No, no representation of real people, ever. It's odd how they phrase it.... There is a blanket provision for any depiction of any person, but also a seperate provision for Star Trek chars played by live actors.
Reading the Foundry EULA, and the "No links to Internet URLs allowed" sticks out at me as being ridiculous.
The Foundry is designed to allow authors to create content to enhance the experience of playing STO. In order to do that, authors need to promote their missions and such - and since some people do not visit this forum's Foundry section, it becomes necessary to promote it in-game.
Thus the URLs. Authors may choose to create a promotional video to showcase their mission, or provide supplementary maps or appendices to help players better immersify in the mission, if it's a complex storyline.
I fail to see why this rule exists. I will obey it, since that is the EULA, but I strongly protest. If it's an issue, at least amend the EULA so only user-generated outside content are allowed to be linked via URL in missions. Ex: link to a Photobucket image of a mission's map is OK, but a link to Youtube for a DS9 battle would not be OK.
stardestroyer001, Admiral, Explorers Fury PvE/PvP Fleet | Retired PvP Player
Missing the good ol' days of PvP: Legacy of Romulus to Season 9 My List of Useful Links, Recently Updated November 25 2017!
I found this interesting quote from the January ask Cryptic in another thread.
Q: (flash525) What is the Cryptic's policy where other designs from other games are concerned? The DS9: Dominion Wars game has the Federation Achilles, Klingon K'vorcha and a couple of Cardassian designs, the ST: Armada game has the Romulan Griffin and Shrike, along with a bunch of other Cardassian and Klingon designs. I'm sure there are other Trek games out there with further designs. Are we ever likely to see any of these within STO?
Dstahl: Good question. Our license with CBS is restricted to the TV Shows, the movies (up to Nemesis), the Animated Series, and some of the book fiction. Unfortunately, this license doesn?t extend to other video games. However, if those ships or factions appeared in any of the previously mentioned properties, then it is fair game.
So the license for STO DOES include TAS. I would guess that this does apply to the Foundry.
So... I just read through the EULA for the Foundry, and then read through it again, and I'm wondering if I missed something....
What about the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie?
Does the EULA imply that we can't make a Captain Kirk that looks like Shatner, but we can create a Kirk that looks like Chris Pine?
Can't use the likeness of a real person and can't use anything from JJtrek or the books and someone other than CBS holds that license and has not sold it to cryptic. Well we can mention events from said movie like the Hobus supernova but that's it.
Prohibited Uses of the Star Trek Properties:
You may not use the first or last names, likenesses, or other depictions of any actors appearing in, or writers, directors, or producers of the Star Trek Properties.
I take this to mean that I can not talk about Bill Shatner, but I can talk Captain Kirk? I just can't show him, since he looks like Shatner?
You may not use copyrighted content from the Properties, including but not limited to web content, promotional materials (posters, advertisements) or existing licensed merchandise (novels, trading cards, figurines).
Does this cover things like characters from books?
Other Prohibited uses of New Game Materials published using The Foundry:
You may not use New Game Materials to depict a likeness of any real person (historical or present day).
So, I can't have Issac Newton in the game. But, like Data, could I have Issac Newton the poker playing hologram in game?
2. Related to the EULA I guess, but could I take a holodeck program from the show, remove all of the "likenesses" from it and shoot it out? Specficially I am thinking about Tom Paris's version of Photon's be Free.
Prohibited Uses of the Star Trek Properties:
You may not use the first or last names, likenesses, or other depictions of any actors appearing in, or writers, directors, or producers of the Star Trek Properties.
I take this to mean that I can not talk about Bill Shatner, but I can talk Captain Kirk? I just can't show him, since he looks like Shatner?
Correct. Essentially you can't use the faces or names of any real people. You can find ways of using canon characters without using the actors' likenesses though.
You may not use copyrighted content from the Properties, including but not limited to web content, promotional materials (posters, advertisements) or existing licensed merchandise (novels, trading cards, figurines).
Does this cover things like characters from books?
Other Prohibited uses of New Game Materials published using The Foundry:
You may not use New Game Materials to depict a likeness of any real person (historical or present day).
So, I can't have Issac Newton in the game. But, like Data, could I have Issac Newton the poker playing hologram in game?
You can have Issac Newton, but it can't look like Issac Newton. Not that he's likely to lodge a lawsuit, but that's still the principle we have to operate under.
2. Related to the EULA I guess, but could I take a holodeck program from the show, remove all of the "likenesses" from it and shoot it out? Specficially I am thinking about Tom Paris's version of Photon's be Free.
I suppose you could recreate something like this. Just be aware of plagiarism, you don't want a piece of that if you want to adapt something like this from the shows, make sure to rewrite it in your own words and remember: no likenesses of real people.
