This won't mean anything to the non-gamers on my friends list so apologies in advance.
The Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License is now up. The actual PDF of the GSL part can be read here, although obviously if you are interested in publishing 4E material you'll have to go throguh all the documents on the site.
Haven't had a proper read through it as yet but from the document I have gone through I'll be very interested to see who - especially from the 'big boys' will actually go with this license. It does seem very draconian and in places the wording is quite vague which isn't good.
I'll also be interested to see if more companies now come out in support of one of the alternative systems on offer like Paizo's 3.75, Green Ronins True20 or just keep promoting the old 3.5 OGL.
It's days like today when I'm very happy we (Cubicle 7) didn't decide to try and jump on the 4E wagon. My heart certainly goes out to some of my friends in the industry who signed up for 4E at the beginning of the year only to see things delayed, delayed and furtehr delayed without knowing what the GSL would contain. As far as I can see this license isn't good for any existing company who doesn't want to wholly move over to 4E and stop printing the product lines they convert over in any other system format - ever.
I'm sure they'll be heated discussion around forums and mailing lists about this one (then again there always was going to be regardless of it's content). I'll have to read it in more detail, but at the moment it doesn't look very nice.
The Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Game System License is now up. The actual PDF of the GSL part can be read here, although obviously if you are interested in publishing 4E material you'll have to go throguh all the documents on the site.
Haven't had a proper read through it as yet but from the document I have gone through I'll be very interested to see who - especially from the 'big boys' will actually go with this license. It does seem very draconian and in places the wording is quite vague which isn't good.
I'll also be interested to see if more companies now come out in support of one of the alternative systems on offer like Paizo's 3.75, Green Ronins True20 or just keep promoting the old 3.5 OGL.
It's days like today when I'm very happy we (Cubicle 7) didn't decide to try and jump on the 4E wagon. My heart certainly goes out to some of my friends in the industry who signed up for 4E at the beginning of the year only to see things delayed, delayed and furtehr delayed without knowing what the GSL would contain. As far as I can see this license isn't good for any existing company who doesn't want to wholly move over to 4E and stop printing the product lines they convert over in any other system format - ever.
I'm sure they'll be heated discussion around forums and mailing lists about this one (then again there always was going to be regardless of it's content). I'll have to read it in more detail, but at the moment it doesn't look very nice.
Profile
angusabranson- Angus Abranson
- Chronicle City
Comments
It certainly does look like its a 4e or nothing license for companies who have old 3e lines and might want to move into 4e as well.
I think you were very prudent not to jump straight into 4e commitments without seeing what that would actually entail in practice.
Personally I think there is also a bit of a 'line in the sand' being drawn by 4e as a system between rpgs as wargames based or story based. My own take on 4e is that it looks like its all combat orientated and any real role-playing will involve ditching the system. I prefer games where the system encourages role-playing and plays down combat or resolves it very simply and quickly in a more cinematic style. I find myself wondering if there is increasingly going to be a more of a division occurring between them... What do you think Angus?