Is it legal or permitted

[Arley McFarley]

Hello,

I'm not too well versed in the legal aspects of emulator projects, so I wanted some advice from the developer team.

Would it be legal or permitted to use the EQEmu and EQ zones and models to create a different game? I don't mean a game for retail sale, but just an alternative game to play using existing data.

I have been working up a plan for a game, based on some novels I'm fond of, and I've been thinking the interface and zones from EQ, using EQEmu, would be fun to use. It would require resetting zone points so that some zones take you to completely different zones than normal game play... for example, grouping many of the desert zones from Luclin with old world desert zones to make a huge desert.

I expect I'll have much work to do on the project, even with the emulator and existing EQ data, to make it what I envision.

At any rate, what are the legal ramifications, if any?
Would anyone object?

Thanks,
Arley

[Trumpcard]

I would say that its much MORE legal than basing the content on eqLive..

And a good idea.. I think it would be fun to see servers that have completely custom content, new items , monsters, and what not..

On of the big problems is the lack of a really good, complete editting and zone population tool. A good editor like the NWN toolset would make it alot more accessible. Its tough to make content the way it is now (Well, items are easy!). I barely do it because it's a pain

[Arley McFarley]

Thanks for the comments, Trumpcard.

I think it will be fun to build and play.

My thoughts are to use existing zone data, modifying some of the character models, editing spell effects, horses, items and zone text.

I'd also like to edit the character select options, diety choice, diety screen select text, character select summary text (before the final select). Is that text hardcoded into the EQEmu? Can this stuff be changed?

I'm encouraged by the response and by Kayaido's 3DMax import stuff. I'll be looking into that and the Admin utility functions as options to customize characters and zones.

Arley

[Trumpcard]

That text is not stored on the server side, it's handled by the client. I do believe that it is stored in a flat text file though, you should be able to find it if you dig around a bit. Spell effects can be modified with Kai's spell editor, though anything change client side will need to be distributed to anyone that logs into the server. Its almost like the HAK packs needed to play on certain NWN servers.

[Raahb]

I think this is a great idea - in fact, I've been wondering the same thing for a while. Ever since I got half-life and tribes 2 and played some mods that is!

I'm not good at coding or anything like that so I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help.

Although if you can change stuff about the classes I have some decent ideas. I think currently the classes suck. Instead of having jack of all trades type classes and classes that are bound to groups only I think each should play a role in groups while still being *decent* at soloing.

Heh. Thanks, you just sparked my imagination lol. Now I gotta go draw something. :lol:

[Arley McFarley]

Thanks for the note.

Feel free to post your suggestions... I have a series of books which was started back around the turn of the century. Ten of the Eleven book series is now public domain, so I can use anything I want from the series.

It's a fantastic world in which swordplay is the dominant trade for everyone on the planet. There is no magic. The environment is a desert planet with ancient cities and ferocious nomad tribes and beasts. Some pockets of the world contain swamps and forested valleys. There are various races of humans divided into civilized nations with capitol cities.

I'll try to use existing EQ city zones for the capitol cities and palaces. I'll try to use the multiple desert zones to create a vast desert world. Some of the dungeons will be used, too, for interiors of cities and caverns described in the books. I'm thinking that I can modify the ocean zones, too, to remove the layer of water (and movement characteristics associated with water) to create giant desert zones.

I think I'll limit the game to two classes, human warrior and a hybrid human warrior-healer. The healing aspect will be more skill based and dependent upon agents, such as salves and bandages, etc. I was thinking of modifying the warrior to add the monk's mend skill and the warrior-healer would have salves with the various heal spells, minor, light, healing, gheal, complete heal. The ability to apply salves, and the appropriate level of heal "spell", would be dependent upon the character's skill level and agents acquired. Much like current cleric armor buffs use gems.

Much of the fauna and flora in the EQ game would have to be modified to fit the books. That will mean figuring out how to get zone specific mobs modified (physically) and usable in other zones. Some of the zones would have to be modified, too, to get rid of iksar statues and other items that just don't fit.

Trumpcard mentioned, above, that any changes to EQ files, such as zones, PCs, NPCs, would have to be available for download. If I pull everything together I envision, it looks like much of the game will have to be downloaded and installed, which may prove tricky to support. I believe I will use the 4.3 version of EQEmu and Drawde's world data, to start, modifying the database significantly as the project moves forward.

At any rate, I'd be glad to chat about the new content project with anyone. Just email me at arley.mcfarley@spils.com and I'll try to keep up with the email.

Obviously, I have alot of research to do relevant to world-building. I've seen a lot of good information in this forum. I may end up posting problems I run across to the world-building forum to see if developers have any insight.

At this point, I'm just pulling together maps, mob and NPC information from the ebook texts of this series. Once I have the project layed out, I'll likely build an impromptu website to post status, the public domain ebooks, etc.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Arley

[bobmook]

I've been thinking about this ever since I saw this thread and I think I've finalllY figured what 11 book series arley is referring to. If I'm correct their would be at least one four armed race that might pose a problem.

[thenewone2421]

no problem use the model for the centi guys

[Arley McFarley]

Bobmook,

You're right. In fact, I'm hoping to use that race to create a new race selection for players.

I had thought to base the four-armed character model on the new troll model with additional arms and some feature twinks to match the books. If there is a four-armed mob in EQ already, that may be an advantage for the new character creation.

I think it would be interesting to play a quad-wielding creature. And some of the other fauna (game mobs) will have 8-10 legs, too. I have some ideas about base models and changes to create these mobs.

I'm hoping to keep an eye on the threads where some of our folks have been playing with importing zone and character models into 3DMax5. I've been a Lightwave user for years, so I think I can probably navigate 3DMax well enough. But, it seems, no one has figured out the character (PC and NPC) model scheme used by EQ... the models are squashed as if the skeleton structure is missing.

Thanks for the centi tip... in what zone are those mobs? I want to use old world, Kunark, Velious and Luclin zones for this game. I don't have PoP and I'm not familiar with zones or mobs in that upgrade.

Arley

[killspree]

centi are in a good portion of the luclin zones. Off the top of my head, you can find them in Maiden's Eye, Tenebrous Mountains, Twilight Sea, Akheva, Scarlet Desert, and Echo Caverns. Maybe some more that I'm forgetting as well.

Well, I should say, the centi model. 4 armed creatures are actually called akhevans though, if that's what you're talking about. Can find those in maidens, vex thal, and akheva.

[bobmook]

Well I certainly hope you do succeed, the first three of those books were the first grown up books I ever read (In fourth grade) and I've loved them ever since. I have, in fact, wanted to see a game based on the series for years. While my expertise lies (if expertise is not too grandiose a term) much more in the network/sql administration side of things (Poser is about the furthest I've ever delved into 3d modelling) If there's anything at all I can do to help don't hesitate to ask.

[Edgar1898]

I say build a world off the Darksword trilogy :P

[dfjestuss]

>>Spell effects can be modified with Kai's spell editor,

Where can I get this program from. I have searched all over the net and not been able to locate it.

Thanks in advance

[Djani]

Here ya go for the editor http://www.geocities.com/Kaiyodouk/

[dfjestuss]

Thanks, I was able to find it.