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diff --git a/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000239.html b/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000239.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..cb879fcb --- /dev/null +++ b/pipermail/nel/2001-February/000239.html @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> +<HTML> + <HEAD> + <TITLE> [Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</TITLE> + <LINK REL="Index" HREF="index.html" > + <LINK REL="made" HREF="mailto:novalis%40novalis.org"> + <LINK REL="Previous" HREF="000238.html"> + <LINK REL="Next" HREF="000243.html"> + </HEAD> + <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> + <H1>[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</H1> + <B>Dave Turner</B> + <A HREF="mailto:novalis%40novalis.org" + TITLE="[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.">novalis@novalis.org</A><BR> + <I>Tue, 20 Feb 2001 13:23:47 -0500</I> + <P><UL> + <LI> Previous message: <A HREF="000238.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> Next message: <A HREF="000243.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#239">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#239">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#239">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#239">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> + <HR> +<!--beginarticle--> +<PRE>EagleEye wrote: +><i> +</I>><i> > Nope. But be aware that the basic principles of your game design are +</I>><i> > automatically open, regardless of whether you use NeL or develop your +</I>><i> > own from scratch. What is proprietary to you is the 1000-rows database +</I>><i> > that describes your items, the recipes your artisans use to make items, +</I>><i> > the names and settings of the world, the artwork used to decorate the +</I>><i> > flag flying at the top of the keep. +</I>><i> > +</I>><i> > But not the "there are three realms that are mortal ennemies of each +</I>><i> > other" part. That, anyone can copy. Even if you were developping a +</I>><i> > game for a big company under death-before-you-speak agreements. +</I>><i> +</I>><i> This basically answers my question. You see, I realize that people can copy +</I>><i> my ideas, but I'll be damned if they're gonna copy the work that I put into +</I>><i> it to accomplish what I (will have) accomplished. If they want to copy my +</I>><i> idea, they'll have to implement it themselves, not grab all of my WORK +</I>><i> (because it's open source) and just "compile and run" my entire world. I +</I>><i> don't care about the technology stuff, like those special gloves, or 3D +</I>><i> goggle implementation... I just want it so that if someone wants to copy +</I>><i> that skill tree of mine, they have to copy it from the ground up. Not just +</I>><i> grab my source and say "Okay, it's mine now." I'm not talking about +</I>><i> copyrights... +</I>><i> +</I>><i> Look at it this way... I am copying some of the concepts from any number of +</I>><i> other MUDs, MMOLRPGs, and such... the concept of player housing is in Ultima +</I>><i> Online... I'm copying that, and making it better... What I'm not doing is +</I>><i> taking their source code for how they implemented it, and using it for my +</I>><i> own game... that stuff I have to do myself. I don't care if people copy my +</I>><i> ideas, but I want to release them first, and I want them to have to put in +</I>><i> some of their own effort to make their "copy of my ideas" a reality. +</I>><i> +</I>><i> > > *scratches head* +</I>><i> > +</I>><i> > /em massages Jared's shoulders. +</I>><i> +</I>><i> Hehe, thanks. :) +</I> + +If someone is going to implement the same ideas, why should they waste +their time implementing them from scratch if your code is already +there? Remember that any improvements they make will go back to you +(excluding the ASP loophole, but we're ignoring that). Also, they will +have to give you credit (you have the copyright on your parts). So, why +make them repeat the work? Isn't that just a waste of their time? +Also, if they have to redo it, they won't have to release their stuff, +so you won't get the benefit of their code. Also, they could well end +up being less inventive, because they have to spend time just catching +up, rather than really innovating. + +I understand that you want your world to be unique - one way you can do +this is by having a less free license on media. This is what Nevrax is +doing. Another way is to not release your plots - after all, plot is +what makes a game (or ought to). Remember, nobody will play a game that +is just like yours, but without your creativity. + +You can make money on free software, even sticking with the GPL. RMS +did it for years, RedHat does it, Cygnus did it (now, RH owns them). I +suggest that you seriously consider the benefits of free software from a +totally open mind - trying to think of it from a different point of view +- not "How can I lock world up?", but "How can I make my players +happier?" + +I think you'll find that even among proprietary games, the most open +games had the best results - look at how customizable the Quake series +is. + +Just my 2 cents. + +-- +-Dave Turner Stalk me: (215)-545-2859 +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +"It is said that it is the curse of the neophobe to always see the +symptoms as the disease, and to always make half measures" - Pug + +</pre> + + + + +<!--endarticle--> + <HR> + <P><UL> + <!--threads--> + <LI> Previous message: <A HREF="000238.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> Next message: <A HREF="000243.html">[Nel] Something I don't understand about the license agreement.</A></li> + <LI> <B>Messages sorted by:</B> + <a href="date.html#239">[ date ]</a> + <a href="thread.html#239">[ thread ]</a> + <a href="subject.html#239">[ subject ]</a> + <a href="author.html#239">[ author ]</a> + </LI> + </UL> +</body></html> |