Open Call: Join the Torque 2D Open Source Committee

Open Call: Join the Torque 2D Open Source Committee

Previously, Eric and I both posted blogs announcing our upcoming release of Torque 2D under the MIT license. If you haven’t already read through those, please head over to them now before continuing:
Torque 2D MIT Coming Soon
The Future of Torque 2D is Open Source!

Additionally, Melv posted an amazing set of feature blogs about some of the best changes to Torque 2D:

Torque 2D MIT Part 1
Torque 2D MIT Part 2
Torque 2D MIT Part 3
Torque 2D MIT iPad Truck Demo
Torque 2D MIT Live TAML

Since we are releasing this week, I believed now was the best time to post this blog. While the GitHub repositories are being put together in preparation for the launch, we would like to begin the process of recruiting members of the steering committee from the community. The steering committee has Write Access to the master branches and are responsible for managing requests and submissions from the general community (who always have Read Access to the repositories to fork as they please).

To give you a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the steering committee we’ve put together a draft charter. This is our first pass at it and it will be expanded and refined over time, especially by the steering committee itself.

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Torque 2D Open Source Steering Committee Charter (Draft)

1. Vision

We are dedicated to making the best core version of Torque 2D so that others can build upon a reliable foundation.

2. Mission

To build a foundation for a sustainable environment that fosters collaboration and community development of the greatest open source development platform.

3. Goals

1. To maintain the best master branch version of Torque 2D. Performance, reliability, maintainability and scalability.


2. Act as a representative on behalf of the collective community.


3. Actively communicate in a transparent manner.


4. Promote Torque 2D as an open source project.

4. Duties and Responsibilities

1. Maintain, enhance and support the Torque 2D open source product.


2. Operates under ethical and professional standards with individuals, community, and the world.


3. Create and revise the product’s roadmap.


4. Review and act appropriately on all community submitted action items.


5. Encourage growth of the Torque 2D product through community participation.


6. To ensure that all contributions are free from intellectual property encumbrances in order to maintain the integrity of the product.


7. Act in a professional manner and lead by example.


8. Periodically review the charter and composition of the membership and make changes as necessary.

5. Membership

Members of the steering committee must be willing and able to commit time and energy to fulfilling the committee’s mission. At least one (1) one of the committee members must come from GarageGames LLC or its representative, and shall act as chair of the committee. The remainder of the membership may grow as appropriate according to the committee’s duties, but the total committee size shall remain at or below six members.

To be considered as a member of the committee, the prospective member should meet the following criteria:

1. Is available for at least 8 hours a week of work on the Torque 2D open source product such as programming, documentation, administration, etc.


2. Have expert knowledge in game engine and tool development, such as documentation, C++ engine programming, operating system platform programming, etc.

If a member is unable to serve on the committee for any reason, the vacancy may be filled or left empty at the discretion of the committee. If the committee as a whole is unable to perform its duties, an employee of GarageGames LLC or its representative may step in and provide the course of action.

In addition to the steering committee, we desire two other essential members: project manager and secretary. These roles are not decision making positions; rather, they document, format, and deliver information to the community.

6. Meetings

The chair of the committee is responsible for organizing formal meetings, which should be held at least once a month. During these meetings the progress of the previous month shall be reviewed and goals shall be set for at least the next month. More frequent meetings may be held as required.

7. Removal

If a committee member commits the following acts, they could be removed from the committee:

1. Unable to fulfill their time requirements.


2. Removed by a majority vote for no longer aligning with sections 3 and 4 above.

8. Amendments

This charter is a living document and may be amended by the committee as outlined in section 4. Any amendments require the approval of the committee chair.

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Where's the fun?

All of the above information is extremely important to making Torque 2D a successful engine. We need talented and passionate individuals to join our cause. While it is some work, that doesn't mean it will not be fun. The initial release of this engine will contain many toys. That's right, TOYS. As a member of the steering committee, you have a chance to create official toys for Torque 2D that will exist in the master branch. While developing the engine has been hard work, the amount of fun we have had playing with each other's toys has been astounding.

In just this past month, we have created over 20 toys for everyone to play with. Here is just a taste:

(click to see larger versions)



Currently, the steering committee consists of myself, Melv May, Eric Preisz, and Joe McGuffin. Melv and I will remain as permanent members of the committee, while the others will be replaced by community members over time.

Does being a part of the Torque 2D open source steering committee interest you? Are you ready to be a leader and organizer in the community? Have you read through the draft charter and have a feeling of awesomeness swelling inside? If so, then please get in touch by email at michaelp@garagegames.com and let me know. We want to hear from you!

- Mich