About this type of software, it’s worth saying right away that the condition of having a license for a certain product is not mandatory. For example, freely distributed programs include both licensed applications and those developed by enthusiasts (semi-professionals, students, etc.).

Thus, among all that is offered on the computer and mobile software market today, three large categories can be distinguished separately:

• public programs;
• freely distributed applications (freeware);
• open source programs.

Types of free software

What programs are called freely distributed is already a little clear. But there are some nuances here too.

Publicly available software, from the point of view of legislative acts, is not protected by copyright. In this case, only the fact of alienation of the rights to the product from the author is indicated and their classification as a public domain, when the rights are common property. A striking example is some of the Internet standards (HTML, TCP/IP, etc.). However, they may or may not be open source. But in any case, such freely distributed programs for Windows, for example, can be modified, changed, used to develop new software, or simply distributed without any restrictions.

For the second type of software products, copyright is retained by the developer, and their use, as a rule, is limited to truncated capabilities, as well as terms of non-commercial use. For freeware programs, as is already clear, any modification without the consent of the author is impossible or even illegal, although you do not need to pay for their use. In addition, the developer, as a rule, constantly monitors the use and distribution of his software product, and in some cases may even transfer it to shareware status, which implies limited functionality or free use for a certain period.

Finally, another look at free software. Examples of such software would not be complete without addressing the issue of open source software. What does this mean in the simplest terms? Yes, only that the developer provides users with unlimited rights to run the application for any purpose, change and modify it, with the subsequent transfer of its original or modified copy to third parties, etc. its level of freedom of action is much higher than for other freeware products, for which basically the concept of free distribution includes only the possibility of creating a copy and using it for your own needs.

Criteria and definition of free software

Speaking about what programs are called freely distributed, one cannot help but touch upon the issue of so-called freedoms, which is regulated by the rules of the General Public License (licenses will be discussed separately).

Back in the 70s of the last century, R. Stallman formulated the basic concepts of freedom in relation to software products:

• “zero freedom” - use the software for any purpose without restrictions;
• “first freedom” - the opportunity to study the work of the program and adapt it to your needs;
• “second freedom” - free distribution of copies of the application;
• “third freedom” - the ability to change or improve the program with subsequent public publication.

As can be seen from the above criteria, for the “first” and “third freedom” one of the prerequisites is the presence of that same open source code, the concept of which, by the way, was introduced a little later by E. Raymond. In general, based on these principles, by and large, only those that meet all four criteria can be called free programs and applications.

Types of free licenses

Not to mention the main license, today you can find quite a lot of other legislative acts regulating this area of ​​activity.

However, as a rule, the most common and most used free license- this is GNU GPL different versions. In addition, there are also varieties such as MIT and BSD. The most important advantage of such software is that it can be used at home, in schools and universities or in any other organizations.

Free Software: Examples

If you start listing everything that can be classified as free software, partially or completely, it may take too much time, and you can find quite a lot of software products themselves.

However, among all the things that users use most often, we can note various kinds of multimedia tools, Internet technologies, some computing tools and even entire office packages(Oracle OpenOffice). Licensed programs are not open source, but some applications can be easily modified. Even the developers themselves initially agree to modifications of their software products by users in order to improve functionality or correct errors.

Features of licensed applications

Among free software, licensed programs are worth special mention. As stated above, they are protected by copyright and usage agreements.

But many of us encounter such things almost every day. Surely, many have seen that when installing some programs, at one of the first stages of installation, a window appears in which text is shown and, if you do not check the box below in front of the line agreeing with all the points, the installation simply will not continue. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of users consider this a pure formality or convention and never read the text itself. But in vain. It wouldn't hurt a lot of people to know what it's all about.

The license, by the way, implies that this software will work 100% on the hardware or configuration declared by the developer, which cannot be said about other free products, no matter how attractive they may look.

Some types of paid applications

Finally, let's turn to paid applications. All categories will not be considered. We are interested in the shareware and trial types of shareware programs.

In most cases, they can be downloaded and installed completely free of charge. As a rule, such programs can have full functionality or limited opportunities, which can be used for a certain period of time (usually 30 days). But after this, the application may stop working, since it will need to either be registered as an official copy or purchased.

With the first case everything is simple. You just need to go through a simple registration on the developer’s website, sometimes confirmation via e-mail may be required, but if this is a demo version, you will have to buy the full version. In the second case, you will also have to pay. However, this has never stopped our user (and others).

Is it possible to bypass restrictions when using paid programs?

