Download problem

[MArcuzz 0]

I wanted to ask why I can't download anything, I made this account a few days ago but the download limit is 1kb per day, but with 1kb there is no mod, why this ???

[Wrench 10,476]

Unfortunately, we've had to go to a subscription model. That means no more free downloads.  

You can purchase a subscription off the front page; look for the tab marked "Store"

 

[SiTh77 2]

That is really very sad. I used to like this site a lot, but 90$ per year to access community content for a game which has been last updated 12 years ago is out of the question. i come her far too infrequently to justify this. It is really a shame you can't download anything at all any more. I really hope the great mods here will find a new free home one day.

[+EricJ 4,428]

Well, if people who were previously allowed five downloads per day per free account didn't abuse that by creating multiple profiles to circumvent that then we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. I mean they could have just respected it and you'd have your free downloads and so on. So don't blame Erik for changing it up, blame your peers for them screwing that up for you.

[+yakarov79 11,643]

7 hours ago, SiTh77 said:

I really hope the great mods here will find a new free home one day

Those mods already have a home here. And it is what it is; nothing is really free.

If something is free, it means someone else is paying for it....

 

I hope that no one will decide to screw everyone and upload CA files somewhere ...

 

[+EricJ 4,428]

I saw somebody on the TW Discord downloading files for people. I mean realistically there's nothing I can feasibly do to stop somebody from downloading my stuff and putting it up for download by people who think it's cheaper to ask somebody to download it, and then resharing it. I mean it gets visibility, but I don't like it either.

[Wrench 10,476]

Yup, that 3W discord is pretty much a Star Wars quote "a wretched hive of scum and villainy". There's some seriously stupid people over there, like some other sites you see on FB. Thieves and cheats. 

 

[+EricJ 4,428]

I mean, I look at the screenshots, but overall, I don't hang out there either, so there's that.

[+daddyairplanes 11,604]

16 hours ago, SiTh77 said:

That is really very sad. I used to like this site a lot, but 90$ per year to access community content

or here's a concept

spend 6.95USD to get a two day trial. make a list of what you want, get the trial, and get what you want over the two days of the trial. for less than you probably spend on lunch or a coffee from out. 

 

[+mue 732]

18 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

I hope that no one will decide to screw everyone and upload CA files somewhere ...

Why?
According to the CA Freeware License it's not forbidden to share the mods/files as long as they remain "free": From the CA Freeware License: "The work may not be used in payware projects or in projects that will not be freely distributed under these same terms".
On the contrary I could argue that putting the mods/files behind a paywall and simultanously forbid sharing them (off-site) makes them practically payware and that is against this very license.
I would think that most modders here want to share their work for free so what all (including those who can not or don't want to pay any money) can enjoy them.
Yes, I know Erik has to pay bills, and I myself have a subscription to support this site although I haven't downloaded much in the last years. But personally I had hoped there would be a donation based solution or similar be found.

[+yakarov79 11,643]

Perhaps I did not express myself clearly. Some content creators do not wish for their work to be uploaded somewhere else. And I hope that any player who downloads files respects that. 

Unfortunately, the donation system is not working. One way or another, I believe that donations will come only from people who are willing to buy subscriptions anyway. 

Since I can not help more with the site finances, i would rather create a mod and put it exclusively here, then eventually if someone wants to play with it, downloading will support the site.

[+mue 732]

2 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

Perhaps I did not express myself clearly. Some content creators do not wish for their work to be uploaded somewhere else. And I hope that any player who downloads files respects that.

I thought you wrote about "CA files" in general. And since (I think) most mods (CA files) here are published under the CA freeware license, I only wanted to point out my understanding of this license, that it's perfectly fine to share mods that were published under this license, even off-site.
Of course every mod author is free to choose it's own license, e.g. make the mod CA exclusive. No problem. But my understanding is, as already written in my previous post, that CA exclusiveness means the mod is practically payware now and therefore must not be based or contain any mods published under the CA freeware license (without permission of the mod authors). 

[+yakarov79 11,643]

No. Mod is still free.

Access to the download requires a subscription. This is the only way to keep mods in one place

I know many think that right now, all mods are payware. Mods are still free. No modder received a single peso from the mod.

And yes, we had a lot of heated discussions about this issue.

I know that many are used to having everything given for free. But many things do not work this way. 

I wonder if farts from the WW1/WW2 section of the forum also have so many whines about it?

 

[Wrench 10,476]

You both bring up EXCELLENT points; some I'd never considered. 

Oddly, I've recently rewritten the disclaimer used on my mods:

Quote

This is freeware, it =CAN= be redistributed, but =NOT= posted on other sites even if the original readmes and all other pieces of the package remain intact. 
The names of all contributors, modders, suppliers, etc. =MUST= be listed in any new readmes.
This package may =NOT= in any way, shape or form be used in any payware additions. 
Bribes are accepted; ask for the day's going rates.

Maybe I should change the "bribes" section to "donations/subscriptions to Combat Ace are HIGHLY suggested??? Something like:

"If you like mods like this, and wish to continue to have them available please consider supporting Combat Ace in any way you can, with a subscription or Donation to help defray the operating costs of the site. We are the largest repository for the 3rd Wire Family of Sims, and MANY others, so anything at all helps. Thank You"

 

 

[+EricJ 4,428]

54 minutes ago, Wrench said:

You both bring up EXCELLENT points; some I'd never considered. 

