Ghostwind
First Post
Having walked away from this thread and the story in general, I had time to ponder it. Re-examining the initial press release, I think some folks may be reading a lot into it that isn't really there.
First off, the press release does contain quotes from Anthony Valterra but does not specifically state that he personally is writing it, only that he is "heavily involved" in it.
There is nothing in this quote that would lead one to believe the book to be equivalent to porn. For all we know, it could be as dry as a college textbook on reproductive behaviors between animal species.
The "Tip Sheet" has all the earmarkings of a successful publicity ploy to provoke a response. It combines factoid information such as the statistical figures along with "professional qualifications" intended to sound equally factual. The likelihood of Anthony founding a club is always possible, but for the acronym to spell out ORGASM is just too convenient with the context of the press release.
Notice it doesn't say the product is directly compatible. It merely says the license has allowed for the creation of compatible products. However, later in the article a quote supposedly from Anthony states:
This would run completely contrary to everything Anthony has stood for in his position at Wizards of the Coast. For a person who is directly charged with overseeing operations that include monitoring of the OGL, to make a statement like this on the record is illogical. There is a lot about the initial press release that sounds more like a casual conversation than an official formal press release.
The fact remains that there really is not much information we know other than this initial press release and the now very public outcry about it. As has been mentioned several times on this thread, the initial reactions to the Book of Vile Darkness were very parallel to what we see here. Rather than condemning something that no one has ever seen, why not wait for more details before someone is nominated for crucifixation followed by tar and feathers?
First off, the press release does contain quotes from Anthony Valterra but does not specifically state that he personally is writing it, only that he is "heavily involved" in it.
There is nothing in this quote that would lead one to believe the book to be equivalent to porn. For all we know, it could be as dry as a college textbook on reproductive behaviors between animal species.
The "Tip Sheet" has all the earmarkings of a successful publicity ploy to provoke a response. It combines factoid information such as the statistical figures along with "professional qualifications" intended to sound equally factual. The likelihood of Anthony founding a club is always possible, but for the acronym to spell out ORGASM is just too convenient with the context of the press release.
Notice it doesn't say the product is directly compatible. It merely says the license has allowed for the creation of compatible products. However, later in the article a quote supposedly from Anthony states:
This would run completely contrary to everything Anthony has stood for in his position at Wizards of the Coast. For a person who is directly charged with overseeing operations that include monitoring of the OGL, to make a statement like this on the record is illogical. There is a lot about the initial press release that sounds more like a casual conversation than an official formal press release.
The fact remains that there really is not much information we know other than this initial press release and the now very public outcry about it. As has been mentioned several times on this thread, the initial reactions to the Book of Vile Darkness were very parallel to what we see here. Rather than condemning something that no one has ever seen, why not wait for more details before someone is nominated for crucifixation followed by tar and feathers?
I'll probably give this thing a looksee and if I think it makes sense, I'll pick it up. I won't use it anytime now, at least until I find a more mature gaming group. I think a very powerful but little touched-on force in the game world(and any world for that matter) is love&romance. Sure, most of that can be dealt with through good role-play, but eventually things start to get intimate, and that's where this book comes in. If it's anything like the GUCK (which is VERY useful on SO many levels), it's a must-buy. (Rules for pregnancy, birth, and child write-up come in very handy.)
