joel_ds

Reply to Founders Update: March - Legal stuff in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

Okay, I have a somewhat different view of this than most of the founders (these e-mails are interesting and made me reconsider a couple of secondary things, but haven't changed my opinion that much as a whole) and don't want to get into an argument here on the whole legal matter. But I do want to address one small point: [quote]In Paul and Fred's counterclaim, they insisted that they had never met with us before which is false.[/quote] They clearly mean that in January 2014, t

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

I don't know if Fred and Paul played Starfleet Battles, but even if they did the biggest influence on Melee is clearly Spacewar. Which was one of the first major computer games and was made in 1962, so it predates Starfleet Battles and even Star Trek. Most of the basics of Melee are there in primitive form - two ships fighting with a top-down view, the central gravity well, screen wraparound, inertia. Star Control polished and "modernized" it and added unique ship abilities. You can play a re

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

Chris Roberts refers to himself as "the creator of Wing Commander." Underworld Ascendant is from "the creators of Ultima Underworld" (not Richard Garriott, Underworld was a spinoff series). Phoenix Point is from "the creator of X-Com." I really don't understand why Stardock keeps insisting on this. The deal they signed for SC3 referred to "characters created by Reiche", and I believe the SC3 packaging says something similar. Accolade had no problem saying this, while the complai

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

The quibbling over the title "creator" seems rather pedantic to me. There are many other examples where one or two people are referred to as "creator" of a fictional work where they of course had help, including to promote new projects. It's a common convention, and people understand it doesn't mean that the work was a solo effort. Here's just one: http://time.com/3987615/david-simon-hbo-the-deuce/ The Wi

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

[quote who="Frogboy" reply="28" id="3706308"] While CBS or Paramount could potentially do that, it wouldn't be us they'd be contacting. It's none of our business what people create. [/quote] But if you were to actually clearly say "you can create TIE Fighters or Serenity with the editor" to promote the game, that would be crossing the line or at least toeing pretty close, right? (AFAIK, IANAL) Have you said this to the public about creating SC ships? [quote]I

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote]But no, they timed their announcement to coincide with interest ramping up in SCO and literally right as the public beta was starting. That's pretty clearly either (or both of) a) trading on SCO's name to get free publicity, and/or b ) trying to derail SCO and make fans lose interest "because after all, the real SC sequel is coming out, so screw the fake one."[/quote] A less malicious possibility is that they had already been planning an announcement at some point in 2017 for t

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote who="Frogboy" reply="167" id="3705616"] There isn't nearly as much disagreement as these suits seem to imply. [/quote] Does this mean there's a good chance of a settlement?

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

[post deleted- I decided there's no point in starting fights with Wardell here. You guys have fun and I'll go; it's Stardock's forum after all. The multiple posts were unintentional and only due to technical error.]

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

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Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote who="bleybourne" reply="159" id="3705478"] Quoting joel_ds, reply 156 There has never been a time when they did not own the IP of SC1/2 - it didn't revert to them because they always had it. According to Fred himself: <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0

Reply to Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred in Star Control Journals StarControl Forums

[quote]17. Paul and Fred's attorney requests multiple time extensions to respond, use that time to secretly do press interviews, hire a PR firm. (2018) 18. Paul and Fred's attorney files a lawsuit against Stardock alleging copyright infringement and other causes of action. (Feburary). 19. Paul and Fred's PR firm releases a press release to the wire services accusing Stardock's CEO, Brad Wardell, of copyright theft despite not being a party to the suit.[/quote] I know S

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote who="bleybourne" reply="155" id="3705466"] Quoting joel_ds, reply 152 Most other rights given in the original 1988 contract terminated if they stopped receiving at least $1000/year in royalties, which happened around 2000. And no, it wasn't most other rights. It was specifically j

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

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Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

Read Fred and Paul's counterclaim. The addendum handing Accolade rights to Star Control was signed in 1998 and clearly stipulated the rights would revert back if Accolade didn't do anything with them after three years. Which Accolade of course did not. Most other rights given in the original 1988 contract terminated if they stopped receiving at least $1000/year in royalties, which happened around 2000.

