1 - haven't encrypt them yet but I plan to before I every release the server, not using any sql database yet
2 - not doing open source. Prefer to do it myself I guess but later once we have a good code base (in 1 year?), I am open to the idea
3 - Don't know really. I think anyone could host but would need a secure, shared account for users. Not sure what API you mean unless you want to be able to expand the server. Like add AI behavior or new map creation, etc.
4 - Not sure if Karma plays a role in death since it similiar to mana but used for prayers. Vitae, morale or some other death penalty is still up in the air. I want to try morale since it will give little valued skills like coooking, fishing, tailor, etc, some real use in the way of "comfort" food, relaxing/entertainment and "comfort" clothes (the nicer the clothes you wear, the better you feel).
GitHub I guess would be used later for open source I guess, right?
I know it would speed up development, getting others involved but since V1/V2 made money, it makes me nervous letting anyone have access to code that they could sell or market as their own or whatever when I don't have an official company formed with legal ownership and rights, etc.
1- hokay. Thanks for being honest.
2. I understand, but if you open source (but don't grant commit rights to master) on github, others could do code review or just help. We can do a pull request, basically we clone your code, make changes, and submit the changes to you. You can decide if you want to include them or not. Really there's not a losing situation there. At worst you get some crappy pull requests, at best you get better code/issue fixes/improvements for the small price of looking at it.
3. It'd be nice to be able to expand the server. Basically just make your methods overridable for certain things. For instance,
http://xathis.com/posts/ai-challenge-2011-ants.html has a good example of how to make amazing AI using local vs global decision strategies.. It'd be harder and probably something for later versions, but it'd be nice to see that functionality in your game.
4. Just try not to make players balance too many resources.. WoW does this right with like 2-3 resources, tops. You now have 4..
If you license the code under a restrictive license, wherein you retain copyrights and limit redistribution, you could sue them with or without a company. You as the creator and developer own the IP and the rights over the code.
What you have to consider is the possibility that someone would actually take your code and try to either
A) pass it as their own; or
B) do it better than you.
Any half-ass web dev can make a Facebook clone, but FB did it first (and arguably better) than anyone else. That's the mentality you should approach it as.
You could license it under the following:
GPL - If you touch the code or your code calls a function of your code, you must have a compatible license with GPL.
AGPL - Closes a loop hole in GPL wherein hosting a service now counts as distributing the software, and the source must be disclosed.
OSL - If I use your code, my code has to be OSL too. Also closes the loop hole.
Say you license under OSL 3.0... You could issue two licenses: community and enterprise. Enterprise will let them modify the source privately, but they have to pay you a sum of cash. If they modify the community, they have to release the entire contents of their change. If they don't, you have legal grounds to sue them.
If nothing else, this project could become a game framework! That'd be exciting
Given that they made money, I understand the hesitation, but I feel like you're missing out by not doing this.