D&D 5E Survey: What should the next Magic the Gathering Campaign Setting be?

[Charlaquin]

Now that Ikora has been fully spoiled, I think it would make a really cool D&D setting.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Bollocks.

The fact that someone else publishes something PROVES it has value. The fact that someone else is profiting PROVES it is theft.


No law has foundation in reality outside the human mind.

"Take the universe and grind it down to the finest powder and sieve it through the finest sieve and then show me one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy. and yet... and yet you act as if there is some ideal order in the world, as if there is some... some rightness in the universe by which it may be judged."
-Sir Terry Pratchett

However, there is also this:

"The labourer deserves his wages."
- Jesus, known as the Christ

I love how you quote a fantasy writer and mythological character as the basis of an argument.

I agree, no law has foundation in reality outside the human mind, which is why I am universally skeptical of them and air on the side of legislative minimalism.

Also "deserve" is a strange word. I'm not sure anyone really knows what it means. There are simply too many assumptions built into it. For many of those assumptions, I have yet to hear a convincing explanation.

Basically IP law works because WotC has the backing the of the US government, which has the backing of the military. And might makes right, in a very real sense.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Also "deserve" is a strange word. I'm not sure anyone really knows what it means.

It's very simple. If I make something I should be paid for it. That includes ideas as well as physical objects. And if you don't pay someone, they will not make it.

Basically IP law works because WotC has the backing the of the US government, which has the backing of the military. And might makes right, in a very real sense.

Given that I don't live in the USA, am not subject to the US government or the US military, yet IP law still exists, that is also complete bollocks*.

Laws don't exists because of governments, governments exist because of laws.


*I would have thought my use of the word "bollocks" Indicated I wasn't American.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

It's very simple. If I make something I should be paid for it. That includes ideas as well as physical objects. And if you don't pay someone, they will not make it.

Why?

(Emotionally, I agree with you. But that doesn't make something true - unless it does. In which case we must prove that.)

Given that I don't live in the USA, am not subject to the US government or the US military, yet IP law still exists, that is also complete bollocks.

Well, we can replace USA with any government and the US military with any military. Yet IP laws exist because of laws and government.

Laws don't exists because of governments, governments exist because of laws.

Maybe, maybe not. But are either of those legitimate forms for authority? If so, why?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Why?

If you don't pay someone they won't be able to buy food. If they can't buy food they will die. If they die they won't be able to make anything.

Well, we can replace USA with any government and the US military with any military. Yet IP laws exist because of laws and government.

Laws exist in order to enable humans to live together in a society. Governments exist in order for societies to grow beyond the size of a few dozen individuals.

Maybe, maybe not. But are either of those legitimate forms for authority? If so, why?

Now "legitimate" - that is a meaningless word. Governments are necessary.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

You shouldn't worry too much if the fandom is enough loyal to pay for the products. I have spent my money to buy Pathfinder, Starfinder, D&D 5th and World of Darkness 20 Anniversary. I could see youtube videos about comics but if I like a title and this is in the comic store, then I buy it. Why? Because I am a collector. If I don't want I will not buy the Pathfinder 2 corebook, because I can use the SRD, but if I am a collector I will buy it (when it to be translated and published by Devir Iberia).

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

If you don't pay someone they won't be able to buy food. If they can't buy food they will die. If they die they won't be able to make anything.

Laws exist in order to enable humans to live together in a society. Governments exist in order for societies to grow beyond the size of a few dozen individuals.

Now "legitimate" - that is a meaningless word. Governments are necessary.

I'm not sure this forum is the best place for the discussion of the value of human life, which is ultimate what this discussion will come down to. I'm not sure human life has any value. It might, it might not. I haven't seen or read anything that makes me lean heavily in either direction.

Maybe humans are better off not having grown larger than a few dozen individuals. Once again, it's an open question. As if we are able to go back. Certainly, to do so would be horrifying.

Founding the legitimacy of government on necessity one idea, but it asks the question: necessary for what? By my understand, you propose to "enable humans to live together in a society. Governments exist in order for societies to grow beyond the size of a few dozen individuals." Which is great, but them we're back to the previous (thus far unanswered questions).

