Noob question

[ps2fan]

I know we're not allowed to post mods that use resources from other games, but are we still allowed to ask for help for such a mod as long as we don't post it to Nexus and put it on the Worskhop instead?

[TheVampireDante]

No.

[ps2fan]

No.

Thanks for clarifying.

I've been working on a mod for Fallout 3 that has custom race NPCs, and the models for their bodies and weapons are based off of meshes ripped from a GameCube game.

The problem I've been having with it is that the combat dialogue doesn't work properly and I have no clue why.

Can you refer me to another place where I can get help?

I really want to get this mod done, and I'm not very good at making custom meshes. I am, however, decent ad modifying already existing meshes and creating textures.

I really want help with this, where ever I can go to get it.

[DoctorKaizeld]

so you do realize it is illegal to rip content from one game and put in another right? that's why it isnt allowed here or on the workshop.

[ps2fan]

so you do realize it is illegal to rip content from one game and put in another right? that's why it isnt allowed here or on the workshop.

I've seen a Skyrim mod on the Workshop that adds weapons from WoW with the original 3D models from the game. It's not illegal if you own the game legitimately.

Or, if it's not legal, it's at least a gray area.

[DoctorKaizeld]

 

It's not illegal if you own the game legitimately.

wrong it is still illegal, even more so to share it. without permission from the owners of both games you cannot port assets legally. now to do so with your own game without the intent to share said assets is a grey area simply because there's no legal way to prevent it. this is made far more obvious by the fact that Bethesda openly states they dont want their assets from previous games ported to another of their games.

[ps2fan]

 

 

It's not illegal if you own the game legitimately.

wrong it is still illegal, even more so to share it. without permission from the owners of both games you cannot port assets legally. now to do so with your own game without the intent to share said assets is a grey area simply because there's no legal way to prevent it. this is made far more obvious by the fact that Bethesda openly states they dont want their assets from previous games ported to another of their games.

 

I've seen a Skyrim mod that uses meshes from WoW.

But would it be OK if I made my own meshes or had someone make them for me?

Also, if this is illegal, why is said Skyrim mod on the Workshop?

If I knew how to make decent meshes, I'd do it myself. I'm just not that good at making them. I can do low poly ones, but that's all I can do unless it's a really simple shape or is easy to create.

I wasn't using assets from another Bethesda game, I was using assets from a GameCube game that was made and published by two different bankrupt companies.

If the companies that made and published the game are both bankrupt, does that change anything? Is sprite ripping illegal as well? Because I see people using sprites for all sorts of stuff, as well as modifying sprites from games to make custom poses, or even making them from scratch.

Edited September 23, 2015 by ps2fan

[DoctorKaizeld]

 

I wasn't using assets from another Bethesda game, I was using assets from a GameCube game that was made and published by two different bankrupt companies.

that was an example

 

 

If the companies that made and published the game are both bankrupt, does that change anything? Is sprite ripping illegal as well?

no it does not change anything, someone still owns the copyright. and yes it is, if someone else made it and you're taking it without permission that is stealing.

 

 

Also, if this is illegal, why is said Skyrim mod on the Workshop?

because Steam is terrible at removing stuff like this. the only way they'll even look at it generally requires the owner of said assets to order them to remove it. considering the fact that Blizzard doesnt look very far from their games all that often im not surprised they havent noticed it.

 

 

But would it be OK if I made my own meshes or had someone make them for me?

yes, but you have to remember that this will leave you on the fence. if the owners of the game that those assets resemble decide to say no, it will be removed. they're your assets so you're not stealing anymore.

 

 

I was using assets from a GameCube game

oh by the way it's also illegal to mod console games do to the terms of use you agree to when you buy the game and the system... so that's another aspect to be wary of.

[ps2fan]

 

 

I wasn't using assets from another Bethesda game, I was using assets from a GameCube game that was made and published by two different bankrupt companies.

that was an example

 

 

If the companies that made and published the game are both bankrupt, does that change anything? Is sprite ripping illegal as well?

no it does not change anything, someone still owns the copyright. and yes it is, if someone else made it and you're taking it without permission that is stealing.

 

 

Also, if this is illegal, why is said Skyrim mod on the Workshop?

because Steam is terrible at removing stuff like this. the only way they'll even look at it generally requires the owner of said assets to order them to remove it. considering the fact that Blizzard doesnt look very far from their games all that often im not surprised they havent noticed it.

 

 

But would it be OK if I made my own meshes or had someone make them for me?

yes, but you have to remember that this will leave you on the fence. if the owners of the game that those assets resemble decide to say no, it will be removed. they're your assets so you're not stealing anymore.

 

 

I was using assets from a GameCube game

oh by the way it's also illegal to mod console games do to the terms of use you agree to when you buy the game and the system... so that's another aspect to be wary of.

 

I wasn't modding the GC game, just ripping models and textures from it.

Would anything I'd do with the models be considered legal? Like if I used them as reference to make my own models to replace them with? I'd figure that using them to make a mod would fall under derivative works if I own both games legally and cite my sources.

And while I wouldn't consider it stealing, as when you steal something, you take it and it isn't there anymore, whereas with this, I'm making a copy of it and using the copy. So it's more like piracy than stealing.

And no, I don't consider piracy stealing either, unless you take the original and do not make a copy, like if you steal a copy of Windows 7 from a store and start making ISOs out of it, that would be stealing because you took the original copy of the OS, instead of copying it and taking that instead.

If anything, it's a law that not many cops or so on would enforce, because it's something that a lot of people do. Sprite comics, half og the Garry's Mod content on the Steam workshop, certain papercraft, and plenty of other things would be illegal in that case. I think that as long as you don't charge money for it and don't claim ownership of it, then it should be fine, but then again, I'm not a lawyer, so I very well am probably wrong.

Wait a second, though-- if taking assets from a copyrighted game is illegal, then shouldn't it also be illegal to use a VCR to record TV? Which is what most people used blank VHS tapes for? And fanart should also be illegal, going by that same logic.

If this is true, and all of these things are against the law, then why is it that nobody gets arrested for them?

Is it because they are petty things that the law enforcement doesn't care about?

I'm very interested in how all of this stuff could be illegal. Is there any legal documentation you can point me to?

Also, if my mod is illegal because it uses materials from a copyrighted game, shouldn't ALL mods be illegal because they use material from the game they are designed for?

Edited September 23, 2015 by ps2fan

[bben46]

Nexus policy is you can do whatever you want to your own game - as long as you don't try to upload those mods here, or discuss using copyrighted material here, or ( this is a big problem) upload pictures using those copyrighted assets. In a perfect world we would be able to use any assets from any game for our mods - But lawyers being lawyers they get in the way and create problems where none really existed before they got involved.

 

There are some companies that do allow using their assets. If you find any, please let us know so we can spread the word. We do need some documentation to show those rabid lawyers though. :rolleyes: