Some of you may recently have noticed a new 90 slot siege server called "Tercios_GST_Server". It's competing with servers like GK, Wolfpack, and others, by taking advantage of work other people have already spent years creating and perfecting . Normally, competition is a great thing. It inspires mappers and modders to make fresh, unique, and entertaining content for their servers so people will want to come back. But there is a major problem when one server decides to exploit the work of others without permission -- it removes any incentive to make that content at all.
Here are some screenshots of maps you might recognize from GK mappers running on the Tercios GST server:
These, and other maps were also edited and renamed "scn_GST_[number]" to remove any trace to the original mapper. There are more screenshots of our maps as well, as a very large number of them seem to have been put on their rotation. All of this took place without any kind of permission being sought, or credit being attributed. We tried to communicate directly with the hosts of this server... At first, we were told they would remove them and that they were willing to cooperate with us. After seeing their maps were not removed 4 days later, we contacted them again and got a response more along the lines of "there is no way you can prove they're yours, so they're ours now". IMO this kind of attitude is poisonous to a community that values user-generated content of any kind.
So I'm posting for 2 reasons...
1. I am looking for advice on who to contact and what can be done by Taleworlds about this server being listed. I've seen threads mentioning "cracked" servers before that admins responded to immediately, so I don't know if this thread will be enough to get someone's attention, or if I should be sending emails/Pms to someone specific.
2. Looking for support from players who know that these maps are NOT the original content of Tercios_GST_Server, and are used without permission. I'm hoping if anyone else feels strongly about this, they will speak up. The more people who are serious about this, the better chance there is of this VERY bad precedent being reversed before its too late.
Ps. I dont want to make it sound like they just stole a few maps... probably a significant majority of "their" maps are ours, made for our exclusive use, after they were asked explicitly not to use them.
Here are some screenshots of maps you might recognize from GK mappers running on the Tercios GST server:
Pillage and plunder by DeafBlindDave:
Splinterbone spire by DBD:
Murkwrest ruins by Motsognir:
Splinterbone spire by DBD:
Murkwrest ruins by Motsognir:
These, and other maps were also edited and renamed "scn_GST_[number]" to remove any trace to the original mapper. There are more screenshots of our maps as well, as a very large number of them seem to have been put on their rotation. All of this took place without any kind of permission being sought, or credit being attributed. We tried to communicate directly with the hosts of this server... At first, we were told they would remove them and that they were willing to cooperate with us. After seeing their maps were not removed 4 days later, we contacted them again and got a response more along the lines of "there is no way you can prove they're yours, so they're ours now". IMO this kind of attitude is poisonous to a community that values user-generated content of any kind.
So I'm posting for 2 reasons...
1. I am looking for advice on who to contact and what can be done by Taleworlds about this server being listed. I've seen threads mentioning "cracked" servers before that admins responded to immediately, so I don't know if this thread will be enough to get someone's attention, or if I should be sending emails/Pms to someone specific.
2. Looking for support from players who know that these maps are NOT the original content of Tercios_GST_Server, and are used without permission. I'm hoping if anyone else feels strongly about this, they will speak up. The more people who are serious about this, the better chance there is of this VERY bad precedent being reversed before its too late.
Ps. I dont want to make it sound like they just stole a few maps... probably a significant majority of "their" maps are ours, made for our exclusive use, after they were asked explicitly not to use them.
Unless the server is not a cracked one i don't think there's anything they can do except stop playing on them and mock them with digital pitchforks. Do they have a website or clan forum or something ?
