Sillysoft Forums

mbauer · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:50 am Post subject: Theme Providers Group (TPG)

Inspired by Kartofile's MFG, I thought it might be a good idea to have a Theme Providers Group, or TPG. This would be a group of volunteers who offer their graphic services to those less fortunate and provide them with one of the most essential elements of a map, the theme. It wouldn't have to be excellent design like some of our more esteemed map designers, but any theme is better than no theme at all and some mapmakers just aren't able to make their own themes for whatever reason.

How I see it working is like this:

Volunteers could post their names in here saying: "I'm willing to help anyone that needs or wants my help." Then a mapmaker who needs a theme could look you up in this thread and PM you to request your services. Simple as that.

(For Newbies there is a little button at the bottom each post that reads "PM," click that if you wish to request help from that poster.)

Some guidelines/rules that are just off the top of my head.

1. Please don't volunteer unless you really intend to help and have the free time to offer.

2. Volunteers should not expect or request any sort of compensation from the requestee, this is strictly a volunteer organization.

3. Requestees should ALWAYS give credit and thanks to the theme artist unless requested otherwise by said artist. Credit should preferably appear in the author field of the map, but will also acccept credit in the description if it's ok with the theme artist. If it is found that credit was purposefully withheld from true authors, then the map will promptly be deleted by the mapLAB.

4. Requestees should not expect "fine art" or for the volunteer to "devote their life" to the requestees map. These people are volunteers, so basically, what you get is what you get and be thankful for it. Asking for changes, modifications, or total redos has to be worked out between you and the volunteer but please don't expect too much and please be overtly gracious.

5. Volunteers aren't bound to fulfill a requestees request. Life happens, sometimes you just can't. But as rule 1 states, if you don't really have the free time then please don't volunteer. If you get a request and it so happens that you are unable to help at that time, then politely point them towards someone who can. If you are a requestee and your chosen volunteer is unable to help, please be understanding and thankful and move on to someone else.

That's all the guidelines I could think of but if anyone else has any feel free to suggest them.

So I'll be the first to offer my services to anyone who needs help creating a theme.

Thank you,
mbauer

SunTzu · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:23 am Post subject:

Sounds like a great idea!

I'm pretty busy right now with bots and maps, but I'll probably sign up sometime next year...

Preacherman · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:25 am Post subject:

I'll sign up if we can also help prevent things like this.

Sylocat · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject:

The Kitten is in.

Kartofile · Lux Newbie Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 255

It's a nice idea, MB. I hope you have better luck than MFG did. Smile

Kef · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:06 am Post subject:

Sir Holo · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 12:33 am Post subject: old skool?

Have any of the theme-providers thought about trying to add themes to existing maps that have reasonably high ratings, but which lack themes? With the authors' permission, of course.

Examples of highly rated (or classic) maps in need of themes are:

Deux
Classic (Art of War did this, but under a different name)
Roman Empire c300AD
To the Power of Hex (it's about time, isn't it, preach?)
Great Britain and Eire (ditto)
First Macedonian Wars
Risk Plus Final
Hex, too (ahem)
Spacestation
iLand III
Middle East
Nine Nations
Chess
Africa
Octagon
Mediterranean Lux
Logical!

SnyperEye · Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject:

Preacherman · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:10 am Post subject:

hehe...I was alive when I wrote that Razz

Mike · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

Preacherman · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:53 am Post subject:

el toro · Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:02 am Post subject:

i'd be willing to look at projects.

SunTzu · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:53 am Post subject:

I think this need to be a sticky...

∞ SunTzu flashes the mod sign in the sky ∞

mud · n00b educator Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 1952

what we need more of is...

blackj3sus · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:00 am Post subject: cyber_kid

i cant find cyber_kid who made r.t.w punic wars and stix in space...
i wanted to ask him if i could revamp his r.t.w punic wars map...

(i think its an example of a good map that could have gotten a way better score than it has if it had a better graphic)

blackj3sus · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:45 pm Post subject:

nevermind i'm uploading my version...
hope u like it!

CYBER_KID!!!!

yi3artist · Lux Newbie Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Texas

In response to Sir Holo: great idea!

I have sent "deadlyfingers" a private message asking for permission to use my theme for his map, "iLand III". I've seen that he hasn't posted since 2004 though...

If it happens that he is inactive and doesn't respond to my message, what must I do to have permission to upload this theme?

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/1926/iland3ae8.png

And how would I upload it so that it works? Deadlyfingers would have to change the map info to point to the theme, correct?

Enokrad · Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:39 am Post subject:

I don't know if you can be given permission without the creators consent.
mbauer will decide that i guess,

as for how to do it after you get permission,
you would simply have to upload the same map under a different name like ...... v2 etc.

looks really good though. good job.

Sir Holo · Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:42 am Post subject: Nice!

That's a great-looking theme, yi3artist! Very clean-looking stylization.

As for how to get it into the map, that's probably up to dustin's policy choices. You could always do what Art of War did and re-release the map under a similar title with a two-author credit.

Try PM'ing the original author. The default setting for the forums is that a PM will send an email to the person, saying the have a message. I think...

yi3artist · Lux Newbie Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Texas

Thank you very much.

I have already sent the original author a PM, so I'll just be patient.

I've submitted a different map of my own that I have to wait to be accepted... Am I supposed to receive an email response upon submission—y'know, something telling me to be patient and I'll be contacted later by the Map Testers?

Nimrod7 · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

Yes. You should receive a reply about your map. I know they play test it and then give you feedback.

mbauer · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Ok

Naraku · Lux Veteran Joined: 11 Sep 2008 Posts: 1045

Ludge · Lux Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

Hi! I created a Final Fantasy 9 Map that works pretty well, but I have no idea what to do with the graphics. If anyone is interested in helping me...

mbauer · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:11 am Post subject:

Ludge · Lux Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

Alright, sorry. I created a theme myself. It looks pretty good I think. If I traced a picture of something from final fantasy, and then deleted the original picture, would it still be copyrighted? (I know this is a stupid question, sorry).

mbauer · Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject:

Ludge · Lux Newbie Joined: 28 Jul 2008 Posts: 8

Okay. thanks.

yi3artist · Lux Newbie Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Texas

I have a new job, and no internet at home. I'm not available at the moment, but perhaps later I'll show back up here.

You can see my work on the following:
Plateaus
Dymaxion
Terrestrials
iLand III

Straken99 · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:04 pm Post subject:

Does anyone want to create a theme for one of my maps? People have been suggesting that I do this so why not. I would give full credit in the map description.

Also, can you create themes for maps that have already been released?