i don’t necessarily care for hidden backgrounds, editors are taking the assets taken from hidden backgrounds out of their custom backgrounds. they’re not even allowed to own google drive’s (that they do not make profit off of) since it is a violation of the terms of service. but people have owned google drives for months now, i don’t understand why they’re just now enforcing them.
however, it has been taken way out of proportion, i will admit that. however, that doesn’t change what i’m saying. episode says that distributing is allowed, but they go and tell people to take down their google drives? i truly do not see how it’s affecting them at all. they edit episode backgrounds, yes (and if the backgrounds are hidden, they take the things in the hidden background out of the background anyway) but they’re making not one ounce of profit out of any it. but if they are, which they’re not, i’d totally understand.
I’m honestly fed up with this. I don’t like the new guidelines at all because I think it’s not fair to both editors and authors😒 what if everybody within the episode community left?
I’m not a background editor, but I still wanna have a say in this.
Okay, Episode, why was this all suddenly brought up just now in 2019? I mean, when the forums were born, that could’ve been a great time to enforce this rule instead of right now. Backgrounds are a huge part of our stories and help us tell them to our readers. Personally, I find the other backgrounds of other artists astounding. It gives me the motivation to write and the fact that that right to make backgrounds and sharing them to make others happy is being taken away? My writing life on Episode is ruined.
I just don’t get it. Why only say this now? That’s what I keep questioning. You may see us all complaining and think it’ll pass over time, but background editors have dedicated time to making art for the community. Now, we the community, we’re the reason why Episode is probably a great game now with all the feedback we’ve given, although sometimes you don’t listen, it’d be great to listen as of now. Backgrounds help us tell stories and if you take that away from us, I don’t think a lot of people would wanna write anymore.
Let me pretend that I am a customer that is actually paying and let’s say it cost money to play Episode, I’m sure you’d wanna listen and at least give us a way to share our backgrounds with others. It makes us happy.
That’s al I have to say. Please, @Liz, try and do something for the Episode Community.
@julesscreven
Has anybody on the Episode Team actually told the creators to shut down their drives?
Last anyone of us heard was this:
But the whole discussion/inforcing of these rules are still vague and left up to interpretation.
What I really want from Episode is an actual explanation and a more understandable telling of what we can/can’t do, not just words left for us to figure out for ourselves. The community isn’t all about american adults with a law degree, is it. It’s from 13+ and for all nationalities. Most people will not be able to understand just a bunch of legal words/the guid lines.
And I find it sad and dissapointing that after what, almost a week(!?) we still haven’t gotten any propper answers to all our questions.
I can understand not using backgrounds such as this, from the Demi story
Or the ones from the other of the featured stories, or copy/paste assets from them in any form, as Episode most likely are in contract with other parties on how they are allowed to use and distribute them, but to for instance change the color of one of the backgrounds available to any writer at the writer portal and share that with other members of the community, that’s a bit extreme.
I’m afraid that the community is becoming divided, with members leaving and slowly dying because of - maybe - simple missunderstandings…(?)
The best would be for Episode themselves to make a features in the writing portal that makes it possible for us to share our backgrounds with each other if we wish to, without having to use other drives.
I see only benefits from such an asset.
That way people wouldn’t have to upload the same backgrounds over and over again,
Episode would have less backgrounds to look through to approve/reject of (resulting in better control over what slipps through their nets)
We/the creators would still all have access to the same (more) backgrounds to use for our stories without anyone profitting but Episode and the Episode community.
And so the downwinding spiral would start going up instead of down…
That’s what we all agree and hope they make it come true some day. I do expect they don’t approve all given backgrounds for public use and that they set priorities by only quality backgrounds.
Apparently it was always in guidelines, one way or another, but we were getting away with this for a long time, and a lot of people got a lot of backgrounds from these activities on forums and IG, so at least, u know.
Instead of whining and making silly petitions, learn how to do your edits or find a person for it and MOVE ON people.
Show me the line of guidelines or TOS where it says that’s not allowed!
There isn’t any!!
Same as my story was removed for violating TOS because it’s not a story but a customization game. I asked Support several times to show me the line of TOS which I was violating, but they never did - I know why - because it doesn’t exist!
Taking Episode assets (their backgrounds, their overlays, the art style of the three styles, etc.) has always been prohibited when it comes to taking it beyond your personal use in the context of the app. The last line of this section is important, because it lays down the absolutes of their legal conditions.
User Content (including Your Content) and Episode Interactive Created Materials:
In addition, you acknowledge and agree that all derivative works of the Service Materials, including, but not limited to, any animations of any kind generated within or by the Service, shall be owned by Episode Interactive. Such materials are referred to in this Agreement as the “Episode Interactive Created Materials.” For clarity, it is understood and agreed that any animations, sequences of animation, characters, or artwork based on Your Content shall be Episode Interactive Created Materials. To ensure such ownership, you hereby assign to Episode Interactive all rights, title and interest in and to the Episode Interactive Created Materials that you hold, if any. Accordingly, for clarity, you acknowledge that (a) Episode Interactive and any third party it authorizes may exploit for any purpose the Episode Interactive Created Materials via the Service; and (b) you shall not have any rights to use the Episode Interactive Created Materials for any purpose.
I just remembered! We can’t use hidden stuff! That means we also can’t use tappables 
