Morbus Iff wrote:
> "Open source software works because not everyone in the world can
> code software; you still, in the end, have raw consumers. But an open
> source game system is different, because anyone who can read and
> write can now design their own game system based off the core rules.
> And that dilutes the product. And that's not good."
Sheesh.
Open Source software works because there is a way to have value added on
to it--service plans, support, or extra propritetary software. The fact
that it's "open" isn't nearly as important to the *financial* side of
things as the face that it's *free* is.
Open Gaming, on the other hand, has this in the license--you don't pay
for the right to use the rules. You pay for the right to own a copy of
all the cool non-open parts therein... at the very least, the cool
formatting and art.
Every company that makes a d20 product, from Wizards of the Coast to
Team Frog, realizes this. The d20 trademark license is *designed* on
the concept of added value--in the case of d20, the added value of just
the "d20" name itself.
Also, "the product" of Dungeons and Dragons or Sword Sorcery cannot be
diluted--their name isn't going anywhere, and can't be used. If
something says "D&D" on it, it's been run through the profesional
Wizards of the Coast team. If something is made by Sword & Sorcery,
it's been made by that proven team.
One more point--*everyone* who plays an RPG runs their own MUD. It's
called a RPG campaign, and it's got no more to do with the basic rules
than a piece of software has to do with its operating system. You can
use the most popular one, or you can convert to something else
entierly--and your thing (software or campaign) can remain pretty much
the same.
DM
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
