EQ RPG: It's Your World Now...

[Dahak]

Why not make this d20?

Anyone who plays EQ obviously doesn't mind shelling out $$$ every month, so why not force people to buy a PHB too?

I REALLY don't see the advantage to it not being d20.

Perhaps it has something to do with their license with Sony or whomever. It is possible that someone would not want their licensees to produce a product with a direct link to a property as controversial as Dungeons & Dragons. It's also possible that when the D20STL and OGL licenses were explained to their lawyers, that they may have seen the benefit of having it completely stand alone. Even if Hasbro ever decides to revoke the D20STL, the OGL itself is irrevocable, so an OGL-only game would survive the D20STL termination.

blah. I am not a lawyer. blah.

 

[kenjib]

I remember Clark (his handle is Orcus) from Necromancer Games talking about the OGL and how dangerous (uncharted legal territory) it would be to make a d20 knock-off using the OGL. I'd be surprised to see SSS take such a risky move considering.

WotC sues White Wolf and things get ugly and unfriendly in the world of d20. It's been so nice and civil so far. I don't think that this is entirely a win-win situation unless it is published under the d20 guidelines. From the description so far it does sound alot like d20.

 

[spacecrime.com]

I'd be surprised to see SSS take such a risky move considering.

IMHO, there's nothing risky about it. This is what the OGL is *intended* for, and has been intended for from the beginning.

The reason everything has been D20 so far is because everyone has wanted to do projects that benefited from the D&D brand. Everquest is a very strong brand that can sell the game all by itself, so there's no good reason to obey the strictures of the D20 license.

Making it clear that the game is D&D compatible is good for getting a foot in the door with existing tabletop gamers and game stores, so they're doing that. But you don't need the license to do that, and there have been successful products that have done just that in the past with no fuss. (I'm thinking mainly of Harn and pre 3rd edition Kalamar here.)

As far as WotC's opinion goes, I imagine they're perfectly happy with it. Many gamers will buy EQ as just another supplement for their D&D games, which extends their involvement in D&D and provides WotC opportunities to sell them more of WotC's own D&D stuff. If the game succeeds, then many new gamers will also get into the tabletop hobby because they like Everquest, and they'll inevitably discover and probably purchase D&D products. Either way, WotC makes more money, and life is happy.

yours,

 

[Sonny]

I remember Clark (his handle is Orcus) from Necromancer Games talking about the OGL and how dangerous (uncharted legal territory) it would be to make a d20 knock-off using the OGL. I'd be surprised to see SSS take such a risky move considering.

WotC sues White Wolf and things get ugly and unfriendly in the world of d20. It's been so nice and civil so far. I don't think that this is entirely a win-win situation unless it is published under the d20 guidelines. From the description so far it does sound alot like d20.

Well, White Wolf doesn't seem to be hiding the fact that it's using the D20 system.

From the White Wolf Online Catalog description of Monsters of Norrath:
"Included in this D20 core rulebook"

 

[Fast Learner]

And if they're smart, they'll do just that: make their monster book actual d20, along with the Freeport module, etc., so they sell it to both groups (EQRPG fans and d20 fans).

Pretty clever, it would seem.

 

[gustavef]

Considering they are taking pains to be vague right now, I have a feeling that the game is not going to be a strict "d20" game. Or if it is they are still hammering out all the legal crunchy bits. There are a number of things which have to be determined.

How many levels. EQ goes to 60, currently the d20 system goes to 20.

How many stats. the d20 system has 6. EQ has more (I think 10. But I would have to go find my documents)

Core and Prestige classes: Which ones.

Spell slots verus Mana Points.

Endurance.

My Theory is that the game will be d20 like. But not "d20" as defined by WotC. However, "Source Material" like the monster manual and City of Freeport will be "Compatable."