Oddly, I've recently rewritten the disclaimer used on my mods:

Maybe I should change the "bribes" section to "donations/subscriptions to Combat Ace are HIGHLY suggested??? Something like:

"If you like mods like this, and wish to continue to have them available please consider supporting Combat Ace in any way you can, with a subscription or Donation to help defray the operating costs of the site. We are the largest repository for the 3rd Wire Family of Sims, and MANY others, so anything at all helps. Thank You"

 

 

Jokes aside that seems better lol.

[+Sundowner 4,950]

Personally I don't care what happens to any of my stuff anymore, whether it's locked away here or scattered all over the net, it's all old work and outdated anyway.

[+EricJ 4,428]

I have to agree, it's not like the stuff is proprietary information or whatnot in regards to my stuff either.

[+mue 732]

15 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

I know many think that right now, all mods are payware. Mods are still free. No modder received a single peso from the mod.

No, if one has to pay money to get the mods, that makes them effectively payware. And It doesn't matter who receives the money, the mod author, the website operator or any other person.

 

15 hours ago, yakarov79 said:

I know that many are used to having everything given for free. But many things do not work this way. 

It' not about that all mods must be free (as I wrote, you can of course choose your license as you like). It's about mods, that were published by its authors as freeware under the CA freeware license, are now effectively payware by putting them behind a paywall. That's where I see a problem.

[+mue 732]

13 hours ago, Wrench said:

This is freeware, it =CAN= be redistributed, but =NOT= posted on other sites even if the original readmes and all other pieces of the package remain intact.

Why do you have a problem with posting your mods on other sites? Why does it matter where and how the mods are shared, as long as the license terms (containing readmes, etc. ...) are fulfilled?
Genuine question.

I was under the assumption, that creating and publishing (free) mods is about sharing them. And the more they get shared, even on other sites, the better.

Edited Sunday at 07:44 AM by mue

[+Menrva 4,404]

46 minutes ago, mue said:

I was under the assumption, that creating and publishing (free) mods is about sharing them. And the more they get shared, even on other sites, the better.

I generally agree, but are we seriously talking about uploading dozens of thousands of files elsewhere? I'd like to see a discussion about how to make CombatACE more sustainable for Erik given the exorbitant server costs, because if this site dies, all of the files and informations hosted in here will disappear overnight.

Sure, I can upload some of my own mods elsewhere, but I don't own the work of others nor have all TBs of content from this website. To see a community of end-users scattered for downloading mods is not a problem I'm worried about (I frankly don't care, most users are only worried about getting stuff without even caring of posting a thank you note or a review), but to see modders lose a place to reunite and discuss with hundreds of useful topics and threads, that is a problem I care more about.

I agreed about @Erik adding a subscription paywall to downloads for the website because it was either that or the site would have gone 404 the day after. I'm afraid the site's servers are plagued with performance issues, so I feel like this hard decision only bought CA some time before it eventually dies. Let's discuss about how to save this place from dying, preserving all of its history and content, and how we can feasibly make things more accessible for all users, so that we get closer to a win-win situation instead of a lose all situation.

[+Sundowner 4,950]

Getting rid of a lot of the "old crap" on the site would free up some space. Also allowing the individual to delete their own out dated stuff could help......I've never been a fan of uploading my stuff and not being able to delete it when I want to.

[+yakarov79 11,643]

1 hour ago, Sundowner said:

I've never been a fan of uploading my stuff and not being able to delete it when I want to.

You can "hide" it 

"Hiden" files can be easily deleted by Erik if you ask him

(at least that's what he wrote to me when I asked about deleting files)

[Wrench 10,476]

10 hours ago, mue said:

Why do you have a problem with posting your mods on other sites? Why does it matter where and how the mods are shared, as long as the license terms (containing readmes, etc. ...) are fulfilled?
Genuine question.

I was under the assumption, that creating and publishing (free) mods is about sharing them. And the more they get shared, even on other sites, the better.

Because that's how I want it to be. Having had to deal with the bullshit when the DAT pulled their stuff, INCLUDING things I made for them, made my desicision for me. Also I've found my work in other places, in particular a large payware mod we all know of.

Ant: one can always delete their older mods, it's a simple edit on the upload page. Somewhere on there, iirc, under "file actions". Allows deletion of the entire thing. Unfortunately, we (apparently) have to keep the SF1/Wo* files as there are some unevolved folks that refuse to move to SF2.

Like Menrva said, we MUST figure out a way to keep the site sustainable. And guys, remember, its not just SF2/FE that's here -- there's others as well (EAW and OFF come right to mind)

 

[+daddyairplanes 11,604]

2 hours ago, Wrench said:

Like Menrva said, we MUST figure out a way to keep the site sustainable. And guys, remember, its not just SF2/FE that's here -- there's others as well (EAW and OFF come right to mind)

 

talked to a dev here in my town Friday, waiting to get some details back. But Erik popping up does throw a wrinkle in that idea.

will be elaborating more once i know more, but it is off the convo from Messenger