SPECIAL NOTICE
Malicious code was found on the site, which has been removed, but would have been able to access files and the database, revealing email addresses, posts, and encoded passwords (which would need to be decoded). However, there is no direct evidence that any such activity occurred. REGARDLESS, BE SURE TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS. And as is good practice, remember to never use the same password on more than one site. While performing housekeeping, we also decided to upgrade the forums.
This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

[4e designer conspiracy]: mearls & co crying for help?

Started by Settembrini, April 25, 2008, 05:29:20 AM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 8
User actions

g026r

#45
April 25, 2008, 02:02:08 PM
Quote from: Pierce InverarityTo what extent has this been Kenzer's choice, though? Thanks to The Great CD-ROM Debacle they had a very special license, and that expired. No?

Yeah, their licence expired last summer -- hence why you can't even buy the HackMaster core rules from them anymore.
 

RPGPundit

#46
April 25, 2008, 02:05:02 PM
Quote from: g026rYeah, their licence expired last summer -- hence why you can't even buy the HackMaster core rules from them anymore.

Yes, but nothing at all would stop them from producing a game that while not visually imitative of the 1e AD&D handbooks was basically the exact same rules; you can't copyright rules. Any major company that wanted to could put out a D&D clone.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you\'ve played \'medieval fantasy\' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

Dwight

#47
April 25, 2008, 02:09:13 PM
You can't copyright mechanics. You can copyright rules text. Once you get tables involved my understanding is that you'll have to mess with the mechanics a bit too. You also end up with some iconic stuff like the name "Bag of Holding" (it's been a while since I read Hackmaster, they actually use the name right? ) biting the dust.
"Though I'll still buy the game, the moment one of my players tries to force me to NCE a situation for them I'm using it to beat them to death. The fridge is looking a bit empty anyway." - Spike on D&D 4e

The management does not endorse the comments expressed in this signature. They are solely the demented yet hilarious opinions of some random guy(gal?) ranting on the Interwebs.

DeadUematsu

#48
April 25, 2008, 02:21:01 PM
Quote from: DwightYou can't copyright mechanics. You can copyright rules text. Once you get tables involved my understanding is that you'll have to mess with the mechanics a bit too. You also end up with some iconic stuff like the name "Bag of Holding" (it's been a while since I read Hackmaster, they actually use the name right? ) biting the dust.

Personally, "Bottomless Bag" sounds cooler.
 

Pierce Inverarity

#49
April 25, 2008, 02:21:02 PM
Quote from: RPGPunditYes, but nothing at all would stop them from producing a game that while not visually imitative of the 1e AD&D handbooks was basically the exact same rules; you can't copyright rules. Any major company that wanted to could put out a D&D clone.

RPGPundit

And you know what that would be?

It would be slightly lame.

Hackmaster already did it. That means it's done. Finis. It's fun the first time around, dull when repeated.

This 1E fan wouldn't buy it.

You yourself designed your own game instead of pulling an OSRIC.
Ich habe mir schon sehr lange keine Gedanken mehr über Bleistifte gemacht.--Settembrini

Seanchai

#50
April 25, 2008, 02:36:51 PM
Quote from: Pierce InverarityThanks to The Great CD-ROM Debacle they had a very special license, and that expired.

What's the Great CD-ROM Debacle?

Seanchai
"Thus tens of children were left holding the bag. And it was a bag bereft of both Hellscream and allowance money."

MySpace Profile
Facebook Profile

Pierce Inverarity

#51
April 25, 2008, 02:39:30 PM
Kenzer comics were included on the Dragon CD-ROM, without clearing copyright before it was published. Kenzer got the license as a trade-off.
Ich habe mir schon sehr lange keine Gedanken mehr über Bleistifte gemacht.--Settembrini

Seanchai

#52
April 25, 2008, 02:39:35 PM
Quote from: Mike S.Paizo is smart enough to create something that could attact those people who feel 4E is not for them and Kenzer should have followed that example.

True, but to what degree is Pathfinder going to be based on D&D? It sounds like it's getting farther and farther away from 3.5 as the playtest progresses.

