Its sad the GSL is so restrictive, but understandable. Its also sad that so few 3P companies are willing to go to bat for their fans and try to work something out, and this I have a harder time understanding.
You and I see things very differently Grimstaff.
You see them not going to bat for us, I see the opposite. The GSL is so restrictive, I don't blame them, and I am glad that they are looking after the things that are valuable to them (they are very valuable to me too).
Not everyone thinks 4e is all that awesome. Everything about it indicates it should be the coolest thing since sliced bread. But the more you hear, the more you look at it the less cool it gets. The more you play the more tedious it becomes. The best analogy i can come up wioth is that it is like the "Enterprise" of the Star Trek Universe. Highly anticipated, lots of viewers initially, and then what started off with an innovative and distinctive conceptual premise, it began to quickly lose its luster when it became reduced to shallow repetition and rigid exercise in conformity. I think it will end up paling next to its predessesors. Once can already see it when one looks at the polls of people who are planning on playing 4e - the brand has lost half its audience.
The GSL is but one more facet of "rigid conformity" except that it gives all of the power to WOTC and none of the guarantees and no protections or safeguards. If I had some valuable properties like GR, I to would be *very* hesitant about joining up. They are protecting their interests for their sakes and for ours.
There are plenty of 3rd party publishers who are going to join the fray (Goodman, Mongoose, Necromancer to name a few), so people not feel completely abandoned by third party pubs.
The reason that Green Ronin isn't antering the game is simple - WOTC and their GSL. It is simply unacceptable. They are probably feeling about the GSL the same way I feel about 4e - left behind by a system/contract that will not cater to them or be flexible to their wants/needs.
WOTC left them (and many of us) behind. Let us be clear - WOTC.
I of course am the lucky one, as I am going to keep purchasing Green Ronin Products for quite some time. Did you know that they just opened p their True20 license... for free? Anyone can make True20 products as long as they fulfil the OGL and the True20 license agreement (which leaves IP where it should be - in the hands of the publishers). Since then, True20 has bloomed with fresh product from new publishers. What a concept!
Razuur