Green Ronin and 4E

[kunadam]

I'm too looking forward to more True20/OGL games. I love Advanced Players anf GM's book as well as some other such releases (e.g. Noble's Handbook).

The suits at WotC are plain stupid and do not know the market. I do not think there ever was or will be such thing as a competitor to D&D. The only thing that can ruin their market is what ruined TSR's. Internal problem, lack of good ideas, and alienation of the gaming community. They are on the good road for that...
(this is IMHO)

 

[grickherder]

The only thing that can ruin their market is what ruined TSR's. Internal problem, lack of good ideas, and alienation of the gaming community. They are on the good road for that... (this is IMHO)

I'll disagree with your opinion. But let's not make this an edition war (which I think is at the heart of your assessment of WotC).

Good on Green Ronin for taking the steps they need to protect their business and ability to produce awesome creative works.

What I'm really looking forward to is producers like GR or Kenzer producing quality 4E stuff outside of the GSL. As a customer, the actual license used doesn't necessarily matter to how much I'll like the final product, but I dislike closed, rigid one sided licenses and would support open content or people exercising their legal rights under copyright law.

I'm an Ubuntu Linux user for similar reasons (and, well it rocks).

 

[Serendipity]

Interestingly, it looks more and more like (with this announcement among others) that we may find ourselves in an era capable of supporting both 3.x (and derivatives) as well as 4e. That makes me a very happy girl.
Just hoping the market can support both.

 

[thundershot]

Good for Green Ronin.

Bad for me, because I'm going to be playing 4E exclusively. If it wasn't for 4E, I wouldn't even be gaming anymore. We got burned out on 3.x.



Chris

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, I guess I need to pick up the D20 Freeport Companion, then, since there won't be a 4E one.

I understand and respect your decision. Please feel free to pour a ton of energy into more new Freeport material!

 

[Sigurd]

I can commend Green Ronin because its not a philosophical stand or cause they are espousing. Not doing it right now because we don't like the limitations right now is a very sane business approach.

I cant imagine most players will be exclusive to one system or another. Gaming is a group activity and gamers tend to have divergent tastes. I'll probably be dragged into 4ed because there are players for it and I'm sure others will have the same relation with 3.5.

For the sake of the industry, all I ask is that publishers refrain from making private deals with WOTC. Lots of other publishers maintain products that compliment an existing market. Establishing publisher conduct outside of the GSL will do a lot to mature the market for everyone. Openness is very good for purchaser and publisher alike.


Sigurd

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Bad for me, because I'm going to be playing 4E exclusively. If it wasn't for 4E, I wouldn't even be gaming anymore. We got burned out on 3.x.

The new era Freeport books are systemless and easy to use with any system. Just grab any generic pregenerated thug, a generic pregenerated city guard and file the serial numbers off the Yuan-Ti and you're good to go in 4E.

 

[Treebore]

The new era Freeport books are systemless and easy to use with any system. Just grab any generic pregenerated thug, a generic pregenerated city guard and file the serial numbers off the Yuan-Ti and you're good to go in 4E.

I have never understood why generic isn't more popular. Its editionless and never goes out of date.

I would even go for generic modules. I can get stat blocks from anywhere.

 

[Pinotage]

I have never understood why generic isn't more popular. Its editionless and never goes out of date.

I would even go for generic modules. I can get stat blocks from anywhere.

It easy for monsters, yes, but not so easy for all the other aspects of the system - skill checks, traps, etc. To make it really interesting, I think you need the system. Setting, though, I can definitely see systemless, but not so much adventures. I think systemless adventures could be fairly boring, and/or require a lot of work.

Pinotage

 

[amatriain]

I am curious to see future developments. With Kenzer's announcement that they are releasing 4e material without signing anything with WotC, right now anything seems possible. It will be prudent to wait and see what comes out of it, but if Kenzer gets away with it we could go back to the OGL situation, with lots of 3rd parties producing gaming books.

Me, I hope so. I have GR in a high regard, and I would be interested to see what they have to give to 4e players. Besides 4e would bring to them a hefty amount of cash, not releasing anything for 4e means losing a lot of potential sales.