It's not that he had an opinion, it's that he wrapped it around a big black ball labeled "Edition Wars Bomb" with the fuse lit.
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If WotC Released D&D 3.75 Tomorrow....
- Thread starter TheAuldGrump
- Start date
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dmccoy1693
Adventurer
As a publisher, I can firmly say that no matter what WotC produces its worth a look. But there are a good many details to consider.
1) SRD: We're assuming OGL. But there's alot that can be included/excluded in this. Is it just a list of feats, ability, skills, classes, spells, etc names that I can make an alternate ability from or can I reprint a spell whole cloth for easy referencing? While not a deal breaker, it could inhibit me signing on board.
2) License restrictions: Again, OGL, but is the SRD declared closed content except those that use the new d20STL? Can I release two different versions of a book, one being 5E another being pathfinder? This is a potential deal breaker.
3) Additions to the SRD: As any game company does, they will add more crunch options. Will these new crunch options be added to the SRD? Are the cool options never going to be available for me to use while I"m stuck with the fighter? Again, not a deal breaker, but it could inhibit me signing on.
4) Personal desires: Are Elves a class? If they are, deal breaker. Are gnomes/half-orcs missing from the PHB while replaced with new race of the week? If so, that's another deal breaker. Similar things I like in my D&D-style fantasy RPGs and I am not going to work without.
5) Computer support: Can I sell electronic version of my books on D&D insider and similar character/race creation pieces of software? Believe it or not, this is the biggest deal breaker of the group.
6) Misc: Is the company giving off an attitude that I am in competition with them? If I make a book that would directly support something that is big at that moment (i.e. Book of the River Nations) and I asked them first if they minded, should I ever expect to hear back from them? Would WotC mind if I wrote something that directly supported something they did (i.e. Book of the River Nations)? Do the books fire the imagination or are they just bland boring text books? These are not deal breakers but stuff to take into account.
7) My opinion of future sales: Do I think the game is going to sell well? Do I like how it is marketed? Are they striking the right balance of nostalgia while new shiny? Are they saying this is great because it is so much better than its predecessors (i.e. 4E run up)? Deal breakers.
1) SRD: We're assuming OGL. But there's alot that can be included/excluded in this. Is it just a list of feats, ability, skills, classes, spells, etc names that I can make an alternate ability from or can I reprint a spell whole cloth for easy referencing? While not a deal breaker, it could inhibit me signing on board.
2) License restrictions: Again, OGL, but is the SRD declared closed content except those that use the new d20STL? Can I release two different versions of a book, one being 5E another being pathfinder? This is a potential deal breaker.
3) Additions to the SRD: As any game company does, they will add more crunch options. Will these new crunch options be added to the SRD? Are the cool options never going to be available for me to use while I"m stuck with the fighter? Again, not a deal breaker, but it could inhibit me signing on.
4) Personal desires: Are Elves a class? If they are, deal breaker. Are gnomes/half-orcs missing from the PHB while replaced with new race of the week? If so, that's another deal breaker. Similar things I like in my D&D-style fantasy RPGs and I am not going to work without.
5) Computer support: Can I sell electronic version of my books on D&D insider and similar character/race creation pieces of software? Believe it or not, this is the biggest deal breaker of the group.
6) Misc: Is the company giving off an attitude that I am in competition with them? If I make a book that would directly support something that is big at that moment (i.e. Book of the River Nations) and I asked them first if they minded, should I ever expect to hear back from them? Would WotC mind if I wrote something that directly supported something they did (i.e. Book of the River Nations)? Do the books fire the imagination or are they just bland boring text books? These are not deal breakers but stuff to take into account.
7) My opinion of future sales: Do I think the game is going to sell well? Do I like how it is marketed? Are they striking the right balance of nostalgia while new shiny? Are they saying this is great because it is so much better than its predecessors (i.e. 4E run up)? Deal breakers.
gamerprinter
Mapper/Publisher
Without reading anything other than the OP (too much to read), my basic answer is probably not. Since I played D&D since the beginning, I've only ever considered WotC having picked up where TSR died. While I was certainly thankful that WotC indeed saved the game from the cemetery, beyond that, I've never been a solid fan of WotC in the first place.
