Two years ago, I was in to EV. I played it quite a bit, I downloaded plugs left and right, I made a few plug-ins of my own. However, other games gradually overshadowed EV for me, and it was lost in the ages...

Recently, though, as I was rooting through my archives of old game stuff, I stumbled upon my old plugs. Reminded of the joys of EV, I re-downloaded the game, many plug-ins, and some editing utilities in short order.

As I was unstuffing my old plug-ins, one of them in particular caught my attention. I was making a plug for Star Wars (not a Total Conversion, though... it's a long story), and I never finished it, for one reason or another. So, with the kind of ambition that can only come from putting off a homework assignment, I took up the task of finishing this plug-in.

Currently, almost every aspect of this plug has been finished. There is very little left to do. However, there are two key obstacles which stand in the way of this plug's release:

1. I am an absolutely horrible artist, so the vast majority of graphics in this plug are borrowed from other Star Wars related plug-ins. Most of them, as well as a sound for the TIEs, are from "Star Wars: A New Alliance" by Mark Melaccio and Ian Beach. I also have a Death Star sprite from "Star Wars SE" by Kris Hauser.

I remember, two years ago, emailing what relevant addresses I could find to obtain permission to use these components. However, I don't remember getting any response.

What should I do? I can't imagine that there would be too many issues beyond giving them credit for their work, as both the plug-ins I got things from, as well as my own, are entirely free... but I'm not a lawyer, so I can't be sure.

2. I downloaded a few sounds I want to put in the plug-in. However, I'm stupid, and I don't know how to do this. Considering I have very little in the way of sound editing programs (heck, Quicktime is the most I have in the way of sound at all), and that I'm very cheap, how can I go about doing this?

Thank you for having the patience to read down this far. Your assistance would be appreciated.

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

(This message has been edited by ConfusedGuy (edited 04-21-2002).)

Hmmm, well, in response to the first question, there are a few artist hanging around here, and might be able to lend a hand. I can't right now, because I have two projects I'm working on, not counting chemistry (=P)

As for the second, I never learned how to work with the sounds in resedit, so I can't answer that.

------------------
"I've just had a brilliant stroke of genius! Oh now I've forgotten it." -Me

I don't know what you should do, but definetly find something. A finished Star Wars TC is a rare thing, and I'd love to play!

------------------
If winners never quit, and quitters never win, who came up with "Quit while you're ahead"?
Also: Evil Penguin (not as much any more)

...as I said, it's not a TC - to try and summarize it, my plug introduces Star Wars ships, outfits, missions, and other such things, into the EV universe without really changing the EV universe as it is. It's a big addition, really.

And as for the pics... well... I have dozens of ships in the plug, so it might take a while to make all those sprites and pics and everything from scratch; what I'd really prefer is to know what kind of obstacles I'd have to go through, if any, to simply use the pics I'd mentioned.

And I still have no idea how to do the sound thing, even though, it's probably just something simple.

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

(This message has been edited by ConfusedGuy (edited 04-21-2002).)

Use a utility such as SoundApp or SoundEdit to convert the sounds to "snd resource format". This will give you a file with sound resoures in it; copy them directly into your plugin.

------------------
"A taco is merely a rigid, deformed tortilla."
- Thomas Castiglione
"There will be MUCH CRUSHING!"
- Pink

Thanks!
SoundApp worked perfectly. My sound issues are resolved.

I still have a problem with that first thing, though...

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

Afraid I can't help with that one, my meager graphic skills are already stretched with the stuff of my own I'm doing.

------------------
"A taco is merely a rigid, deformed tortilla."
- Thomas Castiglione
"There will be MUCH CRUSHING!"
- Pink

Okay...

Would it be alright if I just use the graphics I'm currently using, as I mentioned above, and credit their creators in my ReadMe? If I can, and if there aren't any copyright issues, that would be a lot easier...

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

Quote

Originally posted by ConfusedGuy:
Would it be alright if I just use the graphics I'm currently using, as I mentioned above, and credit their creators in my ReadMe? If I can, and if there aren't any copyright issues, that would be a lot easier...

Check what the plug's Read Me says. It may or may not tell you how you should do that.

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula,(/url) your friendly (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")self-promoting(/url) EV & EVO Boards/Addon/Newswire/Chronicles moderator
(url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula.com(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.net/")evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")ev-nova.net(/url)
(url="http://"http://pftn.evula.net")pftn.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://plugs3.evula.net")plugs3.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://saberstudios.evula.net")saberstudios.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net")davidarthur.evula.net(/url) | (url="http://"http://ucplugs.evula.net")ucplugs.evula.net(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by EVula:
**Check what the plug's Read Me says. It may or may not tell you how you should do that.
**

I re-downloaded SW: ANA, and from the relevant sections of the documentation, I've been given the impression that they wouldn't particularly mind use of elements of their plug-in; but it didn't directly say anything one way or the other on that issue.

After seeing this, I proceeded to email the two addresses in the documentation. The mail has been returned to me due to fatal errors because, apparently, those addresses no longer exist.

And after many google searches, I've yet to even find a trace of Star Wars SE. I'm beginning to think that Kris Hauser has deliberately removed his EV plug-ins from the internet, for one reason or another. His webpage states "if you've come here looking for EV plugins, forget it. Please stop playing that game."

