A letter to CA: Release of the source code

[Lysimachos]

So, no-one is interested in trying?

Well, I'm distantly familiar with an attempt to make Atari/Firaxis release the source code for their Civilization III (which, btw. is three years older than RTW). I think the people who spearheaded that attempt have put quite some effort in it and ended with a lot of disappointment and frustration. So, maybe it isn't worth it, especially considering how forthcoming CA has been toward their modding community in the latest titles.

Biggest con:

GFX aside, most game mechanics are relatively simple implementations from a coding standpoint.
If this happens, once the community gets well acquainted with the code it would take less than one year to code in M2:TW-like features and in a couple year it would reach a good enough gameplay that it would represent a serious menace to commercial sequels.

Two examples: Descent: Freespace 2 and Jagged Alliance 2.
Try the open source versions of the games and tell me square that the level of refinement reached in the gameplay can be matched by a company on a budget

This is true. For every company, there is a point where more effort doesn't equal more sales and at that point they usually have to stop. Dedicated Fans don't have that limit and thus may be able to achieve something greater than any company would be willing to.