[Erkki]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

...

I think you're seriously overreacting. Is it really such a big problem that some (or a lot of) programmers will be able to learn things from this?

Valve would never had gained any money by showing bits of their code to someone. Only by licencing the entire engine (or most of it). And I can't imagine someone releasing an actual game with the unlicenced engine. That would cause too many problems.

I don't see how any real harm would come from this. I heard also that Quake (or Quake 2) source code was leaked before the game release. Don't know if that's true but if it is, I haven't heard of any problems ID have had because of it.

[bigjko]

Originally Posted by Royal Fool

The new Hammer editor was made available?

The new version allows people to convert Half-Life .bsp files so that they can be properly loaded by Half-Life 2, among other things. Along with being immensely more powerful.

Oh, didn't realize it was new. It looked just like the regular Hammer editor.

[Kingzjester]

[James]

damnation. hopefully this wont cause too many delays. i still want hl2 this winter, come hell or high water.

[Kingzjester]

Well, HM! THIS is interesting:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article_dis...ticle_id=53398

Scroll down to what 'Gunter' has to say.

[twifkak]

Originally Posted by DomStLeger

This must be terrible news for Valve; they've effectively lost their lead over their competitors. Personally I wouldn't rule out industrial espionage considering how valuable the engine is (though that is the least likely scenario and I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist)

Nah. The looks of it is that it was a well-trained sc1pt k1dd13, but don't quote me on that.

I don't understand why it'd delay Half Life though? What can they do about it apart from release the game as planned?

Opens the multiplayer network (and Steam, possibly) up to serious cheatage, and I doubt they'd launch it without a working multiplayer in place.

It's the only infalible way of protecting your data from hackers - no physical connection to the net right?

Virtually infallible. It also reduces the # of distractions at work. (What? No... )

Originally Posted by Erkki

I don't see how any real harm would come from this. I heard also that Quake (or Quake 2) source code was leaked before the game release. Don't know if that's true but if it is, I haven't heard of any problems ID have had because of it.

The potential harm is that Source doesn't look as appetizing to potential customers, and that if any part of Havok has been leaked, Valve has a potential lawsuit on their hands. There was an earlier post on the Quake thing.. or if not, I'm merging this thread and the one on slashdot.

[twifkak]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

Well, HM! THIS is interesting:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article_dis...ticle_id=53398

Scroll down to what 'Gunter' has to say.

Indeed.___

[Marek]

If HL2 gets delayed, that would mean a lot of good things for my own game. It needs to be finished before mid-december, so if HL2 comes out before that we're all screwed.

edit: no, I didn't do it.

[James]

yeah the development of every other game depends on how much time will be left after playing hl2.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Marek

...no, I didn't do it.

[PTDC]

I was looking back at the original article and thinking about the tell people where to download it and we'll nuke you family bit. Well by now it must be on every file sharing network imaginable, just like what happened with the Doom III alpha. In that case of course it was due to some idiot at ATI rather than a hacker, and nothing was compromised really. It might make me evil, or something... but I'm going to try and find it, just out of interest.

[remixor]

Originally Posted by PTDC

but I'm going to try and find it, just out of interest.

There's no way to get you not to do this, but if you do, could you just immediately remove it from your shared folder so that at least more people can't get it from you?

[PTDC]

Originally Posted by remixor

There's no way to get you not to do this, but if you do, could you just immediately remove it from your shared folder so that at least more people can't get it from you?

Yeah, I thought of that. Removed immediately. I still feel dirty though Not that I downloaded it.... ahem...

[Royal Fool]

I'm sure someone will (or already has) write up a breakdown of the interesting stuff that's in the source code.

Seriously, there's no real use to be had of it. It won't run, as the game and development files are more or less missing, and what you can run only partially works.

[Kingzjester]

It won't run but one can use it to come up with cheat programs for the multiplayer bit... Also, the thing has the whole source engine, it more than useful...

-S

[PTDC]

Someone said something earlier about havok, I think that's in it.

[Henke]

There were many people in my class rubbing their hands with joy when they heard the news.

[Marek]

I think the implications are as follows:

- All multiplayer components of HL2 are now vulnerable to perfect cheats and exploits
- Stuff will have to be rewritten to prevent that. I'd be surprised if HL2 doesn't get delayed until 2004.
- No implications for HL2 in terms of retail sales. It's just the source code, without the assets.
- Havok code is included. The Havok team will no doubt be very pissed off about that.
- Miles Sound System code is included. Won't make Valve popular either.
- Some developers will look at the code and learn from it. No huge setback for HL2 in terms of licensing, though. HL2 essentially doesn't do anything more than other next gen engines, it's more of the whole package that's interesting. And you can't steal that without commiting obvious plagiarism. HL2 source is not extremely interesting to other big name developers, but smaller devs can probably learn a lot from it.
- I don't think source code has ever been this widely spread amongst the gaming public. However, note that most developers have easy access to Quake 3, Unreal, HL2 etc. source code, even if they haven't licensed it. You can get the complete source even if you're just taking it under consideration for licensing.
- Spoilers will run rampant. I already saw lists of all the weapons and enemies, but closed it before I could see all of it.

This leak / theft really pisses me off. It's like someone opened your Christmas present and ran away with it.

[James]

its a pity, because it was looking such a solid and exciting project. this will disrupt or delay things obviously. i wonder what implications there is now for using steam as a download source of the game?

[twifkak]

Originally Posted by Marek

- Some developers will look at the code and learn from it. No huge setback for HL2 in terms of licensing, though. HL2 essentially doesn't do anything more than other next gen engines, it's more of the whole package that's interesting. And you can't steal that without commiting obvious plagiarism. HL2 source is not extremely interesting to other big name developers, but smaller devs can probably learn a lot from it.

From what I've seen, they've got some unique and impressive AI and animation assets (dude, the whole "27 face muscles" or whatever.. impressive shit). No one can obviously get away with stealing it, but since the code is "out there" now, licensing it will look less attractive, simply because of the subconscious appearance that the features in Source will make their way into other licensable engines. That is, while you don't have to steal it, you can bank on buying a cheaper engine that used it as "inspiration."