Messages

31

Released Mods / Re: [WIP][OXCE][UFO] X-Com: Terror From the Unknown (TFTU)

« on: February 11, 2022, 09:59:20 pm »

TERRAIN PACK CREDITS

This mod contains original assets (.MAP and .RMP files and mapScript rulesets) made by other modders that are a part of the XCOM Terrain Pack mod and that never been a part of the original games. The Terrain has an open source Creative Commons CC-NC-SY-BA 4.0 license, which can be consulted at its public depository.

The following terrains that are a part of the Terrain Pack and are currently being used by the XCom: Terror From The Unknown are:

PORTCARGOSHIP


PORTLINER


FOREST MOUNT


MOD FARM


EXPANDED TERROR


DESERT MOUNT


MU JUNGLE (conversion from original TFTD terrain)


ATLANT DESERT (conversion from original TFTD terrain)


RAILYARD


POLAR MOUNT


NATIVE


MAD CITY


INDUSTRIÃL


For more terrains to play and use in your mods, please check the XCOM Terrain Pack at the mod portal.

Enjoy

32

Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE][I.D.T] Terminator: Tech-Comm - Alpha

« on: February 11, 2022, 03:13:58 am »

New version 0.4.2 released at the mod portal.

John Connor is now a playable character that starts with the original base. Two new base facilities added: Tech-Comm HQ and Mine Field.

33

Work In Progress / Re: [TC][OXCE] Terminator: Tech-Comm - Terminated

« on: February 09, 2022, 03:18:07 am »

And we're back!

Development of Tech-Comm has restarted.

34

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP][OXCE] XCOM: The Unknown Menace

« on: February 08, 2022, 08:40:30 pm »

Hey, I remember your novel! Takes me back! It was fantastic! Pity you never finished the TFTD sequel, the direction it was being taken on seemed fairly interesting.

A mod inspired by it can only be good! Watching.

Well, there was a change of plans recently, which I'm going to announce soon.

35

Work In Progress / Re: [WIP][OXCE] XCOM: The Unknown Menace

« on: February 08, 2022, 02:31:05 pm »

i started your fan fiction but is there a way for you to turn it into an ebook or pdf to read it on the go?

Joe

Hi. Yes, I have it on .pdf. I'll send you the link through PM later.

36

Released Mods / Re: X-Chronicles Release, v.0.99.3

« on: February 08, 2022, 05:43:17 am »

Good morning.

I would just like to ask something. By any chance, have you seen Hobbes's comment in the mod.io page for X-Chronicles?

I better remove that comment.

Nord, I just saw you also went CC-NC-BY-SA with your mod, nice!

37

Released Mods / Re: XCOM Terrain Pack General Discussion

« on: January 30, 2022, 07:40:30 pm »

I can't imagine business based on OXC modding, that would make any sense in terms of effort/profit, compared to other activities. For instance, making indie casual games on, say, Unity is way faster and has a clear monetization model. I have no idea how much gather with direct donations, but Patreon page of OXC community creators that I saw receive nothing, compared to effort value. OXC player base is too small, if you compare it to other communities.

This you just mentioned and the Shared Alike (SA) condition of the license also fortifies the Non-Commercial aspect.

If anyone decides to reuse its public assets, the mods need to have the same SA license as the original Terrain Pack, so any changes need to be shared also with everyone else. 

38

Help / Re: Invisible region

« on: January 30, 2022, 05:35:04 pm »

I'm using special region to spawn special mission. All works fine, mission spawns in a random point inside needed area.
But this custom region shows in "Alien activity graph", and that bothers me and can misguide player.
So, can i somehow "hide" region? Or maybe i should use another way to spawn mission?

Change the score generated by the mission to zero.

39

Released Mods / Re: XCOM Terrain Pack General Discussion

« on: January 30, 2022, 05:20:28 pm »

He-he, that makes an issue, as by this you can't distribute your mod with OXC/OXCE or it forks, as it is licensed with GPL =) Don't think it makes much sense in our community.