While I have played 3.5, I never purchased a ton of books for it, and really never thought it was necessary to have anything beyond the Core rules and a few favorful splats. WotC has never been my go to company for RPG materials. When WotC left 3.5 behind and went with the current rule set, which didn't fit my flavor, I was done with WotC.
Since Pathfinder is now my go to game, I will remain loyal to Paizo until such time as they make a decision to scare me off, as WotC had done with the creation of 4e.
I don't think there's a ruleset that WotC could come up with that would draw me away from Pathfinder - so no. No matter what WotC comes up with, they've lost me as a customer.
While I have played 3.5, I never purchased a ton of books for it, and really never thought it was necessary to have anything beyond the Core rules and a few favorful splats. WotC has never been my go to company for RPG materials. When WotC left 3.5 behind and went with the current rule set, which didn't fit my flavor, I was done with WotC.
Since Pathfinder is now my go to game, I will remain loyal to Paizo until such time as they make a decision to scare me off, as WotC had done with the creation of 4e.
I don't think there's a ruleset that WotC could come up with that would draw me away from Pathfinder - so no. No matter what WotC comes up with, they've lost me as a customer.
TheAuldGrump
First Post
Assume 3.5 type SRD, with Section 15 remaining part of the license.
3pp material not added to the SRD (way too much work) but can be used by other publishers, as long as they give credit where credit is due. Assume whatever races will keep you happy.
So, elves are a race, not a class,For my own reference I will assume human, dwarf, elf, and halfling, with gnome and half-orc as free downloadable races on the website.
Hmmm, WotC being WotC.... A downloadable version of the Character Builder, 3PP not allowed to produce their own 'official' generator, but are allowed to make CB data files for races, classes, and treasures, as long as those modules are available for free. WotC, of course, does not have to worry about the free part....
Let us assume that Ponies of the Coast have learned an important lesson about openness and sharing. That treating their supporters as rivals is not something that helps you keep friends, and that friendship is magic!
Sorry, disregard the Ponies, but read as written aside from that.
That for the sake of this thread WotC does view the GSL as a painful learning experience, and decides to once again play well with the other ponies.The Auld Grump
TheAuldGrump
First Post
To be fair, WotC already did a lot of the hard work back when they were doing 3.0....
A statement that works, even if you were being sarcastic.... (I have no idea whether you were being sarcastic or not.
)The Auld Grump
Shemeska
Adventurer
Desdichado
Hero
I was being sarcastic. But you quoted Henry quoting me, so that wasn't really my sarcasm there.To be fair, WotC already did a lot of the hard work back when they were doing 3.0....
A statement that works, even if you were being sarcastic.... (I have no idea whether you were being sarcastic or not.
DonTadow
First Post
I can see WOTC conceding 3.75 to paizo, the only thing they can do and begin producing a pathfinder line. To me, this is a win/win for wotc. They can produce an official Dungeons and Dragons version of pathfinder, pretty much claim the credit for bring dnd to pathfinder and not give up support of thier own brand.
Folk would buy it in droves simply because its official.
Folk would buy it in droves simply because its official.
dmccoy1693
Adventurer
Assume 3.5 type SRD, with Section 15 remaining part of the license.
I don't mean 3pp material added to the SRD. I mean is MM2-5 added to the SRD as they come out or as I stuck with only MM1? Is PHB2-5 added to the SRD or am I stuck with options from PHB1 and that's all? Psionics? Heroes of Shadow? Complete series? Writing for 3.5 with only able able to use the PHB was pretty damn hard when you had dozens of other books that could use some awesome support but aren't going to get it from WotC and can't get it from 3PP because it wasn't OGL. With the way Paizo is doing it, I"m not going back to being limited to "these few books and absolutely nothing else." I'll stick with Pathfinder or go some other system entirely before going back to that arrangement. I"m fine not having the setting books open, but if most of the core system books aren't open, its not worth it.
Depends, can I sell my own data file add-ons? I mean can I sell the PDF of a book and bundle it with the Character Builder datafile. If so, I'm fine with that. If I am barred from doing that, ignore the whole system.
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