As this is the Open Gaming forum, I don't feel particularly bad about this particular suggestion:
If you really have a problem with the way things are, start it up yourself.
Actually, I was planning on doing it just for the fun of the experiment.
I'm sure a number of you have been gaming for years and have your own opinions about what works and what doesn't in a RPG system. How about making an open gaming project that is 100% open from the ground up? Anyone interested in helping out/laying down some groundwork can e-mail me directly. Anyone with legal skill as well.
Basic idea:
Group effort to build the initial rules. Once that's done, all logo and complete access to use and modify all rules are open. With the exception of infringing on the Trademarks of other people. Difference between this and either the OGL or Dominion... No safe harbor. This is an open gaming project for gamers by gamers.
I honestly don't expect a huge turn out of people interested. I'm not someone just working on putting together my own game company. I'm a computer programmer who game masters on those weekends when friends don't decide they'd rather see a movie or some such. There will be no real money to be made from this as anything you contribute will likely end up in someone else's books. The best you can hope for is the recognition you get from having your own copyright added to the main copywrite of the liscence. This may never get off the ground even. But I think it'll be at least a fun thought experiment. Once I get the web space put aside and an initial liscence draft, then we can register with the OGF.
-Bill
P.S. *grin* We now have a potential alternative for the lot of ye complainers. If the game's not to your liking, make your own.
|-----Original Message-----
|From: Doug Meerschaert [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
|Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 3:32 PM
|To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
|Subject: [Open_Gaming] industry standard
|
|
|>From: "Mark \"Tipop\" Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
|>
|> This discussion of RQ vs D&D3e got started because I
|stated that I
|>would
|>rather see the Chaosium system (of which RunQuest is just one example,
|>remember) become the standard in the industry over D20. I
|agree that there
|>are a few aspects of RuneQuest that were a little
|complicated, but those
|>aren't inherent in the Chaosium system, as demonstrated by
|other Chaosium
|>games, such as Elf Quest, Elric, etc.
|
|Unfortunatly for us all, AD&D is the closest thing we have to
|an "industry
|standard"--it's not that far from the mark to say that
|"everyone" knows the
|rules. Trying to have a "not AD&D" de-facto standard is
|probably about as
|hard as having a "not Microsoft" buisness software model...
|
|Of course, the "Microsoft" in this model has come out with its
|own version
|of a "better standard." All things being equal, the best
|reason to have the
|"default" rules be d20 is that they're so well-known (er, "will be.")
|
|Now, if there *is* a inequality, you should use different rules. For
|instance, if you want a gritty, deadly game, you should
|certainly change the
|"default" rules... even replace them. If you can, use the
|OGL--and someone
|will have no end of fun using your rules as they should be used.
|
|
|DM
|
|
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