1
Starter texture pack help?
Hey everybody. I am the mom half of the mom-and-kid team who are sharing this account (we just joined a few days ago). We got some starting-up help from one of the moderators via PM (thanks a lot) and in the exchange an issue about texture packs came up. I think some of the other moderators might be interested in these ideas also so I thought why not try to be helpful, in the spirit of doing my part in the community. (This post is just from the mom part of the team.)
We (my son and I) have been working on a few texture packs. We started with the default TP, like everybody said to do. We have been trying to take very seriously the rules about "unoriginal content". However we were very surprised to learn (from the helpful PMC moderator) that starting with the default texture pack files - and not replacing everything - is also considered stealing! I looked at the Minecraft license agreement and clearly this is true: they do not give permission to distribute any of their images, presumably not even a 16x16 piece of terrain.png.
I wondered how I could have been so confused about what "unoriginal content" meant, being a person who writes software myself. I think it comes down to this. My son and I have gone through loads and loads of posts and tutorials and videos about how to make your own texture packs. They all say to start by copying the default texture files from the Minecraft jar. None of them say you have to replace every single pixel with your own work before you can distribute anything. The phrase "unoriginal content" seems, in popular usage, to refer to taking images from the TPs made by other fans, not from the default TP files.
So here's where I think the problem lies.
Because of all these factors, people are putting up TPs with half changed textures and half the default textures. This is illegal but so frequent that it's hard to do anything about. Looking at the new TPs coming in, more than half of them seem to have mostly the default textures. Seems like a drag on the community's energy to me.
So I was thinking, what if PMC put up in prominent places "starter" TPs, to match each Minecraft version, that preserve the important formatting information required to build a TP, but with none of the Mojang copyrighted images in it. The squares could all be one simple color (like a 1x1 pack), or something useful to start with but not the defaults. Maybe something like this would cut down on the amount of rule breaking and also help kids make and distribute their own TPs without getting yelled at all the time.
Just a thought
the mom part of woodspeople
We (my son and I) have been working on a few texture packs. We started with the default TP, like everybody said to do. We have been trying to take very seriously the rules about "unoriginal content". However we were very surprised to learn (from the helpful PMC moderator) that starting with the default texture pack files - and not replacing everything - is also considered stealing! I looked at the Minecraft license agreement and clearly this is true: they do not give permission to distribute any of their images, presumably not even a 16x16 piece of terrain.png.
I wondered how I could have been so confused about what "unoriginal content" meant, being a person who writes software myself. I think it comes down to this. My son and I have gone through loads and loads of posts and tutorials and videos about how to make your own texture packs. They all say to start by copying the default texture files from the Minecraft jar. None of them say you have to replace every single pixel with your own work before you can distribute anything. The phrase "unoriginal content" seems, in popular usage, to refer to taking images from the TPs made by other fans, not from the default TP files.
So here's where I think the problem lies.
- There is a strict legal statement in the license agreement.
- However, Mojang never explains anything about this to anybody, leaving forums like PMC to deal with it.
- There is next to no awareness that the default textures are included in the meaning of "unoriginal content." This all hits up against the fact that ...
- When people make a TP, especially kids, they want to get encouragement and feedback on it before it is completely done. So they want to put up something with half the textures replaced. But all they have to work with is ... the defaults. Which leads us back to #1.
Because of all these factors, people are putting up TPs with half changed textures and half the default textures. This is illegal but so frequent that it's hard to do anything about. Looking at the new TPs coming in, more than half of them seem to have mostly the default textures. Seems like a drag on the community's energy to me.
So I was thinking, what if PMC put up in prominent places "starter" TPs, to match each Minecraft version, that preserve the important formatting information required to build a TP, but with none of the Mojang copyrighted images in it. The squares could all be one simple color (like a 1x1 pack), or something useful to start with but not the defaults. Maybe something like this would cut down on the amount of rule breaking and also help kids make and distribute their own TPs without getting yelled at all the time.
Just a thought
the mom part of woodspeople
6
I think as long as you state its incomplete you'll be fine. But try to keep it as a "internal test" pack for as long as possible before you release it to the internet. Take your time with it
And if you're scared you can always wipe the texture box and keep it blank til you have something you're happy with.
And if you're scared you can always wipe the texture box and keep it blank til you have something you're happy with.
Thanks, that's kind. I wasn't writing because I had a problem; I thought the starter-pack idea might help with what seemed like a systemic problem I thought lots have people were having. I must have misunderstood. My bad.
the mom part of woodspeople
the mom part of woodspeople
So, a non-starter then. I thought somebody would at least reply with something like "that's a non-starter" rather than not replying at all (except for the one asking a question). Now that I know the lay of the land I won't bother putting that much time into any other suggestions. Live and learn!
the mom part of woodspeople
the mom part of woodspeople
if you would like i would happily make a "starter texture pack" and upload it so people like you don't have this problem.
From http://www.minecraft.net/terms
Anything they've made. And:
Remember not to distribute the changes. And:
Don't rip art resources and pass them around. That's pretty clear I think.
the mom part of woodspeople
Do not distribute anything we've made. This includes, but not limited to, the client or the server software for the game. This also includes modified versions of anything we've made.
Anything they've made. And:
If you've bought the game, you may play around with it and modify it. We'd appreciate it if you didn't use this for griefing, though, and remember not to distribute the changes.
Remember not to distribute the changes. And:
Any tools you write for the game from scratch belongs to you. You're free to do whatever you want with screenshots and videos of the game, but don't just rip art resources and pass them around, that's no fun.
Don't rip art resources and pass them around. That's pretty clear I think.
the mom part of woodspeople
As far as I knew you could release an incomplete texture pack with some default textures included-- as long as it wasn't published as complete and you continued to work on replacing those default Minecraft textures. There's just so many and so little harm that can be done by releasing something like that, it just doesn't make sense to enforce something like not being allowed to include the files that everyone already uses. If that's not the case, then I've got some work to do.