So, by my reading, if I wanted to involve STO's Enterprise-F in one or more phases of my planned foundry series: Star Trek: Ragnarok, I would be allowed to? Could someone please confirm this for me? Thanks.
Oh, and with regards to the rule of no posting url links in the mission, What about if we wanted to place suggested/optional music that they could use for the mission? I too will follow the rule until I am given the go no-go for the said thought.
Cool! I am also considering doing a temporal mission to the past (most likely to the time of the NX-01 Enterprise; when she was attacked and beaten to a pulp by the Xindi)! Would it be possible to use that ship as long as the communications between the two vessels are "audio-only"? (the first episode of my series is YET to be completed so I have plenty of time to plan that mission)
[*]You may not use copyrighted content from the Properties, including but not limited to web content, promotional materials (posters, advertisements) or existing licensed merchandise (novels, trading cards, figurines).[/LIST]
Interesting, since the new Romulan content clearly references materials from the novels. It's amazing that the developers are somehow excluded from this.
Cryptic has more leeway than we do. They also have the ability to negotiate for the rights to use material not covered under their CBS license, which we don't.
I suppose you could recreate something like this. Just be aware of plagiarism, you don't want a piece of that if you want to adapt something like this from the shows, make sure to rewrite it in your own words and remember: no likenesses of real people.
You know, stuff like this was so much easier when I was writing papers, just put in my citations and I'm good. But I suppose that makes too much sense.
You know, stuff like this was so much easier when I was writing papers, just put in my citations and I'm good. But I suppose that makes too much sense.
I was wondering what program is needed to create a foundry mission? Do you have to be a paid member of STO to do so.?
No! you do not have to be a paying customer to create one! You only need to collect some dilithium! And the program is preprogramed into the game itself! Just go to create material (or something like that). It normally shows up on the character selection screen! Hope this helps!
Ok, so I haven't even got the chance to create anything in the foundry yet, but I have been reading through the posts of this thread to make sure that I am ready when I do get around to it and now I understand the basic concepts, e.g. no direct use of existing characters or their actors. Ok, I understand that and will follow the rule for this.
However, does apply to the ships that we have seen throughout Star Trek as well, like the Enterprises 1701 to 1701-E, Defiant and Voyager? That issue seems a bit foggy to me and I would like some clarification on it.
For example, an idea I have for a mission involves a museum where all the surviving past Enterprises are put on display and may also involve walking through some of their corridors. It would not directly involve characters, but may make mention of them. Would this violate the EULA and terms of use, or could I go through with something like this?
1. Can we use the names of ships from any show/ movie? For example, show a Defiant class vessel called U.S.S. Defiant, or a Galaxy class ship named U.S.S. Enterprise? Not talking about showing anyone from the crew, just the ship itself.
Nothing in the EULA prevents this. Please refer to the EULA for a list of Star Trek Properties
You may not use New Game Materials to endorse or oppose any political party, association (e.g., Republican, Democrat, candidates, or otherwise) or any side of any issue.
That's pretty broad. I'm not sure what the rules have in mind here. Are the devs just trying to avoid people making blatant party-political content, or is it any broader than that - how topical can a Foundry mission be, before it runs into the political-content ban?
I've no intention of naming names of real people or groups. If there are rather clear parallels with real events, but it's aliens, is that OK? (i.e. would the TOS episode "Errand of Mercy" have passed the Foundry criteria?) Is saying "inspired by recent events" allowable, and if not, does it matter that sharp-eyed players might be able to work out that it was?
The possibilities I had in mind were:
1) If Klingon House A (who would fit? I can't keep track of the Houses) is revealed to have cut a deal with a Romulan Republic agency, allowing them to spy on Romulan civilian transmissions in return for the Romulan agency being allowed to spy on Klingon House B (and share the results with House A on the quiet), would that result in stern action by the Dev Continuum?
2) If I write a humanitarian/diplomatic mission following on from the "Wasteland" episodes, set in the surely precarious situation just after the taking of Nimbus III, am I allowed just as a little in-joke to call it "Mission Accomplished"?
^I'm no expert, but I'd look at the words "endorse or oppose". If you can manage to write it in a neutral manner it sounds like it could work.
"Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Though you realise how many Star Trek episodes would not pass Cryptic's EULA? That covers just about everything, which makes me think they're just covering their arses. They'll probably only act on something that is blatantly party political. But really, what is so bad about that? If someone wants to make a foundry mission about how great Obama is or argues in favour of Californian High Speed rail, let them. It would be an odd thing to do and probably won't get many plays but does it hurt anyone?
Yeah, I think they just don't want us writing Foundry missions as author tracts.
"Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Yeah, this sort of thing was brought up before on the concept of drug addiction. Several Star Trek eps have dealt with that topic, but NONE has ever dealt with it while talking about REAL drugs. They always make up fake drugs like Felicium, etc....
