just curious.. how come id allowed us to make freedoom?

just curious.

oh btw just played the ultimate freedoom demo and its really good.

The engine was released as free software in 1999, which meant id Software was no longer an authority over how the engine is used, and that includes making entirely new games such as Freedoom. They haven't explicitly allowed Freedoom, rather it is an irrevocable right that the community has to create it. :-)

They haven't. You don't need their permission to make a WAD file and (in the general case) they don't have any legal means to control distribution of them anyway.

The only cases where they would have reason to object would be if Freedoom was using copyrighted material (it's all original) or if we were infringing upon their trademarks - that includes the Doom characters/monsters. The documentation explicitly says to avoid copying the Doom monsters, and we avoid using "UAC" in the textures for this reason.

Has id trademarked UAC? I know that acronym has other uses besides Union Aerospace Corporation. Going after you for the acronym alone would be a stretch. :P

But not using it draws a clearer line between Freedoom and copyrighted material.

Well keep up the good work guys. Might try Doom 2s Freedoom today.

User Access Control called, it wants its Martian moon bases back.

Quasar said:

User Access Control called, it wants its Martian moon bases back.

An unidentified program wants to access your computer

Martian Moonbase Reclaim
Unidentified Publisher

-> Cancel
I don't know where this program is from or what it's for.

-> Allow
I trust this program. I know where it's from or I've used it before.

User Account Control helps stop unauthorized changes to your computer.

Windows needs your permission to continue

If you started this action, continue.

Martian Moonbase Reclaim

Continue Cancel

User Account Control helps stop unauthorized changes to your computer.

Martian Moonbase Reclaim

You do not have the appropriate permissions required to perform this operation. Contact your system administrator to obtain permission.

User Account Control helps stop unauthorized changes to your computer by repeadely giving you pointless messages until you give up trying to do what you thought you wanted to.

the "AGM" does use the same exact typeface, though. That's one iffy issue i can think of.

Out of curiosity (and perhaps laziness to check as well), does AGM actually stand for anything?

lupinx-Kassman said:

Out of curiosity (and perhaps laziness to check as well), does AGM actually stand for anything?

Afterglow's mom.

lupinx-Kassman said:

Out of curiosity (and perhaps laziness to check as well), does AGM actually stand for anything?

Annual General Meeting
Adobe Graphics Manager (agm.dll)
or whichever of these takes your fancy

Well I meant as in reference to freedoom, but I am happy to accept Freedoom's plot as a lone marine's duty to prevent the wicked Afterglow's Mom from destroying the world.

A quick browse of the proposed storylines turned up the following-

American Geno-tech Manufacturers
Aeronautic Guilds Megacorp

Looks like AGM is another part of Freedoom that's not set in stone.

GreyGhost said:

Looks like AGM is another part of Freedoom that's not set in stone.

It's an in-joke: It actually stands for AfterGlow's Mom and the other acronyms are retrofits.

What bout, Arnolds Genetics Moonbase?

David_Dweedle said:

What bout, Arnolds Genetics Moonbase?

Another General Moonbase would be better, heh.

Another Generic Moonbase?

Jon said:

It's an in-joke: It actually stands for AfterGlow's Mom and the other acronyms are retrofits.

Heh - the jokes on me. Then again, they'd be few opponents more intimidating than a woman with raging PMS.

Torn said:

Another General Moonbase would be better, heh.

lol yes. Good idea. Use that!

GreyGhost said:

Another Generic Moonbase?
Heh - the jokes on me. Then again, they'd be few opponents more intimidating than a woman with raging PMS.

Yeah, I guess that would even better. Heh, why couldn't there be more than one faction having moonbase on Mars' and earth?

Iirc, UAC was listed as one of the biggest in the manual, but that still leaves room for more.