I see no way to answer those questions. Many philosophers have tried and failed. So instead we seem to base our society on necessary untruths - which I, personally, am uncomfortable with.

Returning to the question of IP law, because I have found no legitimate basis of government, I propose we all publish what we want and we allow the masses to purchase what they want. If the masses deem someone as "steal" someone else IP, they can simply refuse to purchase material created using that "stole" IP.

Would this work? Maybe not. Maybe publishing as an industry will crumble. That's fine with me. The deregulated internet provides as excellent way for us to sell and distribute our ideas individually.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Speculative fiction can be used as a softer way to talk about serious matters, for example about ethical. For example, would you destroy a robot with the uploaded memory of a human? (for example a character from the rpg Eclipse Phase) and would you destroy its cortical stack to erase totally its memories?

And sorry, but now you have to excuse me but in the name of the mercy I have to stab Kaleshee "mother of wyrms", that empress-wannabe mad wicth who sent an horde of the dragons to fire the city "Queen's Landing".

 

[gyor]

I'm not advocated removing IPs laws, but I think if a company does not actively use that IP, rights to it should be lost about 6 or 7 years.

Besides, WotC has the Dungeon Masters' Guild. The could open up those settings, make money, but they prefer to sit on them.

So basically if a company just sits on an IP for 6 or 7 years it shifts to public domain?

I'd extend it to a full 10 years, a decade seems reasonable, then it shifts into the public domain early (eventually all the D&D settings will become public domain, it's just a matter of time already).

Still even with that Planescape and the major D&D settings wouldn't qualify because these settings are mentioned in a variety of 5e books, they could claim they published something for the setting no matter how minor that might be.

But, you still have the right to Parody these settings, and if you write free fan fiction or free house rules/setting lore they won't bother you at all in practice.

If your hanking to make money on it, you could just call your won't Totally Not Planescape, then make a few alterations to the setting.

Actually now that I think about it Planescape, Ravenloft, and Spelljammer are all metasettings that over lap with other settings a lot.

The planes have been mentioned in FR books and tied to various Gods, and Sigil & Lady of Pain have been mentioned in FR books and appeared in a set of FR novels.

The Dawn Pantheon of Nentir Vale are mentioned in some kind of tomb in FR, so could I use them?

Realmspace is functionally both Forgotten Realms and Spelljammer.

And things get even more confusing with Ravnica because

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm not sure human life has any value.

Everything has whatever value people are willing to assign to it.

Maybe humans are better off not having grown larger than a few dozen individuals.

Quite possibly. But then, they wouldn't have been human.

Founding the legitimacy of government on necessity one idea, but it asks the question: necessary for what? By my understand, you propose to "enable humans to live together in a society. Governments exist in order for societies to grow beyond the size of a few dozen individuals." Which is great, but them we're back to the previous (thus far unanswered questions).

Quite. Apart from the "unanswered" part - you answered it yourself - "to do so would be horrifying."

Many philosophers have tried and failed.

That's because philosophers overthink the problem. Anyway, if they solved it, they would put themselves out of work.

So instead we seem to base our society on necessary untruths - which I, personally, am uncomfortable with.

Yes we do. Which Terry Pratchett addresses very well in the book I quoted (Hogfather). As for you being "uncomfortable" with it - get over yourself, you said yourself, it's necessary. Comfort is a luxury most of us can't afford.

Returning to the question of IP law, because I have found no legitimate basis of government

Fortunately, it aint up to you. I'm sure people quake in their boots when you tell them their government aint "legitimate" in your eyes.

Would this work? Maybe not.

OBVIOUSLY not.

Maybe publishing as an industry will crumble. That's fine with me. The deregulated internet provides as excellent way for us to sell and distribute our ideas individually.

The Internet would crumble. It's based on the fundamental principle that people can earn money (which they need to by food, which they need to be not dead) by selling ideas. Take away ownership, and you take way the ability for people to turn ideas into food, which means they will be too busy growing vegetables to put ideas on the internet, or maintain the infrastructure which the Internet requires to function.