firiban,

You seem to be the only one who read my post carefully and understood it, unlike the rest. Running a contest does not imply a worse quality artwork than being on the "dev team", it could easily end up being better, since better motivation is involved. Thanks very much!

I'm amazed how suggesting a motivational and rewarding contribution effort by the community that could greatly benefit everyone and speed up the game's development was perceived in such a phobic way by some.

planeshift only accepts the highest quality art if you can do something like you suggested apply to the dev team and go from there. you have a better chance then any contest to make it ingame.

Hence the reason for a contest, which could determine "the highest quality art". Anything of unacceptable quality does not have to be included. Besides, beggars can't be choosers -- you're not a commercial team. If you expect commercial quality work, expect to pay. No offense but I would also not call your current in-game art as "highest quality", especially painted tree forest, blurry textures and pixelated "sky". And, according to Fragnetics.com press release history, they helped PlaneShift launch in 2003-2004. According to PlaneShift.it site, the project launched in 2000-2002, and according to some presentation I found on CrystalSpace3D website, it used to be a commercial MUD that started in 1992. It is almost 2009 now, so clearly this is more than just being a "free" project problem.

What does "go from there" mean? I'm not interested in being on the "dev team", I made a suggestion about contribution contests with several people involved and with respective rewards for the contest winner. Contributors deserve to be rewarded for their contribution work.

But no, no thousands of tria for the winners and no Axe of doom +100, because its RP game and no matter how hard you try, you can't explain such a price ICly.

You've obviously failed to read this part of my original post

What about the stats of such items? Make them visual or social items only. Implement a new equipment slot in the GUI for social items with a check box to make them visible or invisible. All the stats will be based on regular items of the same type equipped in regular slots and obtained by regular means (quests, loot etc), while the social items can override the visual appearance.

Caarie's right in saying that if you, personally, want to contribute something, you are better advised to join us.

Advised or required? And for what? So that "Winning submission will become the property of Atomic Blue Corporation"? That is not a reward and you cannot expect people to work for free and be basically modern day slave laborers. Where is the motivation? Not only are you suggesting that I'd have to give up the rights to my work but the work would be unrewarded. I'm not a charity and you guys aren't starving children who cannot afford to pay any bills. Thanks but no, thanks.

The problem is, while the code for Planeshift is open-source, the art assets fall under a separate license. To actually have your work placed in-game, you'd have to agree to that license. Also, to be painfully blunt, what we [need] is laid out in the form of tasks, internally. So while I would enjoy seeing something like this happen, there's little profit in holding a contest where the winner has made, oh say a beautiful axe, only to be told "Sorry, but these aren't the assets we're looking for." Or equally unfortunate, the artist does not agree with our license and so we cannot use their work - however awesome it is, or however desperately we may need it.

Since we are being painfully blunt here, this does not quite sound like an "open source game" that PlaneShift is being advertised as.

To avoid having contestants making assets that you're not looking for, clearly outline what you're looking for when hosting a contest, and if your license is proprietary, clearly outline what it is, such as in the city contest:

2.1.1. License

Winning submission will become the property of Atomic Blue Corporation under the terms of the PlaneShift Content License. The members of the winning teams of each phase will be required to sign and return the Atomic Blue Contribution license. (http://www.atomicblue.org/docs/AB_Contribution_License_2006.11.06.pdf)
The signing of this license pertains only to assets created in relation to this contest.
Pages 4, 5 and 6 of the license must be faxed to+1-831-677-4686.

Failure to submit the signed license by close date of the contest will result in the disqualification of the team or individual.

Could the same not be done for a playable race contest with an ability to design your own unique social visual item as a reward? Keep in mind that "The Rest of the Player Races" has won in the "Art Dept Poll" by a large margin:

http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=32474.0

And on THAT note, if you're really looking to help out, the deadline for the City Contest is Sept. 30th, and word is they could use more than a little assistance to make it.

Make your license non-proprietary (such as in "Apricot" project) and/or make it a contest with respective rewards for the winner and I'll think about it.

Quote from: firiban on September 10, 2008, 09:55:36 pm

the team could give out a list of things needed ingame.

such has been done in the past.  look over this section: http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?board=61.0

If you mean this thread: http://hydlaa.com/smf/index.php?topic=28502.0

That is not a contest, there is no motivation to contribute anything, and it does not list playable race models nor any rewards for what it does list. Are playable race models not needed or about to be finished and released? In either case, if you've made such a "list", the contributors should be properly thanked and rewarded for their work. Otherwise, don't expect any help.

Hate to say this but I think Most free liscences have rights to copy and many other things that conflict with the ABC license.

Such a license is ABC's, not contributors', choice, just as they chose a less restricting and more rewarding license for "Apricot" (although they did ask for donations, just to be able to pay the developers).

According to what I've just read here, being an art developer on Atomic Blue and PlaneShift is a very thankless and unrewarding job, and the only way to contribute anything is to join the "dev team", sign a contract and give up all rights to your work, without getting paid and without any kind of reward, such as a unique social in-game item. One would have to be a very foolish person to sign such a contract.

Thanks but I'm going to have to decline your offer.

What was/is the exact problem with the server?

If people like it, I've no problem donating it to AB.

Will this become a default PlaneShift GUI skin choice in the future? This thread seems to have been forgotten.