Anthony Valterra breaks his silence

[EricNoah]

Umm. I feel a little leery of asking question of "Valterrafromhome" who is a new member with only 3 posts. Can we get any confirmation this is not a spoof?

I hereby confirm that it's not a spoof.

 

[William Ronald]

Thanks, Eric!!

(I think this thread should be mentioned on the front page.)

Okay, another question for Mr. Valterra.

Ryan Dancey recently mentioned where he believes the OGL will go in the near future. What are you thoughts on his views and where do you see the OGL and the D20 movement going in the next few years?

 

[Anthony Valterra]

I hope things go well for you out on your own. Thanks for all of your hard work while at WotC.

What sort of content, and how much of it (approx.) do you think will be OGC from the BoEF?

Thanks.

Likely close to 100%. We will hold copyright on the images and a few names and thats about it.
AV

 

[Anthony Valterra]

Alrighty-o. Glad to see you. I'll let the others start with the controversy, as they are better at it. But anyways, how are you doing, and who's going to be handling D&D at WoTC now?

I don't know at this time. I'm sure WotC will make an announcment on that as soon as possible.

AV

 

[alsih2o]

mr. valterra,

how much wood could a dire woodchuck chuck if a dire woodchuck could chuck wood?


good luck with your endeavours....

 

[SemperJase]

Mr. AV,

Well, it appears that my concerns about your conflict of interest were uninformed. Thankfully that is. This news restores my confidence in WotC's managment and your business integrity.

I am surprised the announcement of your departure came after the product press release. I am also relieved that WotC is not going to have any connection with the BoEF as it seems to take RPG's in a direction I don't believe they need to go.

My perception of you is a pretty astute business man. As you know warning labels seem to help sell products, rather than hinder them.

My question is how are you going to market this book? Through what channels will it be sold, i.e. game stores? Will it be "behind the counter" or on the shelf with a warning label, in a wrapper? If you can answer, are distributors accpeting it?

 

[Anthony Valterra]

First things first. Congratulations and good luck with your venture.

Now. I'll ask a couple common questions to get them out there. They, or some variation of them, have appeared on every thread about your book on every message board I've seen. So:

1) People have been speculating about improper use of the OGL, specifically in reference to your press release's direct mention of compatability with Dungeons & Dragons. What's your position on the matter?

2) Will the product be marked as age restricted?


Patrick Y.

Excellent, excellent questions. In regards to #1. In the time that I have been in charge of the OGl/d20 I have never stated that one cannot make the truthful statement that ones product is compatible with Dungeons & Dragons. A press rlease is considered a "statement". Although there is currently a case pending that may change this (Nike vs. Kasky), currently a press release is not considered marketing or advertising. The OGL/d20 does not permit using the trademarked term Dungeons & Dragon in advertising or marketing.

In regards to #2 the product will be handled in the same manner as Book of Vile Darkness - it will be stickered. Hopefully with more user friendly glue.

AV

 

[Balsamic Dragon]

First off, good luck with the new company!

Couple of questions:

1. On the scale between light (Xxxenophile) and dark (BoVD, White Wolf) mature material, in terms of tone, where do you see the new book as falling?

2. WOTC seemed, well, pretty pissed about the press release. Some might say this reaction is somewhat hypocritcal considering the BoVD. What do you think?

Balsamic Dragon

 

[yangnome]

I wish you luck in future endevors. A couple questions:

There has been alot of speculation as to what will be in the BOEF, I was wondering if you could maybe hint at a couple topics, or maybe give a preliminary list of ideas/things you would like to cover in the book.


Is your leaving WotC a sign of another round of layoffs, or is this just involving you?

What are some other products/topics we might see from you in the future?

Do you plan to stick with fantasy? or are there any chances at modern/other projects?

 

[Anthony Valterra]

I hope all works out for you. It seems your departure is on good terms, so that's cool. A lot of the fear will come from people being unsure about the SRD updates being in capable hands. While the ELH and D&Dg are on the way, I know many want the MotP in as well.

Are there any other products that you wish to do that you're willing to mention?


Thanks for you time!
Chris Dickinson

The SRD stuff is in really good hands with Andy Smith who is like an SRD OGl/d20 demi-god. Really an amazing guy. Actually let me just take a moment here to talk about the people on my (former) business team.

They are without a doubt the best group of people I have ever worked with. They are uniformly intelligent, creative, unbelievably dedicated. Everyone of them are outstanding employees and outstanding people. I will deeply miss seeing them every day. That will be easily the most difficult part of this transition.

Okay - misty eyed now.

Other products - I have my thoughts but I really want your feedback. We have a space on our board just to cover the future of Valar Project, Inc. Please do come and let us know.

AV