Oolite (video game)
Free and open source space trading and combat simulator.
Oolite is a free and open source 3D space trading and combat simulator inspired by the 1984 game Elite. Its name is a contraction of object oriented Elite, reflecting its development in Objective-C. The game is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later for source code, with resources dual-licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later and CC BY-NC-SA-3.0.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Giles Williams, Jens Ayton
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Linux
- macOS
- SGI Irix
- FreeBSD
- Pandora
- Released
- July 2004 (WW)
- Genre
- Space trading and combat simulator
- Modes
- Single player
Facts from the source article.
History
Giles Williams started building Oolite for Mac OS X in 2003, and the first full release, version 1.0, came out in July 2004. Work on the game kept going well past that initial launch. By September 2005, the Mac version was at 1.52, and a Linux port appeared around the same time, staying close to the Mac updates. A Windows port using GNUstep followed in March 2006. Other ports exist for SGI IRIX and FreeBSD on Intel hardware. Most of these offer the same features, but the Mac OS X version has extras like hooks into iTunes, Spotlight, and Growl. In October 2006, after putting out the stable 1.65 build, Williams said he would stop development once he added updated OpenGL shader support, but that work never finished. On 27 February 2007, the project switched to the GPL-2.0-or-later license. Jens Ayton took over as maintainer, and after a pause, the community got development moving again. Several test releases followed, notably adding JavaScript for writing missions and shader capabilities. A new stable version, 1.76, finally replaced the old 1.65 on 16 December 2011. A bug-fix update, 1.76.1, came out on 27 May 2012, and a trial deployment of that version was released on 16 August 2012 to test the build process. Another test version, 1.77, arrived on 8 January 2013 with new features, followed by a bug-fix 1.77.1 on 1 October 2013. The next stable release, 1.80, landed on 30 June 2014, bringing better AI, a refreshed core shipset, and a system for managing expansion packs.
Modding
Oolite is built around an open-hooded structure, meaning players can tweak objects and events without any programming know-how. Creating an OXP requires just a few simple tools. These player-made or downloaded additions go into the AddOns folder, giving users control over the universe's story and inhabitants. Newer versions include a built-in extension manager, which lets players browse, install, update, or remove extensions directly from a list. This makes managing them much easier. Currently, the manager hosts over 750 extensions, with another 400 available elsewhere. In the game's first two years, the community created a large number of OXPs, often drawing from The Dark Wheel and 1980s Elite fandom, though other space opera influences appear too. A pack might add more ships or stations, or include scripted interactive missions. Players can also add planetary bodies, minigames, HUDs, weapons, and sounds. Exploring the full limits of what OXPs can do is still an ongoing process.
Reception
In 2007, Oolite received four stars and the Macworld Editors' Choice Award, with the review noting it is as addictive and compelling as Elite was in 1984, fully extensible with new ships, missions, and planets, and an open-ended universe. On July 24, 2009, TechRadar.com listed Oolite as one of the 10 best free PC games you should play today, stating it takes the same brilliant gameplay and makes it slicker, faster, and better looking, with expansion packs available. Freewaregenius.com reviewed Oolite in October 2009, calling it a brilliant remake of Elite that satisfies those wanting a good space simulator, with a more rewarding trade system, fast paced combat, and retro appeal. NAG Online reviewed Oolite in September 2010, giving it a score of 85% and describing it as a true classic reincarnated and reimagined, a must-play for space-sim fans.
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