Brad: Thank you for your lengthy response. I had written a point by point
response but I think I'll just summarize it. Here's the very very short
version: I think 'open gaming's big benefits would be that everyone gets a
low cost, high-quality gaming system. WOTC wants to make monopoly profits
from the sale of a high-cost, low(er)-quality gaming system. One of us has
to be wrong.
Lengthier version:
What WOTC is trying to do the same thing as Microsoft did; and that�s
great, smart business thinking on their part. I never expected altruism
from them; but I also never would have thought that their business goal was
to sell more PHBs. Being that it is, allowing others to write supplements
compatible with their system is not an �open source� movement, its merely
an SDK, and while that is nice, its not going to promote a renaissance of
rpg playing or great innovation in game design.
As far as the D20SRD. I�ll be very surprised if D20SRD under the OGL turns
out to be very useful. If it is, well, then, that�s something. In fact,
the more useful they make D20SRD, the more impressed I�ll be. If, as you
seem to believe will happen, I can use D20SRD to actually replicate PHB and
DMG and MM and then distribute it as �Alex�s Fantasy Game� for half the
price of those books (or for free), the way Red Hat can distribute LINUX,
then I�ll be really impressed. I will gladly and humbly eat crow. And after
eating crow, I�ll write "Alex�s Fantasy Game" and no one will buy silly
overpriced WOTC books when mine are just as good, are fully compatible with
the D&D product line, and cost less.
This would indeed be a big boon for the gaming community. This would lower
barriers to entry and get the D20 rules in every household. This would be
competition on the basis of value (which benefits the consumer), rather
than profit on the basis of network effects (which doesn't). This makes
sense if your goal is to sell more blades.
BUT for the very reason that they are using �open gaming� to sell more
PHBs, I can't believe that they will permit this. I suspect that the D20SRD
will be a miniscule bare bones, not a substantive rule set. And for that
reason, I don't think any big benefits to the game industry will occur;
certainly none that justify supporting WOTC in a bid to crush all other
superior systems from the market.
Best regards,
Alex Macris
p.s. you wrote:
>That isn't a loophole, it's intentional. You can use all the d20 material
>under the OGL without the d20 STL. That includes making your own OGL PHB.
What I was thinking is that you make 2 products, as follows: One is your
ruleset, which has a D20STL license and excludes the forbidden rules. The
other product is a small pamphlet with nothing but the class/race rules and
the xp rules, which is a separate product with a separate OGL license. You
then offer the mini-pamphlet for free either in a bundled package (�buy X,
get Y free�), via a mail-in offer, in a newsletter, on your website, etc.
That way people can buy your �D20� system rules set, and yet not have to
buy the PHB�
Alexander P. Macris
WarCry Corp. -- Chief Executive Officer
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tele: 617.354.7843
Cell: 617.515.6934
Fax: 253.423.6181
-------------
For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
