I've been with TBM for a while now, but have never really been a part of the Blockland community. I've played neutral the whole time, did research of my own to get a full picture (I regard Retail as a perfectly legitimate game that offers things that TBM can't) and have never wanted to get into the politics concerning TBM vs. Retail. But after seeing THIS go on for too long, I have to step in.
I've heard about a million different stories about what happened back with the malicious code, and have come to these three conclusions:
1. Whatever happened, it's muddled beyond a straight truth now.
2. It happened ages ago.
3. Both you guys and the TBM community have stretched it out for FAR too long (and I'm serious about this, I'm always telling noobs on the TBM forum to stop calling it "Refail" and I'm getting damned sick of it).
As of TBG/Freebuild release, we are an INDEPENDENT GAME. The Cemetech forums have worked hard to eliminate any traces of the Blockland Alpha, whether it be models or code, in the final release product of TBG/Freebuild. We will no longer have any straight ties to the Blockland community other than a similar Lego theme, and the common players we will inevitably share. We are completely open-source, so feel free to have a look at our code to find any of the stuff you're talking about (elfprince mentioned on the TBM forums that one or two models will date back to the 0002 alpha during the TBG alpha run, but those are placeholders and will be replaced as soon as possible). We will no longer be a mere "knockoff". We will be a free alternative (WITH RETAIL HAVING SOME FEATURES THAT WE DON'T! You get what you pay for) for players interested in a different kind of experience than Retail has to offer. If there's a crime in that, you're being biased. Heck, to my knowledge, we haven't advertised a BIT on your boards, and YOU were the ones who brought up the topic of Freebuild/TBG. Not us.
In short, DROP IT. This is a pointless spat that needs to end NOW. VIRTUALLY NONE OF THE PEOPLE YOU SO BOO AND HISS AT FOR THEIR PAST ATROCITIES ARE EVEN INVOLVED WITH TBM ANYMORE, LET ALONE FREEBUILD/TBG. With a new engine and a new start, it's about time for a rekindling of trust and a dispelling of old hate.
And hey, if you STILL don't want to forgive us - just leave us be and never speak to us again. If we're really that insignificant, forget about us altogether. That way, we won't be wasting your energy.
