>> >It also seems to make it *much* cheaper for the producer, because
>> >they don't have to pay for months worth of game design and
>> >playtesting.
>> I disagree with this for two reasons:
>> 1) Great IP's won't necessarily fit into a formula (which is
>> in one sense what the D20 rules), particularly if their genre
>> doesn't match that of the formula. I mean, look at the Matrix or
>> Tom Clancy's novels. Both are great settings for roleplaying, but
>> I don't think D20 would be my first choice. Game companies have
>> many creative people in them who are capable of tailoring the
>> needs of the IP, and if they're going to have to alter D20 or
>> OGL, you're already wasting that "saved effort".
>*ANYTHING* can fit into d20; to wit--
>Tom Clancy's modern military-political setting just needs some new
>classes, and adjustment of feats, and backstory.
>The Matrix can be expressed just as simply; the existing classes
>can be altered a bit, and while "magic" is different, it's simply
>a matter of focusing on skills and feats rather than magic. Also
>simple.
But the publisher is still going to have to MAKE these
changes, right? That requires the expense of them doing design
and playtesting (and possibly training). Thus I stand by my above
assertion: "if they're going to have to alter D20 or OGL, you're
already wasting that 'saved effort'."
>The advantage to this? Current RPG players don't have to learn a
>new system, and thus picking up the game is that much easier.
Just new classes, feats, "magic" and skills (from your
off-the-cuff plan above). Somehow it sounds to me like you're
downplaying the effort that would be required. Oh yeah, and
they're going to require the D&D player's guide, which makes
SO much sense to the consumer for a setting like the Matrix.
Besides, I abhor the idea that creative folks are going
to have to shoehorn a setting into a predetermined formula: yes,
it works sometimes, but the failures are quite spectacular and
unfair to the settings. I just don't believe D20 is going to be
a panacea, and I don't think that it'll be worth putting EVERY
system into D20. Heck, one of the first things Ryan did was
separate OGL from D20, which says to me that he doesn't believe
that D20 will be the perfect system for all things...
My point stands.
>> 2) Cheapest for a publisher is to use the system its
>> designers know best. They don't want to pay for months of testing
>> for their designers to learn someone else's system, either.
>So, hollywood and big book publishers who've never written an
>in-house RPG before should...?
Should not be GAME publishers. You're committing a fallacy
of definition: I was only speaking of game publishers, NOT all
publishers, which I thought was obvious from the outset.
>Bad argument, me thinks.
Good argument. Read it again, methinks you've misunderstood
it.
>> In any case, the expense of it may not be worth the
>> return if the IP drives the sales (which is my thesis).
>"thesis?" I didn't know you wrote a paper on the subject.
>"belief" or "argument" is more approrpriate, given the informal
>nature of this list.
The word choice is correct. See definitions 1 and 3.
-------
the�sis
n., pl. the�ses
1.A proposition that is maintained by argument.
2.A dissertation advancing an original point of view as a result of
research, especially as a requirement for an academic degree.
3.A hypothetical proposition, especially one put forth without proof.
4.The first stage of the Hegelian dialectic process.
5.
a.The long or accented part of a metrical foot, especially in
quantitative verse.
b.The unaccented or short part of a metrical foot, especially in
accentual verse.
6.Music. The accented section of a measure.
------
>> But once again, it's the IP that would drive those
>> sales, NOT the D20 system. A new LotR release will expand the
>> awareness of LotR into the mainstream, and THAT would drive
>> sales. Nobody'd care about it being D20. MERPers who already have
>And sales would be BETTER if it could be used with D&D.
That's your assertion, yes. Mine is that D20 would have
little impact on sales, but that the LotR IP would have GREAT
impact on the sales. Should D20 prove to be a strong enough
brand to have a significant, positive impact on sales, I will
happily admit to being wrong. But as I've said, there's really
no way to prove it given one specific product.
--
Joseph Cochran
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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