Show HN: Open-source Counter-Strike-like game

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Licensing and “Open Source” Status

  • Many comments note the repo initially lacked a license, meaning “all rights reserved” despite the source being visible.
  • Several people stress that without an explicit license it is not legally open source, only “source available,” and forking/redistribution are not allowed.
  • Others argue “open source” colloquially just means code is viewable; this sparks a long semantics dispute vs. the formal Open Source Definition.
  • Suggestions include MIT/BSD/Apache for permissive use, GPL/AGPL for copyleft, and warnings against WTFPL due to missing warranty/liability disclaimers.
  • There is concern about mixing third‑party assets with code the author can actually license.
  • A pull request eventually adds a license (WTFPL), which some praise as maximally permissive, others see as suboptimal.

Technology Choices (PHP Server, JS/Three.js Client, Electron)

  • People are surprised/impressed that the realtime FPS server is written in PHP and the client in Electron/JavaScript with Three.js.
  • Several defend modern PHP as fast, capable, and much improved over its early days, mentioning async/network libraries and even historical threading/extensions.
  • The author mentions PHP was chosen for rapid development and TDD, with possible future transpilation to C++/Wasm or a rewrite once stable.

Browser vs. Electron and Networking

  • Some expect a pure in‑browser version given web technologies; others show it can already run via a simple static HTTP server.
  • Electron is used for better key handling and direct UDP via Node.js; browser version relies on a UDP bridge.
  • Commenters point out WebRTC DataChannel as a browser-friendly UDP-like option and demonstrate other browser FPS ports using it.

Trademark and Naming

  • Multiple comments warn that using “Counter-Strike” in the title may infringe Valve’s trademark, even if the game is only loosely similar.
  • Others argue “counterstrike” as a generic term might be defensible, but acknowledge practical risk of cease-and-desist regardless.

Gameplay, Assets, and Community

  • Discussion touches on game violence clichés vs. desire for more creative, non‑combat mechanics, with examples from broader gaming.
  • Several note that open-source games often struggle more with art, audio, and animation than code; a shared open-art repository is proposed.
  • Many find the project an impressive, fun codebase to read and a good starting point for learning 3D/game dev, with some offering contributions.