A similar situation exists with political ideologies. As long as you don't NAME current real political parties it's apparently fne.
StarswordC - I can't write it in a neutral tone - it's meant to be a KDF mission. OK though, I probably can, if I find a way to balance the inevitable ranting from the player's captain with not-unequivocally-enemy NPCs ranting in the opposite direction. After all, plenty of villains think they have a good reason for what they're doing. Would be interesting to try, anyway. Thanks for the advice, everyone.
As for Felicium... that's another awkward bit in the EULA. They seem to have taken a lot of trouble making clear that certain things are NOT allowed, which of course is the important thing to them, and forgotten to spell out what IS allowed! What it actually says is
"You may not[...] reference any drugs (legal or illicit) or medication."
Maybe they were actually trying to say, no real-life drugs or medication, rather than made-up ones? Otherwise a lot of missions, including their own, would be in difficulties. Heck, they're the ones who introduced the DOff missions trading in Ferasan funny tobacco.
Really the only time you run into problems is when you attemt to mirror something from the real-world too closely. STO is 400 years removed from us, what lingers is human nature and that is what Star Trek looks at.
After all, plenty of villains think they have a good reason for what they're doing.
Which essentially, on the topic of drugs, puts you in the position of having to give a pro-drug dealer argument in a mission that would be anti-drugs in order to "balance". This situation is common among the attitude of people who like to sit on the fence in order to avoid facing a situation. News outlets that try really hard to be impartial always fall into the trap of not realising that there are not always two equally legitimate sides to each argument. If a paper came out saying 1+1=2 they'd find the one nutter in the world who claimed that 1+1=3, give him equal air time then conclude that the answer must be somewhere between the two. To say you cannot take the side on any issue means that if you do an anti-slavery mission, you ought to put across the view, with equal time, that slavery is a good thing. Doesn't matter how far you remove it from the present day, slavery today, in the 24th century and in the 1600s is slavery and is wrong.
Conclusion: Do what the hell you like. If they ever do try to enforce it on something that would have made it into a Star Trek episode then I'm ready to start a picket line but I trust they have common sense not to.
Edit: News outlets trying to be impartial of course does not include the likes of Fox News who just say whatever comes out of their TRIBBLE fastest.
Comments
What about the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie?
Does the EULA imply that we can't make a Captain Kirk that looks like Shatner, but we can create a Kirk that looks like Chris Pine?
by @Skydawn - member of Starbase UGC
My character Tsin'xing
The Foundry is designed to allow authors to create content to enhance the experience of playing STO. In order to do that, authors need to promote their missions and such - and since some people do not visit this forum's Foundry section, it becomes necessary to promote it in-game.
Thus the URLs. Authors may choose to create a promotional video to showcase their mission, or provide supplementary maps or appendices to help players better immersify in the mission, if it's a complex storyline.
I fail to see why this rule exists. I will obey it, since that is the EULA, but I strongly protest. If it's an issue, at least amend the EULA so only user-generated outside content are allowed to be linked via URL in missions. Ex: link to a Photobucket image of a mission's map is OK, but a link to Youtube for a DS9 battle would not be OK.
Missing the good ol' days of PvP: Legacy of Romulus to Season 9
My List of Useful Links, Recently Updated November 25 2017!
My character Tsin'xing
Can't use the likeness of a real person and can't use anything from JJtrek or the books and someone other than CBS holds that license and has not sold it to cryptic. Well we can mention events from said movie like the Hobus supernova but that's it.
And the Nero tattoo is in the Foundry.
But I swear that's it.
1. There are these two sections in the EULA.
Prohibited Uses of the Star Trek Properties:
You may not use the first or last names, likenesses, or other depictions of any actors appearing in, or writers, directors, or producers of the Star Trek Properties.
I take this to mean that I can not talk about Bill Shatner, but I can talk Captain Kirk? I just can't show him, since he looks like Shatner?
You may not use copyrighted content from the Properties, including but not limited to web content, promotional materials (posters, advertisements) or existing licensed merchandise (novels, trading cards, figurines).
Does this cover things like characters from books?
Other Prohibited uses of New Game Materials published using The Foundry:
You may not use New Game Materials to depict a likeness of any real person (historical or present day).
So, I can't have Issac Newton in the game. But, like Data, could I have Issac Newton the poker playing hologram in game?
2. Related to the EULA I guess, but could I take a holodeck program from the show, remove all of the "likenesses" from it and shoot it out? Specficially I am thinking about Tom Paris's version of Photon's be Free.
Nouveau riche LTS member
Correct. Essentially you can't use the faces or names of any real people. You can find ways of using canon characters without using the actors' likenesses though.
Correct, we cannot use characters from the books.
