CMG 4E Plans? (Forked from: Welcome)

[Mark]

Forked from: Welcome to the Creative Mountain Gamers Forum!

Howdy, crew!

Hey, Mark, since I'm practically fungoid, are you going to be doing some 4E-compatible stuff, or sticking with 3.x/Pathfinder?

Thanks for asking! Since it might be good to have a separate thread on any CMG 4E plans, I think I will use this opportunity to try out the Thread Forking Mechanic.

Having the luxury of being smaller and more flexible, I am still holding off on any decisions until much closer to October. I might be doing some generic stuff or 4E without the GSL, but the GSL and its restrictions against further OGL work just seems to onerous to be attractive.

 

[Greg K]

Hi,
I am sticking with 3e. It has some problems. However, while the designers of 4e sought to address many of these problems, I don't like many of their mechanical implementations or their design philosophy. In contrast , the various third party publishers have provided me a toolbox from which I can add or replace items to tailor 3e to be much closer to what I wanted a 4e to be.

I am hoping to that the 3pps will address some of my remaining issues with 3e.

For instance, one the things I had wanted to see for 3e was the rewriting and rebalancing the races to remove the non-biological aspects from the races and the creation of cultural/environmental templates similar to HARP (or ,to a lesser degree, RMSS cultural adolescence) which can be added to any race to tailor the races to the setting (along with guidelines for the DM to create new cultures). This would help DMs quickly tailor the races to their world and help PCs create one race/culture growing up.

The big issue as to whether I stick with 3e over time or leave DND entirely will be the future availability of existing 3pp material. As someone that generally dislikes WOTC 3e supplements and uses many third party products, if the 3pp player oriented material that I use is not available for any future new players to purchase, I'll probably leave DND.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I've said this out in the open, so I'll say it here in private as well. I'm not accepting any 4th edition design work. I feel that the GSL is bad for publishers, therefore it is bad for freelancers, and I am not supporting it with my work or with my gaming dollars. It's a hard line, I know, but my support goes to Pathfinder first, 3.5 second, and other game systems third.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I've said this out in the open, so I'll say it here in private as well. I'm not accepting any 4th edition design work. I feel that the GSL is bad for publishers, therefore it is bad for freelancers, and I am not supporting it with my work or with my gaming dollars.

Ditto this. As a writer, I don't see the GSL as attractive. As a player, I'm not interested in the 4E game. Pathfinder is where I am going.

 

[Mark]

The nice thing about the OGL is the ability to design some things that can fit, or be easily adjusted, into multiple systems. I am not really sure how the efforts of some to do an end-around on the GSL and publish 4E supplements without it are going to fare. To some degree, the GSL and ability to more blatantly advertise as a 4E product can go a long way to recovering the bottomline on a project. We will see.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I'm curious to see what happens in terms of OGL product sales in the near future. I know some 3rd party publishers said sales really slowed in anticipation of 4e. Now that it is out, people have had time to digest it, and the GSL appears to be limiting the amount of 3rd party published material forthcoming, I wonder if sales will begin to pick up again for OGL products, and whether it will be enough to sustain small publishers.

Personally, I bought the 4e books, but without a group to play it I haven't set aside the time to really go through the new rules. What I have read seems interesting, but I'm not sure whether learning the new rules, and spending time convincing and teaching other gaming friends will be worth it if it ends up meaning going back to something similar to the bad old days of single source D&D material that never satisfied what I was looking for. 3e and the OGL really regenerated my interest in D&D because I could tap into the creativity of so many to put together the game that best suited me and my friends.

 

[Wyrmshadows]

<<error>>

 

[Wyrmshadows]

I'm working on writing up a setting myself and I wouldn't touch the GSL with a 10' pole. There is no way I am going to put my IP into WoTC's fickle little hands. If I was kjust doing adventures, like Goodman games....why not? However with an IP that is taking a lot of work and energy to create, that can be a flagship product so to speak, I would never.

There is True20, Runequest, Conan D20, and the upcoming Pathfinder that is OGL, IMO there is no reason to go 4e. I believe that once Pathfinder is up and running there will be a great desire for 3pp support for that system. And there is always the option, which I would definately consider, to stat up products for more than one system such as Pathfinder and True20.



Wyrmshadows

 

[Mark]

(. . .) I wonder if sales will begin to pick up again for OGL products, and whether it will be enough to sustain small publishers.

I have no doubt that gathering a 4E group should be farly easy to do in time. As the strongest brand on the market, D&D has always had the luxury of tons of fan support and every edition is going to be like that, old and new. Roughly, where in MA are you located?

Personally, I bought the 4e books, but without a group to play it I haven't set aside the time to really go through the new rules. What I have read seems interesting, but I'm not sure whether learning the new rules, and spending time convincing and teaching other gaming friends will be worth it if it ends up meaning going back to something similar to the bad old days of single source D&D material that never satisfied what I was looking for. 3e and the OGL really regenerated my interest in D&D because I could tap into the creativity of so many to put together the game that best suited me and my friends.

Although it has never been huge and I have slowed the number of projects I have designed since the 4E announcement, my numbers have remained fairly steady. I feel bad for those who have experienced a big swing in business but I expect that those companies that continue to put out quality product will see that pendulum return to the happy side of the arc soon enough. I think the economy has hurt more than 4E and what we are seeing is less impulse buying. Customers tend to ration their entertainment dollars to the tried and true when they have few to spare. It is fortunate that CMG has maintained a reputation for quality that fans have continued to support. Thanks to all for that!

 

[Mark]

(. . .) IP that is taking a lot of work and energy to create, that can be a flagship product so to speak, I would never.

It's hard to accept taking much risk with material to which you have grown so close. Definitely always protect your rights.