OpenCity is a free open source

Open source

The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...

 3D city-building game

City-building game

City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...

. The entire game is written in standard C++

C++

C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...

 with OpenGL

OpenGL

OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...

 and SDL

SDL

SDL may refer to:In computing:* Simple Declarative Language, a simple universal language for describing typed data in lists, maps and trees* Specification and Description Language, an ITU-specified system description language...

 from scratch.

In the game, the player builds a city by marking land as commercial, industrial or residential zones. Those zones depend on each other to grow. The player is also required to supply the city with power and connect the different zones by building roads.

Origins and development

OpenCity is the product of programmer Duong-Khang Nguyen and 3D artist Frédéric Rodrigo, along with contributions such as translation and quality testing. Nguyen was inspired by the open source game FreeReign; when he realized that the FreeReign project was abandoned and the code was not in the condition to be improved, he began development on his own city-building simulator.

The project is improved continuously and is available on multiple platforms. OpenCity binary packages are available for Mandriva

Mandriva

Mandriva S.A. is a publicly traded Linux and open source software company with its headquarters in Paris, France and development center in Curitiba, Brazil. Mandriva, S.A...

, Debian

Debian

Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...

, Arch Linux

Arch Linux

Arch Linux is an independently developed, Linux-based operating system for i686 and x86-64 computers. It is composed predominantly of free and open source software, and supports community involvement....

, Suse, Slackware

Slackware

Slackware is a free and open source Linux-based operating system. It was one of the earliest operating systems to be built on top of the Linux kernel and is the oldest currently being maintained. Slackware was created by Patrick Volkerding of Slackware Linux, Inc. in 1993...

, Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

, Pardus

Pardus

Pardus may refer to:* Saint Pardus, patron saint of Larino, Italy* Pardus , a GNU/Linux distribution developed in Turkey* Panthera pardus, the scientific name for the Leopard* Pardus , graphical browser-based MMORPG...

, Frugalware

Frugalware

Frugalware Linux is a general-purpose Linux distribution designed for intermediate users who are familiar with command-line operations. Early versions were based on Slackware, but it is now an independently-developed distribution...

 GNU/Linux distribution and Mac OS

Mac OS

Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...

. It is also available on Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 as a setup file.

See also

• Lincity
  Lincity
  Lincity is a free construction and management simulation game, which puts the player in control of managing a city's socio-economy. Its name is a play on the title of the original city-building game, SimCity, and it was released under the GNU General Public License.- Gameplay :Lincity is a city and...
  
  
• SimCity
  SimCity
  SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
  
  
• Simutrans
  Simutrans
  Simutrans is a cross-platform simulation game in which the player strives to run a successful transport system by transporting goods, passengers, and mail between places. Along with OpenTTD, Simutrans is an open source remake of Transport Tycoon...
  
  

External links

• OpenCity homepage OpenCity tutorial