Talks with NCSoft take over a year?

[MTeague]

9 minutes ago, Peacemoon said:

You’re right Troo, I suppose I meant new TFs and zones and stuff like that, rather than new features per se. Everything HC has put in the game so far has been amazing, didn’t mean to sound negative or ungrateful!

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm reasonably confident I could play the game as-is for another 3-5 years, even if the only new missions added are AE storylines.

 

EDIT:  I'm very much character-driven / story driven though.  Heck, I still find myself firing up Skyrim every so often if I get a new character concept in my head.

Edited June 26, 2020 by MTeague

[Peacemoon]

8 minutes ago, MTeague said:

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm reasonably confident I could play the game as-is for another 3-5 years, even if the only new missions added are AE storylines.

 

EDIT:  I'm very much character-driven / story driven though.  Heck, I still find myself firing up Skyrim every so often if I get a new character concept in my head.

True and CoH has such fun gameplay, it’s quite unique really and with so much customisation. 
 

Maybe if there was an agreement with NCSoft there would be more appetite for doing bigger projects for CoH. I think while things are up in the air there are limits on how much we can expect. What I love about HC is it feels like a community endeavour. It feels very different from the usual corporate setup for a MMO, I don’t know if anyone else feels that?

[starro]

5 hours ago, Luminara said:

 

I don't believe this is about purchasing.  A large development studio or publishing company might convince NCSoft to sell the IP, but that was never in the cards for any fan-based operation.  And given the small change value we can offer as donors, or even subscribers, there's no real money to be made in licensing fees for a company the size of NCSoft.  Most likely, the negotiations are simply for use of the server code and absolution of NCSoft in the case of liability issues.  NCSoft would retain IP rights, but wouldn't be dragged into any disputes over copyright issues.  That's a different approach from an attempt to buy the IP, and given the all but dead status of the IP, one they're likely willing to permit, as long as their collective ass is covered.

Sorry, I used buy out too loosely and should have referred to license, lease or cajole them to legally grant access.

 

in the end if it eliminates the possibility a whilly nilly executive can pull the  rug out and the community gives the game the attention it deserves - it’s a win. 

 

We are on the 4th attempt here kids, it’s gotta give one of these days.

[EmmySky]

Patience, grasshopper.

[SwitchFade]

Nerf Regen.

[Redlynne]

13 minutes ago, EmmySky said:

Patience, grasshopper.

Yeah yeah, patience!  How long will that take!?

[Patti]

In the meantime why not buy a random game dev from the u.k. a coffee, or one of his friends around the world.  You know like those artists who can't directly profit from selling parody art.

[Jimmy]

As others have said, these things take time even when the deal is in simple, well-trodden territory. This isn't simple, and it's certainly not well-trodden territory.

 

It'll also probably not surprise you to learn that Coronavirus hasn't had a positive impact on the speed of this process 🙂

[Hyperstrike]

2 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

You’re right Troo, I suppose I meant new TFs and zones and stuff like that, rather than new features per se. Everything HC has put in the game so far has been amazing, didn’t mean to sound negative or ungrateful!

Kallisti is a semi-new zone.  So we know how to build them.
Creating Task Forces is generally like creating other new content.  It's just about tying the appropriate reward tables in.

[Patti]

I was told kallisti and all new emotes were already made and in beta at time of closure.   But homecomers did make some things like the rogue and vignette missions are level 35.

[Hyperstrike]

3 minutes ago, Patti said:

I was told kallisti and all new emotes were already made and in beta at time of closure.   But homecomers did make some things like the rogue and vignette missions are level 35.

Kallisti was only partly done. 

[Patti]

It's still only partly done.

[Ironblade]

1 hour ago, Redlynne said:

Yeah yeah, patience!  How long will that take!?

As long as it takes, Ed Gruberman!

[Bionic_Flea]

58 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

As others have said, these things take time even when the deal is in simple, well-trodden territory. This isn't simple, and it's certainly not well-trodden territory.

 

It'll also probably not surprise you to learn that Coronavirus hasn't had a positive impact on the speed of this process 🙂

But Jimmy, how long can I be expected to play this awesome, free, pirated game without knowing whether it's officially permitted by the people that killed it?

[MunkiLord]

What could be make it extra complicated is the additional coding done since NC Soft shut the game down since that gets its own copyright as well. If I was NC Soft and I was only interested in my own best interests, I'd insist on owning that code too. 

[Luminara]

3 hours ago, duane said:

in the end if it eliminates the possibility a whilly nilly executive can pull the  rug out and the community gives the game the attention it deserves - it’s a win.

 

Frankly, I doubt anyone in power at NCSoft cares one way or the other at this point.  Someone handed it off to their legal staff and said, "Talk to these people", and as far as the company is concerned, it's handled.  It's almost certainly down to whatever agreement can (or cannot) be reached by the attorneys now.  As long as the HC team isn't asking for anything "outrageous", a deal of some kind will probably be reached eventually.

 

It's far, far more likely that the Homecoming server will operate in legal limbo for another 3-5 years, and eventually achieve an arrangement which allows it to continue, than it is for someone to order the talks to stop and C&D notices sent out.

[Patti]

Isn't there also a chance that someone like Jack emvert has a contract stipulating involvement in any legal negotiation?

[Alchemystic]

For the first 6 months they were talking about what font they want to use in the new terms and conditions, I think they settled on ariel.

 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Tyrannical

[Patti]

Comic sans or bust.

[Luminara]

35 minutes ago, Patti said:

Isn't there also a chance that someone like Jack emvert has a contract stipulating involvement in any legal negotiation?

 

No.  Cryptic sold all IP rights to NCSoft about 20 years ago.

[Redlynne]

1 hour ago, Luminara said:

a deal of some kind will probably be reached eventually.

I've never cared for relying on the heat death of the universe as a deadline ...

[SwitchFade]

This just in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

🥧 is delish.

[SuperPlyx]

My question is has a hard deadline ever been discussed? If you can not get some sort deal/agreement by XX date then we move on. These talks, which I support, have already hampered a couple of things.There has to be a point when you say enough and move on. And I am not saying we are near that point but I am curious when you think that date may be.

I know "talks"  have been tried a couple times before and nothing ever came from them.

[Hexquisite]

32 minutes ago, Patti said:

Comic sans or bust.

[Peacemoon]

38 minutes ago, SuperPlyx said:

My question is has a hard deadline ever been discussed? If you can not get some sort deal/agreement by XX date then we move on. These talks, which I support, have already hampered a couple of things.There has to be a point when you say enough and move on. And I am not saying we are near that point but I am curious when you think that date may be.

I know "talks"  have been tried a couple times before and nothing ever came from them.

That’s the problem with a negotiation without a deadline, nothing much happens. Whose interest is it in for the talks to be delayed. Them or ours?

 

In a way we get to keep playing while a decision is made. But on the negative without that security it hampers peoples enthusiasm to put in loads of dev time surely. If HC got the green light legally then I think it make a huge difference on how we feel about this game.