[Highmoon Media] Tentative Plans for a 4th Edition World

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This is the problem for all of us NOT going to 4e....the loss of new gaming material.

First, as has been pointed out, 3.5 material can be produced forever under the OGL. If there's interest -- and look at all the OD&D and 1E-compatible material out there! -- it'll get produced.

Secondly, I doubt anyone has really made a serious dent in the thousands of products available for 3.5. If 4E prompts someone to discover a gem from a PDF publisher, I'd call that a win-win for them and the small gaming publishers.

 

[lrsach01]

But, bottom line, 3.5 fans will have to vote with their wallets to encourage publishers to stick to 3.5 or dual-stat. WotC can't prevent publishers from doing that, just create some marketing hurdles. But if there is still money to be made, companies will find ways to overcome those hurdles.

Amen to that. I plan on doing just that ahead of time. I figure I can get 2-5 years of modules built up BEFORE 4e goes on sale. just in time for 4.5 to come out.

First, as has been pointed out, 3.5 material can be produced forever under the OGL.

As I pointed out in quoting the OGL above, I'm not sure 3.5 material CAN be published and labeled as such....

and look at all the OD&D and 1E-compatible material out there! -- it'll get produced.

...but this is a great point! I didn't start gaming until 3.0 came out so I know next to nothing about 1st ed. How do 1st ed compatible games get published? Are the labeled "1e?" "1e compatible?" I see the term "OD&D" used but know little about it.

Secondly, I doubt anyone has really made a serious dent in the thousands of products available for 3.5. If 4E prompts someone to discover a gem from a PDF publisher, I'd call that a win-win for them and the small gaming publishers.

This goes back to my point above. There is a metric crap load of games already produced. I guess I will be mining that pile.

One more thing. I think the latest Freeport book is the way the future will be for a lot of "second tier" game publishers. Namely the production of a "fluff" book that can be paired with separate "crunch" or rules book. Looks like I'll be sending Green Ronin MORE of my money.

 

[kenmarable]

As I pointed out in quoting the OGL above, I'm not sure 3.5 material CAN be published and labeled as such....

Yep, we're saying the same thing. Just the sticking point isn't publishing 3.5 material (no one can stop them from that), it is "labeling it as such". But, as I mentioned, there are options available. None of them are ideal if WotC pulls the current d20 logo, but there are options.

...but this is a great point! I didn't start gaming until 3.0 came out so I know next to nothing about 1st ed. How do 1st ed compatible games get published? Are the labeled "1e?" "1e compatible?" I see the term "OD&D" used but know little about it.

This is a great example of one option publishers have found. 1e compatible products are marketed for the OSRIC system. Someone re-created the 1e ruleset in as legally defensible way as possible and published it under a new name (OSRIC) and allowed publishers to use that name. Other publishers can then claim compatibility with OSRIC and consumers can know (for most intents and purposes) OSRIC products = 1e propducts.

Same thing can be done with 3.5, and is actually far easier to do with 3.5 since the rules are already open (just throw in an XP system). The OSRIC team had the larger hurdle of recreating the rules relying on various copyright laws and rulings.

 

[Knightfall]

One more thing. I think the latest Freeport book is the way the future will be for a lot of "second tier" game publishers. Namely the production of a "fluff" book that can be paired with separate "crunch" or rules book. Looks like I'll be sending Green Ronin MORE of my money.

Ditto.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

As I pointed out in quoting the OGL above, I'm not sure 3.5 material CAN be published and labeled as such....

Long answer short?

Let the publishers who understand the OGL worry about it.

You'll have 3.5 material for as long as there's a market for it.

 

[Knightfall]

- Publishers creating a new logo if the current d20 logo is pulled (WotC hasn't said if they will yet, but my Magic 8-Ball is saying "All signs point to yes" when I ask it.) This is probably quite likely, seeing as about once a year there's a discussion among publishers about creating an alternative logo to d20 anyway.

This makes sense, if WotC does pull the current d20 logo. Perhaps the new logo could be [d20^C], where "C" stands for "Classic". Or it could be simply called Classic20 -- inspired by the True20 name from Green Ronin. This would make it easier for fans to know what is compatible with the v.3.5 SRD and what is compatible with the v.4.0 SRD.

KF72