If you can tell a good story that gets the player attached and involved you don't need known characters, just give the player an "anchor" to the events of the Series
Or just tell your own story without relying on an "anchor". The best episodes of Voyager never mentioned things that happened in DS9, TNG, or TOS.. and the same is true of all the series. In fact, when one series went out of it's way to mention another series, the results were always kind of stilted and terrible.
Really Dr. Crusher? The Enterprise 1701 encountered an intoxication virus just like this, and it took you the whole episode to find it in the database? And it took Riker telling the android to look up incidents of "people taking a shower in their clothes?"
There are many stories, and many ships, and many thousands of Starfleet officers all throughout the history of the Federation. Couldn't your story have easily happened to a Captain WIlliamson of the USS Intrepid in 2280?
I started work on a custom mission that's mostly intended for my fleet of close to 100 people. They're sick of dialogue-heavy missions and "just want pew-pew". So I'm putting together a straight-up war that's designed for heavy co-op with tons of ships from different races.
I'm bringing this up here because now I'm concerned that this will just be seen as farming accolades. Am I getting paranoid or is there a legit concern here?
Ok, so quick question regarding the EULA and content from licensed games.
I've started thinking about producing a re-make of "Star Trek: A Final Unity" (sure, it maybe indicates a lack of imagination, but the game was pretty fantastic).
The main impetus for this thought was that, if you have the original CD, it is possible to extract the sound files. I know you cannot upload sound for the Foundry, but it's not too difficult to put together a little HTML interface which - as an optional extra - they can Alt+Tab (or in Steam just go to the overlay) to and have voice-acting to go along with the mission.
(Of course people would have to extract the sound files from their -own- copies of the original CD so as not to be distributing copyrighted content. Also, if I were to do this, I wouldn't use the voices for the Enterprise D crew, as everyone has their own crew. But the NPCs could be voiced).
Thing is, the game comes replete with a range of characters and locations which are specific to that game. Am I to take it that any reference to, say, the Chodak or Garidians or the planet Morassia, is incompatible with the Foundry EULA?
Ok, so quick question regarding the EULA and content from licensed games.
I've started thinking about producing a re-make of "Star Trek: A Final Unity" (sure, it maybe indicates a lack of imagination, but the game was pretty fantastic).
The main impetus for this thought was that, if you have the original CD, it is possible to extract the sound files. I know you cannot upload sound for the Foundry, but it's not too difficult to put together a little HTML interface which - as an optional extra - they can Alt+Tab (or in Steam just go to the overlay) to and have voice-acting to go along with the mission.
(Of course people would have to extract the sound files from their -own- copies of the original CD so as not to be distributing copyrighted content. Also, if I were to do this, I wouldn't use the voices for the Enterprise D crew, as everyone has their own crew. But the NPCs could be voiced).
Thing is, the game comes replete with a range of characters and locations which are specific to that game. Am I to take it that any reference to, say, the Chodak or Garidians or the planet Morassia, is incompatible with the Foundry EULA?
I thoroughly enjoyed A FINAL UNITY when it came out all those years ago, would be great to see something like that on the Foundry but with the EULA it may not even be possible.
I personally think the EULA needs changing, they say we cannot replicate the likeness of an actor/character as they'd need to be paid royalties, however how do other games get away with it, look at the Sims series for instance, they get away with such things all the time as people are always creating UGC of celebrities.
I hope you find the answers you're looking for from other helpful people and I will be watching closely to see if your mission becomes live.
Ha, someone else looking into A Final Unity. I still consider that the best Star Trek Game.
I have a question. I'm creating a mission (my first one. It's rubbish right now, but we'll see how it goes) in which the player comes across an ancient Chodak base, and release a genetically engineered Chodak. Now, this character will look nothing like the chodak seen in A Final Unity, except for his skin colour and yellow eyes, but they will be heavy mentions to the game and the Enterprise's mission. I'm also thinking of mentioning places like Allanor (may visit here) and The Unity Device itself, as well as Garidians in later epsiodes.
Now, I figure talking about the game as a previous mission is fine, but as the Chodak and Garidians were exclusivly from that game, would I be allowed to use them in this fashion in these missions?
Would I be allowed to use Pentara, as she isn't a real person and so doesn't bear a likeness to anyone (as far as I know), but she was seen and created for A Final Unity? I don't know if I would use Pentara, or make some random Garidian up, but I may as well ask.
