personal problems, headaches, worries and responsibilities. Yet they find the time to work to deliver such a marvelous game. They're doing it coz they love it and expecting them to do any more is pure foolishness. They never asked anyone to play the game. All they did was say, "Hey, we made this interesting game. Would you like to play it?" If you don't want to play, then just don't.
PS works across all platforms and is completely opensource which not only means that it is accesible to most people, but that it really stands up for the spirit of impartiality. I mean, why should I be not able to play a certain game just because my OS doesn't support it.
I don't what else to say at the moment, so I guess I'll stop. I truly love this game and support it whole heartedly. I am not much good for anything, but maybe in the future when I'm more capable, I can help contribute to the game directly. If not I'll be sure to make at least financial contributions(when I can finally get a credit card). But that is far in the future.
I sincerely hope the development team will never get frustarted and say something like, "Aw, heck! Let's just give them a feature rich game that doesnt care about RP and has an IG mall to get us some moolah." Coz that would be sad day for people like me.
And to everyone else who still thinks that this game is rubbish, I humbly beg you to keep your opinions to yourself. I have been very civil and courteous here in this reply. Know that usually I'm as rough as a dwarf.
For now, that is all.
"Don't like it? Don't play. But keep your darned mouth shut, please..."
Kaylor,s you only started playing PS "a few days ago".... interestingly enough, your post is written like a true PSnoob. You're very unexperienced in the true nature of PlaneShift. Perhaps it is you who should take your signature's advice. Nobody likes inexperienced newbie reviews tbh, wait a year or three (I played two years) and you'll see. Try talking about any of your previous FTP games in the chat channel, there's social controls to prevent players sharing information about "competition".
Also, as a final note, please don't diss OpenSource by saying PlaneShift is OpenSource. Here's why:
1) The engine is the only OpenSource part of PlaneShift. The bare engine. Art, combat scripting, item database, quests, ingame settings, etc etc are ALL proprietary, so that no one can fork PlaneShift and put power in nicer people's hands.
2) The engine documentation has now been made proprietary and non-public. This means in order to get any of it, you'll have to befriend Talad. And he's not going to help you if your team contains any people who used to play/dev PS and left because of his behaviour.
3) According to Talad (the director), using the PlaneShift engine without his express consent and blessing constitutes STEALING. It's all in another thread about the IRC channel. So much for the nature of OpenSource, huh?
So, Kaylors, perhaps it is best if you read around and see what everyone is saying before posting based on "a few days" experience.
My own personal MMORPG in development, built off the PlaneShift MMORPG
Actually, if a game doesn't pull you in fast, then why should you bother to continue with it?
Also the engine is Opensource. Crystal Space is most certainly Opensource, in fact it's very well known for it.
Talada does not own the engine, he owns the individual components of Planeshift. Using those without his permission is stealing. The Engine itself is anyones.