DarkShard is Down?

Aetherius Shadowblade

Aetherius Shadowblade

Appears we lost a valuable resource. DarkShard.net is down. Says it is parked by its host.
If he was going to just let the site go, make it so we could still have access to the maps.
I wish it was still up.
 
If he did pack it in and move onto things other than the UO scene, I agree. He should have just dumped his files somewhere for people to get if he doesn't care about making money on it anymore.

Some shards bought his maps and use them, so search around for shards boasting about custom maps/lands and download their client. Then take the maps out from there.
 
Djeryv said:
If he did pack it in and move onto things other than the UO scene, I agree. He should have just dumped his files somewhere for people to get if he doesn't care about making money on it anymore.

Some shards bought his maps and use them, so search around for shards boasting about custom maps/lands and download their client. Then take the maps out from there.
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Going to have to do that.
I would have liked to buy his DVD once I get thru all this personal BS.

But I agree, if he didn't care about making money anymore, he should have just uploaded his files in one big zip file for all to download and enjoy. And just be done with it.
 
Djeryv said:
If he did pack it in and move onto things other than the UO scene, I agree. He could have just dumped his files somewhere for people to get if he doesn't care about making money on it anymore.
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Fixed that for you.

Also, I bought one fairly recently. How long has it been like that? It could easily just be a temporary billing snafu with his host or domain provider.
 
Internet archive shows Carl made an update to the main page on February 11 of this year so maybe its just a hosting thing. I will say however that I have emailed him in January I never got a reply BUT also didn't get a delivery failure notice so the email address was still good at the time.


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I bought a CD from him several years ago and was interested in getting a newer version. That's why I tried emailing him in January.

Oh well, I hope at least it's not health related and instead that he simply got tired of doing it.
 
i just now saw this. i was his last customer(probably). he told me after i purchased his dvd (maybe 2 weeks ago)that it just wasn't worth it anymore for few extra bucks, after he got my package shipped he sent email with tracking info and told me FYI he was shutting down the website.
 
I'm not sure how long we should wait before disturbing his files though. I would feel bad if he did come back a week later just to find out everyone leeched out his files. I have a CD to provide but I will not upload it yet.
 
Sounds like, from what I read in all of the postings, he made his decision about closing up shop and not coming back.

I think we should archive his files and post them.
But that's just me.
Am I mistaken?
Am I moving too quickly?
 
john burns said:
Am I moving too quickly?
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It's only been 2 weeks. So yes. It's also not the first time he's been out of touch for a period of time and come back: https://www.servuo.com/threads/darkshard-maps.9348/#post-57813

If he wanted it released before he left (assuming he did leave, hearsay at this point), he would have. There are a myriad of ways he could have released it with no recurring cost or support requirements for himself (including this forum). The fact that he did not would tend to imply that it is not what he wished to do.

It's his work. Work which he sold for profit. While I highly doubt it was his living, it was at the very least supplemental income for him, and while he may have decided its no longer worth it, he may change his mind again someday. Making this (permanent) decision for him, deprives him of that opportunity in the future.

Once they are in the wild, modifications and misattributions are likely to occur, something that has already angered others who have returned to the UO community after a hiatus. The potential that they could very well be sold for profit again by other individuals is less likely, but certainly possible. Either scenario may discourage him ever returning.

Also, While I don't believe any were sold exclusively, the cost barrier, while somewhat low, did slightly decrease the number of others using the maps, which helped separate them others in the various shardlists. So having the shardlist oversaturated with the same maps somewhat devalues the shards that have purchased and been using them. Technically, It's always been possible to "Rip" them, but historically only unscrupulous people did so and were usually quickly found out and not very well respected. But its the age of entitlement now, so I suppose it doesn't matter. As consensus in this thread suggests, Y'all will do what you wish to anyway.
 
mtindell said:
Technically, It's always been possible to "Rip" them, but historically only unscrupulous people did so and were usually quickly found out and not very well respected. But its the age of entitlement now, so I suppose it doesn't matter. As consensus in this thread suggests, Y'all will do what you wish to anyway.
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I guess everyone running their own UO server is "unscrupulous" because the moment they started using OSI/EA/Broadswords maps they fall into this category. We also "ripped" the art, music, and sounds as well.
 
Djeryv said:
I guess everyone running their own UO server is "unscrupulous" because the moment they started using OSI/EA/Broadswords maps they fall into this category. We also "ripped" the art, music, and sounds as well.
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I fail to see the similarities between:

Ripping and then redistributing a handmade map from another freeshard who paid for it
and
Not even redistributing 20 year old map files that are already in possession of both parties and available online from the official source.
 
mtindell said:
I fail to see the similarities between:

Ripping and then redistributing a handmade map from another freeshard who paid for it
and
Not even redistributing 20 year old map files that are already in possession of both parties and available online from the official source.
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I guess the mind can sell itself anything. I didn't realize that free shard owners got Richard Garriot's permission to take his Britannia map and distribute it with a client one needs to play on their shard. Or maybe free shards took a blank map and totally recreated the OSI design tile by tile. My point is, we are all guilty of violating intellectual property in one way or another so we shouldn't be posting that our shit doesn't stink.

People take the Britannia map, load it up in Centred, make some modifications, and redistribute it. It happens all of the time. For some reason, you are stating that it is ok that we treat Garriot/OSI/EA/Broadsword this way but not others. The original design team spent many upon many hours to create the world for Ultima Online, and many of us just come along and yank it for ourselves to use as we deem fit. Some people distribute an older client because their shard only works with that client and you can't readily find it for download anymore. You stated "in possession of both parties", but how in the hell did the other party get the maps to begin with? They downloaded the "official" client which has some pretty distinct language in the usage agreement.

