49 replies to this topic

[Yarrum]

The illegality of it all depends on the game company's stance. Mount and Blade for example is an open source game; once you have paid for it, you a free to make any and all changes using any and all of the game's resources (including changing the base codes) to distibute to others who have also paid for the game.

Anyways, the TATW credits should definitely be more specific. I know that SHREDDER also stole from The Last Days, a book-based LotR mod for Mount and Blade, to which he only credited after a big stink was made. Looking through the texture files of TLD, I only found one small element of skin that appeared stolen, but the credits of TATW are too vauge to tell. If I were King Kong, I would make the EA credits as such:

"Credit to EA Games for skin and model elements for the Eldar and Silvan Heavy armour schemes for BFME2 as well as sound clips for orc factions."

I would also add the part about the skins in all capitols to the top of the preview of the Elves.

[Kwen]

Very true. they wouldn't still be making any money off the BFME series if it wasn't for modding.

[drogoth232]

Ok so it was just a big mistake...King Kong is a nice guy and I feel for Ruud for trying to stop this whole darned situation. Lets just stop this, forgive, be forgiven, and leave it at that!

[Spartan184]

Very true. they wouldn't still be making any money off the BFME series if it wasn't for modding.

That only applies to the shitty games BFME2\RotWK, bfme1 alone was a good game and sold a lot more than BFME2\RotWk.

[Bart]

Modding BFME is not illegal in anyway, shape, or form. The only time it is illegal is when you start delving into the game's hardcoding

Yes it can be, and no it's not
Modding the game in any way, including editing or remaking the executable ("hardcoding") is not illegal, but putting EA's work online for public download (which we do in the form of modified INI files, kitbashed skins, etc.) technically is (even if they allow it)*. If I remade the BFME engine to add support for huge armies it wouldn't be illegal, as long as I won't distribute anything owned by EA. As an odd exception it's also illegal to modify the exe to circumvent copy protection.

* One can argue whether something can be called illegal if it is allowed, but in this case I mean it would be illegal if somebody cared.

[Vortigern]

They'll never care that it's illegal; it reinforces interest in their games, and if you need the game in the first place to play the mod, it works just as well for them.

[drogoth232]

Indeed! ^

[Bart]

They'll never care that it's illegal; it reinforces interest in their games, and if you need the game in the first place to play the mod, it works just as well for them.

Of course, but people (modders) must be aware of the specifics.

[drogoth232]

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