Dynaverse.net
Taldrenites => Starfleet Command Mods => Topic started by: intermech on July 13, 2004, 05:25:14 pm
-
Is there any chance that the modding community might be able to get a hold of a *.q3 file editor now that Taldren CA has closed down? Any word on that? I don't want source coding or anything, I just want to be able to change the graphics in the user interface.
Anyone??
Thanks
Interstellar Machine
-
That's classed as part of the source code. Sorry.
-
you cant... Its embedded in the source code... which taldren does/did not own. Quicksilver owns this source code. You just have to hope and pray.
-
I will sure never understand software laws. The I am pretty sure the .q3 files are graphics, if I were to buy a painting by some artist, there would be no law against me skribbling all over it. But, once something is on a computer screen, all of the sudden you can't do anything to it. It is silly, makes no sense to me.
If the .q3 is not owned by Taldren, that would explain alot about why there has not been an editor released.
-
FireSoul pointed out the "Tiger" folder in the OP scripting API... at first glance, the keys to the q3 file appear to be there. I may use this information to try and decode the structure of the q3 file soon. (I know, I know, the EULA says no reverse engineering... but I mean come on - the file format is over 6 years old and has not been touched for ages, Quicksilver seems to be completely unaware of our desires... Perhaps I'll e-mail them before I try to decode the file, on the off chance they will give permission or the structure of the file itself...) If the q3 file structure is decoded and posted then I can't see what would hold up a source release.. ;)
-
Hmm, sounds interesting. I might check that out. Of course I wouldn't dream of going against a EULA. However, that was not openly presented to me when I purchased the game from Interplay online. You can't go and sell someone something and then after they buy it put a bunch of restrictions on its use. If an editor isn't officially released, that is fine, but they can't give me a hard time about looking into it myself.
-
If the .q3 is not owned by Taldren, that would explain alot about why there has not been an editor released.
And also how patches always came with the condition "NO ART CHANGE!" :)
-
"We'll sell you a broken game, but we won't let you fix it." That is how I take all that, especially with SFC3.
-
Is there any contact with Quicksilver Interactive??
-
Not that I know of...
-
Bonk how is the progress?? ;D
-
There is a rather large thread in the main SFC forum about the source code stuff. One of the guys from Quicksilver has posted on there too in a positive way that is the beginnings of possibly everyone being on the same page about releasing the source code.
-
Update:
http://www.dynaverse.net/forum/index.php/topic,163347881.0.html
;D
-
Hmm, sounds interesting. I might check that out. Of course I wouldn't dream of going against a EULA. However, that was not openly presented to me when I purchased the game from Interplay online. You can't go and sell someone something and then after they buy it put a bunch of restrictions on its use. If an editor isn't officially released, that is fine, but they can't give me a hard time about looking into it myself.
Actually, before the game installed, you had to agree to the EULA in the install screen.. so you are previously aware of the No Reverse Engineering of the game prior to game install.. sorry bud, your argument holds no water...
-
EULA is being kept within setup.q3 file as far as I remember :) The quicksilver Inc is makinmg an ultility to add and remove UI and only graphic files from Q3 file :)
-
EULA is being kept within setup.q3 file as far as I remember :) The quicksilver Inc is makinmg an ultility to add and remove UI and only graphic files from Q3 file :)
EULA is in the game's readme file and in the game engine exe... I am not sure of the q3 files holding EULA in them or not, but any part of SFC 3 is protected by EULA and paramount ans QuickSilver.. as such, any reverse engineering of any game files is illegal ... the exception as permitted by Interplay and Taldren is the sounds, scripts and TXT game files and the *.gf game files.. anything that needs a compiler or a special tool for editing would constitute reverse engineering...
Now if QuickSilver releases a utility to edit the Q3 file, then their release constitutes that the file is open for modding.. a fan created utility to edit the Q3 would be illegal as it would be hacking the game file, IE reverse engineering.. aka pirating...
as such, it is best to wait and see if QuickSilver will release the q3 source or an editor.. if they do, then the file can legally be modded...
If they don't then we are all stuck out..
anyhow.. just wanted to keep people on the side of doing the right thing.. we have to keep morals and scruples..
-
Maybe if we can't break into the *.q3 file we can get around it. How difficult would it be to have a program that draws from a set of picture files and runs at the same time as our favorite SFC game and places the pictures right over top of the out-dated SFC picture? I am mainly thinking of the race pictures. Is that something we could do with a Bik program, any ideas?