A source code release would, however, be the best possible answer. Source releases have kept id Software titles like Doom and the Quake series alive and vibrant to this day, for example. With a source release we could see all manner of custom private servers arise...some would be awful, I'm sure, but others would doubtlessly be brilliant. Of course, people could also run legacy servers where nothing was altered. It could be outstanding.
I maintain a secret hope that a former Paragon Studios employee managed to slip out with a copy of the server software and will one day "accidentally" leak it onto the internet...
Out of 40 employees or more...you'd think they'd have the 'Code' to work on at home? In reality, you'd think the code would be out there somewhere...other than with just NC Soft's backups. Not that anyone would admit that. And if they leaked it and it was traced to them...they'd have their posterior sued out of oblivion. An 'accidental leak.' Maybe discretion will dictate otherwise. Even if a secret reverse engineering project had peaked at or had the code itself they'd do well to be quiet about it for obvious reasons. And even with the 'real' server code I doubt reverse engineering code would be simple. It's going to take time. It will be interesting to see where Coh is in two years time...
Source releases for titles like Doom and Quake show how you can foster a community long after the game has 'peaked' in the game fashion shows. NC Soft could learn from some gaming companies.
As for an open-source inheritance...we can only hope. Icon offers the beginning of such hope. While it will never be what we wish it to be...it's an example of what talented people can do. It's a wonderful gift to the COh community.
If we get a reverse engineered server anything like as easy to use as Icon with a slightly modified AE to plug into map 'mission entrances etc.' then Coh will live again. Be interesting to see how much of the Coh community there will be in two years time with a possible convergence of 3-4 Coh style projects all entering a Beta period.
I think Ohioknight paints a possible future for where we may be heading. I hope so. With texture modding and even maybe some geometry modding...even maybe some archetype modding. Who knows.
It's code. Anything is possible.
I remember back in 1983. I never thought I'd see the day when 64k would be deemed so tiny it could easily be emulated. But there are C64 emulators for Mac and PC. Plug and play more or less. Load in seconds. I remember when 'tape' loaders for my C64 took 20-30 minutes! The 'mod' community produced their own Boulderdash games (such was the games appeal...my all time fav' game.) 30 years later, C64 emulation looks quaint.
I'm sure it won't take quite as long for Coh emulation. It's a far bigger beast, code wise. But it's just code at the end of the day. 'Time.'
Azrael.