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Theme Providers Group (TPG)

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:50 am
by mbauer
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

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:23 am
by SunTzu
Sounds like a great idea!

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

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:25 am
by Preacherman
I'll sign up if we can also help prevent things like this.

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:32 pm
by Sylocat
The Kitten is in.

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:29 am
by Kartofile
It's a nice idea, MB. I hope you have better luck than MFG did. :)

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:06 am
by Kef
Preacherman wrote:I'll sign up if we can also help prevent things like this.
Even for me that would be bad :\

old skool?

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:33 am
by Sir Holo
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!

Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 9:21 pm
by SnyperEye
Preacherman wrote:I'll sign up if we can also help prevent things like this.
Lol....

Now your just being sour about not making it out alive I see...

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:10 am
by Preacherman
hehe...I was alive when I wrote that :P

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:15 am
by Mike
Preacherman wrote:I'll sign up if we can also help prevent things like this.


or this...

8)

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:53 am
by Preacherman
:P

Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:02 am
by el toro
i'd be willing to look at projects.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:53 am
by SunTzu
I think this need to be a sticky...

∞ SunTzu flashes the mod sign in the sky ∞

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:58 am
by mud

cyber_kid

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:00 am
by blackj3sus
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)

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:45 pm
by blackj3sus
nevermind i'm uploading my version...
hope u like it!

CYBER_KID!!!!

Give Old Maps New Themes

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 8:50 am
by yi3artist
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?

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:39 am
by Enokrad
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.

Nice!

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:42 am
by Sir Holo
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...

Ok

Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:53 am
by yi3artist
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?

Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:12 am
by nimrod7
Yes. You should receive a reply about your map. I know they play test it and then give you feedback.

Re: Ok

Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:24 am
by mbauer
yi3artist wrote: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?
Hi yi3artist,

That is a very nice looking theme!

We do need the original authors permission to release an altered version of a map. Unfortunately, there's no way around this. If deadlyfingers never replies then I'm afraid you can't release that theme for that map. What you can do, and what would be better, is use the same look and create your own new and original map inspired by the iLand series. That way it will be all yours and there will be no restrictions (as long as you don't violate any copyrights).

As for your original map you submitted an e-mail response will be sent out shortly.

Thanks,
MB

Looking for theme help

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:23 pm
by Naraku
\

Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:24 pm
by Ludge
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...

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:11 am
by mbauer
Ludge wrote: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...
I don't want to be a stickler or anything but it's probably best if you contact the person you would like to make your theme. One of us contacting you, isn't likely to happen.
Volunteers 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.
Also, you and the theme maker need to keep in mind that for copyright reasons absolutely no Final Fantasy imagery can be used in the theme.

Thanks
MB

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:28 pm
by Ludge
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).

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:06 pm
by mbauer
Ludge wrote: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).
Well without seeing how different your image is from the original I must assume it looks pretty similar if you are "tracing" it. As such I'd have to say that yes that would still be copyrighted and would therefore be prohibited. But if you change it enough you might be ok. We'd really have to see it to decide.

MB

Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:53 pm
by Ludge
Okay. thanks.

I Quit My Job

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:44 pm
by yi3artist
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

Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:04 pm
by Straken99
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?