Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine

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Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/27/2005 4:42:58 PM

Erik Rutins

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From: Vermont, USA
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A New Platform for Game Publishing

Matrix Games is pleased to announce that it has acquired the rights to the VASSAL Engine from Vassal Engineering (www.vassalengine.org) and intends to improve and support it as a new platform for game publishing.

For game designers and publishers, VASSAL is software that lets you create your own, individually branded, commercial standalone application that moderates any turn-based game for human-vs-human play.

For gamers, VASSAL provides a quick and easy way to play your favorite board games online against similar players around the world. Simple mouse and keyboard commands actually simplify game play relative to an equivalent printed game, instead of frustrating players by subjecting them to the software's nuanced interpretation of the rules. Players can play online in real time over a live server or by exchanging email files. When playing live, a player's moves are instantly echoed on other players' screens. Games can be begun live, continued via email, or continued further via live play.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said, �We believe VASSAL offers a great way to bring board gamers together over the internet, while also offering designers a new avenue to reach the gaming public. In many cases, the investment required to turn each design into a printed and distributed game is beyond the reach of many designers and publishers. VASSAL offers a way to reach gamers with new and exciting designs that would not otherwise see print as well as allowing existing board gamers to find a community for their favorite game online.�

Rodney Kinney, chief architect of the VASSAL Engine platform, said "Matrix Games provides the online presence and distribution channel that will allow game designers to leverage the VASSAL software to create marketable, professional-quality products with a minimum of up-front investment."

How does VASSAL work? For designers and publishers, first use the VASSAL editing software to re-create your game. Customize the components that define maps, pieces, online help, tutorials, and all kinds of specialized behavior. We will turn it into an application that players can launch from either the web or the desktop. Players pay a one-time fee and receive a registration code that enables the software. Optional extensions can be sold separately. No programming is necessary to create a game, but if you can program in Java, the engine allows you to plug in your customized code.

Your intellectual property is completely secure with VASSAL. We add our own proprietary software to the core engine to support encryption, password-based registration, and secure saved game formats. All data is encrypted, and online play is regulated through our centralized servers, so that offenders can quickly be identified and blacklisted.

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

Post #: 1

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/27/2005 6:01:16 PM

GJK

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Good news for Rodney Kinney! What does this mean for us VASSAL module designers - I'll be curious to find out, as I was up all night last night working on my newest module. Will we be free to create and distribute our modules as we desire, or will we be forced to have Matrix's blessing for each one?

Hoping that this turns into good news for everybody - I'll try and remain optimistic that the word of VASSAL will spread and any "one time fee" will in fact be a one time fee and not some monthly subscription fee.

_____________________________

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

(in reply to Erik Rutins)

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RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/27/2005 7:03:21 PM

Paul Vebber

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Please see my post in the general forum VASSAL discussion.

The "one time fees" talked about are for PRODUCTS made with VASSAL, not for VASSAL itself. That will remain freely available for those who want to do freeware development using it.

Our goal here is to provide services to the VASSAL user who wants to create a "new game" using the Engine.

The work of Dan Verssen is a great example.

http://www.dvg.com/dtpvgames.htm

Our plan is to publish products created using VASSAL, not sell VASSAL iteself!

< Message edited by Paul Vebber -- 7/27/2005 7:05:18 PM >

(in reply to GJK)

Post #: 3

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/28/2005 12:21:33 AM

DoubleDeuce

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From: Crossville, TN
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Moved ! ! !

< Message edited by Double Deuce -- 7/28/2005 12:36:40 AM >

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RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/30/2005 4:45:49 AM

johnasl

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From: Los Angeles, CA
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I thought this thing was "Open Source".

Regards

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Post #: 5

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 7/30/2005 5:03:31 AM

Erik Rutins

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Please see the VASSAL forum below for more info.

_____________________________

Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/

Freedom is not Free.

(in reply to johnasl)

Post #: 6

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 8/11/2005 6:58:14 AM

Wild Bill

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From: Smyrna, Ga, 30080
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I hope this is available very soon. I'd love to be able to use it. I'm sure Matrix will provide us with a good product...WB

_____________________________

In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Independent Game Consultant

(in reply to Erik Rutins)

Post #: 7

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 8/11/2005 6:04:53 PM

Paul Vebber

Posts: 11430
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From: Portsmouth RI
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VASSAL is available now Wild Bill! You just need to spend some time with it to get good at it, but people are using it to make games as we speak!

Go to www.vassalengine.org and download http://www.vasl.org/vassal/VassalWindows.zip

Or you can use it online by clicking the http://www.vassalengine.org/ws/vassal.jnlp

link!

< Message edited by Paul Vebber -- 8/11/2005 6:07:22 PM >

(in reply to Wild Bill)

Post #: 8

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 8/11/2005 7:20:45 PM

Wild Bill

Posts: 6821
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I knew the earlier version of it was there, Paul. I just could not get it to run. Is this the same as before or has it been improved? I'll download it and give it a try. I remember that even the Matrix tech had the same problems as I did earlier.

Thank you for the information. It was good to see you at Origins.

WB

_____________________________

In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Independent Game Consultant

(in reply to Paul Vebber)

Post #: 9

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 8/11/2005 8:06:20 PM

Paul Vebber

Posts: 11430
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From: Portsmouth RI
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Its constantly being improved - the Wiki under "documentation" has a rundown of what people are working on as far as advanced functionality. That is the beauty of open surce development for a product like this

The version there is the most up to date version.

I got the JAVA version working just by clicking the buttons - and the manual version installed fine and ran first time with no configuration - I have the Sun Java Virtual Machine software loaded, that may help.

http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

< Message edited by Paul Vebber -- 8/11/2005 8:09:42 PM >

(in reply to Wild Bill)

Post #: 10

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 11/29/2021 2:07:18 PM

mike0liver

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The Vassal team have been just about the best group of support people I have ever encountered - they deserve an appreciative and committed principal. I hope the current standard will be maintained.

I am just about to embark on a formal learning process for module design having so far sort of blundered around learning by doing. That is, if I can find some appropriate videos or sets of training instructions and any help to locate this would be greatly appreciated.

(in reply to Paul Vebber)

Post #: 11

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 11/29/2021 8:33:38 PM

OnWargaming

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Joined: 9/13/2021
From: Italy
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mike0liver

The Vassal team have been just about the best group of support people I have ever encountered - they deserve an appreciative and committed principal. I hope the current standard will be maintained.

I am just about to embark on a formal learning process for module design having so far sort of blundered around learning by doing. That is, if I can find some appropriate videos or sets of training instructions and any help to locate this would be greatly appreciated.

Do you already know this video series?

Btw, the most impressive Vassal module that I have seen so far is 1914:Twilight in the East, after fex hexes the enemy counters become generic and if more far away they are invisible!
You can shift a whole Army using the rear railroads like the historical German plan.

(in reply to mike0liver)

Post #: 12

RE: Matrix Games Acquires VASSAL Engine - 11/30/2021 9:10:32 AM

mike0liver

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Joined: 5/9/2016
Status: offline

Thanks, yes, I have watched the series and Joel has helped me a number of times. I realise, having checked more closely, that my post started by my thinking the announcement was recent and I only realised my error after looking back on the topic - not very clever. However, I appreciate your assistance.

(in reply to OnWargaming)

Post #: 13