Also, would I be allowed to utilise that Romulan ship from series 4 of Enterprise, the one that could mimic other ships? Obviously it would not appear in it's natural form, as that does not exist in the foundary, but could I use it as a plot point if I use other ships and say it's that Romulan ship in disguise?
You may not use New Game Materials to endorse or appose any political party, association (e.g., republican, democrat, candidates, or otherwise) or any side of any issue.
The ambiguity of that last part has concerned me for a long time, and now that I'm finally getting ready to publish some things I've been working on since the Foundry appeared, I'm wondering if there's been any clarification in regards to it. I mean, surely our mission can suggest that superstition, nationalism, vigilantism, slavery, or at least genocide is generally not OK, even though there is another side to each of those assertions.
I imagine that the intent is to prohibit making statements on current hot-button political issues, for Cryptic's sake, but even with that in mind, I feel like it stands a lot to gain from more specificity. Must I consult Picard to find out where the line must be drawn?
Here's a EULA question I've come up with over the past day or so:
Can we have the player assume the role of a character from the shows. For example I've been thinking about creating some "holodeck programs" about Klingon history. Some of the great old battle stories from the time of Kahless all the way up to TOS era. These might be battles referenced in the show or ones I invent.
The idea would be that the player starts the mission in the holodeck, then that asset fades and they play out the historical story, taking on the role of someone who was there. Other NPCs address them as that character (like we've seen in the shows in holodeck programs). My original thought was to invent characters who were at these battles, but what if we can have the player take on the role of a canon historical figure.
For example, say I wanted to recreate the Battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt, with the player playing Kor. Obviously there's no way to change the player's likeness, so I wouldn't depict Kor in any way visually, and I'd make sure not to depict any other canon characters (might reference a few in dialogue though) but NPCs would address the player as Kor.
Is that permissible? Or should I go back to my original thought of making it all up completely or using battles that were talked about, but not in great detail?
Here's a EULA question I've come up with over the past day or so:
Can we have the player assume the role of a character from the shows. For example I've been thinking about creating some "holodeck programs" about Klingon history. Some of the great old battle stories from the time of Kahless all the way up to TOS era. These might be battles referenced in the show or ones I invent.
The idea would be that the player starts the mission in the holodeck, then that asset fades and they play out the historical story, taking on the role of someone who was there. Other NPCs address them as that character (like we've seen in the shows in holodeck programs). My original thought was to invent characters who were at these battles, but what if we can have the player take on the role of a canon historical figure.
For example, say I wanted to recreate the Battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt, with the player playing Kor. Obviously there's no way to change the player's likeness, so I wouldn't depict Kor in any way visually, and I'd make sure not to depict any other canon characters (might reference a few in dialogue though) but NPCs would address the player as Kor.
Is that permissible? Or should I go back to my original thought of making it all up completely or using battles that were talked about, but not in great detail?
Saw you today/tonight on ugc chat, in the direct translation of the eula, you should be safe but its close. might as well make it and if they take it down then they take it down
Where does the EULA prohibit the depiction of canon characters, anyway? I see this assumption floating around, but upon reading the EULA, I only see the line about depicting the actors, writers, directors, or producers.
Where does the EULA prohibit the depiction of canon characters, anyway? I see this assumption floating around, but upon reading the EULA, I only see the line about depicting the actors, writers, directors, or producers.
As far as I can see, that is the only limitation there. That's exactly why I think my idea of the player "playing" a canon character in a holodeck mission would work. I have no way of changing the player's likeness, so I wouldn't be depicting that canon character visually, and thus would not use any actor's likeness. I would also refrain from having any other canon characters in the mission. Problem solved... probably.
Does this copyright also include characters established in the STO Episode guide? I want to know if I can create a continuation story to one if not more of the episode missions. I want to see do I have to create a character that might closely work with an established character or can I use that established character from the episode guide?
I'm not sure if the above poster is asking the same question (not sure what the STO Episode Guide is), but is it permissible to use original NPCs that appear exclusively in STO in Foundry missions? People like Kurland, Shon, J'Mpok, etc. What about original ships, like the USS Kirk or Enterprise-F? I'd assume yes, but I didn't see it specifically covered. I can understand if Cryptic wants to keep story control of their original content, but my reading of the EULA (lawyer but don't work with contracts) seems to let us use them freely.
Yes I was referring to the characters in the game itself. As an example say I wanted to use Captain Brott from Stranded in Space as an example not the person I want to use but its my example could I use her or for a mission.
If I read the EULA correctly, you could make an NPC called Abraham Lincoln, but he could not look like the late president Abraham Lincoln. You could make him a short, young, Asian person and you'd be fine.