So, as it stands, I have no way of knowing from the authors, and I have no way of finding out. My only choice is to resort to the advice of third parties, which is why I'm posting here.

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

Quote

Originally posted by ConfusedGuy:
**I re-downloaded SW: ANA, and from the relevant sections of the documentation, I've been given the impression that they wouldn't particularly mind use of elements of their plug-in; but it didn't directly say anything one way or the other on that issue.

After seeing this, I proceeded to email the two addresses in the documentation. The mail has been returned to me due to fatal errors because, apparently, those addresses no longer exist.

And after many google searches, I've yet to even find a trace of Star Wars SE. I'm beginning to think that Kris Hauser has deliberately removed his EV plug-ins from the internet, for one reason or another. His webpage states "if you've come here looking for EV plugins, forget it. Please stop playing that game."

So, as it stands, I have no way of knowing from the authors, and I have no way of finding out. My only choice is to resort to the advice of third parties, which is why I'm posting here.

**

Well, Kris Hauser seems to be rather discontented with EV... I'm not sure he would mind, except that you're playing at all?!? I have no idea. As for the other plug-in, I wouldn't use them if I were you, simply because there was no specific encouragement to use graphics for other plugs. There are a number of "shipyards" out there, where you can download graphics with no worries (no guarentees on Starwars though). There was recently a topic with a whole lot of links, it should still be on the first page or two. If I find it I'll post the link, if not, just look yourself.

------------------
"What goes up must come down, unless it reaches Escape Velocity and flies off to Palshife to join the Rebellion."
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/TheChallenge101.sea.bin?path=evn/plugins&file;=TheChallenge101.sea.bin")The Challenge(/url): A deadly test of skill and power (new version 1.0.2 coming soon)
(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/mrxak/Haikus/haikus.html")The Haiku Archive(/url): Collected Works of the Rabid Haiku Generator

Here is the topic: (url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum9/HTML/002666.html")PICT Shipyards? (/url)

------------------
"What goes up must come down, unless it reaches Escape Velocity and flies off to Palshife to join the Rebellion."
(url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/TheChallenge101.sea.bin?path=evn/plugins&file;=TheChallenge101.sea.bin")The Challenge(/url): A deadly test of skill and power (new version 1.0.2 coming soon)
(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/mrxak/Haikus/haikus.html")The Haiku Archive(/url): Collected Works of the Rabid Haiku Generator

Well, I looked through all (I think) of those shipyards, and I came up with the following results:

-one X-wing sprite/image set

...that's it. I didn't really like it either (the sprites are from an angle...).

I even did some google searching for Star Wars shipyards, and related terms/phrases, and I didn't find anything.

So you see... I'm in quite a mess. Either I have to find out if it's okay to use my current graphics, or I'll need someone to make me entirely new ones. If I tried myself, it'd take years, and they'd still suck.

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

The way I see it, you have two options.

1. Probably the best choice is to use what graphics you have, and put in the Readme something saying that these graphics had been taken, and if anyone was offended to email you and you would remove the graphics immediatly.

2. Get someone (there are several freelance graphcis artists around here) to do them for you.

------------------
--ares

"I will ban automobiles, legalize squatting in unoccupied buildings, auction off all high city government positions, clean up market street by requiring downtown businessmen to wear clown suits and tear down Pier 39. " -- Jello Biafra, running for mayor of California
(url="http://"http://home.cfl.rr.com/aresev/women.mp3")What are women?(/url)

Well, with a lack of other sources to get graphics from immediately, and the amount of time it would take to make new graphics from scratch, I think I'll have to go with your first option.

Thanks for the help, folks; hopefully the plug'll be worth it...

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!

Hey, I've got many star wars models on my HD-Trilogy and EP1. Just tell me the ships you need and I'll try to email you the sprites.

(My E-Mail is down right now but I'll hopefully get it up soon.)

------------------

This space left blank due to and error of type -3

Well, I'm pretty sure Kris Hauser won't mind. He's been off of EV forever now, and once I e-mailed him asking permission to use his graphics in my own plug-in. He even agreed to let me use his systs and spobs... And I didn't just use some: I used all the ones I could find, from every SW plugin he ever uploaded. But I'm not sure about SW:ANA. You should take the risk, since the authors are nowhere to be found, and include the aforementioned disclaimer. Of course, you could always talk to cOMMANDo, but he seems to have gotten his request book filled.

-Matt

------------------
'I' before 'E', except in "Budweiser".
Disclaimer: All claims made herein are hereby considered null and void. No guarantee of satisfaction is given, either explicitly or implicitly.
(url="http://"http://www.pacificnet.net/~restorer/3d/")3D Model Samples(/url)

My laziness tells me to go with Restorer's suggestion, and ares1's idea for a disclaimer (I hadn't thought of the 'immediate removal' part of that, actually).

If I got someone to make graphics for 23 (19 unique-looking) ships, I might forget about the project by the time it was done...

I'd release it now, but I can't remember if I've forgotten something or not. _

In case anyone still keeps up with the add-ons page, I should be emailing it in by this weekend...

Thanks for the help, folks.

------------------
I'M NOT CRAZY!!!!