IMPORTANT! People that have been using Kaus's "Asteria Tileset" DO NOT USE IT!!

Celianna · 2016-06-11T10:25:19+0900

Asteria's Tilesets uses stolen artwork, please do not use it! This is an important notice to our members here who have been using tiles from a member named Kaus (also known as Hanzo Kimura), which he dubbed "Asteria's Tilset Expansion". It's been very popular among you all, and Kaus claimed it was either RTP edits, or original artwork. It is not, a lot of it is stolen artwork. I noticed the familiarity of the art when he posted a screenshot, but I couldn't place it exactly, so I couldn't claim it was stolen. Not until I finally recognized some of the art and where it came from. Here are some samples: Spoiler Kaus's tileset: Note the cliffs and the palm tree's leaves, and the ice pillars. Stolen artwork: Link to original artist here. /monthly_2016_06/ninogame.PNG.6c742ae92323732e079af6d0f25928d5.PNG Cave tiles ripped from the game Ni no Kuni. The above image shows Avery's beds on the right (blue bed), and Kaus's edit on the left (red bed). Avery never gave permission. A tree that he found on a book cover, shrunk and colour edited: Original: Many of the other tiles look super familiar to me as well, I just can't recall where I've seen them before. I also know Kaus's own artistic ability is nowhere near that good, and he's been known for claiming other people's artwork as his own under his previous name, Hanzo Kimura. People who have been paying for a commercial license and are using the tiles in their commercial game, CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY!! You are using artwork that you do not have the rights to use! Please stop using all of his tileset completely to be on the safe side. Ask for a refund through PayPal if you've recently purchased a license. To the members who've been using it for free, please do not use his tileset anymore and do not share it with other people (you're not going to get in trouble for continuing to use it, it's just very disrespectful to the artists). If you see someone post a screenshot with his 'tileset', please remind them that artwork was stolen and they should probably stop using it. Please share so that people know his tileset is mostly stolen artwork.

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Started by Celianna Jun 11, 2016, 01:25 AM 348 posts Page 2 of 18 View original ↗

Roscalin

#21 Jun 11, 2016, 05:29 AM Source

Thank you @Archeia for Linking me to this Topic from Twitter.

Is there any way we can get all the crediting information? I was hoping to test run them on small games to help my skill in solo development.

If none is available though I will delete the tile-set ASAP, RIP to Kaus or Hanzo or whatever he goes by to be honest.

His Overlay Plug-in looked Really decent... Wonder if that was jacked from someone too?
Henryetha

#22 Jun 11, 2016, 05:51 AM Source

A way would be himself cooperating here, he will know best, which artists have to be credited (or asked for permission).
DragonVine

#23 Jun 11, 2016, 05:55 AM Source

Well, crap. Thank you for informing us!
Merryjest

#24 Jun 11, 2016, 05:56 AM Source

I rather doubt he will cooperate, considering he was caught being a fricking thief- and more, defrauding people since he charged money. He's never going to poke his miserable face here again.

Well, considering my little nest egg for purchasing tilesets is fricking gone- can anyone recommend an affordable set of a good size, somewhere?

Somehwere in every game I make from now on, there's going to be a slime with Kaus' name on it.
shinempp

#25 Jun 11, 2016, 06:02 AM Source

That's upsetting, thanks for letting us know. That's really unfortunate, considering I was glad to pay for something I thought was really made by this person. And of course, no refund possible considering the way this person asked us to pay.

And now I have to redo a few maps, great.
DragonVine

#26 Jun 11, 2016, 06:07 AM Source

I admit, I feel a bit robbed. I doubt I'll be able to get a refund as I payed in early May.
taarna23

#27 Jun 11, 2016, 06:14 AM Source

Given how it's been said he was requesting people pay, you likely won't see a refund at all. I probably shouldn't ask... But how much was he asking for this hack job of tiles?
Roscalin

#28 Jun 11, 2016, 06:14 AM Source

@DragonVine

People Like Kaus, They won't give refunds sadly.

It's people like him that sometimes makes trusting pay first artists Really Hard!

Was any of his other work besides the Tilesets also Stolen? if so How do we ascertain the true works from the stolen.

MOST Important topic is... Who exactly do we credit for the actual art. He really Should've just told the admins when @Celianna Figured out some art from the Tile-set was Stolen.

I would've really loved to use these for small non-commercial games but damn man... this is just nuts.
terrorchan

#29 Jun 11, 2016, 06:44 AM Source

Roscalin said:
MOST Important topic is... Who exactly do we credit for the actual art. He really Should've just told the admins when @Celianna Figured out some art from the Tile-set was Stolen.

We don't credit anyone because we don't use it.
taarna23

#30 Jun 11, 2016, 06:53 AM Source

terrorchan said:
We don't credit anyone because we don't use it.

Exactly. You don't get to take art from someone (or use something that someone else made with said stolen art) and say "no, it's okay, we credited everybody." It's like robbing a bank and saying "no, it's cool, we called up the bank's customers and told them we have their money." In either case, you're still getting a legal beatdown.
terrorchan

#31 Jun 11, 2016, 06:55 AM Source

taarna23 said:
Exactly. You don't get to take art from someone (or use something that someone else made with said stolen art) and say "no, it's okay, we credited everybody." It's like robbing a bank and saying "no, it's cool, we called up the bank's customers and told them we have their money." In either case, you're still getting a legal beatdown.

Especially since these aren't stolen from just freelance RPGM artists, these are from actual gaming companies. Many of his stuff was probably from professional commercial games.
taarna23

#32 Jun 11, 2016, 06:56 AM Source

terrorchan said:
Especially since these aren't stolen from just freelance RPGM artists, these are from actual gaming companies. Many of his stuff was probably from professional commercial games.

Yeah... those are shark/eel-infested waters. Don't jump in, guys.
Iliketea

#33 Jun 11, 2016, 06:57 AM Source

Well .
terrorchan

#34 Jun 11, 2016, 06:59 AM Source

Iliketea said:
Well .

Relatable
beenbaba

#35 Jun 11, 2016, 07:02 AM Source

Damn, I completely changed tilesets and got what I thought was commercial rights to use in my game. There goes 2 months of work :(
Panda

#36 Jun 11, 2016, 07:04 AM Source

Well, isn't this a nice thing to wake up to? Really sucks for the people who have to start all over just because of his dishonesty - I'm just glad I only made a map or two before finding out...
Iliketea

#37 Jun 11, 2016, 07:04 AM Source

Thank god I didnt use that many of yet..
terrorchan

#38 Jun 11, 2016, 07:07 AM Source

beenbaba said:
Damn, I completely changed tilesets and got what I thought was commercial rights to use in my game. There goes 2 months of work :(

I'm so sorry *hugs*

You should report it to Paypal and ask him for a refund immediately </3
Nat0327

#39 Jun 11, 2016, 07:12 AM Source

I didn't lose money from this (the one time that having no online money was a good thing). Remaking all the maps will take up a lot of time, though.
beenbaba

#40 Jun 11, 2016, 07:15 AM Source

@terrorchanIt's just one of those things I guess, sometimes these things happen. It sucks, but much better to find out now than when I'm at late stage development or worse yet, before I launch the game. So I'm grateful Celianna found out about this now and has let us all know. I'll try to get a refund but it's more the time that I won't get back which is more disappointing :/

But yeah, heart goes out to others that are in the same position :/