Today in the Internet computer space you can find quite a lot of groups of enthusiasts who are engaged, to put it mildly, in illegal activities - hacking programs. And, from the point of view of international law, all those who install or use such copies can also be classified as cybercriminals (according to at least, accomplices - that’s right).

Therefore, when it is proposed to use other people’s license keys, password generators (KeyGen.exe), patching (Patch.exe) or something like that to bypass registration, you should think a hundred times about the legality of such actions. No, of course, international organizations involved in combating cybercrime will not be able to track all users (they simply do not have enough time or resources for this), but the very fact of using hacked software products is already a direct offense.

Conclusion

We can only hope that many people already understand what programs are called freely distributed and what criteria they meet. Among most users, by the way, there is a misconception that free software less functional compared to paid software products. Nothing like this. Some licensed and freely distributed programs created by enthusiasts and/or often have open source, sometimes not only are not inferior to paid analogues of well-known developers, but even surpass them (the same OpenOffice, which many users consider much more interesting package, rather than the paid analogue from Microsoft).

Classification of programs according to their legal status

Programs according to their legal status can be divided into three large groups: licensed, shareware and freely distributed.

Licensed programs. In accordance with the license agreement, the program developers guarantee its normal functioning in a certain operating system and bear responsibility for it.

Developers usually sell licensed programs in boxed distributions. The box contains CDs from which the program is installed on users' computers, and a user manual for using the program.

Quite often, developers provide significant discounts when purchasing licenses to use the program on a large number of computers or educational institutions.

Conditionally free programs. Some software development companies offer shareware programs to users for advertising and market promotion purposes. The user is provided with a version of the program with a certain validity period (after the expiration of the specified validity period, the program stops working if payment has not been made for it) or a version of the program with limited functionality(in case of payment, the user is provided with a code that includes all functions of the program).

Producers of free software are interested in its wide distribution. To such software The following can be included:

Free software. Many software and computer hardware manufacturers are interested in widespread free distribution of software. Such software tools include:

· New unfinished (beta) versions of software products (this allows them to be widely tested).

· Software products that are part of fundamentally new technologies (this allows you to conquer the market).

· Additions to previously released programs that correct errors found or expand capabilities.

· Drivers for new or improved drivers for existing devices.

But no matter what software you choose, there are general requirements for all software groups:

· Licensing purity (use of the software is permissible only within the framework of the license agreement).

· Possibility of consultation and other forms of support.

· Compliance with the characteristics, configuration, class and type of computers, as well as the architecture of the computer technology used.

· Reliability and performance in any of the provided operating modes, at least in a Russian-speaking environment.

· Availability of an interface that supports work using the Russian language. For system and tool software, it is acceptable to have an interface on English language.

· Availability of documentation necessary for practical application and mastering software, in Russian.

· Ability to use fonts that support Cyrillic.

The presence of a specification that specifies all the requirements for hardware and software necessary for the operation of this software.

For a wide range of gamers, sympathizers, or just curious people, role-playing games are almost certainly associated with colorful, beautifully designed books. Their glossy pages are lavishly decorated with illustrations, and their covers are works of printing art. At the sight of colorful rulebooks, the heart of a true roleplayer trembles, his eyes burn, but his mind remains calm. After all, these magical books, which open the way to the world of wonders and adventures, cost a pretty penny.

Bourgeois and pirates
Rulebooks of the most popular role-playing games, which include D&D, GURPS, Vampires: The Masquerade and some others, published abroad, taking into account the tastes and wallet of the Western role-player. And even his prices are Role-playing games sometimes make you brooding. For the Russian amateur, who is often a schoolchild or student, purchasing only the Player's Guide D&D, costing $30, can mean a lot of sacrifice.
At the same time, as you know, for commercial systems a situation is typical when one book with the rules is not enough to start the game. In case of D&D It quickly turns out that two more books are essential for a full-fledged game: the DM's Guide and the Monster Manual. If you think about it, it's not a bad idea to shell out money for an excellent official module, and then for the setting in which this game is based. the module has been written.
With other commercial systems, the situation may differ in detail, but is identical in essence: “Don’t hide your money in banks and corners!” Of course, there is another way to achieve ownership of at least some semblance of a rule book - piracy. We won’t even consider it, since we believe that all our readers respect copyright and intellectual property. Reproduction of rulebooks on photocopiers or printing scans of poor quality are realities of the long-standing role-playing past, when there were practically no other ways to obtain the system, and the slogan “Freedom of information!” taken too literally.

