Following along from the previous post about the node graphs, I have lately pulled the node graph stuff out and have started work also on a standalone editor for noise functions. https://github.com/JTippetts/ANLEditor

The editor uses the node graph functionality, along with an output node that provides various functions, to allow one to create graphs of noise that can be used to create textures.

The output node allows you to map either a Grayscale or RGBA image output (the Volume button currently does nothing, for now). It can analyze a connected grayscale function to give you a histogram graph of how the function output is distributed, and calculates a set of scale/add factors that could be used to remap the output of the function to the 0,1 range. It allows you to specify seamless mapping settings, and to export images to file. It's all still fairly rudimentary and I still haven't settled on a final save/load format, but all that is in progress.

I have also started creating an editor of sorts for Goblinson Crusoe, using some of this editor functionality. It's still in its infancy, but eventually it will allow me to create areas and area pieces for use in randomly generating maps. 

Lately, I've been doing some thinking about what I want to do with Goblinson Crusoe. It has become clear to me that it will probably never be a commercial release. It will probably never be on Steam or anything like that. I just don't have the time. I wasted a LOT of my early years spinning my wheels and going nowhere, and now I have so many other things that have to come first (family, full-time job, home-ownership, etc...) that I just don't think I'd ever realistically finish this thing. If I could work on it full-time, perhaps, but mortgage, bills, and the necessity of providing insurance and safety nets for my wife and kids means that isn't feasible.

However, I do enjoy working on it, and don't want to just abandon it. Nor do I want it to never see some kind of release. And I would like to see some kind of return on my huge time investment over the years. So I've been thinking of making GC a free and open-source project, linked with a Patreon and/or PayPal for goodwill donations. At least that way, if I die or life gets in the way of further development, at the very least it wouldn't disappear completely. Plus, I might get at least a few dollars from appreciative people along the way.

What do you all think? Any advice on how to structure such a thing? Good idea/bad idea?