Yes, my return is permanent. And yes, Oolite Extended will rise from the ashes. And - wow - what a reception!
Before the download link to the OE WiP reappears, a few things have to be done, though. (Friendly) debates held, things really solved.
It can't be about the licenses. I actually wrote to the Creative Commons board and they answered that, concerning them, Oolite & oxps would be a legal minefield - my interpretation would hold merit, but the "oxps independent" interpretation would do so, too. That would be a 50:50 situation if tested.
LittleBear, a while back, summed up nicely what is also my opinion:
Sorry. But in my view, YOU CANNOT OWN what you submit to Oolite. We are all ripping off B&B. Anybody can do anything they like with anything I submit to the project. Its not my work, I'm using Giles's code and Giles in turn is using B&B's idea's. Nobody should assert ownership ... The idea of the project is surley that anything we do for Oolite is share and share alike. If people are gonna start getting on their high horses about stuff ... this is not in the spirit of the the project. Anything I submit is on the basis of "free free to rip off steal or post anything you like from my code" (as long as you are doing it to make Oolite a better game and are not making money out of it). I'm sure every other OXP writer writes code on the same basis. If that is not the spirt then I don't want to be involved.
It can't be about blocking each other's efforts. As the basis for that, there will be a thorough explanation of what OE is intended to do, what it's not intended to do, options how to move it forwards (including completely new ideas from someone very clever, like forking Oolite etc.
) without new misunderstandings and without hurting the people involved. And then a debate about practical problems, like keeping it updated. And who is responsible for OE's changes and bugfixing. And what can/should/will be changed in it's original, constituting oxps for OE.
I promise that I will do my best to listen to the concerns of all people involved and if we all get very, very calm, collected, understanding, hugging and lovin' (to cite DH) there will be a solution everybody might be able to live with. And when these concerns have been resolved in a meaningful way, the download link will reappear and work resumed.
For a more cooperative OE effort, I will need help. I can't do it all alone. The workload was already removing my RL. That will also have to be resolved. More cooperation on my side, more help from the other side?
I am very touched by the reception. People wrote to me - people from the boards, even people who never registered on the boards, people I didn't know - and asked me to continue. So here I am. DaddyHoggy was right. I can't leave. Damn
Oh, and one thing is left to do, @LittleBear:
Copyrighted by Griff! Just so anyone knows
Come on: come back. Please. Everyone will be happy about it, including me!
That's that for now *phew*
It's good to be back.
L