Wasn't this game available for free download like a year ago? Why should I buy this?

[SnakesOnUrPlane]

So I played this game as a kid and I totally loved it then and I still do. About a year ago, I stumbled across my old original game disk and was like holy crap I should play this again!

I wasnt sure if it would work so I did some google searching and found out that the source code was made available for free a while back. I actually found a free download of an updated patched version (1.5) that works just fine in Windows 10.

I downloaded it and played the heck out of it and it works just fine! Didnt try multiplayer but played through the single player and enjoyed it quite a bit.

I was suprised I could find an updated version available for free. Seems like someone must have put a good deal of work into patching an old verion to make it windows 10 compatable. I have no idea who that person was or if they got paid for their work (I hope so but doubt it) but I suspect they put a decent amount of effort into patching it.

This "redux" version looks like it has some new textures and perhaps some people actually playing multiplayer, but not a whole heck of a lot of new content.

So is this "redux" just someone elses unofficial patch of the free source code being sold for 20$? Is this a further updated version made by the same person who made the 1.5 patched version I found for free a year or so ago and have been enjoying? It sorta seems like this "redux" is a 20$ unofficial patch to a classic game thats already available in an updated form for free for quite some time. What the heck is going on here?

I'm quite happy with the version I have installed already, which is basically the vanilla game but with updated resolutions and patched to work in win 10. I suspect you could still find this version for free download if you looked for it. I am all for people getting paid for their work, but is there any good reason to buy this "redux" besides some textures and maybe being able to find a multiplayer game?

[Ded10c]

First off, Battlezone has always been closed source. There is only one unauthorised person known to possess the game's code and he used it to create his own fork, which is of questionable legality.

Until the redux showed up, the 1.5 patch is the latest version of Battlezone. It was created by Ken Miller, one of Battlezone's original programmers, between 2009 and 2015. It is officially distributed on its own, but it has been bundled into a variety of "free" installers. Battlezone never received an official free release, and any such version of the game is illegal.

The redux is a remaster, not a remake or an expansion. It's not supposed to add anything new per se, though it does make significant improvements over 1.5. I don't think there's an official changelog available but there has been a plethora of bugs fixed and a bunch of new stuff has been added. The cost is for the new graphics (not just textures - the models have all been completely replaced with higher-poly versions and the rendering engine is entirely new), the bugfixes, the new features (like Steamworks multiplayer instead of the steaming pile of clunkiness that is ANET and Steam Workshop support), etc. The team includes three of the original developers, so the changes are pretty true to the original vision (which might be why some of them aren't immediately obvious).

Of course, there's also the possibility of getting updated versions of The Red Odyssey and Battlezone II, possibly even Rise of the Black Dogs, if this sells well. Many here, myself included, would buy on that alone.

[SnakesOnUrPlane]

Please understand I mean no disrespect to the developers or anyone involved in any battlezone related project and I apologize if I came across that way. I am stoked people are still playing and that there is still interest in one of my favorite childhood games. I fully admit I dont follow this stuff and its likely I miss understood what was going on.

I downloaded what I suspect is the 1.5 version from what seemed like a pretty official souce and it was presented as free legal content although it might not have been. It was many moons ago and I dont have the link anymore or care enough to spend any time looking for it, but I suspect its still out there somewhere on the internets(legal or not). I still have my original disk so I didnt feel bad about downloading a version to play as all I really gained was windows 10 compatability.

Thanks for clarifying what kind of changes were made for this redux version as it really wasnt clear to me from the steam store page.

Part of me was honestly worried the redux was some sort of cash grab re-release by someone unrelated or interested in the original game. I'm very glad to hear thats not the case!

It makes me happy the game is still being played and is now being introduced to new players through steam, but I will probably still pass on the redux and stick with my 1.5 verison.

Personally I never really got that into the multiplayer and I'm not interested in a graphics update. I think I still like how it looked and played when I was a kid. I would likely buy Red Odyssey or some of the other single player content if that gets updated someday though as I never got to finish it all back in the day.

anyhoo, thanks for clarifying!

[Wardiaper]

Atari went bankrupt and auctioned off it's IPs. Rebellion bought Battle Zone and Moonbase Commander.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/196701/Wargaming_Rebellion_and_Stardock_all_bid_on_Atari_assets.php

[Ded10c]

Please don't mistake my bluntness for rudeness or irritation. Just the way I write, I'm afraid. :)

http://battlezone1.com - which is where the most commonly used installer was located - is modelled after the original Battlezone site (mirror here[bzscrap.org]), which is why a lot of people mistake it for something official. I'm not saying you should feel bad about downloading it, particularly not if you already own a copy - I never did, and I've got many many copies of BZ for various reasons.

There's also a redux version of Battlezone: Battle Grounds - the expansion before The Red Odyssey - in progress on the workshop. Big Boat Interactive (the redux devs) were kind enough to let the Heracles Brigade, a group of modders who updated Battle Grounds for 1.5, handle it semi-officially. The 1.5 version is still available on moddb but it's a straight port; bugs, bad design and all. The updates, when we get around to them, are going on to the redux version and we'll decide later whether we want to port them back or not.