Glest forks to join forces?

[Omega]

A modest proposal:
a real merge of MG and GAE would be impossible. But what about "converging" in multiple steps, taking one non common feature of each fork, and including at each release of the other fork? For example, in its next release MG could contain GAE's "patrol" command, and GAE would contain MG's multiple animations per action. And so on...
Obviously, some common features with different implementations, like pathfinder, should be selected between the two available (choosing the best one).

Except we can't keep adding different features to BOTH engines. We need to stop, cease, and desist on engine, as we'd need as many people as possible to help.

In all honesty, GAE's changes were made from the ground up. GAE is an old man compared to the baby MG, and has had far more changes. It would be much simpler to port MG into GAE. In fact, if you give GAE a stable master server, that's about half of the merge then and there. Would it be easy? No, but giving up because of that is no good. MG did it once, they can do it again (yes, from scratch, since GAE has so many things different). In comparison to multiplayer, the projectile changes, multiple animations, particles in tilesets/resources, and attack-boosts are pretty easy. Attack-boosts would be pretty much useless with much more versatile and useful effects (attack boosts boost nearby units when attacking, effects effect the target and foe when attacking).

GAE's devs think the merge can be done. Would it be easy? No, and it shouldn't be underestimated. Stable multiplayer is not easy, and they'd have to hold off new features until then, but it can be done. It may take all year, but it just needs two people to hop on board. There's not a single modder or player who opposes the merge, and it's most certainly not impossible. The question is: when will people come to their sense enough to perform it?

Admittingly, the engines seem to be rivaling eachother, not even wishing to implement things the same way. WHY, for example, did MG create attack-boosts when they could have made a far far more compatible effect system that would work on both engines? They're just splitting them further apart, just like John said. MG even started because one man didn't want to work with GAE. A master server could have been just as easily implemented in GAE as in the (outdated) Glest it was. MG, harsh as it is, never should have existed. The community isn't large enough to manage two forks going in radically different directions.

[Mr War]

Except we can't keep adding different features to BOTH engines.

Yes we can.

Suggest you learn programming if you feel so vehemently about it.

There's not a single modder or player who opposes the merge,

a) Modders and Players aren't Devs
b) You cannot speak for all modders. I now oppose trying to merge. Not in principle, "oppose" is a stronger word than I'd use, but in practice I think it's more effort than it's worth. And I really don't see what all the fuss is about.
c) Your bias for one over the other is not appropriate forf the admin of a gaming community board. Please stop agenda-izing everything.

[Hagekura]

I know that only the devs of both forks have a decision right definitely, but I appreciate merging.

[wciow]

Omega, please stop this. The merge of forks is NOT going to happen. There was a time when it would have been possible and beneficial. Now it would be difficult and detrimental. I like the way both forks are going, they are becoming projects in their own right rather than forks.

[John.d.h]

I've actually been putting some thought into how a merge might be approached (when driving halfway across the US, there isn't much to do except think), and I have some inkling of how to start, but it would first require that we find out what *all* of the devs each really want out of Glest, and how we can satisfy everyone's needs objectively, without giving favor to one engine or the other.  Some differences would have to be reconciled and some sacrifices might have to be made, but there may be a way to get everything to work in a way such that everyone is happy.

Since this thread is locked, everyone take a couple days to think about what you want and need from the merge, as well as what you could do without.  Depending on how busy I am over the next couple days, I may be in touch with a few of the devs on both sides who had shown interest in the previous merge attempt.

Also, I would hope to not have to say this, but when we reconvene, let's all check our biases at the door.  Many of us have very clear allegiances to one project or the other, and that is not at all conducive to cooperation.

PS: I didn't lock this topic, but it might be good that it happened.  This discussion isn't going anywhere at the moment, and it needs to be approached from a new angle if at all.

_{Edit by Omega: I locked this topic, as it was getting to be a giant flame war between pro-GAE and pro-MG players, with the neutral players all caught in the middle and confused. When you make progress with your new idea, please make a specific topic for it, to continue in a different way than this one has gone.}