Death of Open Content

[Belen]

I have a feeling that the content of 4e will not be open any longer. The new OGL/STL seems designed for publishers. The new SRD is a document that lets publishers create content for D&D 4e. It does not seem to allow for open rules. If this is the case, then people will not be able to make a full online SRD or even a free character generator such as Heroforge. The content is simplely not open in the way that we currently understand it.

In this case, I believe it seriously damages my ability to play 4e without needing to subscribe to something such as the DDI. I could not play 3.5 without the aids such as Heroforge and d20srd.org to make my life easier. The game becomes too complex.

In any event, I have a feeling that the new OGL will be worded to prevent items such as Heroforge from competing with WOTC DI. I think this is one reason they are not allowing anyone to see the new OGL without an NDA. They do not need more negative publicity before the launch of 4e.

 

[Flynn]

If I had to guess, 4E will pretty much be as open as 3E was, but WOTC isn't going to just hand over the rules already typed up for free. I believe we'll still be able to use the rules in the same way as before, but we'll have to go through the trouble of typing up our own rules out of the book instead. I'm sure that an enterprising person will likely come along that will do the work for you, if you want to wait a bit, and release the text for free on some website, all in accordance with the OGL.

The SRD for 4E is not about restricting the rules you can use, but about keeping people from using the SRD as their rule book. How many times have you read someone's post about doing just that? I imagine WOTC has read the same things, and they are taking this approach to handling that particular situation. If you are a publisher, you're serious enough about the game to buy the core rules as a minimal investment. If you aren't, then WOTC doesn't want to give away their Open Game Content for free.

It's still Open, it just isn't free anymore. Well, at least in the beginning before someone does the work of creating an SRD site under the OGL with all the Open Game Content typed out for your perusal.

That's my two coppers, anyway,
Flynn

 

[TerraDave]

I agree with Flynn, they are creating a hurdle to just playing with the SRD. And who knows, the new SRD may have some value added. Also, I think we will actually see more open content from them through time.

Also, I just can't believe that they will revert to TSR form and start going after free web content on fan-sites. That was a PR disaster before, and I don't see them doing that. I think they may encourage it on Gleemax (where they may claim rights to use). But if you set up your own webpage with some free open or copywrighted material, I really don't think they will make a big deal about it.

 

[JohnRTroy]

Why is "Open Content" dead?

Using the 4th Edition rules may not be allowed...However, using the 3rd Edition rules is allowed (and not revokeable), and you can also create your own games and use that license.

So it's not "dead" by any means. Those that support the philosophy can do it. But it's Wizard's choice to not make 4e a part of it.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Replacing the actual text of the rules with references to the rulebooks might actually have beneficial effect.

If the references are formulated accordingly, one might use the most current version of the texts, including errata. This beats a static SRD.

And I've not yet seen any indication that your are not allowed to use the texts to make up your online, researchable documents. I assume it would just be more work to get the thing running.

But I may very well be wrong on that...

---
Huldvoll

Baron von Bomberg

 

[Darkwolf71]

Heh, Heroforge isn't OGL legal as it is. All those extra classes, prestige classes, races, etc. Very little (read none) of it is in the SRD. WotC has kindly let it slide, as 1) no one is making a profit from it. It's totally free and is developed, tested, and distributed by volunteers. 2) WotC has no competing product. If they did I'm sure they would do everything they could to stop HF. (And other more 'technically' legal communities that allow users to share their self made data sets.)

It should be interesting to see how the unlicensed char gen utilities fare with the birth of the DDI.

 

[Ranger REG]

If the references are formulated accordingly, one might use the most current version of the texts, including errata. This beats a static SRD.

THAT I gotta see, especially with regards to future errata publication.

Personally I don't see the SRD as static, considering WotC can alway edit an post updated text in the SRD, which is an editable electronic document anyway. No offense, but I think they're just too lazy, especially All Things Errata.