Query about stealing the oggs

[Somebody]

I was just wondering what the chances would be of getting permission to use some of the Exult ogg music in an Ultima remake. Seems silly to reinvent the wheel.

[Somebody]

I just realised I should probably mention I didn't mean 'steal' I don't plan on using them without permission. I just tend to say 'steal' because it sounds better than 'use' or 'borrow'

[Dominus]

maybe you could start such a querry with a real name and an email-address. Seriously "Somebody" in Australia is not giving much. And what Remake? U7?

[Thepal]

True... Somebody from Australia is pretty vague I just thought I'd test the water before mentioning my remake here since there are a lot of Ultima fans here and I'm scared of their reactions

Anyway, it's a relatively new (two months old) U9 remake that I'm currently making by myself using the Morrowind engine. I'm going in a completely different direction to Redemption, that's why I'm not working with them (I left that team a week before deciding to start my own). Website is at http://www.etherealsoftware.com.au/ultima/ should you wanna take a look.

It would be nice to have some music, especially for my next demo. And since I'm not getting a team at the moment, and I don't have time to do music myself, I have to find it elsewhere.

[Achile]

I will try an experiment with the Ultima 7 music (I have the real Rule Britannia and Beecave). If it work, you will be able to change the music (ogg vorbis)

[Gradilla Dragon]

Heh, "steal" sounding better than "use" or "borrow"? I don't think so. The word "steal" sounds as an action ethically and morally wrong; the words "use" and "borrow" don't.

[Thepal]

Yeah, but 'use' and 'borrow' sound boring. People that know me know what I mean when I say steal, so I use it instead

Try an experiment with the music?

[Achile]

Yup. I check the ogg music that I have and the mp3 that I have and I rename it the name of the ogg that I have in the ogg directory. I hope it will work

[Thepal]

My brain might not be working, but what does that have to do with my post?

[Gradilla Dragon]

He means he has two of the original songs in MP3 format, and wants to experiment and see if by renaming then to the corresponding ogg they work with exult. I guess that has nothing to do with your project, as it's not exult. I don't know why he wants to "experiment".

[Thepal]

So..... any thoughts on whether I can use the music or not, oh great and powerful Exult makers?

[E. Jim]

Maybe you should ask Origin (or EA, anyway), because they made that music on the first place. The Exult team does not own those songs, as far as I know.

[Thepal]

I doubt I'd get an answer from Origin or EA.

But an Exult team member did go through the effort of recording the oggs, so I figure I should get permission to use them.

[David Woo]

I do think it's not wrong to steal the things... I mean the musics... whatever they are anyway. It's just that, the musics are already old, I do think that people have already forgotten the thing, except us who are dying to play the game... currently of course. Anyway, I think it's a great opportunity to have someone like you to liven up something like... let's say another Ultima? and using a Morrowind engine? Wow... you could be a new GM of your own game then. Good luck in your future undertakings then.

David Woo

[Dominus]

The oggs that we offer for download are a grey area. I think either here or the mailing list we previously discussed it.
As the files we offer for download are recorded using a MT-32 (or whatever) and not just ripped off the U7 data files we might have a decent chance if someone (a lawyer of EA) was going to make a stink about it. As the music played back with a MT-32 is just commands sent to the Roland device and so on.

As for us (Exlt team) allowing others to use these oggs I'm not quite sure under what license the oggs are and what the lack of information means legally. Maybe Willem or someone else can step in.

[WWWWolf]

My wholly unqualified opinion is that you shouldn't "steal" the music, but just rip the MIDIs off the game data and re-record them with a non-awful MIDI system. In my opinion, MT-32 sounds *horrible* compared to even the most feeble GM soundfonts available. And while MT-32 or whatever is okay in Exult, since it's at least "close to the original", it might definitely grate my nerves to find such direct rip-offs in modern remakes - I know I was definitely disappointed by Avatarship's music, for example.

One of Ultima's biggest strengths is its music. Show your love to the music by making a magnificent remix of the original songs!

...if you're capable, that is. But if you aren't, I understand and try to forgive it anyway if the remake is any good otherwise. =)

[SB-X]

Sounds like you just want to ask the person who made the oggs if they're OK with you reusing them. Try sending a mail to Simon Quinn; his address is on the About page.

[Thepal]

The email address doesn't seem to exist. I tried that before posting here.

And yes, I am capable of creating my own versions. But I really don't have the time. I'm already doing everything myself (worldbuilding, dialogue, scripting, modelling, textures, quests, etc) and music takes a lot of time I don't have.