You can have Issac Newton, but it can't look like Issac Newton. Not that he's likely to lodge a lawsuit, but that's still the principle we have to operate under.
I suppose you could recreate something like this. Just be aware of plagiarism, you don't want a piece of that
Oh, and with regards to the rule of no posting url links in the mission, What about if we wanted to place suggested/optional music that they could use for the mission? I too will follow the rule until I am given the go no-go for the said thought.
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
Cool! I am also considering doing a temporal mission to the past (most likely to the time of the NX-01 Enterprise; when she was attacked and beaten to a pulp by the Xindi)! Would it be possible to use that ship as long as the communications between the two vessels are "audio-only"? (the first episode of my series is YET to be completed so I have plenty of time to plan that mission)
Interesting, since the new Romulan content clearly references materials from the novels. It's amazing that the developers are somehow excluded from this.
Eve
You know, stuff like this was so much easier when I was writing papers, just put in my citations and I'm good. But I suppose that makes too much sense.
Nouveau riche LTS member
For non-fiction, sure, but fiction, not so much.
I was wondering what program is needed to create a foundry mission? Do you have to be a paid member of STO to do so.?
No! you do not have to be a paying customer to create one! You only need to collect some dilithium! And the program is preprogramed into the game itself! Just go to create material (or something like that). It normally shows up on the character selection screen! Hope this helps!
However, does apply to the ships that we have seen throughout Star Trek as well, like the Enterprises 1701 to 1701-E, Defiant and Voyager? That issue seems a bit foggy to me and I would like some clarification on it.
For example, an idea I have for a mission involves a museum where all the surviving past Enterprises are put on display and may also involve walking through some of their corridors. It would not directly involve characters, but may make mention of them. Would this violate the EULA and terms of use, or could I go through with something like this?
Cheers.
From the EULA frequently asked question thread:
That's great! Thanks!
Now I just have to learn how to use the foundry well and how to make a good story.
.......Huh....
Worth a shot at least!
That's what it's all about
If you like, the community has made a lot tutorial videos over the years. They're collected here http://starbaseugc.com/index.php/noob-guides/tutorials-guide/
Hope that helps, and don't be afraid to ask questions!
That's pretty broad. I'm not sure what the rules have in mind here. Are the devs just trying to avoid people making blatant party-political content, or is it any broader than that - how topical can a Foundry mission be, before it runs into the political-content ban?
I've no intention of naming names of real people or groups. If there are rather clear parallels with real events, but it's aliens, is that OK? (i.e. would the TOS episode "Errand of Mercy" have passed the Foundry criteria?) Is saying "inspired by recent events" allowable, and if not, does it matter that sharp-eyed players might be able to work out that it was?
The possibilities I had in mind were:
1) If Klingon House A (who would fit? I can't keep track of the Houses) is revealed to have cut a deal with a Romulan Republic agency, allowing them to spy on Romulan civilian transmissions in return for the Romulan agency being allowed to spy on Klingon House B (and share the results with House A on the quiet), would that result in stern action by the Dev Continuum?
2) If I write a humanitarian/diplomatic mission following on from the "Wasteland" episodes, set in the surely precarious situation just after the taking of Nimbus III, am I allowed just as a little in-joke to call it "Mission Accomplished"?
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
A similar situation exists with political ideologies. As long as you don't NAME current real political parties it's apparently fne.
My character Tsin'xing
As for Felicium... that's another awkward bit in the EULA. They seem to have taken a lot of trouble making clear that certain things are NOT allowed, which of course is the important thing to them, and forgotten to spell out what IS allowed! What it actually says is Maybe they were actually trying to say, no real-life drugs or medication, rather than made-up ones? Otherwise a lot of missions, including their own, would be in difficulties. Heck, they're the ones who introduced the DOff missions trading in Ferasan funny tobacco.
Which essentially, on the topic of drugs, puts you in the position of having to give a pro-drug dealer argument in a mission that would be anti-drugs in order to "balance". This situation is common among the attitude of people who like to sit on the fence in order to avoid facing a situation. News outlets that try really hard to be impartial always fall into the trap of not realising that there are not always two equally legitimate sides to each argument. If a paper came out saying 1+1=2 they'd find the one nutter in the world who claimed that 1+1=3, give him equal air time then conclude that the answer must be somewhere between the two. To say you cannot take the side on any issue means that if you do an anti-slavery mission, you ought to put across the view, with equal time, that slavery is a good thing. Doesn't matter how far you remove it from the present day, slavery today, in the 24th century and in the 1600s is slavery and is wrong.
Conclusion: Do what the hell you like. If they ever do try to enforce it on something that would have made it into a Star Trek episode then I'm ready to start a picket line but I trust they have common sense not to.
Edit: News outlets trying to be impartial of course does not include the likes of Fox News who just say whatever comes out of their TRIBBLE fastest.