However, I've given up waiting for responses on EULA issues from the devs.
If I read the EULA correctly, you could make an NPC called Abraham Lincoln, but he could not look like the late president Abraham Lincoln. You could make him a short, young, Asian person and you'd be fine.
However, I've given up waiting for responses on EULA issues from the devs.
Heh, fair enough on the waiting.
Though, how clase can I get to 'likeness?' I mean, if I'm in fact portraying Bob the Actor (a fake person) who looks like Thomas Jefferson...
Maybe I'll just go the route they did with Hamlet.
After reading all 5 pages, I am leaning towards not bothering to even attempt to write an episode, seems as red tape and Bureaucrat's have ruined a real nice idea,
maybe cryptic ought to contact origional actors and ask for a release to use thier names in contex of the game?
If you make up your own characters, you'll be fine. The general idea is to tell our own stories without using people from the shows. I know we all want to write that episode where Kirk and Spock finally kiss.... but seriously folks, yes there are a few ways around, mind you, I may use one or two of them in the future. But on the whole I think it's more fun to make up the stories anyway. I have my own recurring characters and plotlines and if you do it right, they can be just as compelling as those in the shows.
For example can I make a tongue and cheek episode about Larry Cotter and his friends Henry Grambler and Shawna Beezley as they work their way through Starfleet Academy?
However, as I understand it, while using an actor's likeness is illegal, portraying the character is not illegal. So you can use Worf, as long as it doesn't look like Michael Dorn. You can use Q, as long as it doesn't look like John DeLancie. And if your Q is not the Q, so much the better.
Deciding whether a game character looks enough like a person for there to be a EULA violation... is kind of a grey area. Given how Cryptic's character creator works, it is possible, though difficult, to create a character that looks substantially like an actor.
You know, we should have had some of the authors who were at Star Trek Las Vegas approach the actors and see if we could get permission to use their likenesses in our missions :P Though I suppose CBS probably would not appreciate that sort of end run.
No one regulates the actor thing, Worf appears in an episode.
Is that perhaps covered in the agreement that allows Michael Dorn's likeness to be used during some of the actual KDF missions?
They actually had a spotlight on a mission portraying Q!
That is legal how?
Was that John de Lancie Q, or Q Junior (the one who sends you back to Wolf 359 in one of the Featured Episodes)?
I think for the most part my Foundry mission shouldn't run into any trouble with canon characters, except for one thing: I plan to have a log entry by a character we saw one time on TNG be read. It will be explicitly stated that ______, captain of the ______ originally dictated this log.
However--I have a computer system that is reading the entry back to your character because in-story, the original audio file was corrupted due to problems with that ship's computer core.
Am I OK since I am not showing the character's face or allowing the player to interact directly with that individual?
I *can* rewrite the story if I must to give that log entry to someone else, or delete it entirely, but I would prefer not to, since I think the tie to that episode will give the mission a little more of an impact on the player.
Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-) Proudly F2P.Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
Is that perhaps covered in the agreement that allows Michael Dorn's likeness to be used during some of the actual KDF missions?
I'd say Worf is fine because they include him as a pop-up contact for KDF Foundry missions. At LEAST Worf as he appears in-game. Pop-up contacts have to be manually added by Cryptic so there's at LEAST an implicit suggestion there that Worf is considered to be wearing "full makeup."
As far as I can see, that is the only limitation there. That's exactly why I think my idea of the player "playing" a canon character in a holodeck mission would work. I have no way of changing the player's likeness, so I wouldn't be depicting that canon character visually, and thus would not use any actor's likeness. I would also refrain from having any other canon characters in the mission. Problem solved... probably.
So my understanding is that you could use any character from Star trek movies or film as long as they do not resemble the actor who played them? Would I be safe with say a young Jean Luc Piccard with hair? Or a Worf who had no forhead ridges and didnt look like Michael Dorn? Or a mutated James T. Kirk?
A TIME TO SEARCH: ENTER MY FOUNDRY MISSION at the RISA SYSTEM Parallels: my second mission for Fed aligned Romulans.
So my understanding is that you could use any character from Star trek movies or film as long as they do not resemble the actor who played them? Would I be safe with say a young Jean Luc Piccard with hair? Or a Worf who had no forhead ridges and didnt look like Michael Dorn? Or a mutated James T. Kirk?
yes people have done this before. sometimes it doesn't work out though when the player goes "what the heck that doesn't look like worf at all" and just detracts from the mission.
I read all 6 pages but I still got a question about the EULA.
