Modding, copyright, and related issues.

Well, the conversation is slowly but surely moving in a constructive direction.)))

True, we are still in an inappropriate thread.
Maybe a moderator will forgive us for off-topping and help us with this problem if they have time?
Move our conversation to this thread, for example.
/topic/14858/
If its title were slightly changed, it would be an absolutely ideal thread for discussing such issues.

Just seemed to me that you're in a real "combat" mood.

To be honest, I'm in an exhausted mood.) but when you see some constructive progress happening, you get a bit of strength back.

Many people, myself included, are ready to support and defend this position; it's just not entirely clear how to do it. Simply screaming at people who use others' materials is a counterproductive solution. It's also unlikely that we can influence this on a mass scale, but communicating specifically with project authors is a completely different matter.

Of course "theft" must be fought, the question is how? Should all authors unite and build something common? Does that mean we're coming back to a "monopoly" again?

I have some thoughts and specific action plans regarding this; others still need to be formed and discussed together.


In order

First, about groups.
If you have a good mod that you want to publish? Besides publishing it here on the forum or somewhere of your own, perhaps it's worth contacting the admin of this group. You can reach out directly or through me if you aren't on VK or find it inconvenient.

This is just a simple useful acquaintance that I made for all of us by simply getting in touch with the person and trying to explain my point of view. Everything could have turned out differently and the person could have been not very good, but we got lucky and he turned out to be quite adequate and responsive. It makes sense to publish in his group; it will help him (new content) and us (additional attention, which is actually greater than the main one).

The idea is that nothing stops you from making and sharing similar acquaintances with the community.
It would be very good if we had more than one such acquaintance. In the future, a thread could be started on the forum listing such places whose admins are worth contacting.



Second, about large mods.
Here, everyone needs to change their approach together.
To start with, we need to speak individually with build authors about ensuring that authors of borrowed resources are credited and links to them are provided. Fanaticism is obviously harmful here too, but if we can convince a few authors of large builds to cooperate under such a scheme, it will already be a big victory. This is the right step, but of course, it won't be enough.
There are several problems at once: established unhealthy borrowing rules, half-dead resources, and the ignorance of the typical mod user (although I've met many players who understand how mods are structured and can adjust them for themselves). Making a large mod build ourselves is not an option; there wouldn't be enough time for proper resource production. Forbidding others from using our work, even if it were technically possible, would also be harmful to us.

I have a proposal on how the situation can be changed for the better.
I'll be glad to hear your thoughts on this.
In short, we need to make it so that our resources are so easy to use that anyone could "steal" them.
To achieve this, first, as many people (or at least not significantly fewer) should know about our resources as they do about large projects. Second, the resources must be prepared for work. And third, more people who can take these resources and use them are needed.
I'm saying all this based on how things stand in the Mount & Blade modding community, where there are many well-known people who deal exclusively with producing "free" packs. And where no one is surprised by another build of everything and anything thrown into one pile, and such a build never becomes popular unless it has some unique feature of its own.

Specific plans for this point.
Any small mod (for example, replacing a creature with a new model) should be made in two versions: for users (the creature is replaced by the new model) and for modders (the pack file contains only new resources for the creature and they don't replace anyone).
Naturally, for this scheme to work, resources must be created so that there is no conflict between them (do not replace original game files but create new ones). Ideally, you should also separately record the paths to the new model to make your resource easier for modders to use.
Preventatively, you should write in large letters on the page: "use it to your heart's content, I don't mind." But do this: put a link to my resources inside your mod files, and everyone who wants to play your build should download my original "modder's version of the mod"; it will already work with your mod if you specified the paths correctly. Well, that's the ideal, of course. To start with, it would already be good if build authors got into the habit of at least providing links to the original content and author. And there aren't even that many such authors, after all; everyone can be reasoned with.

It's also unlikely that we can influence this on a mass scale

Only through mass action will it work. If we all together create healthier and more mutually beneficial rules of coexistence. Everything unnecessary and harmful will naturally die out.

okay, I was mostly confused by the initial negative attitude toward 5.5, but that issue has been clarified, moving on.

I might have gotten a bit heated somewhere, I'll admit honestly.
But overall, I don't and didn't have a truly negative attitude.
Dreadknight actually makes a very pleasant impression.

I still don't quite understand what 5.5 is. Even though I spent some time trying to figure it out. As far as I understand, there aren't many visual replacements in the game there. It's primarily a rebalance and the addition of new features. (How they did all this is a mystery to me, because there are such changes that it feels like Footman is telling the truth about someone's source code)
If everything stays as it is and 5.5 doesn't turn into another pile of garbage, I'll only be glad if some users use my resources along with this mod.
If 5.5 wants to put my resources into the body of the mod, I would like it to be done on the mutually beneficial terms described above.

Added after 5 minutes

Besides, don't forget that there is still a small language barrier between us and perhaps there were some misunderstandings between you.

i know english very well)) sometimes)