I regret to announce that my plans to develop any new updates or modules in the Sanctum of the Archmage series are suspended until further notice.
My reason for this is that the availablility of several cutting-edge cc (custom content) packages that I had been intending to use in the series has been called into question by recent events. For those interested in understanding the background and details of this developing situation, I recommend reading this recent post on my blog, as well as the comments on it from a number of prominent NWN cc authors. The bottom line is that some of these authors, in protest over having their work stolen and over the rude treatment that they have received by others in the community, have decided to either cancel plans to publicly release works that are in progress, or are considering doing so. Since it would be problematic for me to try to publicly release a module (or a module update) that is built partly with custom content that is not going to be made publicly available, I think it only prudent to suspend my development plans until I see how that situation works itself out.
The Sanctum of the Archmage series is being developed using some custom content that is in parallel development by other authors, and consequently it is directly affected by several of these decisions. Taking place in and around the Nurian Mountains of the World of Glorn, it is primarily a mountain adventure, and it also features a prominent romance sub-plot. For these reasons, I have been actively working to integrate NinjaWeaselMan’s Romantic Animations Suite into the series, starting with the v3.2 update to Sanctum 2. I had also wanted to use Lord Rosenkrantz’ Rocky Mountains tileset in the follow-on modules in the series, and I already use (and planned to continue to use) the Community Tileset (CTP) and the CTP Doors packages. The future public availability of these packages (and/or updates to them) is now in question, so I will have to do some hard thinking about how I may have to adapt my module development plans. If this situation cannot be resolved satisfactorily, I may have to switch to building with older or (in my opinion) inferior custom content, switch to building in NWN2, only release my own future modules for private distribution as well, or give up modding altogether and go back to writing my novels. These are all viable alternatives to my mind, and I am currently considering each of them.
I want to make it clear that I fully support these content developers in their protest. Since discussion of this issue is unwelcome on the Bioware forums, I have even helped to organize a web forum on which discussion and debate about it can continue openly and without interruption. That forum can be found at:
The ‘Modders Shrugged’ Initiative: http://www.moddersshrugged.com
I encourage anyone who may be interested in these developments to check out that forum, and to feel free to offer your (civilly expressed) thoughts on these matters.
It is my hope that an acceptable resolution to this situation can be reached by raising consciousness about it in the NWN community. I think that most players and builders here are decent folks, and that a consensus of support for content authors who do not want their work to be used without their permission can be arrived at if the matter is discussed and debated openly. In the meantime, though, further work on the Sanctum of the Archmage modules will have to remain on hold.
No need to get into the details of the reasons that led you to take this decision, as we’ll have the chance to talk about them on the new forums.
I just want to take my hat off at you, you have my utter respect for such a move, as I know it was not an easy decision to take.
I have to applaud to your integrity and to your will to stand up for your beliefs.
I wish it wasn’t such rare a sight.
Paul, thank you very much for your very gracious comments.
The detailed explanation on my blog was necessary, though, for my players and fans — and not just for my friends in the building and cc community. 🙂 I’ve been asking them to wait for a long time now while I prepared to start work in earnest on the rest of the saga, and they deserve to know the full reason why that may now be further delayed.
Although it saddens me greatly to see such a fine work suspended, I absolutely understand your reason, and agree with your action wholeheartedly. Every author has put tremendous amount of efforts into their module, and the people who play them should respect their work and the rights the author has over their work (I’m not sure if I’m expressing this correctly, sorry if it’s not grammartically correct). Your work belongs to you, since you are the one who put all the efforts into it, not to the people who you choose to (or did not choose to) share it with. So if they want to use it, they better understand this and respect your right. I don’t understand how some people could think otherwise.
I will eagerly await the outcome from this development, and regardless of what will happen in the future, I just want to say I’ve always admired your work and regarded you as one of the best module-maker in NWN. Good luck!
Andarian, I see that what I said sounded different from my intentions.
I actually meant “No need FOR ME to get into the details of the reasons that led you to take this decision, as we’ll have the chance to talk about them on the new forums”
Sorry about the confusion, I never meant that YOU had no need to detail the decision, just that commenting it would have been redundant on my part 😉
Paul: Ah! I understand now. 🙂
My thoughts essentially echo Aderyn’s. I will miss not having the new improved version to look forward to playing in the near future, but I do understand not wanting to facilitate the theft others work, or your own, in any way. I wish everyone involved a speedy resolution to the problem.
Oi… Andarian! Hello! I just popped into your vault forum to check progress, and to wish you and yours a belated Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year, only to find that there’s all but a civil war going on. I’ve only been checking the updates on the vault, and not anything else, so I guess I’m one of the silent majority. I have to agree with you and the other builders about content use. It’s a shame that it’s come to this, but a line has to be drawn somewhere.
For the good of the community, I’m hoping that a resolution can be reached to the satisfaction of all.
