Wednesday 23 July 2014

Come to me
 

Good day, dear reader.
Since i am, cometodaddycome, the only artist of our project I have the honor to cover all sides of the artistic component of our mod.

Along with the development of the plot the characters appearance changes as well: their drawing, body structures, color selection, etc. I think it’s time to finally officially explain about changing Rika’s hair color and making smaller Saki’s breasts than in the original artwork.

When I was just invited to the project there was only one Rika draft and cute ħomk’s sprites.



I didn’t ask why Rika’s hair became dark-blue because nobody was even bothering about this in the beginning. Then I thought that maybe it’s for the best because the less resemblance to 4ls characters, the more changes are made and therefore it’s more original! But with increasing publicity about the mod and because of some controversial comments, we had to conduct a survey, where most of the people decided that we should follow the canon. We didn’t disappoint those people so we took into account their wishes. Rika became with white hair again but we’ve decided to leave eye color neutral – almost brown, because the question of her albinism is still open.

Speaking of Saki, I want to say that her appearance was changed as well: haircut became much longer, breast size was decreased (in fact, it’s an aesthetics question – she just looks better this way, as some of the developers think so), eye color was changed, but only for a short moment.

Probably someday I will stop experimenting and go full canon, but in the process of developing you really want to change something, add something from yourself, and not just follow the tutorials of 4ls artists. Yet I’ve learnt something so my work would be more fitting in Katawa’s surroundings.

Summing up I shouldn’t forget to mention that even though sprites are steadily being created, backgrounds and CGs are not, because we couldn’t find appropriate artists for that task and of course because I forgot how to draw pictures with a background about 7 years ago. So we would really use some help from an animator, who would create videos for each route. But the problem is that our mod doesn’t have a completed first act, so we don’t have a translated version, only a Russian one. This is why we may need some people with a good knowledge of Russian, so they’ll understand what’s what. If such people are still there, they know where to write:
  1. catspaw-katawashoujo@yandex.ru
  2. cometodaddycome.deviantart.com

26 comments:

  1. What are you guys going to do about the creative commons license on KS? The developers are vehemently opposed to mods of any sort, but the license only covers assets. You would have to use all original CGs, backgrounds, sprites, and coding in order to evade a C&D, and even then you'd be pushing it. I want to see this become something, but you guys gotta make sure to cover all your bases.

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    Replies
    1. I think we are going to neglect 4ls's speaches. Btw, I didn`t see those at all. Maybe, they don't gve a fuck?)
      Anyway, I don't think that 4ls have any punishment tool for catspaw. Good luck to them searching for it.

      We will use standart bgs, standart sprites and all this stuff.

      Delete
  2. They probably do now, since the link to your project was posted on their forums. Anyway, dissecting the license really ignores one major thing. They've said multiple times that while they allow fan art and fan fiction, they don't want ripoff projects. Katawa Shoujo was made and distributed free of charge despite a lot of people having put several years into it. People offered them compensation and they always said they didn't want that. I think that respecting their wishes and not stealing their work would be a very good way to pay them back for the joy that was Katawa Shoujo. It seems a rather small price to pay. If you can't pay them with money, pay them with respect and don't give them the middle finger by taking their work and using it for your own projects.

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  3. As it happens, we do give a fuck. Please cease and desist immediately.

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    Replies
    1. They said so and they own and created the property. Isn't that enough?

      Delete
    2. Because it doesn't make a lot of sense to talk about how a project inspired you to create something of your own, and then do something that stomps all over the wishes of the team that created that project. When you act like that, it puts your motivations into question - I.E. you're just doing it for attention and to ride coattails instead of actually creating something out of your own inspiration. The whole "we took themocaw's story and modified it because he's not around to say no" thing doesn't help either.

      Delete
    3. Because:

      1) Because a mod is a derivative work and the license said:

      NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

      2) Because the KS developers said you can't take their stuff and use it for your own project, basically making it stealing. Projects like these take a lot of time and effort and it's questionable whether it's worth putting all that effort into something that half its potential fanbase will look upon with disdain now that it's official you're taking stuff from the game against the developers' specific wishes.

      Delete
    4. And PinkFloyd said not to record TheWallLive.

      I knew, that 4ls don`t want any fan`s stuff, and I said about it earlier. I see no reason to change the view.

      Delete
    5. Your project still violates the No Derivatives part of the license, since you're very clearly building on the original material. Your opinion in the other post about why you personally feel the license terms shouldn't apply to you doesn't change any of that.

      Until you create a game that:
      - does not require the original KS
      - does not use any of art assets (backgrounds, sprites and GUI) that was part of the original KS

      it's still a license violation. No pseudo-legal argument will change that.

      Delete
    6. Everything is allowed in Russia.
      You may complain straight to UN to let them set more sanctions on Russia to prevent it.

      With great respect,
      Ajoura,
      project's composer.

      Delete
    7. You may impose sanctions on us, humorists.

      Delete
  4. How about:
    Because what you're doing is illegal and breaking the game license, they could actually take legal action you know.

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  5. THIS IS ILLEGAL! STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM! YOU ARE VIOLATING THE LAW, AND YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!

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    Replies
    1. Can you do more caps?)

      Btw, no: 4ls can`t do anything, because they are neither man, nor game studio. They are just nicknames. Like we are too. They can only say "Phew, we don`t like it".
      And you have the right not to download mod.

      Delete
    2. YOU TREACHEROUS DOG! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!

      Delete
  6. So basically you're saying based on this and previous posts that you think the way the game was made was wrong, you don't care about the wishes and opinions of the people who made it, and you're ripping your plot from another person's fanfic.

    If you don't respect the game or the creator, why do you think anyone should care about your ripoff project? You can't even say it's a tribute or a fanwork at this point.

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    Replies
    1. Well, I don`t aks anyone for respect. If our mod will be good, people will play it. If not - not.

      Delete
  7. Парни, вы еще живы?

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    Replies
    1. Более чем.
      Если повезёт, то релиз первого акта будет в конце лета - начале осени.

      Просто пока писать не о чем. Счас пытаемся композитора заставить написать пост и выложить новые темы героинь.

      Delete
    2. *начинает утолщать*
      До конца лета осталось пять дней, считая сегодня. (:
      Но я рад, что с вами все в порядке. Удачи.

      Delete
    3. Ну, видимо, до конца лета мы нихера доделать не успеем. Ну, что я могу сказать... Упс)
      I'll walk with you through summer's end

      -- ħomk

      Delete
  8. В общем очень понравилась задумка Особенно что взялись за такого персонажа как Саки с ее необычным недугом, так держать ребята. Ее история напоминает фильм про двух стариков которые перед смертью решили повидать все только смогут.
    По поводу легальности, на тоже Бесконечное Лето модов Жопой жуй и все только рады. Так, что я только за. В остальном никто не заставляет устанавливать этот мод или считать каноном.
    Хотелось бы помочь,но ,что может рядовой анонимус который лишь владеет английским на уровне прохождения РПГ на английском? ;D Разве, что в бэтэры годится, но тут доверие нужно. В общем если такие люди нужны мог бы помочь.

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    Replies
    1. А меня больше Рика заинтересовала - все-таки с Хисао они на одной волне должны быть.
      Но, Jedem das Seine, как говорится.
      *мимо*

      Delete
  9. Please note that the creators have admitted that at least part of their first act was derived from my own fanfiction, I was not consulted before my content was used for this illegal derivative. I do not support this action and will not promote or support this project

    themocaw

    ReplyDelete