I honestly considered giving the TP a GPL license but ended up against it for a matter of reasons:
1) Not everyone who contributed to the TP besides me (UFO2000 authors) would accept GPL. UFO2000 was GPL but the mods themselves are not. There are modders who will not contribute to a GPL license.
2) The TP contains modded original game files (tilesets mainly). Going GPL means: you have copyright over everything included, or permission to make it GPL. Also, by going GPL everyone could use those original game assets for their mods/games, which the XCOM IP holder might not like.
3) GPL has a lot of requirements on the license's terms to record changes to original files. They are too complicated for modders to follow.

I have a very direct line here - with CC licensed content, you can't SELL your game of content. For instance, I can't put it in Steam. As long as your game is distributed for free and there are no CC-licensed assets behind some paywall, this is noncommercial. There is no gray area for me to share your Patreon page or share PayPal link.

I have a very similar view regarding sales and Patreon/PayPal donations (there's even a link for the OXC donations page on the README and repository page).

But I also know modders and teams (for other games) that is a commercial business based on donations, even if they are clearly under a NC license. To me this is clearly a 'gray area' example, because just giving an NC license doesn't prove that you're actually using it for NC proposes. And there's a lot of people out there who will push the grey area.

40

Released Mods / Re: Terrain Pack General Discussion

« on: January 29, 2022, 07:07:52 pm »

Btw, what would be counted as violation and abuse? AFAIK, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, that you use for terrain pack allows people to use your content as they want (copy, distribute and modify) if credited and also using same license (because of shareAlike). Crediting is pretty simple too, I did not find a solid example, and description of "proper reference" is pretty vague. I'm also using same license for FtA, and I made such a formula for crediting, for example:

Crediting (BY) is pretty simple to follow and fix, that's not the major one I'm worried about. I've also included some guidelines in the LICENSE about how to properly do it.

In any case, this is something that should be always open for discussion and clarification.

AFAIK, nobody use their mods for direct commercial purposes (selling it in form of standalone game), only accepting donations. I saw tons of examples in another modding communities, where people share content with CC licenses and still ask donations in very noticeable form (Donate button on forum page, Patreon site, etc.). So, as I can understand, its pretty easy not to refer terrain pack and use all its assets as you want, can't see how it can be really "abused" after it became open source.

Non-Commercial (NC) is the one that should give more issues, although some are pretty clear.

For instance, if you have a GPL license to your software bundle (which allows for commercial use), you can't add to it assets that are CC-NC.

Also, personal donations/gifts are OK, but what happens if you're running a mod business based on donations (which is common to happen in modding)? Creative Commons interprets 'commercial as activites that are primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation'. That's one grey area that the license leaves open on propose.

Finally, the SA (Share Alike) condition of the license also has its own set of requirements. If you take assets of the TP and modify and expand on them, then these assets must also be released with the same license (CC NC-BY-SA) of the original ones. But here there are a lot of possible solutions, depending on what is being exactly modified/adapted and the propose, and the size of the mod.

One final thing must be clear though: with this license, the Terrain Pack now truly belongs to the community.

CC NC-BY-SA means you or anyone else can take version 1.0.0 and keep developing it by yourself or even add it to your mod project for the original XCOM, UFO2000 or OXC, as long as you respect all the conditions of the original license.

41

Released Mods / Re: Terrain Pack and Area 51 Announcement

« on: January 29, 2022, 03:17:10 pm »

For what it's worth: I thank you for all you efforts, especially knowing, how long you have been contributing to communities. I was there when UFO2000 was still alive and kicking and even today maps with your terrains spice up my OpenXcom experience considerably. I can totally understand that you put a stop to being ripped off by folks out there, that have no regard for honoring other peoples efforts and respecting their wishes, when it comes to how your content may be used. It's just a shame, that a certain level of honor and decency seems to be missing in some of the modders out there. One might think, that we are all together in this, but apparently we are not. 