If some shard uses a Darkshard map, they have to redistribute that map in order for people to play their shard. I wonder if they sought permission from the creator on whether or not they can freely give away his work. Probably not. So there is a pretty obvious glass house and stone situation here.
 
Djeryv said:
Richard Garriot's permission
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He's given his blessing to fan projects based on his work more than once. I don't think he can give permission that's not his to give anymore

Djeryv said:
If some shard uses a Darkshard map, they have to redistribute that map in order for people to play their shard. I wonder if they sought permission from the creator on whether or not they can freely give away his work. Probably not. So there is a pretty obvious glass house and stone situation here.
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That was the express purpose for which they were sold:

13247

Besides, its either right or wrong. If its right, why wait until his site goes dark to consider it?
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mtindell said:
He's given his blessing to fan projects based on his work more than once. I don't think he can give permission that's not his to give anymore
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Yup, so since it isn't his IP anymore...the point is the same. No one received permission from the IP holders and your links refer to either Exult (which is not a UO product) or his comments on a free shard where he was long kicked out of EA to even have a blessing to give. Anyone that has a Darkshard map for their server is already telling others that they can download it and take it. They would prefer that you don't and you play on their server...but...so does Broadsword...so did EA...so did OSI.
 
Djeryv said:
where he was long kicked out of EA
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He wasn't kicked out. He sold the Ultima IP and Origin to EA (for profit) long before UO's existence, became an EA employee for several years and later voluntarily resigned. I only mentioned him because you brought him up specifically.

Djeryv said:
No one received permission from the IP holders and your links refer to either Exult (which is not a UO product)
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No one needs to. Exult isn't distributing any copyrighted Ultima 7 files, just like 99.9% of freeshard owners aren't distributing any copyrighted UO files. They both need them to work, but they aren't distributing them.

Djeryv said:
Anyone that has a Darkshard map for their server is already telling others that they can download it and take it. They would prefer that you don't and you play on their server...but...so does Broadsword...so did EA...so did OSI.
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Aside from EA's maps not originally being behind a paywall or having limited exposure the way these were, I'll give you that. Also, unlike Darkshard, EA also didn't sell or otherwise distribute heightmaps intended for further editing in broadscale with their maps which is what is actually being questioned/proposed here.
 
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In the end those that do wrong will justify their actions by whatever means their mind can live with. Some will use phrases like "its not my fault" or "I had to because...". Some of us come up with ethical explanations like "that DOS game is abandoned so no one will care if I illegally share it". Others will run a UO shard without charging you to play, but charging real world for money for a horse or a skill ball to get around that. So paint the story however you want to make one look like a hero and another a villain. We are simply IP thieves that haven't had anyone chase us down with cease and desist letters yet. Maybe they never will, but until there is a legally crafted document from the IP owner stating that everything we are doing is legit...it is not legit.

So sure, Exult only provides a way to play an older Ultima game which you need, that Ultima game doesn't have terms of service of what you can and cannot do with the game...meaning there isn't any verbiage that you won't use it with a 3rd part program to run on new Windows systems. Ultima Online...and other MMORPGs have that explicitly stated.

http://www.uoguide.com/Terms_of_Service

(d) Official Service. Ultima Online has been designed by Electronic Arts for play only on the Service. The Software is licensed to you for play on the Service only.

So in the spirit of abandoned DOS games...and our desire to rationalize what we do with UO...I say dump those maps on some torrent site and keep the material alive!
 
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His maps and resources were great. He was also a nice person. I bought the DvD twice after losing the first copy.
 
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Well once you own something you can give it out, but not charge for it by copy right laws.
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Shafev said:
Well once you own something you can give it out, but not charge for it by copy right laws.
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Let me restate that.

It depends on the item you have to give away. DVDs and games CD can't not be copied and given out. Now bmp files are a total different thing.
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sarafhawkins.com

Copyright Fair Use and Online Images

Find out what the laws are about copyright Fair Use with online images. There's more to Fair Use you'll want to know to make sure you're doing it right.
sarafhawkins.com sarafhawkins.com

Here is law on given out his stuff. As I read you can not without his permission
 
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The worst part is when a shard owner steals the graphics you bought from DarkShard to use in his own client. An owner here (who will remain nameless) liked our Whispering Pines client so much he ripped the DarkShard interface graphics out of it. How do I know? Because I modified some of them and my mods made it right into his "custom" client. It's one thing to see a concept and do something similar but to copy and paste someone else's work is plain theft. It's not a big deal now because his shard is gone again, and I can't say I'm disappointed to see that!
 
UO emulation is a wild west landscape of thieves, and the only way one can sleep at night is to paint themselves as a certain type of thief. Either a Tony Soprano or a Robin Hood...or some other character they seem to fit into. The moment one runs a server, they are taking gumps, maps, sounds, and art from a company who explicitly states in their terms of service that it would ONLY be used on their service. So you can go to these websites for the "free shards" and see they are distributing the client, though means other than what is called official. They will talk about giving "credit" to all the people that provide scripts or assets...or were simply taken...while their websites would have zero credit to the original developers of UO. I don't see credit for the assets stolen from the original client...to people like Starr Long or Raph Koster...who actually made many of those assets...aren't given any credit. They would even use the phrase "Ultima Online", which is a trademark of EA and not used with permission. So, since UO shard owners are thieves already...they might as well accept the climate and just roll with it. I know...you can't release a client without giving away everything "you worked so hard on", but they are doing onto others as others have done to EA. You can try to shame them, but it is essentially like a drug addict being shamed by someone shooting up heroin.
 
Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, i doubt any of us own anything, like cmon you cant claim to own art/map or whatever using a IP from someone else. :p
 
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