Doug Meerschaert wrote:
>
> "Voivode" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > How is this even possible, it's not like you can apply the OGL to the RPG
> > industry, just those that decide to use it. Your not removing gray areas
> > from anything but the OGL.
>
> It lets players of D&D who want to make a game "just like D&D" go ahead and do
> that without worry. It spells out an exact line that can be done and gives
> proof against getting sued over it.
>
> JUDGE: "Voivode, you wrote _Dungeon Crawls_. It's just like D&D, even I can
> see that. Do you have a good reason for me to dismiss this case, or do we
> have to go to trial?"
Voivode:Yes, the only thing copied from D&D is the mechanics. All of the
descriptive text, from what 'Strength' is to how to conduct a session of
combat, are my own words.
Judge:Right. Case dismissed.
The benefit of the OGL is in the trademarks, and in the ability to use
copyrighted text freely. I do NOT want to replicate the entire D20 SRD
Combat section 'in my own words' just to publish a D20 game. I want to
be able to legally take it in one huge cut&paste, then go through it
piecemeal to modify it as needed for my genre. Unlike simple games like
chess or Risk, there are a LOT of ways to describe how to conduct a
melee session, and there's no legal excuse for verbatim copying.
I think that the OGF needs to emphasize THIS aspect of it more -- that
you can use, verbatim, huge chunks of other peoples work, freely placed
under the OGL for that purpose -- and the 'catch' is you have to let
people do the same.
My D20 Supers game is evolving slowly but surely. If/when it's done,
there will be a large section of powers and power modifiers, a bunch of
optional rules for superheroic-style action under the D20 system, etc.
Someone who has ideas for a different style of game, or just a
supplement with a setting (World War 2, for example) can take out the
entire 'powers' section and paste it into his game, even if he doesn't
want to use my classes, skills, or feats. He doesn't have to laboriously
rewrite my description of 'Power Bolt' or 'Wall Walking'. That's a lot
of effort saved. (Especially considering how much *I* have to rewrite as
I shamelessly swipe ideas from everything from Champions Heroes
Unlimited to the Ultimate Powers Book.)
The only thing I *might* keep under copyright are my world background
notes, which are clearly 'creative work' and not game rules. I might
also release them as well.
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