Yeah it's pretty common. when I wrote for a small comicbook under Image comics, I was working at Microsoft at the time - and my supervisor found out that I did this on the side, and I got dragged up before management to determine if Microsoft had any interests in my work, and if it was a conflict, AND more importantly if this was something I started while working for them.

Fortunately - I'd already had this going before hand.

I ran into the same bit when I wrote for Dragon - (did some stuff with Mearls ironically) and yeah the ownership clause kinda stuck in my craw too. Sure enough - they reprinted my stuff in Best of Dragon - I didn't get a check or anything (they did send me a free copy of the book... ah well!).

These things are pretty common - it's just a matter of how dickish they want to be about it and how much are you willing to put up with it. Looks like Bruce made his call.

Only on the Internet would a no-moonlighting clause be considered outrageous.

Quote from: Mistwell;671675Only on the Internet would a no-moonlighting clause be considered outrageous.

It isn't outrageous but it does motivate the best talent to seek greener pastures.

Quote from: Mistwell;671675Only on the Internet would a no-moonlighting clause be considered outrageous.

Just because it's not unheard of doesn't mean it's not outrageous.

JG

Have people seriously never heard of noncompete clauses?

They are kind of common. You can't release something in the same field as your employer because you are obligated by your contract not to compete with them. This is kind of a thing in most fields.

Yeah, noncompetition clauses are the law of the land here in the states. I think they're stupid, but they're cheaper than deciding if your star designer's are sniping at your IP on the side.

But IP laws are their own barrel of laughs.

In all fairness though, I can see a reason for them.  For example, let's say Monte and Bruce are on the Next team, and know exactly what's going to be in it a year before anyone else.  So they take the best parts, file off the serial numbers a bit, and release their own stuff first.

I can see while WoTC would take the position of, "You are an employee of us and have access to sensitive information, so therefore you cannot work on a competing project at the same time."

I worked for a company here as an IBM systems guy then later as a LAN guy and both departments had pretty strict no-compete clauses.  Anything I developed as far as financial aid software, EFT software or the like was theirs, period.  And I understand why, too: the systems and software I'd have had access to to test those are simply unavailable to the common person (or they were in 1996).  A full blown IBM-MVS testing environment running CA/7, JCL, etc. etc. doesn't simply grow on trees.

To build a new piece of software for an environment like that would require using that environment either at the office or dialed in from home.  

I didn't find it intrusive or offensive.

I'm not saying it's "offensive" in a liberal sense, personally.

If you agree with the contract then that's that. You signed that contract, it's on you. If you are cool with it, then cool.

I'm saying that's a shitty environment to work in creatively, from my POV, that it only spawns sub-par, mediocre, group think work on the long term.

I worked in an engineering company. Everyone had a clause when hired that anything engineering related they did while at home was IP to the company. Pretty much every engineering firm does this.

Quote from: Justin Alexander;671502Huh. That's the second major departure from the D&D Next design team.

I actually do find that somewhat alarming.

Agreed.  Even if it is for reasons completely unrelated to the design of the game, it isn't ideal for the team to churn too much given how tightly designed next needs to be.  It's going head to head with Pathfinder, and while bloat will be against Paizo this time that won't help if the design of next isn't compelling.

Quote from: Votan;671811Agreed.  Even if it is for reasons completely unrelated to the design of the game, it isn't ideal for the team to churn too much given how tightly designed next needs to be.  It's going head to head with Pathfinder, and while bloat will be against Paizo this time that won't help if the design of next isn't compelling.

By most accounts, Next is 95% of the way done.  So Bruce leaving now isn't going to have that much of an impact one way or the other, unless you think he'll provide some major 11th hour breakthrough.

Quote from: Sacrosanct;671813By most accounts, Next is 95% of the way done.  So Bruce leaving now isn't going to have that much of an impact one way or the other, unless you think he'll provide some major 11th hour breakthrough.

I think the main risk is a replacement who decides to tinker with the rules in the final phases or poor communication about the context for decisions.  

I am not saying that it won't work out fine, just that it isn't an optimal situation.

If he thought that 5e was going to be all kinds of awesome and wildly successful, and make all kinds of money, then he would have stayed on. Period.

He knows it's going to mediocre. Better not to be in the ship and have to answer for its failure.

Would you leave a sure bet with the biggest name in the industry to work on some pissant project?

Quote from: 1989;671917If he thought that 5e was going to be all kinds of awesome and wildly successful, and make all kinds of money, then he would have stayed on. Period.

Not true.  Do you think he's going to get a bonus depending on sales or something?  I doubt that.  Like we said, it's most likely because he doesn't want WoTC to take control of his personal projects and doesn't want them taking the profit from his own creation.