Post 1.0 - A free art and data set?

[anonilsus]

As we all know OpenXcom is an engine only. And while most of us already have the original data (and for others it is easy to get in one way or another) I find the idea intriguing to create a whole new data set, release under a permissive license so that there is a whole and complete game to distribute and play.
That is not only useful for playing but also for showing around, getting donations for the programmers, include it onto pc magazine DVDs, gaming sites etc. etc. 
I think Open Transport Tycoon did it this way.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, but I am very experienced with art and source code licensing and copyright on an international level. So I know what I am talking about.

To say it once again: That does not mean the original data set will be unplayable or I want this to be a different game. The opposite is true:

For such a project all the rules and game mechanics would be 100% the same. Stats and ideas and game mechanics cannot be copyrighted. No problem there.
That means texts, graphics and music and sound need to be replaced.
Think of Terror from the Deep. That is essentially the same game with different assets.

I do not want shiny new high resolutions and so on.  Instead graphics that capture the same spirit, in the same low resolution and style.
Same goes for texts and music and sfx.

And everything that is code-generated does not need to changed. I am unsure but is the globe a program or a graphic? If it is a program then it can stay exactly as it is.

I am not very good at organizing and coordinating but I am a good composer so I can create a new soundtrack and sfx.

That leaves pixel artists and a combined effort to envision a similar but different story and the equiptment descriptions/research tree etc.

[xracer]

Hello and welcome,

this issue keeps coming up, everywhere, we all understand what is happening and we agree. There are several approaches are doing this.

1. The legal approach, since at is core we want this project to be X-COM, the team  uses the original art from a "legal" copy the user has.
2. The better approach, which we are trying, ask Take2, firaxis, or whomever is the copyright holder to allow us to use the names, text, etc... in order to create and 'improved' visually aesthetic game, while maintaining X-COM at is core.
3. The side step approach, modify all artwork, names text, etc.. as you pointed, however this won't feel like X-COM we know it plays like X-COM but it is not the same.
4. The f$$% approach, do whatever the team wants and forget who is the copyright holder and brace for impact. (not the preferred approach)
6. The mod approach, continue improving the game engine at its core and let user create their own mod, if that includes better graphics, music, text or whatever that is not out problem, we only distribute what is legal.
7. there maybe other paths that i have not thought of, but the programmers want to stay in the clear.

I am not a lawyer either, i and I also work in IP, we have attempted to contact the copyright holders as per trademark acquisition listing in the US. We are waiting for a reply, the project coordinator, has also attempted to contact them.

Disclaimer: although i am familiar with IP i am not very familiar copyright on the international level.

[Sabin Stargem]

I think that it should be a six-step approach:

1 - Support vanilla UFO
2 - Support vanilla TFTD
3 - Create the option to merge the vanilla campaigns together.
4 - Implement options for custom content and begin adding materials that reflect content that didn't make it into UFO/TFTD.  (For example, the Bunny.)
5 - Create a freeware set of art assets, music, and UFOpedia entries to replace the vanilla assets.  These assets come with OpenXcom by default.

6 - Make an spiritual successor to X-COM, using the OpenXcom engine and freeware assets.  (Optional)