Jetrell

I'm glad to hear that you don't like this path either. As for other options, how about doing what Obsttorte is suggesting. It seems like a very sensible approach to not only this current predicament but it also addresses future concerns. Once you go down that other path there is no turning back but I think you already know that.

Another possibility might be that the special x-ray ability works via an arcane artifact. Once in possession, the player will have the ability to see through walls or maybe even see AI models with x-ray vision so the player can easily see/identify what the AI model is carrying e.g. keys, sacks of gold, potion bottles etc...

I can appreciate why TDM team members would be reluctant to make "hard and fast rules" but as you have stated, those lofty ambitions are clearly not being fulfilled. I wish you luck in deciding what to do about this situation, because I don't see any easy answers to this mess.

Are there TDM rules about using other people's work? I know about the CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 license but does TDM have its own rules about using other people's work? Where are these rules posted? If there aren't any rules, why not? It seems like a rather straightforward concept that this type of project would have rules/guidelines surrounding this critical area. Also, I've read a lot of opinions from various members about rules which is great but I think it would be especially helpful to hear the rules from the TDM team member who is in charge of this project. Actually, I've been reading these forums for years but I'm still unclear, does TDM have a project lead or is it comprised of team members who all have an equal say about this project? I ask these questions not to extend this hotly contested topic but from a desire to resolve or the very least to get some clarity on this matter by knowing what is TDM's official position on using other people's work.

What OS would be best to use on this gaming system? I'm using Windows 7 but I keep hearing that it's being discontinued. I've used Linux but compatibility issues keep me from really using it for my gaming computer.

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Thanks for the background info. It totally makes sense and it obviously turned out to be a great decision.

Is he impressed with what TDM has become? In reading his first few posts, it seems like his initial idea was almost on a whim. Just out of curiosity, why wasn't UT2004 considered back then?

I think it's interesting reading those old forums. Early on, Springheel suggested using the FarCry engine, which seems to have been shot down for some fairly arbitrary reasons. Any regrets about not pushing harder to use that engine? It also seems like UT2004 and/or UT3 weren't considered because Nightblade was in the process of being developed by another team. Is that why they weren't considered? I worked on Nightblade and always thought it was a shame that it never got completed. It was funny reading what went into naming TDM. What ever became of Fingernail?

From what I understand, it would be very difficult to find a solution to this particular problem. How about coming at this from a different direction? How many low-quality models are there? Are we talking about just one model or are we talking about many models? If it's just this one model, do we know how many maps use this model? If the overall number is low, I suggest tracking down the author(s) of the map(s) and ask them to switch to the new model (like what was done when we switched over to the standalone version). Even if the number of low-quality models is high, it still might be more advantageous to track down the maps/authors than to somehow figure out a way to flag these low-quality models. Otherwise, continue to make new models and leave the low-quality models for people to squander their time.

I like what Judith is suggesting - a call to action. It's a nice subtle difference. Perhaps the maps could have some sort of "Anniversary" theme to connect them? Or... and this might be a bit of a stretch but what if we had a special "Anniversary" asset that everyone could then use in their map? Off the top of my head, how about something like a spectacular fire breathing dragon? I've always wanted to see a Hobbit inspired map... After all Bilbo was an excellent little burglar. A ten year anniversary is a hell of an accomplishment so why not go for it.

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions, it's all very helpful. I introduced my son to several of these programs, some he liked more than others and then I showed him the "computer programing" section on Khan Academy. He seems to like their program the most which comes with lots of tutorials and background support. They do a good job making it fun and interesting and he seems to like the challenge of making things. We also got him a robot from a hobby store which works by programing various commands and this, he really likes. He's got it programed to go all through the house doing all sorts of things...

If I may ask, how old were you guys when you were doing these things? .

Thanks again for all the suggestions. We've been going through all the links and ideas - there are so many different directions and choices. Some of these "games" are quite entertaining. I don't know what my son will decide to do but I know I'm totally hooked.

I can't thank you guys enough for all these suggestions, I am truly thankful. All of your feedback is appreciated and very helpful. At school they're teaching him basic coding through a simple educational program but he says it's too easy so that's why I think he might be ready for something a little bit more challenging. It sounds like Python is a good choice so I think we'll go in that direction but I agree with your advice, he and his desire needs to be the driving force that pushes this endeavor. With that in mind, I think I'll first try by introducing some programming games. I see that there's a program called Blocky and its output code is in the Python program language so that might be a smart way to go. It's funny being a parent, when I was his age I was playing with Legos. Times have changed...

