Licensing in MWLL

[Mizzri]

I'm curious about the licensing, and how it's handled in MWLL.

Did you need to get permission from the licenseholder of Battletech/Mechwarrior to use it's likeness and gameplay for the mod?

Is it possible to gain permission from Microsoft to use the sounds they created for the Mechwarrior series of PC games? Is it legal to use it without permission from Microsoft? I'm referring mostly to their weapon and mech sounds.

[ToeBall]

We did get permission to use the Battletech universe but we did not get permission to use any of the assets from the previous games. All the mechs and sound effects are of out own making.

[Mizzri]

Roger that.

Would we care to pursue the rights to use the sounds from the previous Mechwarrior games? As much as I have no reservations in helping the sound team to design new sounds for MWLL, Microsoft is actually a pretty generous company, and may well support an independently produced mod. We might just need to ask nicely.

[(TLL)KitLightning]

What you mean ToeBall, is that even that an item might look as a MW4 item, but doing it under your (MWLL) license, and changing the appearance a little, then you can´t be touched, legally!

mayor confusion here

I thoght that MS sad solely on the FASA/BattleTech/MechWarrior franchies!

[MWLLKeeper]

No, it means we were not given permission to use ASSETS. What your referring to is the creative design of the objects, which is what we were given permission to use.

Basically, what we cannot do is take a model/sound/texture from MW4 and import it into our mod. We can however re-create it, using the original as a concept.

[ToeBall]

Ok, Microsoft has granted up permission to use the Battletech IP. Being that we're in a much more advanced engine than previous MechWarrior games the models would really not do much good, since they're about 50% higher poly count and have much more detailed maps wrapped around them than was previously possible. Since we have to build the models from scratch, and the source data we have is widely varried, we may as well let the artist fill in missing details. I think they've been doing an excelent job to date.

Something similar applies to the sound effects. While Microsoft did a good job for sounds in MW4, their engine did not have as much dynamic audio capability, and did not feature things like aerospace fighters at all. It makes a difference, for example, what a mech sounds like walking over gravel vs grass. This is, of course, a good replacement for the usual walking generic sound. If we're forced to fill in the holes, no matter how good the sound guys are, the sounds won't be as great as if they were all made by the same people.

[PanzerBoxb]

Damnit, ToeBall, I keep trying to read your posts but my eyes keep going down to that sig animation.

[ToeBall]

Yes, I am a proud member of the MechGoBoom fanclub... high quality video to follow in the next news letter.

[Mizzri]

Something similar applies to the sound effects. While Microsoft did a good job for sounds in MW4, their engine did not have as much dynamic audio capability, and did not feature things like aerospace fighters at all. It makes a difference, for example, what a mech sounds like walking over gravel vs grass. This is, of course, a good replacement for the usual walking generic sound. If we're forced to fill in the holes, no matter how good the sound guys are, the sounds won't be as great as if they were all made by the same people.

I see the sound team has it's work cut out for them - hope to be a part of that

[TheANIMAL]

Jeez, it sounds like the sound crew have more wieght on their shoulders than the visuals. I wonder if you guys have a foley department? What sort of thing would you use for atlas foot steps to get that ka-THUMP, ka-THUMP, ka-THUMP, ka-THUMP feeling.

[Mizzri]

I have access to both a proper foley studio and a foley artist, but I really don't think we will need such a thing. Foley is designed to replace real life actions on camera, so the "ka-thump" of a Atlas foot could be made from a metal chair hitting the ground and pitched down, but will more likely be comprised of 4-6 sounds mixed together.

What I meant about the sound team having it's work cut out, was more about modeling the sounds for each different surface (gravel and grass, as examples made by Toeball). Bring on the challenge I say

[Seraph]

Which reminds me: PLEASE make a great sound for 'mechs crashing into each other. The ones in MW4 really didn't give me the feeling of tons of metal and internal structures hitting each other. It's gotta be a bad ass boom that rings in your ears for hours after!

[Seiko]

Which reminds me: PLEASE make a great sound for 'mechs crashing into each other. The ones in MW4 really didn't give me the feeling of tons of metal and internal structures hitting each other. It's gotta be a bad ass boom that rings in your ears for hours after!

I think the best solution for this would be hiring two sumo wrestlers, putting them in midevil breastplates, and letting them go at it. 

[ToeBall]

Ew... *clang**squish*

Could do without...

[overwatch]

How about renting an old Sherman tank, and then smashing it into a double decker bus?  Both driven by sumo wrestlers of course.  Although you'd probably need a shoe horn and some baby oil to get the Sumo in the tank... um. Nevermind.

Anyway, I gotta agree, the old 'Mech collisions didn't sound like 'Mech collisions.  More like hitting a cast iron pot with a lead pipe... weak.  Let's be rewarded with a terrible crash!