Abroad
However, stop! We write "commercial role-playing games" here.

Are there others? It happens, and probably some of the readers have already smelled the sweet smell of a freebie. Where do free role-playing games come from? Firstly, these could be developments from companies that produce commercial games. Secondly, these may be the fruits of the selfless creativity of enthusiasts.
Why would a commercial company create something for free? The reasons can be very different. Here is the most famous example: the company Wizards of the Coast , who created the Third Edition D&D and many other games, developed and published a free role-playing system on the Internet d20 system. You can freely download it from the official website and play it. Freebie d20 represents something of a skeleton of a commercial D&D. Its texts contain everything you need for the game.
Having released d20 even before sales start D&D, WotC killed two birds with one stone. Firstly, it served as a “demo” for fans of the Second Edition AD&D, excited by rumors of revolutionary changes in the native system. Secondly, d20 was adopted by a large number of independent companies as a standard, a unified metasystem, for which they began to write a myriad of modules, settings and other accessories. Nowadays the label "d20-compatible" means familiar mechanics, well-known rules, supplemented something new. In addition, you yourself WotC consistently used d20 as a standard, releasing on its basis not just expansions, but full-fledged role-playing games. For example, on the platform d20 found a new life Star Wars RPG.
Another example of a free role-playing game created by professionals is the system Fuzion, written jointly by the companies R.Talsorian Games And Hero Games . It can also be freely downloaded from the official website Hero Games. Unlike d20, which currently exists in the form of simple texts in RTF format, Fuzion are well-designed PDF files suitable for printing. The reason for the appearance Fuzion served by the same desire to create a unified mechanics of the series role-playing games. Moreover, this project was a clear success, although the circle of companies producing products under Fuzion, significantly narrower than in the case d20.
However, for numerous fans Fuzion in everythingin the world this is not so important. After all, the Internet contains many different additions and extensions to Fuzion, and completely free. This simple and concise system is built on a modular principle. Having mastered the “core” of the system, you can choose to play almost any genre, from fantasy to space opera. You will almost certainly be able to find an extension under Fuzion, which has most of what you need.
Finally, the system is very well known FUDGE. Simple, not overloaded with details, it is well suited for playing at the “half-word” level, when the rules are used only where they are desperately needed. Simple mechanics FUDGE allows you to widely change the detail of the game. For example, the outcome of a battle can be decided either by a single throw or during a long round of play - your choice. Unlike the systems mentioned above, FUDGE- author's development of an enthusiast named Stefan O'Sullivan . And its success shows that a professional and popular role-playing game can very well be the result of the work of amateur designers.

We have

All of the above are freeRPGs were created abroad and published on the Internet in English. Knowing that the industry of tabletop role-playing games is gradually beginning to develop in our country (" The Art of Magic", "Age of Aquarius"), the question is quite logical: what is the situation with free RPGs in our country?
If we are behind our foreign colleagues here, it is no more than in the field of commercial games. There has been a domestic role-playing game on the RuNet for more than two years" Great Dragon World" ("Ministry of Internal Affairs"). The system was developed by a team of enthusiasts, which is not surprising - three years ago no one in our country was involved in the professional development of role-playing games. But everything was done seriously, at the level." Great Dragon World"is a beautifully designed book in PDF format, which has become almost a standard for non-commercial systems. On the official website you can get the “Rules”, “Leader’s Guide” and various applications, such as monster hunting and descriptions of magic spells. Role-playing software is also posted there (programs for creating characters), modules, articles to help the presenter and a lot of other useful material. On the official forum you can always get advice from developers or advice from system experts.

