0 A.D. (video game)

This article is about a computer game. For the year, see 0 (year).
0 A.D.

Developer(s) Wildfire Games
Publisher(s) Wildfire Games
Composer(s) Omri Lahav
Engine Pyrogenesis
Platform(s) Windows, OS X, Linux
Release date(s) March 13, 2015
(Alpha 18)
Genre(s) Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution Download

0 A.D. is a free, open-source, cross-platform real-time strategy game under development by Wildfire Games. It is a historical war and economy game focusing on the years between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500.[1][2] The game is cross-platform, playable on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux.[3] The game aims to be entirely free and open-source, using the GPL 2+ license for the game engine and the CC BY-SA for the game art.

History

0 A.D. originally began as a comprehensive total conversion mod concept for Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings in June 2001. With limited design capabilities, the team soon turned to trying to create a full independent game based on their ideas.[4][5][6] The game has been in development since 2000, with actual work starting in 2003.

In November 2008, the developers confirmed that they would soon be releasing the project as open-source.[7] On 10 July 2009, Wildfire Games released source code for 0 A.D. under the GPL 2+, and made the art content available under the CC BY-SA.[8][9][10][11]

There were about ten to fifteen people working on 0 A.D. around 23 March 2010, but since development started there have been over 100 people who have contributed.[12]

On 5 September 2013 a Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign was started with a USD $160,000 goal. They raised a total of $33,251, to be used to hire a programmer.[13][14] The majority of the finances are managed by the Software in the Public Interest organisation.

There is no official release date set for the finished version.[15]

Game engine

Screenshot of the Gaul Civilization with all of Pyrogenesis' graphical effects enabled.

Pyrogenesis (from Greek pyr, "fire" and genesis, "origin, beginning") is the name of 0 A.D.'s game engine currently under development.[16] It was originally named Prometheus, after the Greek mythological character who stole fire and gave it to mankind. That name was changed in 2004, after another development team advertised the use of Prometheus for their own game.

Pyrogenesis is mostly written in C++ and uses Mozilla's SpiderMonkey JavaScript engine for scripting.[16] It also uses such open-source libraries as OpenGL, OpenAL, Boost, SDL, Vorbis and wxWidgets. It supports open data formats such as COLLADA, XML and JSON. It is cross-platform, supporting Windows, OS X, Linux and various Unix-like OSes.

Gameplay
Honor Bound (0 A.D. Main Theme)
Main theme of 0 A.D.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

0 A.D. features the real-time strategy gameplay components of building a base, training an army, combat, and technology research.[17] The game is about economic development and warfare.[2] The game will include multiple units and buildings specific to each civilization as well as both land and naval units.[18]

Multiplayer functionality is implemented using peer-to-peer networking without a central server.[19]

Civilizations

Screenshot of a Carthaginian town.
Screenshot of Cycladic Archipelago island map

0 A.D. will allow the player to control any of eleven ancient civilisations from antiquity.[20]

Reception

0 A.D. was voted one of the Top 100 Best Upcoming Mods and Indies of 2008 by Mod DB.[21] For 2009, it made it in the Top 100 Best Upcoming Mods and Indies[22] as well as winning third place for Player's Choice Upcoming Indie Game of the Year.[23] For 2010, 0 A.D. received an honorable mention for Player's Choice Upcoming Indie Game of the Year,[24] and came second in that competition for 2012.[25] 0 A.D. has been generally well received.[26] It was voted by fans as the SourceForge project of the month for June 2012.[27] It was voted as LinuxQuestions.org Open Source Game of the Year for 2013.[28]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Yaron, Oded (8 August 2010). "0AD: לוקחים את ההיסטוריה ברצינות" [0 A.D.: Taking History Seriously] (in Hebrew). Ha'aretz. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Justin McElroy (13 July 2010). "The Joystiq Indie Pitch: 0 A.D.". The Joystiq Indie. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  3. ↑ Christopher Tozzi (13 October 2009). "0 A.D. Promises Real Gaming for Ubuntu". The Var Guy. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  4. ↑ Jason Adams (14 June 2006). "A First-Look at 0 A.D.". GameDev.net. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Official FAQ – How long has 0 A.D. been in development?".
  6. ↑ Baptiste Domps (22 March 2011). "Wikinews interviews 0 A.D. game development team". Wikinews. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Does everyone like the Revision Log?". Wildfiregames.com. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  8. ↑ "0 A.D. Goes Open Source". Slashdot. 15 July 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  9. ↑ "Real-time strategy game 0 A.D. goes open source". The H Open Source. 14 July 2009. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  10. ↑ Charlie (13 July 2009). "0 A.D. Now Open Source". Free Gamer. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  11. ↑ feneur (10 July 2009). "0 A.D. development moves to open source". Archived from the original on 20 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  12. ↑ Christopher Tozzi (23 May 2010). "RTS Game 0 A.D. Needs You!". The Var Guy. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  13. ↑ Dubowy, Liane M. (2013-09-05). "Neues Release des Echtzeitstrategiespiels 0 A.D." (in German). Heise.de. Retrieved 2013-09-07. Die Spieleschmiede Wildfire Games hat eine neue Version ihres klassischen Echtzeitstrategiespiels 0 A.D. für Linux, Windows und Mac OS X veröffentlicht. Mit Hilfe einer Crowdfunding-Kampagne soll außerdem die Entwicklung des Spiels beschleunigt werden.
  14. ↑ 0 A.D. Fundraiser (now closed); Indiegogo; October 2013.
  15. ↑ IAN RIDGWELL (20 June 2011). "An interview with Wildfire Games". Geek Haven. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Overview". Wildfire Games. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "0 A.D. – PC – IGN". IGN. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  18. ↑ John Knight (1 January 2011). "0 A.D.—Stunning Real-Time Strategy Game". Linux Journal. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  19. ↑ Scipii (17 December 2009). "Wildfire Games Interview". HeavenGames. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  20. ↑ "Factions :: 0 A.D. :: Wildfire Games". Wildfire Games. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  21. ↑ "2008 Mod of the Year Awards event – Mod DB". Mod DB. DesuraNET Pty. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  22. ↑ "2009 Mod of the Year Awards event – Mod DB". Mod DB. DesuraNET Pty. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  23. ↑ Henley (5 February 2010). "2009 Players Choice – Indie Game of the Year feature – Mod DB". Mod DB. DesuraNET Pty. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  24. ↑ Henley (23 December 2010). "Indie of the Year 2010 Players Choice – Upcoming Indie". Indiedb. DesuraNET Pty. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "IOTY Players Choice Upcoming 2012 feature - 0 A.D. Game - Mod DB". Mod DB. DesuraNET Pty. 23 December 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  26. ↑ Tim Brookes (25 October 2010). "8 Awesome Free Open-Source Games You Can Enjoy On Windows, Mac and Linux". Make Use Of. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  27. ↑ "0 AD: Project Of The Month, June 2012". SourceForge. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  28. ↑ "2013 LinuxQuestions.org Members Choice Award Winners". 5 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 0 A.D..