OpenXCom modding will take a turn, for the better or worse. Modding in general has turned more professional since the UFO2000 and early OpenXCom days.

With the Terrain Pack now with an open source license and people moving towards using other tools like repositories and mod sites, it will be easier to report license violations. Honest mistakes can and will be forgiven, but continued and systematic abuse will not go unchecked anymore.

I wanna to recycle this thread but you beat me into it

42

Released Mods / Re: [OXC] XCOM Terrain Pack version 1.0.0

« on: January 28, 2022, 11:47:54 pm »

Terrain Pack now has a open source CC-NC-BI-SA license!

Mod Portal now has the updated version for OXCE. https://openxcom.mod.io/terrain-pack


Official GitHub repository https://github.com/Hobbes74/XCOM-Terrain-Pack.

Discord channel https://discord.com/invite/5f2KRVjqBN

43

Released Mods / Re: [OXC] XCOM Terrain Pack version 1.0.0

« on: January 28, 2022, 03:58:04 pm »

welcome back hobbes, I am very happy that you are returning to donate your contributions.

I tried browsing github but the repository is still private

Github repository is becoming public later today

When it happens I'll update the sticky thread on this forum and the mod portal.

44

Released Mods / Re: [OXC] XCOM Terrain Pack version 1.0.0

« on: January 25, 2022, 01:24:51 am »

Change Log (24/1):
* Updated: mod compatibility, rulesets now use yaml anchors to add new refNode implemented by OXCE's latest release. Check the OXCE changes on the wiki's https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/Ruleset_Reference_Nightly_(OpenXcom), on the refNode attribute.
* Ported: UFO2000 terrain XBASE+ as Terror Site terrains, originally made by several uncredited authors. Instead of defending, assault an XCOM base overrun by aliens.
* Added: Escape missions to Terror Sites, originally made for Area 51 mod. Instead having to rescue the civilians, survive and retreat through the Mudranger APC placed at the other end of the map. 12 new Escape terrains: AIRFIELD, COLDISLE, DAWNCITY, DOWNTOWN, INDUSTRIAL, MAD CITY, NATIVE, RAILYARD, ISLAND_TFTD, SIBERIA, SLUM and STORM MOUNTAIN.
* Added: NKF's Mudranger APC transport with UFOPaedia entry.
* Changed: missionZones 3 (terror site) updated for new Escape terrains.
* Added: ALIENCOLONY and ALIENHIVE Alien Base Assault terrains, originally made for Area 51 mod.
* Changed: alien base terrains are assigned to specific areas in a region's mission zones.
* Added: Mexico, Pakistan, New Zealand and Argentina countries, originally made by MKSheppard and Gix.
* Added: remaining unconverted original CULTAFARM, MAD CITY, MOONBASE and WAREHOUSE .MAP files from UFO2000.
* Added: FORT testing terrain mod for the original XCOM game,.
* Changed: renamed the Swamp terrains as WETLANDS, renamed all the TFTD terrain conversions, also renamed the JUNGLE modded terrains as new RAINFOREST and RAINMOUNT, and several other renaming to identify simple texture conversions as subterrains.
* Added: DAWN CITYUFO2000 terrain port for the original XCOM game.
* Added: AREA 51, HIVE, MAD CITY, NATIVE, PORT (TFTD conversion) and SKYRANGER FACTORY mods for the original XCOM game.

To Do List:
* To add 12 more countries, looking for suggestions.
* To add 12-18 more cities, also looking for suggestions.

45

Released Mods / Re: [OXC] XCOM Terrain Pack version 4.0

« on: January 23, 2022, 12:22:01 am »

1st:
The link to the creative commons page is broken. It starts with a "(".

Thank you, fixed.

* Mod authors are free to ask for donations and keep them. If people want to donate to the Terrain Pack they should instead consider donating towards OpenXcom.

Which of those 2 messages was the one you were trying to convey?

That one. I've reworked the text to clear up the two cases.