-gustavef

 

[TalonComics]

Wow!
As a retailer and a role playing game enthusiast this is one of the best things I have heard in quite some time. The potential for new players is phenomenal! Also, this *should* propel role playing game ads into video game magazines. This is exactly what could release the floodgates for roleplaying and our hobby.

On a personal level I'm not a big fan of Norrath at all... But... It makes a great introduction to role playing and this release could actually improve the quality of role playing online.

~Derek

Let me be one of the first retailers to invite you to preorder the Everquest books at my standard 15% off! You'll be able to order them here:
www.taloncomics.com/everquestrpg.html

 

[Kichwas]

Why not make it d20?

Cause if it was it would not be able to have character creation rules or character development rules in it.

Those two aspects are excluded from d20.

By not making it d20 they can make it a full game that does not require you to buy anything from WotC to play it.

That's why I also feel it could be bad for WotC.

If it is successful it could introduce to the hobby a group of new gamers who outnumber us and who are all using an RPG that is not dependant on DnD yet is so close in mechanics to DnD that cross polination can happen; but if they do end up outnumbering us it is more likely that we will be pulled their way than they our way.

From d20guide.rtf at http://wizards.com/D20/main.asp?x=welcome,3
Mandatory Restrictions:

No Covered Product may contain rules or instructions of any kind that:

· Describe a process for Creating a Character
· Describe a process for Applying the Effects of Experience to a Character

No Covered Product may change or extend the definition of any Defined Game Term as enumerated in this Guide

None of this appears in the OGL. Only in the d20 System Guide.

More from the d20 System Guide:

Mandatory Requirements:

A minimum of 5% of the text of a Covered Product must be Open Game Content and must comply with the terms of the Open Gaming License version 1.0a.

All Covered Products must display the d20 System logo, or in the specific case of an ASCII text file, include the words "A d20 System Licensed Product".

All Covered Products must include the following text in a reasonably legible font, point size, and color:

'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System License version 1.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com.

Permission is granted to translate this text into a non-English language, provided that the English text is also included, and that the translated text is identified as non-official.

Trademark Use in Marketing:

Permission is granted to use the d20 System Logo for the purposes of marketing a Covered Product.

When doing so, the marketing content must include, at a reasonable font, size and color, the following text:

'd20 System' and the d20 System logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used with permission.

Permission is granted to translate this text into a non-English language, provided that the English text is also included, and that the translated text is identified as non-official.

Optional Trademark Use:

You may, at your option, include the following text in a Covered Product:

"Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons(R) Player's Handbook, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast(R)

If you elect to include this text, you shall include the following legal text in a reasonably legible font, point size and color:

"Dungeons & Dragons(R) and Wizards of the Coast(R) are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, and are used with Permission."

Permission is granted to translate this text into a non-English language, provided that the English text is also included, and that the translated text is identified as non-official.

The SRD begins with a copy of the OGL. It does NOT contain the d20 License nor the d20 system Guide.

So you can 'take it' and use it plus your own rules for character creation and character development if you do not use the d20 license.

Thus negating the need for anyone to ever buy a WotC product in order to play your game.

If I'm reading this all right that is.

 

[El_Gringo]

This isn't bad for D&D. This isn't bad for WotC. This is very, very good. Let's say the EQ RPG brings in 1% of Everquest players (yes, a very optimistic number). That's 4,000 of 400,000 people. That's 4000 new P&P players that weren't there before.

D&D is the most popular TRPG out there. It's only natural for new gamers to take a look at it. The RPG companies aren't competing against each other, they're competing against video games, ccgs, and other games that draw potential TRPG players away. Adding more water to the pool won't drown anybody.

 

[Simon Magalis]

I admit that the strange red 20 sided die looks suspicious as does the failure to mention "d20" in the press release, but on the White Wolf Site, there are liberal mentions of the term "d20" in descriptions of the three products. Plus, this is SSS... surely after the relationship they have cultivated with WOTC they aren't going to do something risky like try to sneak a non-liscenced product into the market?