Commerce vs. Altruism

If you have already felt the possibility of choosing between a commercial and a free system, let's see how to do it right. The fact is that an experienced role player can clearly see principled difference between paid and free systems. Any commercial role-playing game is first and foremost a product. And therefore, their main priorities will be product quality, breadth of coverage of customer needs and profit. Profit is the main thing, because people do business. The result of this approach is perfectly designed books of high printing quality. The material required for the game is divided into several books - the more books you buy, the more profitable the business. Any of your whims in terms of variety in the form of the game can be satisfied - with one more book. On the other hand, your attempts to create something of your own within the commercial system will turn out to be a very time-consuming and difficult task. It’s easier to direct the same efforts to making money, which you can then spend on buying another rule book, where will be approximately what you needed for the game.
The situation is completely different with free systems. Their common feature is versatility. If you've played enough fantasy D&D and you want space opera - welcome to the store where you can buy a rulebook for Star Wars with a separate system. Both systems have the same base ( d20), but with only the Player's Handbook in hand D&D, you won’t be able to play the confrontation between the Jedi and the Sith.
In the same time Fuzion with all its applications covers the entire spectrum of adventure genres. But at the same time it represents one single system. And this is also the logic of life. Developers of free systems are often driven by altruistic, creative motives. But they also don’t want to do extra work. And it’s easier to write a universal system once than one for every occasion.
The price for versatility, of course, is detail anddetails of the rules of the game. And here we can discover another feature of free systems. They are, as a rule, also very convenient for modification. It is impossible to write a system so universal that it can be used to play absolutely anything. But you can make the system so that independently adding new features to the game will be simple and easy.
For a commercial system, it is very important to suit as many role players as possible. Therefore, 80% of her rulebook contains something that you personally will never need, but without which some Vasya Pupkin cannot imagine a normal game. It turns out that the lion's share of the hard-earned money you paid for the book goes to satisfy Vasya Pupkin's requests. In a free system, as a rule, you will find only those 20%, without which it is basically impossible to play. What you, Vasya Pupkin, and any other roleplayer need. And if the system is missing something, add it yourself, there are all the conditions for this.
And this is a completely conscious approach. For example, in the "Presenter's Guide" for " Great Dragon World" an entire chapter is devoted to ways to improve the game: how to create a new race, new class, skill or type of weapon, without disturbing the balance of the system.

Making a choice

Free systems are most often liked not by freebie lovers, but by creative leaders who tend to embody some of their own ideas in the rules. For this reason, a person, even having money for commercial rulebooks, often prefers a rustic, but flexible and universal free system. This is not a question of financial gain, but of your character and your goals in the game. Some people prefer to spend hours leafing through a beautiful rule book, looking for details and nuances of the rules in it. But some people prefer to sit and think about how to write it down according to their system. If you tend to see an RPG system as a product that should have everything you could possibly need for your money, you'll be happy with a commercial RPG. And if you look at the system as a constructor from which you yourself can build whatever you want, think about a free system.
Free RPGs in English:
D20 - www.opengamingfoundation.org
Fuzion - www.herogames.com/fuzion
FUDGE - www.io.com/~sos/fudge.html
Free RPG in Russian:
Ministry of Internal Affairs - www.dragonworld.rolemancer.ru
The article uses illustrations made by Princess Dragon for Game " Ministry of Internal Affairs".
On our compact you can find everything you need to play at domestic RPG" Great Dragon World":
- Rules of the game . Role-playing game basics; description of the characteristics of heroes, races, classes, skills. Rules for character development, rules of combat, the effects of magic.
- Presenter's Guide . Basics of driving, creating a group of heroes, consideration of basic game situations, system modification, game psychology.
- Magic . Descriptions of spells for magicians and priests, additional rules.
- Bestiary . Application to the "World of the Great Dragon" system. Examples of descriptions of monsters, monsters, animals.
- Character Sheet , designed for convenient recording of character characteristics.
- Character creation program . Allows you to create a character in full accordance with the rules, store data about him, and export the character sheet to MS Excel.
- "Mad Troll" . Scenario (module) with a classic plot for novice presenters and players. freeware /ˈfɹiːwɛə(r)/ from English free "free" + software"software") - software whose license agreement does not require any payments to the copyright holder. Free software is usually distributed in a ready-to-run form (without source codes) and is proprietary software.

Difference between free and free software

Free software, unlike free software, can be distributed without source code and may contain restrictions on commercial use, modification, etc. Free software gives everyone, in addition to the right to use the software, the right to modify and a number of other rights.

Differences between free and shareware software

Free software, unlike shareware, does not imply any payment to the developer and, accordingly, no additional services, such as improved versions, are not expected.

There is also a method of software distribution that occupies a middle position between shareware and freeware, when a certain program is released as free, but lightweight, and, unlike most shareware programs, the use of which is illegal after the trial period ends, there are no restrictions by time of use free version does not have, and restrictions are imposed on any “advanced” features of the program, and sometimes its use is also prohibited in cases specifically specified in the EULA (most often for commercial purposes). This is, for example, a free version of the Micro-Cap program, which can be legally used for an unlimited time, but its library of modeled elements is greatly reduced, use for commercial purposes is prohibited, and the speed of modeling is artificially reduced.

The problem of naming free and open source software

Many texts on the topic of software are written in English, in which the words "free" and "free" are translated equally as free. This creates naming confusion