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[Retro42]

Hello!

I'm new to the DF modding world and I had the above question come up.

I'm making a mod it is using ideas/raw info that others have done.  In some communities this would mean I would have to contact and ask permission.  Others I'd just have to cite the people in the readme.  Still others its damn near a capital offence.

What's the best way around here?  Don't want to upset anyone.  If all else fails I can always just keep it inhouse for myself if its too much a problem.

[Mephansteras]

Usually you can just give them credit, although it's probably nicer to ask permission ahead of time.

Using stuff from other mods is common, though, so at least you don't have to worry about us siccing the hammerer on you for it.

[Retro42]

Good to know.  I like my kneecaps.

I'm mainly just taking a couple different items people have already scripted and using those instead of creating my own versions from scratch. 

I always worry about that one because too many communities kill the modding scene by making it a sin to even consider touching another persons idea.

[Bricks]

Right now, there isn't a whole lot you can steal that is super-original.  As the modding becomes more intensive, I imagine it will be a bigger deal.  Still, you should PM/email the creator if you are taking large chunks, and cite them regardless.

[Footkerchief]

Yeah, credit them at a minimum, contact them if you can.  I don't think anyone around here is super uptight about it.

Though yeah, Bricks makes a good point that attitudes might change as the depth of mods increases -- the next version will have bodies an order of magnitude more complicated, custom workshops, custom nobles/priests, and more, so people will be putting more work into their mods.

[Deon]

I take a patent for a magma kitchen . Jk.

At current state there's just a few options to mod, and the most original stuff comes in names of things (like names of creatures) and descriptions. The next release will give a bigger field for imagination, but still the uniqueness of mods will remain in their settings and flavor. So there's nothing bad to take anything from others, I'd say, why make it from scratch if it's already done and working. Same applies to character graphical sets.

But please credit authors, they/we love it .

[catoblepas]

Just give credit where credit is due. You also might want to ask the original creators for permission if you are using large quantities of their work. that's pretty much it really, unless the creator explicitly states to the contrary, in which case their wishes would likely be made clear in the first post in the thread for their mod.