Seanchai
"Thus tens of children were left holding the bag. And it was a bag bereft of both Hellscream and allowance money."

MySpace Profile
Facebook Profile

Seanchai

#53
April 25, 2008, 02:40:44 PM
Quote from: Pierce InverarityKenzer comics were included on the Dragon CD-ROM, without clearing copyright before it was published. Kenzer got the license as a trade-off.

Ah. Bad WotC! Bad WotC!

Seanchai
"Thus tens of children were left holding the bag. And it was a bag bereft of both Hellscream and allowance money."

MySpace Profile
Facebook Profile

Nicephorus

#54
April 25, 2008, 02:48:30 PM
Quote from: SeanchaiTrue, but to what degree is Pathfinder going to be based on D&D? It sounds like it's getting farther and farther away from 3.5 as the playtest progresses.
 
Seanchai

Actually, It looks more like it started a little ways away and is moving closer.  Jacobs, the editor of the pathfinder line, has stated that the alpha rules have some odd things thrown in there to see how people react.  Version 1.1 already has some things toned down.

Pierce Inverarity

#55
April 25, 2008, 02:55:34 PM
Quote from: SeanchaiAh. Bad WotC! Bad WotC!

Seanchai

No, dumb WOTC.
Ich habe mir schon sehr lange keine Gedanken mehr über Bleistifte gemacht.--Settembrini

Caesar Slaad

#56
April 25, 2008, 02:55:53 PM
Quote from: NicephorusActually, It looks more like it started a little ways away and is moving closer.  Jacobs, the editor of the pathfinder line, has stated that the alpha rules have some odd things thrown in there to see how people react.  Version 1.1 already has some things toned down.

Yep. The dumb combat maneuver thing is gone, and skill ranks are back (albeit with a bit of streamlining.)
The Secret Volcano Base: my intermittently updated RPG blog.

Running: Pathfinder Scarred Lands, Mutants & Masterminds, Masks, Starfinder, Bulldogs!
Playing: Sigh. Nothing.
Planning: Some Cyberpunk thing, system TBD.

Mike S.

#57
April 25, 2008, 03:38:18 PM
Quote from: SeanchaiTrue, but to what degree is Pathfinder going to be based on D&D? It sounds like it's getting farther and farther away from 3.5 as the playtest progresses.

Seanchai

To be honest, I have only  heard about Pathfinder, I havent kept up with it nor have I downloaded the test copy or whatever so I am hardly an expert on the topic.

The reason I brought it up was because it sounded like that was the direction they were going with pathfinder, a fantasy game for people  who don't thing D&D 4E is right for them

Haffrung

#58
April 25, 2008, 03:47:38 PM
Quote from: WarthurThe problem I foresee is that as more and more editions exist, the die-hard crowd gets more and more fragmented. The current edition of D&D will always have the advantage that it's the current edition, and I'd be inclined to suggest that barring truly grotesque mismanagement of the line it'll always be in the majority. Meanwhile, the die-hard crowd gets ever more finely-divided (Dragonsfoot, for instance, will never accept 3.X, and Knights-and-Knaves Alehouse even refuses to countenance discussion of B/X and BECMI D&D...).

Indeed. That's why I roll my eyes at stuff like OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord. How small can you slice that pie until each piece is 40 guys who hang out on a website together?

Furthermore, how much do official D&D publishers rely on die-hards buying books? From what I've seen on the Necromancer Games board over the last 7 years, a lot of people who bought their 3.x books actually played earlier editions of D&D. And they were one of the bigger third-party publishers. Will 4E be suitable for this kind of conversion? How many die-hards can WotC afford to shed from an already shrinking market?
 

JimLotFP

#59
April 25, 2008, 03:50:23 PM
Quote from: HaffrungIndeed. That's why I roll my eyes at stuff like OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord. How small can you slice that pie until each piece is 40 guys who hang out on a website together?

Each of those is designed to allow publishing of new stuff for the old game. They're trying to make the pie bigger, not slice it. (whether they succeed or not is another matter)... if only "OSRIC people" are buying OSRIC stuff, and general 1E players are not, something's wrong.
Print
Go Up Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 ... 8
User actions