I have a 9-year-old son who like many his age, really likes to play computer games. In an effort to raise the bar a little bit I've taught him how to use a few game editors including DarkRadiant. Thinking about his future, I'm wondering what other things I can be teaching him. Should I be teaching him programs like C++, Java, Python, Kotlin, and Clojure? Which might be a good start? Are there other programs that might be better? Are these programs likely to still be viable in the upcoming years? Are there newer programs that will likely be replacing these programs? In addition, I'm open to other suggestions, even outside the box suggestions. What would you be teaching your child?

I've been following this topic and I can't help but wonder, is expansion even necessary? Is building Rome the goal? What is the current state of TDM? Is it still trending up or is on a decline? I mean, in terms of people joining this community, participation, building FMs etc... How long will TDM stay relevant before its technology declines to the point where people start to move on to other things? How long will the current developers want to continue to maintain this project? Are there other members standing in the wings that are prepared to carry on the torch?

Sadly, yes... It's the culprit, right?

Installed TDM 2.06 on my oldest desktop: Windows Vista 32-bit Intel Core2 Duo CPU@3.00GHz, 4.0GB RAM, ATI FirePro 2260 Used all of the available performances tweaks but it failed, miserably... Not a big surprise but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I'd like to help. I have a few old and older laptops and desktops just sitting around here collecting dust. The question is, what is your definition of "working"? For consistency sake, what FM should I try?

I agree with you, The Last Jedi was such a poor effort on their part. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised with Rogue One so I think I'm willing to give this one a shot... Well, maybe...

Has anyone seen it? What did you think? I haven't seen it yet but I think I'll eventually see it (I thought Rogue One was good but was deeply disappointed with The Last Jedi). At any rate, the reviews are somewhat mixed but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I'll say this, I think it's a little odd that Disney chose to make a film on Han Solo. Obviously he's a very popular character but it's extremely risky to try to re-cast such an iconic character. It's just a head-scratchier for me. If anything, I think they should have made a film based on Lando Calrissian. If for no other reason, Donald Glover is a gifted actor. By the way, I think it was unwise for them to kill off Han in The Force Awakens. Of all of the original actors, Harrison Ford was the most capable and compelling. If they wanted to knockoff someone, it just shouldn't have been him. Also, what are they going to do about Leia in Episode IX? I've read that out of respect for Carrie Fisher they won't attempt to CGI her in the next film.

With respect, I think it's a bit dicey playing couch psychologist from such a distant prospective. What can be said and has already been said by many people, Bikerdude was a very important member of this community. He helped many people including myself on many occasions without any friction whatsoever. It is also true that he sometimes rubbed some people the wrong way but considering how many people he worked with, language differences, and that he had been an admin, I'm not at all surprised that sometimes it didn't always work. That's part in parcel of the admin position he held and the nature of collaboration - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Different styles don't always mesh and that's not a character flaw. I can't speak for anyone other than myself but you say that Bikerdude hijacked Some1stoleit's first map, http://forums.thedarkmod.com/topic/19282-cleaning-up-the-neighbourhood-beta/. I've read that post and I respectfully disagree with your assessment. Some1stoleit clearly asked for help with his map and many people responded including yourself and Bikerdude. However, even with lots of feedback Some1stoleit was still having problems. Bikerdude then replies and clearly states what he could do and says this, "So I don't make the same mistakes I made in the past when offering to help, I am offering to do fix all of the above but it will mean the map will get changed noticeably". Some1stoleit responds by saying, "I think I'll take your offer, I'd like to see what the best mapping practices look like". I might agree with you about Bikerdude's teaching style but it cannot be denied that Some1stoleit clearly enters into their agreement fully understanding what Bikerdude is offering to do. I'll also add that at no point does Some1stoleit show any signs of regretting his decision. Again, I can't speak for anyone other than myself but from what I've read in this very post, Some1stoleit seems to appreciate what Bikerdude did for him so I'm not sure using this as an example of foul play is valid. More to the point, obviously Bikerdude shouldn't have meddled with Melan's map. That was wrong, plain and simple. I can understand Melan's anger, I only wish he had contacted Bikerdude directly instead of saying what he said in a public post. Again, I'm not blaming Melan, I'm just saying things could have been handled differently. Maybe the admin who monitors these forums could have intervened or maybe he did, I have no idea but clearly things went awry. For me, all of this is completely unnecessary and it should never have ended in Bikerdude's departure. As a valued member of this community we should have supported him, not push him away. Bikerdude was fully aware of his propensities and tried his best to keep himself in check and apparently we were all aware of this also but somehow all of this fell through the cracks. I think this community was stronger with him than without him. He's a good dude with a great heart.

I'm at a loss... I was hoping this day would never come. I've had many interactions with Bikerdude over the years and each time he has always been extremely helpful and gracious with his time and support. I read these forums everyday and again, all I ever see is Bikerdude willing to help and going the extra mile for whoever it is. I just can't figure this out, something is wrong but it's not Bikerdude.

My sincere condolences. He was so young. This is so very tragic.