What's piracy and what's not?

[Drift]

Originally Posted by Turner727

Moderator Action: Minor files or not, it will still be construed as piracy here.

I hope I'm not stepping on any toes here. My intention is not to complain about a moderator's ruling, I wasn't even the guy asking for the files. I would just like to raise some discussion on what's considered piracy and what isn't.

I do understand Turner727's view. It's part of the game - sharing it is piracy. However, like I pointed out in my post, hundreds of mods use modified original files that can be used to replace the originals. You know, a mod adds one building at the end of buildings-large/small.pcx and includes it in the download. Now, this file will work exactly like the original as far as the regular game is concerned. What's the difference to providing the originals as a download for someone who deleted his own? Buildings-small/large.pcx are of no use if you don't own a copy of the game (legal or illegal). If the copy is legal, there shouldn't be any problem in sharing them. If the copy is illegal, the damage has already happened.

Now, it could be argued that conquests buildings-small/large.pcx contains artwork people who don't have Conquests shouldn't own as they haven't bought the add-on. However, like I said, many mods include modified originals anyway and secondly, it's a low resolution graphics file with limited use. Line has to be drawn somewhere and I'm not advocating for sharing units, leaderheads or stuff like that.

If we disallow sharing files like buildings-large/small.pcx, resources.pcx, volcanos.pcx that are included only in add-ons, we should ban all the mods that include them in their downloads. That would include many epic game enhancing mods, terrain mods compatible with Conquests... There's no point in enforcing a rule unless you do it across the board so I don't see the point of not allowing files mentioned above being freely distributed.

[Ginger_Ale]

Reinstall the game and you'll get the files back. It's not that hard to put the CD in, reinstall.

Sharing files from the ORIGINAL/PTW/C3C Civ3 and non-modified Civ3/PTW/C3C is piracy - simple as that. Don't provide the files or ask for them, and you'll be fine ...

I do see your point, and game mods have modified pcxs, not the original, since those that aren't changed don't need to be included in the game mod.

[mrtn]

If you have modded vanilla it's a pain in the bum to save that mod somewhere, reinstall the game, and re-overwrite the original game files. PTW/C3C is different, as you make scenarios there.
All in all I agree with Drift.

Edit: And, for the record, I've overwritten files, and got them through MSN from a friend. Lucky me, that I have friends who play the same game as I do. And yes, I do own all three versions of the game.

[Padma]

We basically draw the line where Firaxis has *asked* us to draw the line. Modders are free to take files and tweak the devil out of them, and post the results back here for everyone to share. But you cannot post the raw, unedited files available on the CD (with a few exceptions, like the PTW files that got squeezed off the Conquests CD, but you can download those from Firaxis, as well). Even with graphics, you have to make a significant mod, e.g., you can't post say, a Berserker, just changing the colors used; you cam base the unit on the Berserker, but it has to be *different*.

Since the files the original poster was asking for are on the CD, they don't get posted here. Many times pirated copies of the game have missing/bad files, and the game will run fine if those are fixed. I realize it was going to be a royal pain for the original poster, but we simply can't allow it.

[Drift]

I understand your position Padma, but it feels strange that it doesn't matter that for example resources.pcx and buildings-large/small.pcx with added entries are interchangeable with the originals.

The easiest way the original poster could've got the files is find a mod that adds new buildings for both Civ3 and Conquests and take the buildings-small/large.pcx from its download.