Open Quartz is a software that replaces Quake 1 game data, which is licensed under GNU General Public License.
The game, Quake, was released on 31 May 1996 and quickly became a sensation. Its source code was released under the GNU General Public License in 1999, opening it up to more people with a desire to develop the engine and create their own games. This move birthed the QuakeForge project to design a cross-platform engine with mass appeal. However, it was unsatisfactory only to have a GPLed engine but non-free data files. Hence, the QuakeForge team commenced work on the Open Quartz project.
Over the years, the Open Quartz project was abandoned but recently rekindled by a new and devoted team of developers. Nevertheless, they still require support, and there is plenty of work yet to be done. The reasons for developing OpenQuartz are not due to the unavailability or lack of appeal of Quake, but rather the need for a free engine and data set that results in more options for developers and end-users.
Quake can still be easily accessed through the id Store, and a Shareware Version is available, but having a free engine and a free data set presents infinite possibilities for developers and the end-user. It is impossible to ship Quake with any free Linux distribution like Debian, but that is achievable through OpenQuartz. Furthermore, creating an individual game with one of the advanced Quake engines requires all contents to get recreated from scratch. However, with OpenQuartz, there is a lot of available free content, which translates to less work.
In conclusion, Open Quartz is an excellent option for developers looking to create more with the Quake engine. It provides a plethora of tools and free content to support them, making the development process smoother and efficient.
Version 2004.08.01: N/A