Epic level teaser

[Crothian]

So, this is actually accurate? I was thinking it was like when RangerWickett posted the previews of all those class books. He basically made up a lot of good sounding material.

 

[Nightfall]

Re: Epic Teasers

It would be bad enough that someone Wizards trusted to be a playtester saw fit to violate confidentiality agreements with someone who feels no remorse at anonymously airing that violation.

But to add injury to insult, this...person...seems to think that copyright laws are also merely something to be ignored.

In case it's not clear, this activity represents an awfully good way to ensure that external playtesting ENDS. It's a privilege, not a right, and people like "Malik Doom"--and, frankly, everyone encouraging such efforts--are busy putting nails in the coffin.

As a 20+ year veteran of gaming, and one of the authors of the document in question, I am ashamed that people like this share my hobby.

If this "Malik Doom" is so brave, maybe he'll come forward and identify himself so that everyone out there can heap glory upon him.

But I doubt it.


Andy Collins
RPG Designer, Wizards of the Coast
andy.collins@wizards.com

Okay now I feel bad.

I guess so Croth. I was just thinking he was making some of this up. Well there goes a lot of fun I was having...

 

[Nightfall]

I also hate to think Andy that I would encourge this. I for one believe that a person's word is bond. Too bad Malik doesn't feel that way. Should have known better than to trust the Seraph of Lies...

 

[Paragon]

Pack your bags, we're going on a guilt trip!

Paragon

Well you all, I hope you enjoyed errata free, (or at least low errata) books. I hope you got a kick out of rule that actually worked, cuz that's over now.

There is no way that they can continue the playtest process after this stunt. Hope you enjoyed your preveiw of the last playtested book ever.

 

[ergeheilalt]

Jeeze... 300+ pages of material and we've seen what...5-10. Telling us "They're coming out with _ and _ and even the _" does nothing to damage the sell-ability of the book. I , however, do NOT condone the posting of whole-sale copied info.

-PS: wow, I need to have this book now...it look real good. I mean REAL good.

 

[Malik Doom]

My reply to the nay sayers............

I think small teasers actually help in the product sales. Even if malik eventually posts the entire book online, many people (myself included) would read through the post, and drool over the stuff that will come out. I dont think that any amount of cutting and pasting and printing can ever replace the book- especially the wonderful art that is DND.

When the Deities book was posted on the web, I had little interest in it because why would the stats of the GODs matter when you have mortal players? But the teasers made me think of how interesting the pantheons were, and of all the cool things that I can get the Gods to do- DM is more powerful than GODs- and so I went and got the book.

Not taking anything away from the book's contents- which was very well done- but the clincher was the artwork. Lockwood and Reynolds are the most awesome fantasy artists i have ever seen.

Sure- if someone decided to scan and post every picture in the book, you can DL and printout a perfect copy of teh book and have Kinko's bind it- but there is something missing from that-

Even if the entire book is posted, i will still pay the $30 and get it if not just to support my local game shop.

Actually I won't post the whole book, I haven't even touched the surface of it. Now as for pirated playtest material, well I found it and like to help with teasers. It doesn't have any new Prestige Classes and is only 135 pages in length, so it's missing lots of information. If you don't like me doing this, so be it. If some idiot posts the playtest .pdf on the web, he's in violation of the NDA, not me. I will respect the wishes of anyone official at WotC that asks me to stop posting teasers, but until it happens, I will post tidbits from now until July. I fully plan to buy the book and read it from cover to cover in July, and I wont butcher my book to post it on the web, as I wouldn't want anyone to take away from my business, so I won't do it to WotC. I own pretty much every D20 product I can find and will continue to buy them.

 

[Nightfall]

I think though that's what they are saying Malik. Don't post anything UNTIL they sort this out.

 

[Malik Doom]

Re: Epic Teasers

It would be bad enough that someone Wizards trusted to be a playtester saw fit to violate confidentiality agreements with someone who feels no remorse at anonymously airing that violation.

But to add injury to insult, this...person...seems to think that copyright laws are also merely something to be ignored.

In case it's not clear, this activity represents an awfully good way to ensure that external playtesting ENDS. It's a privilege, not a right, and people like "Malik Doom"--and, frankly, everyone encouraging such efforts--are busy putting nails in the coffin.

As a 20+ year veteran of gaming, and one of the authors of the document in question, I am ashamed that people like this share my hobby.

If this "Malik Doom" is so brave, maybe he'll come forward and identify himself so that everyone out there can heap glory upon him.

But I doubt it.


Andy Collins
RPG Designer, Wizards of the Coast
andy.collins@wizards.com

Andy

It was and is not my intention to ruin this for anyone, so I will stop, here and now and notify the moderators to have this thread deleted.

As for how I received this, I will email you and let you personally know so you can help put an end to it.

As for glory, no I don't want it's overrated. Someone put this out there and I found it, that's all. I stumbled upon it and wanted to help and didn't think and don't think it will ruin anything for anyone.

 

[DM_Matt]

I wasnt sure if I was going to buy this book, but this thread has convinced me. thanks for being such a good salesperson Malik Doom.

 

[greymarch]

Bah!

Bah! Posting the whole damn book on the net would be copyright infringement, but giving us small parts of the rules contained in the Epic Level Handbook seems perfectly ethical. Afterall, this messageboard, and many other messageboards, including the official ones at WOTC, have people constantly quoting rules from WOTC published materials. You cannot discuss how rules work on a messageboard without stating how the rule is printed in a book. How come none of these examples are copyright infringement, or are considered immoral? They arent! Keep posting the occassion blurb from the Epic Level rules Malik, I am behind you 100 percent.