Guild of Writers

http://paradox22.wordpress.com/2008/04/ ... n-ur-game/

This post serves only to draw attention to that blog post and the facts therein.

Feel free to comment either here or on the blog post.

Everyone was ready to cry about how it was hacking, how it was immoral, wrong, evil, and that anyone who uses the tool should be ashamed of themselves.

I don't think that is a true statement at all. I think people reacted somewhat reservedly (and perhaps negatively) because as Marten has already commented, the way in which Drizzle was presented to the community was a little unorthodox. Especially at such a critical time, when we're waiting on potential assistance from Cyan to continue and develop a replacement for MOUL. The last thing we want to be doing is upsetting them by being stand-offish and distributing copyrighted material.

And that for me was the crux of the matter. I believe Cyan has relaxed their attitude to Age writing because the tools we are using don't belong to them, the content we are producing is our own and the manner of delivery is using a game engine we already own because we bought URU:CC/PotS. There is no direct threat to their intellectual property.

Distributing converted MOUL content on Bittorrent *IS*.

If you read between the lines, folks *don't* have a problem with Drizzle per se, it's the uncomfortable position it puts the community in at the moment where no official comment has been received from Cyan regarding its use and the illegal distribution of files that is taking place, started by someone who seems to have little regard for the sensitive situation the whole community is in right now.

-: D'eux :-

*shrugs*

Opinions reserved to whomever has them :S

I agree with your post, Paradox.
I also agree with and support what Dustin has done. ALL of it.

For once, I totally agree with Chacal.

I do too.

As long as you don't steal the files from bittorrent or something, it's fine in my book.

My only question is: we use Blender to make our own Ages. Places like Zepher Cove and Eh'ko are using their own textures too.

Are we violating the agreement with Cyan by making Ages to run off of Uru's engine, yet we don't use their textures or sounds?

Yes, the moment that you install ULM, or load a custom Age, or even install a copy of PyPRP you are breaking an agreement with Cyan that states (among other things):

It is not permitted namely:

- To make copies of the Multimedia Product,

- To operate the Multimedia Product commercially,

- To use it contrary to morality or the laws in force,

- To modify the Multimedia Product or create any derived work,

- To transmit the Multimedia Product via a telephone network or any other electronic means, except during multi-player games on authorized networks,

- To create or distribute unauthorized levels and/or scenarios,

- To decompile, reverse engineer or disassemble the Multimedia Product.

"modify or create any derived work". We definitely modify the engine when we play custom Ages, especially with the Python scripting.

"create or distribute unauthorized levels and/or scenarios". That's exactly what the whole purpose of GoW is. To break that one line.

...but we've asked permission (or "authorization") to do so. We've obtained FCALs for the plugin, ULM and the ages that we distribute. We've also been authorized to use their sounds.

Yes, which is where the whole thing turns into a muddy mess that nobody is really sure about. If there were ever solid lines, they've been blurred to almost non-existence by both sides.

Remember that the only law your breaking is contractual law. That means you are responsible only for the crime of breaking a contract. Which can be a pretty serious crime when large amounts of money is involved.

In this case Cyan has shown amazing leniency. Most likely because the amazing amount of legal mess that would be caused by trying to stop hacking of the game would break them faster than it took them to throw together Myst 5 (JKING!).