Is it allowed to recreate an event from a episode.
For example that the player will be pulled in the void space as seen in an episode of Star Trek Voyager. But Voyager or any ships/characters in that episode will not be used.
And references is allowed, right? For example that there is discussion what the Voyager Crew did to get out of the void.
Comments
Or just tell your own story without relying on an "anchor". The best episodes of Voyager never mentioned things that happened in DS9, TNG, or TOS.. and the same is true of all the series. In fact, when one series went out of it's way to mention another series, the results were always kind of stilted and terrible.
Really Dr. Crusher? The Enterprise 1701 encountered an intoxication virus just like this, and it took you the whole episode to find it in the database? And it took Riker telling the android to look up incidents of "people taking a shower in their clothes?"
There are many stories, and many ships, and many thousands of Starfleet officers all throughout the history of the Federation. Couldn't your story have easily happened to a Captain WIlliamson of the USS Intrepid in 2280?
I'm bringing this up here because now I'm concerned that this will just be seen as farming accolades. Am I getting paranoid or is there a legit concern here?
I've started thinking about producing a re-make of "Star Trek: A Final Unity" (sure, it maybe indicates a lack of imagination, but the game was pretty fantastic).
The main impetus for this thought was that, if you have the original CD, it is possible to extract the sound files. I know you cannot upload sound for the Foundry, but it's not too difficult to put together a little HTML interface which - as an optional extra - they can Alt+Tab (or in Steam just go to the overlay) to and have voice-acting to go along with the mission.
(Of course people would have to extract the sound files from their -own- copies of the original CD so as not to be distributing copyrighted content. Also, if I were to do this, I wouldn't use the voices for the Enterprise D crew, as everyone has their own crew. But the NPCs could be voiced).
Thing is, the game comes replete with a range of characters and locations which are specific to that game. Am I to take it that any reference to, say, the Chodak or Garidians or the planet Morassia, is incompatible with the Foundry EULA?
I thoroughly enjoyed A FINAL UNITY when it came out all those years ago, would be great to see something like that on the Foundry but with the EULA it may not even be possible.
I personally think the EULA needs changing, they say we cannot replicate the likeness of an actor/character as they'd need to be paid royalties, however how do other games get away with it, look at the Sims series for instance, they get away with such things all the time as people are always creating UGC of celebrities.
I hope you find the answers you're looking for from other helpful people and I will be watching closely to see if your mission becomes live.
I have a question. I'm creating a mission (my first one. It's rubbish right now, but we'll see how it goes) in which the player comes across an ancient Chodak base, and release a genetically engineered Chodak. Now, this character will look nothing like the chodak seen in A Final Unity, except for his skin colour and yellow eyes, but they will be heavy mentions to the game and the Enterprise's mission. I'm also thinking of mentioning places like Allanor (may visit here) and The Unity Device itself, as well as Garidians in later epsiodes.
Now, I figure talking about the game as a previous mission is fine, but as the Chodak and Garidians were exclusivly from that game, would I be allowed to use them in this fashion in these missions?
Would I be allowed to use Pentara, as she isn't a real person and so doesn't bear a likeness to anyone (as far as I know), but she was seen and created for A Final Unity? I don't know if I would use Pentara, or make some random Garidian up, but I may as well ask.
Also, would I be allowed to utilise that Romulan ship from series 4 of Enterprise, the one that could mimic other ships? Obviously it would not appear in it's natural form, as that does not exist in the foundary, but could I use it as a plot point if I use other ships and say it's that Romulan ship in disguise?
I imagine that the intent is to prohibit making statements on current hot-button political issues, for Cryptic's sake, but even with that in mind, I feel like it stands a lot to gain from more specificity. Must I consult Picard to find out where the line must be drawn?
Can we have the player assume the role of a character from the shows. For example I've been thinking about creating some "holodeck programs" about Klingon history. Some of the great old battle stories from the time of Kahless all the way up to TOS era. These might be battles referenced in the show or ones I invent.
The idea would be that the player starts the mission in the holodeck, then that asset fades and they play out the historical story, taking on the role of someone who was there. Other NPCs address them as that character (like we've seen in the shows in holodeck programs). My original thought was to invent characters who were at these battles, but what if we can have the player take on the role of a canon historical figure.
For example, say I wanted to recreate the Battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt, with the player playing Kor. Obviously there's no way to change the player's likeness, so I wouldn't depict Kor in any way visually, and I'd make sure not to depict any other canon characters (might reference a few in dialogue though) but NPCs would address the player as Kor.
