Fresh Thanks to the SoD team

[Daedelus_McGee]

In another thread, a developer from a different mod posted extreme claims, dictated reparations, and then took his ball and went home (locked the thread) when people called them on it.  During this unpleasantness, I was distinctly unkind to the person and their supporters because they came into somebody else's house and threw a fit.  There was no room given in the introduction of the thread for reasoned discourse; I don't know why they didn't lock the thread from the git-go...it wasn't like they were going to listen to anybody, anyway. 

I apologize to SoD developers and fans who may reasonably be repulsed by this kind of squabble.  I do not like to be this confrontational because it is so enjoyable that it becomes an end in itself. 

However, I genuinely appreciate the efforts put out by the SoD team, and feel they shouldn't have to answer unpleasantness alone. 

Thanks again to the Sword of Damocles team for all their hard work and the tremendously fun mod they produce.  Please keep up the good work.  "Non Carborundum Illigitimi": Don't let the bastards grind you down.

 

[X-Warrior-X]

I've talked to saxondragon, and I can see where he's coming from, I'd be royally pissed off myself, and this is coming from someone whose been playing SoD and only 1 other mod since they came out. (Suprisingly that other mod is PoP)

 

[waffle guy]

You would be surprised how infuriating it is to have your work claimed by someone else.

Someone in the SoD dev team messed up by not seeking the appropriate consent.

 

[saxondragon]

Daedelus,

Please do not turn this into an issue.   

I have PM's you, Daedelus_McGee, with the specific which you have ignored and you continue this aggressive behavior. 

I have asked nicely that you stop, and let the people who have donated thousands of hours of work in their own houses be able to resolve this issue. 

I have explained myself and what I am trying to accomplish here.  It no way detracts from the SOD team, their work or their community.  Somewhere, somehow, someway.. our work was incorporated into this mod.. and it must be removed with an acknowledgement that a mistake was made.

• I have explained why I posted (inability to contact the Mod owners and their absence in the TW forums).
  
• I explained what the issue is (five times now to you).
  
• I have explained my position on a remedy that is the least harmful to the SOD body of work and the community.
  

Your continued aggression solves nothing.  It does however; get you noticed by the Board Moderators.

Please stop.

Saxondragon

 

[Daedelus_McGee]

I've talked to saxondragon, and I can see where he's coming from, I'd be royally pissed off myself, and this is coming from someone whose been playing SoD and only 1 other mod since they came out. (Suprisingly that other mod is PoP)

I'd be a lot more willing to see his point of view, except:
1. It happened a long time ago.

2. There was no marking of the material to indicate a copyright of any kind.  This gives the SoD team the very reasonable argument that it was floating around the web and they thought the producers would be happy to have their material in use. 

3. The "plaintiff" dictated terms in a severely confrontational manner that did nothing to preserve the dignity or recognize the standing of the SoD team.  Initiating discussions with a punch in the nose rarely leads to amicable settlement. 

4. All this stuff is free, nobody is making real money on this.  If we were talking real money, people would be much more civil because their lawyers would tell them to.  This also means that "damages" are in large part a matter of how irritated the "plaintiff" chooses to act.  This makes me naturally suspicious of the claims of the person claiming damages.

5. The SoD development team exists in the cloud in a host of jurisdictions and nationality.  Similarly, the "plaintiff's" team likely comes from around everywhere as well.  This means that there is no expectation of a speedy trial or an inexpensive conclusion.  The cheapest entity to sue with the most to lose is Paradox Interactive, which means that if the "plaintiff" decides to take real legal action, we could not only lose SoD, we could lose Mount&Blade.  This forum is a glass house; people waving rocks around should not receive glad tidings. 

6. People who do make creative work voluntarily burn out; this kind of unpleasantness is why.  I want new content, transition to Warband, and more bug fixes.  That doesn't happen when the dev team is burned out or afraid of their shadows.  The SoD team deserves a lot of support, regardless of what is probably at worst an innocent mistake.

7. If the "plaintiff" had acted in a way that recognized other people's contributions and sought their "rights" (a term I put in quotations because of the vapor it represents means essentially nothing binding) in ways that encouraged new, creative effort, I'd be onboard helping out.  Given the extremely negative framework of the accusation, it should be repulsed on general principles.  Letting that kind of intolerant control abuse stand makes the world a darker, less pleasant place.

 

[Daedelus_McGee]

Daedelus,

Please do not turn this into an issue.   

I have PM's you, Daedelus_McGee, with the specific which you have ignored and you continue this aggressive behavior. 

I have asked nicely that you stop, and let the people who have donated thousands of hours of work in their own houses be able to resolve this issue. 

I have explained myself and what I am trying to accomplish here.  It no way detracts from the SOD team, their work or their community.  Somewhere, somehow, someway.. our work was incorporated into this mod.. and it must be removed with an acknowledgement that a mistake was made.

• I have explained why I posted (inability to contact the Mod owners and their absence in the TW forums).
  
• I explained what the issue is (five times now to you).
  
• I have explained my position on a remedy that is the least harmful to the SOD body of work and the community.
  

Your continued aggression solves nothing.  It does however; get you noticed by the Board Moderators.

Please stop.

Saxondragon

If you didn't want this to be an issue, you should have sought less controlling and ironbound solutions. 

I'd be happy to take down this post if you take down yours. 

If you do not want to brawl, don't walk in swinging your fists.

 

[waffle guy]

You seem to think this is somehow about money. This is all about time spent on hard work and recognition. Saxondragon wants to have something unique in his mod. I doesn't help him at all if everyone rips off pieces of his mod then his looks like a copy of everyone elses.

 

[Janus]

Saxondragon has a legitimate concern regarding unauthorized use of mod resources, and others who are not directly involved should indeed stay out of it.

Voicing your simple support of the work put forth by SoD mod team is fine, but backhanded attacks against others like this is not.