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote]Stardock decided not to use or reboot the SC2 universe (and they could have done so).[/quote] That's quite debatable. Having read both complaints and the original contract, Fred and Paul's contention that the Accolade license is long-expired and Stardock has no rights to SC1/2 or anything within them is pretty strong. I don't think Fred and Paul are interested at all in using Stardock's engine. They want to make the game on their own terms and not have others own a piec

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote who="eride" reply="75" id="3697825"] I just wanted to point out that you keep using the term "prima facie," but your usage is wrong. This is a defined legal term in the context of litigation and most certainly is not applicable here. The truth is, you have no way of knowing if Fred and Paul have a prima facie case for whatever are Fred and Paul's exact legal claims (you can't even know what evidence they would require to show a prima facie case because Fred and Paul haven't e

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote who="ZombiesRus5" reply="73" id="3697811"] It seems more likely F&P lawyers said you better announce a new game before we start trying to inflict harm on Stardock. [/quote] It seems more likely that such cynical interpretations of their motives are conspiracy theories. It would also be possible to read Stardock's actions in the most devious light possible too and Brad's posts as just public posturing (as some have in other settings), but I don't want to beca

Reply to Stardock response to Paul and Fred [UPDATE] in Star Control StarControl Forums

[quote]So far, Paul and Fred have proven only that they own all technology/tools(+code) used to create SC1/SC2. They think they own more due to their involvement in the Atari-GOG contract re-arrangement. But let's get real, we are talking about a company that went bankrupt two years later. Mismanagement of Atari was a main part of it.[/quote] Neither of us have the legal documents, but they have said they own all of SC1/2 besides the name "Star Control" for long before the Atari/GOG d

Reply to Response to Paul and Fred in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

[quote who="bleybourne" reply="19" id="3697668"] Quoting Frogboy, reply 18 While it annoys me personally, it doesn't have any impact on the amazingly talented people who make up the Star Control team. Good. One thing you can be sure about is that we're (us on Discord and these forums) all root

Reply to Planet & Gravity (New) in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

[quote who="Kavik_Kang" reply="12" id="3695824"] They don't go the same speed, but there are no slow ships and most of them move at about the same speed. There aren't any "big, slow ships" and the general range of speed is fairly high. This is, for example, why it seems so hard to make a ship seem "fast and agile". Even the Scryve is fairly fast and agile, so making Measured feel fast and agile like Airilou isn't really possible. Tywom doesn't feel "agile", and ju

Reply to Ships, again... in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

[quote who="Frogboy" reply="1" id="3695784"] The weapons of the ships of SCO were not randomly chosen. I mean, come on, the Pkunk used to gain energy from insulting the player and had a random chance of a Hallalejua respawn. But I think instead of playing SCO this weekend you should go back and play SC I/II/III. I think nostaliga is affecting your impressions. I know when I played SC 2/3 recently, I was struck at how much some of the weapons took me out

Reply to Slingshot Effect in Star Control StarControl Forums

There is no reason that the planet should not be able to slingshot. The gravity physics just need more work. Melee is not meant to be realistic, so "modern gamers would think it's silly" is no reason to change it. It's no more abstract than crew as hitpoints. The planet is more intuitive than a micro black hole, especially since gravity slingshots are used in real life.

Reply to Feedback in Star Control StarControl Forums

So Star Control 2 (which Origins is following, at least in gameplay) is not a 4X - it is a space exploration action/adventure game, a hybrid of many different things. SC1 did have light turn-based strategy elements but mainly focused on action combat, more than SC2 in fact. Also inertial movement (it sounds like you want direct and immediate movement in any direction?) is pretty fundamental to how the game works and can't really be changed. So you're probably not going to like fleet b

Reply to Momentum in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

[quote who="Kavik_Kang" reply="6" id="3695222"] I realized that I should also point this out... how fast and maneuverable were the Ur Quan, Mycon, and Khor Ah? The Mycon could barely move, remember? [/quote] Mycon is quite slow, yes. It's one of the ships that lives and dies by gravity whips. Ur-quan is slow, but actually not THAT slow. It's faster than about a third of SC1's ships, including the Earthling Cruiser. If we want the Scryve t

Reply to Momentum in Founders Starbase StarControl Forums

The ships are about the right speed - until a recent update they were too sluggish. A bigger arena would probably be good though.