Is that permissible? Or should I go back to my original thought of making it all up completely or using battles that were talked about, but not in great detail?
Saw you today/tonight on ugc chat, in the direct translation of the eula, you should be safe but its close. might as well make it and if they take it down then they take it down
As far as I can see, that is the only limitation there. That's exactly why I think my idea of the player "playing" a canon character in a holodeck mission would work. I have no way of changing the player's likeness, so I wouldn't be depicting that canon character visually, and thus would not use any actor's likeness. I would also refrain from having any other canon characters in the mission. Problem solved... probably.
I can't create, say, a hologram of Benjamin Franklin, as he's an historical person?
However, I've given up waiting for responses on EULA issues from the devs.
Though, how clase can I get to 'likeness?' I mean, if I'm in fact portraying Bob the Actor (a fake person) who looks like Thomas Jefferson...
Maybe I'll just go the route they did with Hamlet.
maybe cryptic ought to contact origional actors and ask for a release to use thier names in contex of the game?
Ew....
(Double "Ew" for OLD Kirk and Spock!)
See my avatar's face?
I can't believe you just invoked the ultimate fanfic heaver...
For example can I make a tongue and cheek episode about Larry Cotter and his friends Henry Grambler and Shawna Beezley as they work their way through Starfleet Academy?
They actually had a spotlight on a mission portraying Q!
That is legal how?
However, as I understand it, while using an actor's likeness is illegal, portraying the character is not illegal. So you can use Worf, as long as it doesn't look like Michael Dorn. You can use Q, as long as it doesn't look like John DeLancie. And if your Q is not the Q, so much the better.
Deciding whether a game character looks enough like a person for there to be a EULA violation... is kind of a grey area. Given how Cryptic's character creator works, it is possible, though difficult, to create a character that looks substantially like an actor.
You know, we should have had some of the authors who were at Star Trek Las Vegas approach the actors and see if we could get permission to use their likenesses in our missions :P Though I suppose CBS probably would not appreciate that sort of end run.
Is that perhaps covered in the agreement that allows Michael Dorn's likeness to be used during some of the actual KDF missions?
Was that John de Lancie Q, or Q Junior (the one who sends you back to Wolf 359 in one of the Featured Episodes)?
I think for the most part my Foundry mission shouldn't run into any trouble with canon characters, except for one thing: I plan to have a log entry by a character we saw one time on TNG be read. It will be explicitly stated that ______, captain of the ______ originally dictated this log.
However--I have a computer system that is reading the entry back to your character because in-story, the original audio file was corrupted due to problems with that ship's computer core.
Am I OK since I am not showing the character's face or allowing the player to interact directly with that individual?
I *can* rewrite the story if I must to give that log entry to someone else, or delete it entirely, but I would prefer not to, since I think the tie to that episode will give the mission a little more of an impact on the player.
Christian Gaming Community Fleets--Faith, Fun, and Fellowship! See the website and PM for more. :-)
Proudly F2P. Signature image by gulberat. Avatar image by balsavor.deviantart.com.
Foundry Mission Database
Check out my Foundry missions:
Standalone - The Great Escape - The Galaxy's Fair - Purity I: Of Denial - Return to Oblivion
Untitled Series - Duritanium Man - The Improbable Bulk - Commander Rihan
I'd say Worf is fine because they include him as a pop-up contact for KDF Foundry missions. At LEAST Worf as he appears in-game. Pop-up contacts have to be manually added by Cryptic so there's at LEAST an implicit suggestion there that Worf is considered to be wearing "full makeup."
So my understanding is that you could use any character from Star trek movies or film as long as they do not resemble the actor who played them? Would I be safe with say a young Jean Luc Piccard with hair? Or a Worf who had no forhead ridges and didnt look like Michael Dorn? Or a mutated James T. Kirk?
Parallels: my second mission for Fed aligned Romulans.
yes people have done this before. sometimes it doesn't work out though when the player goes "what the heck that doesn't look like worf at all" and just detracts from the mission.
Foundry Mission Database
Check out my Foundry missions:
Standalone - The Great Escape - The Galaxy's Fair - Purity I: Of Denial - Return to Oblivion
Untitled Series - Duritanium Man - The Improbable Bulk - Commander Rihan
Is it allowed to recreate an event from a episode.
For example that the player will be pulled in the void space as seen in an episode of Star Trek Voyager. But Voyager or any ships/characters in that episode will not be used.
And references is allowed, right? For example that there is discussion what the Voyager Crew did to get out of the void.
Thanks,
Alexw