Looking at your games forums, It looks like your mods are attracting more fans as they become well known; hardcore ones too by the tone of their comments. Good for you and well deserved.
One thing I’d always meant to ask was, when I play a mod that uses various haks, do I go to the pages of the authors of those haks to comment and score their haks as well? I’ve never been sure, and have not seen other players do so, only, I’m assuming, other builders.
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, and have happy New Year.
Cheers, Bhictoo
Hi Bhictoo,
Thanks for stopping by and offering your thoughts and holiday wishes! I am indeed working with a number of other folks right now to see if we can resolve this problem. Progress is promising so far, although slow because most people are taking a break for the holidays. 🙂
As for voting on linked hak contributions: I would certainly encourage any player to do that who may be inclined, and if they understand what the hak provides. Often, only module builders do so, since they are typically the “direct customers” of the cc hak makers (as players are typically the “direct customers” of module makers). Hak-makers are to some extent the “unsung heroes” behind us as module builders, and I’m sure that most of them would appreciate a broader range of votes and feedback from the community.
Cheers and Happy New Year!
Andarian
Andarian,
Any hint on how things are going on the CC front? I enjoy your work and was dearly hoping for some more 🙂 though I do understand, if the CC isn’t available it makes progressing further a bit tougher.
Incognitus
Incognitus,
I’ll post more about this soon when the plans are finalized, but I’ll just say for now that the situation is looking very promising. 🙂
Andarian
It looks like there’s been an agreement reached on this whole unpleasant business, eh? So not to be pushy but um…GET BACK TO WORK ON SANCTUM! Lol…
I’m just a ‘bit’ anxious, no?
Amers1015: thanks for the “gentle reminder.” 🙂 You’ve probably already seen this, but for everyone else, here’s what I wrote on the Sanctum 2 page in response to your comment there earlier:
Most likely, yes, it does mean that I’ll be able to continue releasing my modules. 🙂 I’ve been working on the Sanctum v3.2 update in the meantime, which now includes a fairly elaborate system to handle the ridable pegasi that I’ll also be able to use in any future modules. I’ve also updated the loadscreens for both modules (including some custom ones), and on the whole made a lot of scattered updates and improvements everywhere.
The only thing left now is bugfixing and testing, and integrating the final version of the Romantic Animations Suite (RAS), which NinjaWeaselMan has promised to send me shortly. 🙂 I still have to finalize the details of how the RAS will be made available with him, but the “deal” reached with the Vault should make that possible now. I’m also modifying Sanctum 2 to make the RAS a “conditional” hak, so that the module will fall back on using the “poor man’s animations” that I had originally implemented if the RAS is not present. With luck, I should be able to hold a beta test and release v3.2 by the end of next month. *Fingers Crossed*
this is good news:) looking forward to playing through your works again. 🙂
hmm… maybe Savant will be able to add the RAS to his update of Aielund.
incognitus
That’s good to hear! Hopefully we’ll get to see new sanctum soon!
Heh…glad you liked my little reminder. 🙂 Thanks for the response and your hard work both on the modules and on helping an agreement to be reached!
I thought I’d post to give any extra support I can to Sanctum (and builders in general). I’ve been a huge fan of the series, although a silent one, and I thought my heart was going to burst back in December when I saw that it was suspended. Then I found out it dealt with authorship issues and was devastated, (well, much more indignant, actually) at the lack of respect some people had for genuine authors/developers and their works.
I’m thankful for your graciousness for merely suspending it rather than halting the series as a whole (ahh, noo~), or even sharing this “gift,” as they call it, with us at all in the first place. Again, thank you very much. 🙂
Best wishes to you and all those who are assisting you in the next release, but also for an adequate resolution and agreement for the earlier situation to be fleshed out.
As the fangirl half-Korean in me shouts in support, “Andarian, everyone, fighting!” XD
Suji, thank you very for your encouragement and kind comments! I really appreciate them.
I do have some good news that I’ll be blogging about in the next day or so, as soon as I get a few free minutes to write it up. I’ve actually got a lot of news, but the short version for now is that the Sanctum series is officially off hold and back in development. Details to follow shortly… 😉
Anytime! I’m glad that you do.
Woo hoo!~ That’s wonderful news, but you shouldn’t make a girl’s heart skip a beat so easily! (Darn authors for being so insidious with their words! *faints*) Looks like I’ll be keeping the page up and refresh frequently for the next few days, haha.
I’ll await eagerly for the juicy details. 🙂 Thank you for your response.
…and there was much rejoicing!
Ever since this whole weird IP ‘infighting’ started, I’ve been holding my breath & fearing the worst. Look, how hard can it be to recognise someone’s rights as an author/builder/whatever? Show some respect, people!
Coupled with the collective attack of paranoia that has followed in the wake of Project Q and AME, I was seriously starting to doubt the sanity of (some parts of) the NWN community.
Anyway, I’m *really* glad your series is back in development. “Noli nothis permittere te terere”!