Conquer Club

Updates, Changes, and Things to Come


Before we get carried away with the new announcements, I'd just like to make it known that Lack is currently on a small vacation until May 8, 2007. Unfortunately at this time, all Quenched maps will not be available for live play until after he gets back. It's only a short while, so hang in there!

Anyways, as everyone is well aware, the Map Foundry is rapidly expanding and evolving as Conquer Club grows in size and popularity. Some changes have already taken place and some have been announced but are still yet to come. I have taken on a new role as Cartography Assistant (if you hadn't noticed ) and am working hard to help maintain and improve the Map Foundry for everyone. Sub-forums are on their way and will change how we all look at maps in development. However, these are just the tip of the iceberg and we have a few more developments to announce.

• Copyright
  This has been an issue of much discussion and various opinion. While Conquer Club still encourages cartographers to obtain expressed written consent for maps based on copyrighted works, we are aware that such requests are often ignored. In these circumstances, cartographers are free to continue map development with the condition that all work is of their own doing. Every part of artwork on the map must be unique and original.
  
  
• Revamps
  Another issue of much discussion has been the distinction of quality and standards between old maps and new maps. The majority of maps available for play on Conquer Club were designed before the current standards and expectations were developed under the Final Forge and Quenching system. Conquer Club is now encouraging cartographers to step forward and volunteer their time to work on addressing concerns with older maps through revamps. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding revamps in the near future.
  
  
• XML
  While Conquer Club encourages anyone to try their hand at map making and to push the envelope of both graphics and gameplay, the current XML system comes with some limitations. This is stunting the creativity of some of our cartographers, so Lack has been working behind the scenes to come up with some new options for gameplay that will test cartographers imaginations and players strategies. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.

Stay tuned for further exciting announcements in the coming days and weeks.

Great thank you

cool, chears

KEYOGI wrote:[*]XML
While Conquer Club encourages anyone to try their hand at map making and to push the envelope of both graphics and gameplay, the current XML system comes with some limitations. This is stunting the creativity of some of our cartographers, so Lack has been working behind the scenes to come up with some new options for gameplay that will test cartographers imaginations and players strategies. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.[/list]
Stay tuned for further exciting announcements in the coming days and weeks.

i think i wet myself
this is wonderful. my prayers have not been in vain.

KEYOGI wrote:[list][*]Copyright
This has been an issue of much discussion and various opinion. While Conquer Club still encourages cartographers to obtain expressed written consent for maps based on copyrighted works, we are aware that such requests are often ignored. In these circumstances, cartographers are free to continue map development with the condition that all work is of their own doing. Every part of artwork on the map must be unique and original.

Come on fantasy fans! Get cartographing!

Guiscard wrote:

KEYOGI wrote:[list][*]Copyright
This has been an issue of much discussion and various opinion. While Conquer Club still encourages cartographers to obtain expressed written consent for maps based on copyrighted works, we are aware that such requests are often ignored. In these circumstances, cartographers are free to continue map development with the condition that all work is of their own doing. Every part of artwork on the map must be unique and original.

Come on fantasy fans! Get cartographing!

i've reading again and again this bit about the copyright. and it is still rather confusing.

let's take as example runescape.
i see the following copyright issues:
1. name
2. map
3. drawings around the map.

from what i understand in the announcement you can use the name and the map but no drawings. that's easy because you can ad various other stuff to get the same feeling but what about the name or the map itself? aren't those copyrighted?


PS: also the revamp announcement is a bit confusing but at least it says there will be further clarification in the future.

KEYOGI wrote:[list][*]Copyright
This has been an issue of much discussion and various opinion. While Conquer Club still encourages cartographers to obtain expressed written consent for maps based on copyrighted works, we are aware that such requests are often ignored. In these circumstances, cartographers are free to continue map development with the condition that all work is of their own doing. Every part of artwork on the map must be unique and original.

I don't think the copyright works like this. If people will continue working on the maps, without obtaining the written consent, it is still copyright infringement.

I, personally, don't like those copyright laws, they stop progress, but it is a current law.

They're saying that Conquer Club is removing the previous request that everyone get copyright permission on maps. Basically (for me, at least) it seems to be saying that if you really want to seek permission from the author or whatever you can, but CC doesn't require it and will accept maps without copyright permission as long as all the graphics are original. For example, you could probably make a Star Wars map as long as you didn't include actual images taken from the films themselves.

Regarding the Copyright... the decision comes straight from Lack and I'm sure he wouldn't have made this decision if he didn't have some sort of legal advice.

Obtaining written permission is still the first step anyone should take before attempting a map based on Copyrighted works. If you get a straight yes or no answer then that's the end of it, nothing to worry about. However, if you still haven't had a reply after say a month then it's okay with Lack for you to continue development of the map within certain conditions.

The map must be made from scratch with all original artwork. So if you're making a Star Wars map, don't attempt to put pictures of characters, places or objects from the movies on the map. You are free to use names of places, but not images.

Is that clear? Sorry if the announcement was a little confusing, it all made sense in my head, but that's not saying much.

I have to say the most interesting thing to me is the XML CHANGES...thats huge. im really interested to have a little more freedom with maps, and im really interested to see what the changes entail...

johloh wrote:I have to say the most interesting thing to me is the XML CHANGES...thats huge. im really interested to have a little more freedom with maps, and im really interested to see what the changes entail...

I echo that sentiment in full flying gear.

DiM wrote:

KEYOGI wrote:[*]XML
While Conquer Club encourages anyone to try their hand at map making and to push the envelope of both graphics and gameplay, the current XML system comes with some limitations. This is stunting the creativity of some of our cartographers, so Lack has been working behind the scenes to come up with some new options for gameplay that will test cartographers imaginations and players strategies. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.[/list]
Stay tuned for further exciting announcements in the coming days and weeks.

i think i wet myself
this is wonderful. my prayers have not been in vain.

Me too, dude...Me too.

KEYOGI wrote:

• XML
  While Conquer Club encourages anyone to try their hand at map making and to push the envelope of both graphics and gameplay, the current XML system comes with some limitations. This is stunting the creativity of some of our cartographers, so Lack has been working behind the scenes to come up with some new options for gameplay that will test cartographers imaginations and players strategies. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.

Interesting...

C.

keyogi is there any previews on the types of things lack is looking to do with the xml?

KEYOGI wrote:[*]XML
While Conquer Club encourages anyone to try their hand at map making and to push the envelope of both graphics and gameplay, the current XML system comes with some limitations. This is stunting the creativity of some of our cartographers, so Lack has been working behind the scenes to come up with some new options for gameplay that will test cartographers imaginations and players strategies. Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.

Go Lack! Woohoo!

I love that fact that you we are getting add-ons and extensions to the XML. There should be some things that are added that I want to recommend.

A current map that I am helping with works great, but can't be done in the current XML format. We need it to be able to only give you a bonus for a "continent" once no matter how long you hold it. And a two continents go together to stack, but it is supposed to stack with all of the continents, but you still only get the bnous once not 5 times for each.

These would be just simple if statements. I realize that allowing for programming languages other than XMl that only defines data would be a risk in security. So I understand why you went with XML in the first place.

If you could get the game processes enterpruting the game running from a different PHP instance...And limit the php from processing the document that you are using to define the paths to very simple if statements that would work wonders and would produce massive ammounts of awesome maps.

Or just add some more functionailty to the PHP that is processing the XMl so that it can interpute parts of the document as PHP itself and rip out the data and use it.

johloh wrote:keyogi is there any previews on the types of things lack is looking to do with the xml?

KEYOGI wrote:Keep an eye out for a specific announcement regarding XML modification and variation coming soon.