Derivative Server that deserves attention

[Robot]

I'm a long time lurker and player, since way back in arma2 days. Epoch Mod is pretty much the only reason I bought Arma 3. I've hopped around on a few Epoch servers, and had the worst experience so far on what is the highest population server for Epoch right now (Epoch Pro.) It appears to be a derivative of EpochMod where they're stripped out any references to [VB]AWOL of the community here, and substituted their own name nearly everywhere, even going so far as to customize the Epoch logo. It seems like a fairly cut-and-dried violation of Epoch server's license.

 

With this at least one of the highest population "Epoch" servers, I wanted to speak up and make sure you guys here had a chance to try to take the reins back from this server.

 

As I said they are running a derivative of EpochMod, where all credit to EpochMod, [VB]AWOL, and the team here has been stripped out. They've altered logos (from Epoch to Epoch Pro.) The extent of modifications seems to be mostly limited to a custom vendor system where all vendor prices are jacked, and inventory is infinite. They also have an expanded spawn list, allow you to spawn a dozen or so locations, either on the ground or by halo jump.

• Website - http://epochpro.clanwebsite.com/
• Game Tracker Profile - http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/198.27.74.77:2302/

Their staff is somewhere between suspicious and malicious - they immediately got hostile when I mentioned that they've ripped off Epoch Mod, locking me from moving until they had questioned me. VIPER seems to be the lead admin there, and it's his name that's exclusively credited anywhere through out the mod. They're taking in donations as well (~$100 so far in June, ~$140 in May.)

[DirtySanchez]

Very interesting evaluation.

The biggest problem with them is that they are NOT Bohemia Monetization Approved, yet they are selling EPOCH/BIS assets all while the devs were on the server and promoting it.. :(

When this was brought to their attention they took immediate action, their advertisements and signature banners were removed over this past week.

They are currently under investigation by the Legal team at Bohemia Interactive.

If they survive the fallout, best of luck to them, but at this point many here already know to keep them in sight and not to trust them.

So far I have received Private Messages about Epoch Pro doing all kinds of wrong around this community to other server owners.

However, customizing the epoch mod with addons and scripts is part of all of this, the vanilla epoch mod by itself is not really popular right now, in fact hasn't been really popular for some time now and what you are seeing is the server owners trying to keep their population happy with new additions and features.

Many of the addons and mods made for Arma 2 dayz epoch ended up in their updates permanently!

[Robot]

Good to know that they're being looked into already.

 

As for additional addons and scripts, I completely understand how individual communty servers often develop their own additions and then they may (or may not) eventually get pulled back into vanilla - that doesn't bother me, it was their practices around trying to take credit for other people's work, especially since they were getting a steady stream of donations for it. Mods that give credit and such are fine (even if I don't care for some of them.)

 

Thanks DirtySanchez.

[Brian Soanes]

they're stripped out any references to [VB]AWOL of the community here, and substituted their own name nearly everywhere, even going so far as to customize the Epoch logo. It seems like a fairly cut-and-dried violation of Epoch server's license.

Nothing wrong with that

 

As I said they are running a derivative of EpochMod, where all credit to EpochMod, [VB]AWOL, and the team here has been stripped out.

Nothing wrong with that

 

They've altered logos (from Epoch to Epoch Pro.) The extent of modifications seems to be mostly limited to a custom vendor system where all vendor prices are jacked, and inventory is infinite.

Nothing wrong with that

 

They also have an expanded spawn list, allow you to spawn a dozen or so locations, either on the ground or by halo jump.

Nothing wrong with that

 

and it's his name that's exclusively credited anywhere through out the mod.

Nothing wrong with that

[vbawol]

Not so simple, Firstly we do not give permission for anyone to make derivatives of our logos, or assets without explicit written permission and any action we take will be done in accordance with the law. Our license does require attribution so if someone has gone out of there way to remove or mislead others, that would be a violation of our license.

 

non-commercial clause in our license also does not allow for monetizing your server unless approved by BI as I mentioned here: 

If someone is monetizing their Arma 3 server and is not on this list: http://www.bistudio.com/monetization/approved that would be violation of BI's terms of use first and foremost and that should be reported to them directly: [email protected]

 

We are not here to baby sit the community for every little thing, the license/rules are quite clear and all we ask is that in exchange for using our mod and assets you respect our rights.

[Axle]

I'd also like to set the record straight.

 

Yes I did play on the server, no I didn't know about their shop. I don't support the server but simply just wanted to check out a random community server. Since it was as you said, the most popular. I then joined it and played a little bit.

 

I do not support any server that monetizes our teams work and if I had know, you wouldn't have seen me on that server.