Mike Mearls On the OGL

[Henry]

I wasn't looking at pathfinder. Rumors stated the paizo planned to realease a full game under the OGL, including play testing. Again, with the GSL's various clauses, I'm not sure how that will work anymore.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG

I'm not sure we're talking about the same "Pathfinder." That's the name of their adventure path type stuff, but they're ALSO beta-testing their RPG by that name.

 

[Storyteller01]

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG

I'm not sure we're talking about the same "Pathfinder." That's the name of their adventure path type stuff, but they're ALSO beta-testing their RPG by that name.

I may be wrong then. Thanks for the information.

 

[cdrcjsn]

IMO this perspective is wrong for the health of the hobby. See what you told before about Wizards. They control D&D but what they are after fright now is quick grabs: not D&D's or the hobby's long term health.

It can be argued that the financial health of WotC as a game company is vital to the long term health of this hobby...

 

[xechnao]

It can be argued that the financial health of WotC as a game company is vital to the long term health of this hobby...

It is wrong. Companies invest their capital in various ways and various fields. What they are after is gaining more capital. Not the health of the hobby.

What the hobby needs is a way that it can attract and entertain its members.

 

[Henry]

What the hobby needs is a way that it can attract and entertain its members.

It could then be argued, pretty strongly, that D&D is vital to the hobby, because D&D is the "Gateway Drug" for the majority of tabletop roleplayers out there.

 

[Erik Mona]

I would love to see Pathfinder take up this mantle but, as others have pointed out, it has backwards compatibility issues.

This is exactly what we intend to do, and while this is not the thread to discuss them I must say that I think most of the "backwards compatibility issues" are hokum.

The OGL has not failed. It has hardly even started.

--Erik

 

[xechnao]

It could then be argued, pretty strongly, that D&D is vital to the hobby, because D&D is the "Gateway Drug" for the majority of tabletop roleplayers out there.

What is this D&D gateway drug though? Wotc's management or a recognition attained of various different reasons?

 

[xechnao]

"backwards compatibility issues" are hokum.


--Erik

You are talking some sense. Good to see you are getting the right direction.

 

[Erik Mona]

RUmor is that Paizo is attempting to create a backwards compatible 3.5, and if anyone could re-establish the OGL it would be them. Unfortunately, those rumors were heard before the GSL release. I haven't heard anything since.

The rumors are true! More than 20,000 gamers have already downloaded Paizo's Alpha Playtest of the Pathfinder RPG, a free PDF that includes the heart of the system along with some proposed changes. Some folks are worried that some of those changes might affect backwards compatibility, but that's what the year-long open playtest is about.

You can learn more at Paizo's Pathfinder RPG page.

--Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing

 

[Erik Mona]

IMO Pathfinder can only but give oxygen to the OGL for now. It can't feed it to make it grow really.

The key phrase in your statement, of course, is "for now". We'll see what the future brings. Paizo is 100% committed to open gaming.

--Erik