Guild of Writers

Mark,

I know you're more than likely very busy, and we have not heard from you for a while, but there has been a question brought up that I think we need an answer to. I've asked Alhamnat to look into it, but wanted to try asking you also. It's something that has to do with RAWA's guidelines:


While this is a technical question about Age Creation, it has to deal with Cyan's Property Rights. This question was raised in RAWA's thread over at MystOnline, but there has not been an "Official" answer upon it, only guesses by other fans.

In RAWA's guidelines, we are forbbiden to make new areas of the cavern that would possibly cause a conflict: IE adding a passage from Bevin to the "Hood Next Door" would not be allowed, nor adding to Ae'gura.

However, making new "Isolated" areas (areas that would only be accessable through the Nexus), is permitted, as long as there is no story line conflict of any kind.

This raises the question about using Cyan's property: Meshes and Textures. Obviously the D'ni had a very rich and diverse culture. There are only a few things in Bevin that carry over from Ae'gura, texture wise and a few meshes (moth lights), so it would be quite all right and expected that if someone wanted to create a new Neighborhood that the architecture will be completely different from that found in Ae'gura and Bevin (or Kirel). Different Textures too of course.

BUT....what about the cavern itself? The rock texture and the lake? Those are things that would have to match what you see in Bevin or Ae'gura, else continuity IS broken.
Granted, the Cavern is huge enough that a different area along the walls could have a different type of rock and rock strata and would explain away why the cavern walls and ceilings have different looking textures. It might be a hard pill for the average fan to swallow, but that would be a fine and true explination.

But then there is the lake, there is no getting around this. We can make the new Neighborhood far enough away to make the Arch not visable, but then you have the lake water itself.
One could say: "Well this hood was reached by linking only" but that seems a bit unrealistic, day to day commuting and goods being transported would have been done so over the lake water (making the idea of a tunnel not very realistic too).
Ae'gura set the example, all those piers at the ferry terminal

So that is the question that many of us would like asked, and that I can see coming from new Writers as the FCAL panel starts to ramp up: Can we use the Cavern Rock and Lake textures?

Thanks for any light you might be able to shed on this.

Andy

Hi Andy,

Sorry it took so long to reply.

I talked to Rich (aka RAWA) and he said: "Continuity-wise, I would prefer them to use our textures for the cavern specifically for the reasons given here, but I don't know if that throws up any red flags for the "legal department"."

Which I replied with: as long as the textures are only used in Uru and MORE fan created ages and artwork. In other words, only used with the plasma engine (MORE, ULM, etc.) within the FCAL agreement (not for commercial use, etc.).

Thanks,
Mark

Jamey wrote::shock:

YAY! I'm in need of the cavern backdrop as well for the new age I'm working on, and hearing Cyan say yes is such a relief!