Well, I was surfing the web for some SWBF2 mods, when I came upon The Starwarsbattlefront.filefront.com's mod of the week for SWBF2. The mod was a map, "Morishim Imperial Attack", and the review given by the site hinted at it being a great map. While I wasn't looking for a map, it was still interesting. Well, I scroll down to the screen shots and immediately realize almost all the custom material seems to be ripped right out of First Strike! The first thing that I noticed was the Imperial Fire Tanks* and the Rebel mortar tank (Whatever it's called) being identical to the ones in FS. I then noticed that in one screenshot, there was a trooper hiding behind a shield (Identical to the one heavy troopers use), holding that one mortar launcher, again being identical to what the heavy troopers used. In one screen shot one of the troopers was even deploying bacta canisters. I'm not sure if he just found the same stuff as the makers of FS and used it, but if he had indeed just copied FS, then he even neglected to mention FS at all, which is either (A not knowing about FS or (B simply trying trying to steal all the concepts of it and say it was his. Sure, while the first vehicle seems unique enough, doesn't it seem a bit like that thing they showed in a teaser movie some months back?

*Not sure if that's its name or not.

Also, on a side note, I should be able to return to active duty anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. (Possibly 3 though)

ALSO, you can find the mod here and judge for yourself whether or not it's basicly trying to make a SWBF2 FS:

http://starwarsbattlefront.filefront.com/file/Morishim_Imperial_Attack;111553

Thanks for that. That is suspiciously like FS, I'll try to contact the author and get them to at least give FS a mention, if they won't, I'll have filefront remove the map. That's a pretty blatant ripoff, I'd like to try the level itself too, to see how similar the level design is too.

Filefront Admins were contacted. FS is unhappy. The first vehicle in from the screenies is actually one hidden in the code for SWBFII, it was just previously not-working so never used.

They also used the Fall of Berlin map for their level design - naughty naughty.

Well, if it is pretty much plagurized, i'm glad I could bring that into the open, considering it was pretty high on the list of mod popularity, and it makes me feel useful for doing so . Also though, because they used Fall of Berlin as a map layout, doesn't that violate some kind of copyright issue that could actually get them into some serious trouble, or aren't the maps technically copyrighted?

Just checked the Credits section of his readme for the mod, EA inspiring the map defiantly isn't in there.

Also, even if we don't get anything out of this and he gets to keep the mod up because it's technically not plagurized, atleast the people who posted some links in the comments about plagurizem might increase popularity :3

Nice catch Zango.

The real question in my mind is: Is the map any fun to play?
If it is, and they've ripped EA's/FS's stuff, I'd hope they'd acknowledge it so that the map can continue being fun .

if its not fun, who cares, throw em to the wolves

Also, did you say you were gonna get BFBC2?

http://www.xfire.com/communities/rsfecho/forums/197165/topic/1761111/?p=1/#post7956659

Well, I'd like to get BFBC2, and it would be great timing with my birthday coming up in 6 days, but currently I wouldn't be able to play it. We upgraded the computer so now I would be able to hopefully meet its miniumum requirements, but there's one fatal flaw: It only has a CD-Rom drive. I noticed this this morning when I was going to install my BF2142 Deluxe Edition, but when I put it in nothing popped up. Thats when I looked at the drive and found it was only a CD-Rom playing drive ;(. But, hopefully I can get that fixed for next weeks CG's, and maybe have a copy of BC2 to try out.

Quote from zangozett

my BF2142 Deluxe Edition

I'm guessing you know that the deluxe edition comes with a free digital download?
If not, it does, grab the ea download manager (EADM) and go to the activation tab to use it
all u need is your cd key

You could just purchase BC2 off of steam, or direct2drive, or digitally from the EA store.

Otherwise, just replace your CD drive with a CDRW/DVDRW drive. They're under fifty bucks..

You guys may want to know that the Devs have not pursued this in anyway so our assets and ideas are being used with no credit given at all. I was the only one in the Public Relations group doing any anything, and due to the way that the devs handled the situation, I quit all of my FS roles, so nothing will be done about it. :<

Quote from gwynzer

You guys may want to know that the Devs have not pursued this in anyway so our assets and ideas are being used with no credit given at all. I was the only one in the Public Relations group doing any anything, and due to the way that the devs handled the situation, I quit all of my FS roles, so nothing will be done about it. :<

Actually, I was just on the gametoast forums and it seems like that Mav seems to have done some digging and found something; http://www.gametoast.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=22483&start=20

Go to the post at the bottom by Mav.

Also, I decided to check back on filefront, and I couldn't even find the map in the list, both by search and by browse. Looks like we got him (Though i'd like to know what Mav noticed exactly to put the nail in the coffin, after all, if they were just "visually alike", how was anyone supposed to tell if they were ported? If they were EXACTLY alike?)

Quote from zangozett

how was anyone supposed to tell if they were ported? If they were EXACTLY alike?)

I think it was something to do with textures and stuff. There was a gun handle that was never seen in the movies and so a FS guy made one up.
The Battlefront files used the same weapon handle or somesuch.

This is where I can give more detail.

(almost) Every model in First strike has a bunch of what we call "LoDs" (Level of detail). High, Medium and Low, usually. The Low LoD is what the gun looks like to players with low settings, it's much blockier and looks less detailed than the High LoD. Many of that guys weapons looked IDENTICAL to some of First Strikes models for the low LoD.

Many of the textures (paint jobs, basically) on the guns were also pretty similar to ours. Although the texture layout wasn't exactly the same, the "author" of those files OBVIOUSLY copy/pasted parts of our models around. Some of First Strikes texture work is VERY unique, and it's obvious to a trained eye to see that some unique parts of FS guns are also present in some of that guys guns also.


Also, one of the guns in First Strike (I believe the Rebel Medic blue-gun) was actually invited by an FS Modeller. He gave it it's name, and designed it from scratch. That gun was also present in the SWBFII mod.




One of the ex-devs actually took up this case a week or so again, the FS Dev team ignored it since I quit the team. That guy happened to actually be the modeller of the unique weapon, and played a heavy role in developing the other stolen things, so he was able to post up some pretty convincing evidence to show that the work was stolen.