With 0.1.0 behind us, we need to plan the exact features and timetables for 0.2.0. Any interested developers can join us in irc.freenode.net #epiar this Wednesday, November 18 at 8:00p Pacific time. Possible topics include:

• 0.2.0 Plans

The Epiar project has rebooted it's version numbering in response to a new development effort that includes a C++-based source tree and OpenGL graphics. We have worked hard and are releasing version 0.1.0.

Epiar 0.1.0 is not so much the original game concept as it is a technical demo: to demonstrate our new Lua-based scripting capabilities, it includes a game of tag. In future releases, this will be removed and the game will develop fully as the space trader/strategy/shooter game that we know and love.

Due to this release's mostly technical nature, we will only be making the source code available, and not any 'single click' or 'ready to go' installs; this reflects our desire to attract mostly developers, not gamers, at this point. Once the game is more mature, you can be assured we will be releasing packages for Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu and Fedora, as well as the source code.

We're very proud to be making this release about four years after our last release, and to promote to 'dormant' open source projects everywhere that it's not too late to keep the flame burning!

Download: Epiar 0.1.0 (source tarball, 7.4 MB)
MD5 sum: e2a88d807d37967cdb07fb9536518e80

Any interested developers can join us on Nov. 5 at 8:30p Pacific in #epiar at irc.freenode.net to discuss the current roadmap and cooperate on our plans. Proposed topics include:

• Source tree re-structuring
• 0.1.0 Release Plans

To whet your appetite for our eventual next release, we are sharing some screenshot mock ups done by our artist Niros of the new HUD (heads-up display, e.g. shield status indicators) and landing dialog UI. Enjoy!

Epiar is in need of C++ programmers interested in open source game development. While we'd like individuals with a good deal of experience, we won't turn anyone down from wanting to contribute, and any contribution helps us tremendously.

Here is a list of skills we'd like to see. There's no problem not knowing anything on this list, but you'll probably have to familiarize yourself with it eventually:

• C++ with an understanding of templates, inheritance, pointers, etc.
• SDL knowledge. SDL is the main multimedia library used to implement Epiar's multi-platform graphics, sound and input capabilities.
• Lua. Lua is a popular and widely used scripting environment. If you have experience working with C++ and Lua or have an interest, we need your help. You do not explicitly need to work on bits of the code with Lua.
• Game experience. Do you know what the main loop is? Are you concerned with the fastest way to implement a particular feature?

Again, we're interested in anybody and everybody who would like to help, regardless of skill, but if you fit the description above, you'll find friends in us.

To be clear, we're an open source project. Your code will be made public. You can only do whatever it is you want to do: no one will force you to work on anything in particular, and all ideas are open to discussion.

To join, merely say hello on epiar-devel, our developer's mailing list. See the mailing lists page for information on subscribing. If you have any trouble getting on, please contact us.