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.

Author Topic: OBS new policies  (Read 17043 times)

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #75 on: June 29, 2022, 11:28:55 AM »
I think that if material like Vengers is marked properly so people know that it could be not their cup of tea, then I don't see why all content should be made available.

If I do this I will definitely have a "no whining or complaining" (Not those words) clause in the terms of service and let people know that if they don't like it then don't buy it or look at it.  We wont take it down.
Ghostninja

zircher

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • z
  • Posts: 571
    • Tangent Zero
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #76 on: June 29, 2022, 12:18:07 PM »
I think that if material like Vengers is marked properly so people know that it could be not their cup of tea, then I don't see why all content should be made available.

If I do this I will definitely have a "no whining or complaining" (Not those words) clause in the terms of service and let people know that if they don't like it then don't buy it or look at it.  We wont take it down.
That's good in principle, but there are people that choose to be pre-offended.  You have to have a thick skin because you will never be able to please everyone.
You can find my solo Tarot based rules for Amber on my home page.
http://www.tangent-zero.com

zircher

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • z
  • Posts: 571
    • Tangent Zero
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #77 on: June 29, 2022, 12:27:12 PM »
For those of you who have extensively used DT/OBS, what are the customer or vendor-facing features you would need to support a competitor?
A company operating on libertarian and constitutional principles as part of their charter would be a huge first step.

In my case, DTRPG is my tip jar.  Everything in my store is free or PWYW, I use any sales to buy stuff from other indies.  So it is a host with benefits for me.  More critically, I have a HUGE library of stuff there and many of the Kickstarters I back post their PDFs there as well.  So, the odds of abandoning DTRPG are low.  But, would I be willing to re-host and give up my exclusivity with them?  At the drop of a hat since I was considering doing that anyway before this last policy change.

[Currently downloading several thousand products in my library to my hard drive just because I'm paranoid.]
You can find my solo Tarot based rules for Amber on my home page.
http://www.tangent-zero.com

FelixGamingX1

  • Master Templar
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 829
    • https://knightstabletoprpg.com/
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #78 on: June 29, 2022, 12:29:50 PM »
The idea of a competitor is a always a good one. Now to the most important, generating the capital to get things up and running. You’ll need a board of trusted people to draft ideas moving forward.
American writer and programmer, since 2016.
https://knightstabletoprpg.com

Eric Diaz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1115
    • http://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com.br/
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #79 on: June 29, 2022, 12:30:14 PM »
This is bad. I don't know what to say or do about this yet. I might just ignore it, since my stuff isn't controversial at all (and I seldom talk about politics online). But I can't.

DTRPG has been fine with me, but "we will take down anything we want and cast away those who complain" sounds ominous.

I haven't heard of him in a long while, but I agree with Raggi on this one. Let's hope we can do something before it's too late.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PufXMjSA-Kw

EDIT: just to make it clear, I think DTRPG has a right to sell or not sell whatever they want. They could make a "RPGs for kids only" store if they wanted to. The problem is that they've got an enormous chunk of the market and now publishers who rely too much on them are suddenly on shaky ground.

And as a reader, some of my favorite RPGs contain controversial/gory stuff, and I only have them on PDF. Fortunately, I download everything I buy.

For those of you with several products out there, what's the landscape like as far as selling RPG products without interference from evil & unhinged wokists? What percentage of business comes from DTRPG, OBS, or other service that has demonstrated hostility to creators based on political reasons?

Everything. If DTRPG kicks me out (which is unlikely, I think), I'm probably done publishing RPGs, at least for the foreseeable future. I might still spread some PDFs for fun.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2022, 12:41:59 PM by Eric Diaz »
Chaos Factory Books  - Dark fantasy RPGs and more!

Methods & Madness - my  D&D 5e / Old School / Game design blog.

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #80 on: June 29, 2022, 12:57:32 PM »
That's good in principle, but there are people that choose to be pre-offended.  You have to have a thick skin because you will never be able to please everyone.

That's fine.  With a warning if they complain we will simply say "There is a warning and you continued on anyway.  We aren't going to take down anyone's materials.   If you dont like it, dont read it.   

