Why not just ask Games Workshop to give you the source code?

[Kharnamatic]

I don't understand why you're wasting time trying to recreate the Warhammer Online server code.

Why not just write a letter asking Games Workshop for the code?

Be straight up about it: how much money do you (Games Workshop) want for the source code so I can set up a private server? Then set up a kickstarter to raise that amount. Or just ask the Mythic devs to leak you the code.

It just seems silly trying to do work (coding) that has already been done. I mean you can spend years and years piecing together the original code or spend 5 minutes writing a persuasive e-mail.

[Azarael]

Hahaha.

You think for one MINUTE that would work? It's almost insulting to see you suggest this. If there were any precedent for your strategy generating anything but suspicion upon the person sending the email, this project wouldn't need to exist.

Or just ask the Mythic devs to leak you the code.

Yeah, that wouldn't have any repercussions whatsoever!

[Kharnamatic]

Hahaha.

You think for one MINUTE that would work?

I can write an e-mail for you if you guys want, and link this private server community to show how serious/dedicated/passionate us fans are about being able to play Warhammer Online again.

Why wouldn't it work?

[Azarael]

Drawing GW's attention to this project is suicide. Needless to say, these developers don't have the Warhammer license. GW don't actually care how passionate people are about Warhammer Online per se, they only care about profit, protecting their IP and the logistics of supporting WAR if it were to exist in a free to play, non-profit form. Who's going to pay for the server infrastructure which would be necessary if WAR existed in its full form tomorrow?

[Elven]

Games workshop won't willingly give up intellectual property, with the intention of a fan-made server.

Although they own the IP (which will now be the 40k Eternal crusade game). EA were the publisher of the title at when the game closed.

The law won't allow it and they don't care about the fans.

Don't write anything to Games workshop or EA.

[Kharnamatic]

Dude Games workshop /EA doesn't care. Look at the Call of Warhammer Total War mod for Medieval II Total War. They ripped units straight from Warhammer Online and a bunch of other games (Mark of Chaos etc), and said straight up that they did it. The mod is freely available, publicized and hosted on the biggeset Total War modding site (twcenter.net).

[Azarael]

Minor asset theft is tolerated across many mod scenes - character rips from other games are a common occurrence in Unreal Tournament 2004's mod scene, for example. Matters involving the underlying source code and the replication of an entire commercial game are in a whole different league.

[Kharnamatic]

Yah but I'm suggesting that the rights / source code to the game could be bought (fund raised via a Kickstarter campaign).

Look at what other groups did with Baldurs Gate / Age of Empires II / DaoC. They acquired the rights to those games and remastered them.

[Azarael]

All those games have something in common: They didn't involve Games Workshop. :/

Edit: Having researched it, it seems that all of these remakes were by official development studios, published and for-profit.

[Kharnamatic]

Well I sent a linkedin message to James Casey (the game producer at the end) asking if he knows who to contact to buy the game rights. With Mythic closed and Warhammer Online's existence wiped from the Bioware forums/web it's pretty hard to find the identities / e-mails of the last devs working on Warhammer Online. Does anyone know who were the last devs and their e-mails?

IMO instead of kickstarting Mark Jacobs' MMO they should have just raised funds to buy Warhammer Online...

--
Also sent a message to Keaven Freeman:
http://keaven.com/

Hi,

I am asking after a group of fans that are working on a for-free Warhammer Online private server. We are looking to acquire or buy the rights to the game/server source code (the money raised via Kickstarter). I am wondering if you would know who we might have to contact in Games Workshop or EA to seriously discuss this proposal (based on my past experience working with large organizations, simply e-mailing the corporate contact address is useless without an "in" or personal recommendation).

With the rise of Kickstarter and crowd-funding, there is a real opportunity for fans and enthusiasts to revive games that they once enjoyed. Already, projects to acquire the rights to, remaster and improve on games like Baldurs Gate, Age of Empires II, Leisure Suit Larry and Elite Dangerous have been successfully crowdfunded and developed. Our group hopes to do the same with Warhammer Online and set up a private or downloadable (a la Minecraft server) server for the game's fans to enjoy once again.

Please e-mail me if you are interested and would like to discuss how this idea can be achieved.