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Savage Species Shocker!

Started by Zalmoxis, May 09, 2006, 10:19:11 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

BOZ

Quote from: AndvariExcept when they're sweaty and itchy, then we all suffer.

cause then they start stinkin'.  peee-yeewww.
don't quote me on that.  :)

Visit the Creature Catalog for all your D&D 3E monster needs!  :)

Andvari

Quote from: ColonelHardissonThey "cripple" the OGC by making the names of monsters PI (product identity) or some such stuff. I understand doing this to an extent, but some of it goes overboard, in my opinion.

While I find this practice annoying, it's ever so easy to just change the name. They've already done the hard work for us and made it OGC.
 

ColonelHardisson

Quote from: AndvariWhile I find this practice annoying, it's ever so easy to just change the name. They've already done the hard work for us and made it OGC.

Yeah, I realize that. It's more the principle of it.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won\'t throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.

Ottomsoh the Elderly

The problem is not when they clearly state that monster names in their bestiary are IP (and so the monsters should be renamed if reused by another company).

It's when they obsfucate things so that you end up not knowing what is and isn't OGC. Monte Cook do (did? I stopped following d20 news) this an awful lot. You have statements that amount to "Names are OGC, except when they start by an upper-case letter, unless they're for a creature, except they designate a monster, but not when they are names" and end up just selling the book off eBay to use the cash for buying aspirin.
 

ColonelHardisson

You expressed the problem much, much better than I could. I've seen a lot of d20 publishers really complicate the process of figuring out what is or isn't OGC in their products.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won\'t throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.

Nicephorus

Quote from: ColonelHardissonYou expressed the problem much, much better than I could. I've seen a lot of d20 publishers really complicate the process of figuring out what is or isn't OGC in their products.

Maybe that's part of the reason why OGC never blossomed into something like the open source code groups.  It's fairly rarefor companies to use each other's stuff.  Maybe it's just too much to deal with.

Roudi

In a lot of cases, using someone else's OGC isn't a big problem.  Believe me, there are less publishers who obfuscate their OGC declarations than there are publishers who simply declare entire books as open gaming content.

So why do most publishers not reuse each other's OGC that often?  Why do some of them even "reinvent" material instead of using an open content version of nearly the same thing?

It's mostly a matter of ego.

Zalmoxis

I wish more WotC stuff was OGC though. :(

Roudi

You and me both... there's some great stuff in d20 Apocalypse and d20 Future Tech that I'm almost dying to use as open content.

BOZ

you might be able to get special permission if you ask, but i'm not sure about that because i really have no idea.  ;)
don't quote me on that.  :)

Visit the Creature Catalog for all your D&D 3E monster needs!  :)

T-Willard

Special permission is not that hard to get. I've been lucky and never turned down, even allowed to use PI monsters names in flavor text and history. I got to used Urban Arcana before it made the SRD, and stuff from Future that isn't in the SRD, and even allowed to print NPC's with Faerun backgrounds and feats, providing I didn't reprint the feats.

WotC is surprisingly easy to work with, providing you recognise it's thier toys you are playing with. :)
I am becoming more and more hollow, and am not sure how much of the man I was remains.

Zalmoxis

How would one go about asking?

ColonelHardisson

Quote from: RoudiIn a lot of cases, using someone else's OGC isn't a big problem.  Believe me, there are less publishers who obfuscate their OGC declarations than there are publishers who simply declare entire books as open gaming content.
QuoteThat's true. But it seems like many, if not most, of the best-known d20/OGL publishers, the guys who put out some of the best work, obfuscate their OGC.

Quote from: RoudiSo why do most publishers not reuse each other's OGC that often?  Why do some of them even "reinvent" material instead of using an open content version of nearly the same thing?

It's mostly a matter of ego.

Yeah, that's what it seems like to me. It's ironic, given that WotC gave away a helluva lot, but then some of those who took advantage of the opportunity seem jealous of anyone using their work for free (essentially).

Quote from: ZalmoxisI wish more WotC stuff was OGC though.

I wish that they'd at least release more of it into the SRD, where it would probably do even more good.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won\'t throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.