0 A.D. Seeking Coders

Brief Description:
For the past four years, Wildfire Games (WFG) has been working on a freeware historical RTS titled 0 A.D ("zero ey-dee"); a war/economy strategy game allowing you to recreate or rewrite the ancient history of western civilisations.

Today, 0 A.D. is one of the most talked-about amateur projects in development. We have attracted a massive amount of attention because of:

1 - Released in-game screenshots which display graphics on par with retail games. Example media can be found on the project website: http://www.wildfiregames.com/0ad/

2 - Extensive list of game features, such as:
- Unprecedented historical accuracy
- 6 unique civilisations
- Comprehensive editor allowing full modding capabilities
- Several multiplayer modes
- Seasons and weather
- Realistic maps, terrain and naval warfare

3 - Our promise to make the results of our years of development completely free to download for everyone once it is complete.

0 A.D. has been featured on numerous websites and in several interviews. Recently, we were featured in the British game magazine MicroMart. You can read the feature here. (link: http://www.micromart.co.uk/default.aspx?co...featureid=2465)

Compensation:
As mentioned, this game will be freeware in every sense of the word. This means that every developer on the project is working for free and for no monetary compensation. However, 0 A.D. has other things to offer:
1 - You'll work in a fertile development environment allowing for experience mirroring that of the professional game development industry.
2 - You'll work on a title which has already garnered a lot of attention, amassed an extensive fanbase, and is sure to be played by lots of gamers around the world.
3 - You'll form a valuable network of semi-professional acquaintances and friends in all areas of game development. A network of this type is a priceless stepping stone on the way to professional game development.
4 - You'll work on a project with a clear vision and extremely well-organised structure. 0 A.D. development is based on extensive documentation that has taken years to develop.

Technology:
OS: Windows 2000+ / Linux. IDE: Visual Studio 2003+.
Graphics: OpenGL. Audio: OpenAL. Scripting: JavaScript (SpiderMonkey SDK). Tools: wxWidgets.

What we need:
The 0 A.D. Programming Department is seeking mature and persistent coders to bolster our ranks. Specific needs at this time are:

OpenGL Programmer: Improve visual elements (eg lighting/shadows, texture blending) and provide feature enhancements (eg Fog of War, skybox, water) required by the Art Department.

Entity Programmer: Assist in programming gameplay mechanics; extending the abilities of world objects and the simulated environment.

Scripters: Using XML and JavaScript, develop the game's user interface and unit attributes.

The qualities we seek in programmers are:
Good C++ skills
Problem solving abilities
Strong game programming knowledge
Capable of work independently
Communication and teamwork skills
Motivated and passionate about game development
Patience and a lot of time on your hands!

These skills would also be a distinct advantage:
3ds Max SDK (to extend 3ds plugins for our proprietary model format)
Familiarity with the inner workings of Real Time Strategy games

Team Structure:
A stable and established team of about 20 active artists, programmers, musicians, historians and designers.

Contacts:
To apply, please fill out an application here:
http://wildfiregames.com/0ad/appform.php

Regards,

Stuart Walpole [ aka Acumen ]
Programming Manager and
Co-Lead Designer for 0 A.D.