If they still have a problem then they can fuck off elsewhere.  Don't need them.  Take the (little) power they have away from them.
Ghostninja

THE_Leopold

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 598
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #81 on: June 29, 2022, 01:07:47 PM »
I think that if material like Vengers is marked properly so people know that it could be not their cup of tea, then I don't see why all content should be made available.

If I do this I will definitely have a "no whining or complaining" (Not those words) clause in the terms of service and let people know that if they don't like it then don't buy it or look at it.  We wont take it down.

There's already a MATURE filter in place and people can choose to enable/disable that filter.  This is like when there was XXX movies at Blockbuster, you had to go behind a walled off area to get access to them, but that was your CHOICE.
NKL4Lyfe

Eric Diaz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1115
    • http://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com.br/
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #82 on: June 29, 2022, 01:13:27 PM »
If Raggi, You, FelixGamingX1 and others are serious about it you could pull together your resources, get a hosting service, buy a domain, install prestashop and buy the books template.

It's an instant ebook ecommerce bookstore.

I am not speaking for the person you were talking to, but I am considering doing just what you suggested.  I have no dog in this fight as I do not have products on OneShelf but I have hosting and I work in IT and could get a site up pretty quickly.

I would need support to get the word out so that people will sell items and people will know to come.

What is the average % that OBS gets for a .pdf?  I would try to price a bit lower to make it a little more desirable.

DTRPG gets 25-30%.

And they give away 5-8% for affiliate links (IIRC).

I think affiliate links are extremely useful to "get the word out", as you say. I use them often when I write reviews, etc. The % is little but it is nice to get a coffee because you wrote a review sometimes.
Chaos Factory Books  - Dark fantasy RPGs and more!

Methods & Madness - my  D&D 5e / Old School / Game design blog.

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #83 on: June 29, 2022, 01:13:37 PM »
There's already a MATURE filter in place and people can choose to enable/disable that filter.  This is like when there was XXX movies at Blockbuster, you had to go behind a walled off area to get access to them, but that was your CHOICE.

You are right.  But I was looking at it more of a "You were warned and you went ahead anyway" kind of way.  Not that things like  that would be taken down anyway, but also you know if they looked at it with the warning and still complained, they were not doing complaining in good faith.
Ghostninja

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #84 on: June 29, 2022, 01:15:12 PM »
DTRPG gets 25-30%.

And they give away 5-8% for affiliate links (IIRC).

I think affiliate links are extremely useful to "get the word out", as you say. I use them often when I write reviews, etc. The % is little but it is nice to get a coffee because you wrote a review sometimes.

Nice.  That is something to think about.  Thanks for the information
Ghostninja

zircher

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • z
  • Posts: 571
    • Tangent Zero
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #85 on: June 29, 2022, 01:58:53 PM »
To provide contrast, Itch.io asks 10% and you have the option to give them more.
You can find my solo Tarot based rules for Amber on my home page.
http://www.tangent-zero.com

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #86 on: June 29, 2022, 02:40:33 PM »
To provide contrast, Itch.io asks 10% and you have the option to give them more.

Itch.io seems to make like they are a store front for multiple types of items, not rpgs themselves.
Ghostninja

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #87 on: June 29, 2022, 02:41:37 PM »
Well the morons on the big purple turd are advocating for deplatforming even as OBS is a defacto monopoly

https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/new-publisher-conduct-guidelines-at-onebookshelf.898908/
Ghostninja

FelixGamingX1

  • Master Templar
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 829
    • https://knightstabletoprpg.com/
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #88 on: June 29, 2022, 02:45:51 PM »
Well the morons on the big purple turd are advocating for deplatforming even as OBS is a defacto monopoly

https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/new-publisher-conduct-guidelines-at-onebookshelf.898908/


More like rpg.NOT! What a frightening place.
American writer and programmer, since 2016.
https://knightstabletoprpg.com

GhostNinja

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • I Like big Bots and I cannot Lie.
Re: OBS new policies
« Reply #89 on: June 29, 2022, 02:52:57 PM »

More like rpg.NOT! What a frightening place.

They are very scary indeed.  This is why SJW needs to be tamped down.

Using the complaint function as a weapon against people they do not like and being ok with deplatforming is just bad.
Ghostninja