Asking for a rule 9 clarification, when it comes to packing resources into maps

[sniffy194]

For a bit of context, the sourcemod Team Fortress 2 Classic has been running a custom maps server for a long while. Unfortunately, the game lacks a number of common textures and models that are in TF2, causing many custom maps to have conspicuous missing models and textures. Traditionally, we've solved this by packing missing materials into maps (with a filename change to avoid conflicts).

Recently, the issue was raised as to whether or not this would violate the TF2Maps rules. Rule 9 reads:

Do not: decompile/change/release another mappers work without explicit permission. This hurts the community as a whole as well as the mappers who spent months into their creations.

But there's ambiguity as to what it means to change someone's work. If all of the binary map data is unaltered, but WOOD_WALL006Z has to be packed into the map file for it to render properly since TF2C lacks that texture, is that still a rule violation? To what extent are changes to the map file for the express purpose of interoperability allowed?

 

[nesman]

If that texture is publicly available, whether that be hosted on tf2maps or other sources, then no rule is broken since anyone can download the texture/model. The main issue the rule is addressing is when someone makes specific textures that is not publicly released and the only way to get those files is through a decompile program such as gcfscape. It then turns into a redistribution issue. When it comes to VALVE made assets we generally don't care since it's part of the game team fortress 2 and we all have access to those files.

Does this help clarify it?

 

[sniffy194]

Sort of. The only textures we ever need to pack additionally are Valve textures from TF2 itself, but the nature of the question is less about the rights of redistributing the textures themselves, but whether or not it counts as modifying someone else's map to pack them in.

 

[nesman]

In this case since you did not make the map and have not gotten permission from the original map author, we consider it a rule violation.

On a side note, from an efficiency standpoint it would make more sense for the developers of TF2C to add the Valve assets into the game.

 

[sniffy194]

Totally understandable, we'll remove any maps with missing textures that we're unable to get permission to pack. And yeah, I agree, I'm hoping that's resolved once the mod makes it way to Steam.

 

[nesman]

It really is only for things hosted on our platform and within our walls. If the map isn't on our servers nor site not a ton we can do.

 

[sniffy194]

Can you clarify what you mean by that further? I figure that, even beyond the TF2Maps rules and the maps hosted here, the same principle would apply to any map where the owner hasn't relinquished copyright. Though, there are related questions about whether it counts as a copyright violation to just append material to a file without changing anything in it. And similarly, projects like RE3 have argued in court that changes intended purely for interoperability would qualify as fair use.

More broadly, the copyright status of maps is confusing from the perspective of a server hoster and I haven't found any discussions on it. If a map is fully copywritten, you shouldn't even be allowed to redistribute it through FastDL, but that's almost an implicit permission granted by how universally it's done since it amounts to being a requirement to run custom maps on a server. And the Steam Workshop makes no statement about how you're allowed to use uploads on it.

 

[worMatty]

This is a bit off-topic, but wouldn't it be better to mount TF2 VPKs on the server and in the client using gameinfo.txt? The order content is added determines which version of a file takes priority.

Alternatively you could add the required TF2 assets to your server's FastDL and create a mapname.res file for any custom maps lacking that content, so the individual files are downloaded to the client if needed. This would avoid packing duplicate files into maps, editing maps, and would take the same amount of time or less to set up. The game console may even tell you which assets are missing if developer 1 is enabled.