Important! Interview opportunity - what do you want to know about the GSL?

[Lord Mhoram]

Traveller and a number of other gaming systems, not based on the D20 System at all, have been released (or are going to be released very soon) under the OGL. Can a publisher release products for a non-D20 System-based OGL game (such as Traveller or Runequest) under the OGL and release products for 4E under the GSL at the same time? (This assumes that the OGL products are not D20 System-based, nor are they OGL versions of the GSL products, of course.)

With Regards,
Flynn

Same thing I asked, but you did it much more clearly.

 

[VBMEW-01]

Probably too late

I've heard mention that publishers can "register" for a D&D associate logo, or something like that. What does this process entail?

I read it somewhere, but don't remember the exact wording.

 

[Knightfall]

The GSL sounds overtly restrictive to me. Everything I've read seems to point towards WotC wanting to not only control what third-party publishers can publish using the GSL but also control what third-party publishers can/cannot publish using the OGL. It sounds like the GSL is designed to make it impossible for a third-party publisher to use both the GSL and the OGL for separate product lines.

For example, "Game Company A" wants to continue publishing "Product Line A" under the OGL, but they also want to publish "Product Line B" under the GSL. Everything I've read says that they cannot do that. Is this true or false?

And if it is true, then can "Game Company A" partner with "Game Company B" to allow "Game Company B" to publish "Product Line B" for "Game Company A" under the GSL, while "Game Company A" continues to publish "Product Line A" under the OGL?

Also, could "Game Company A" create "Subsidary Game Company C" to publish "Product Line B" under the GSL, while continuing to publish "Product Line A" under the OGL?

And if none of that is possible, then what makes WotC believe that third-party publishers will choose to support the GSL over the OGL? Does WotC believe that the D&D brand name is so strong that third-party publishers must either conform to the GSL or face down the WotC warlords on the field of battle?

If so, then that's pretty damn arrogant.

 

[Knightfall]

Here's a question that will really blow people's minds away: can an individual (as a freelancer) write for "Game Company A" that publishes under the OGL and for "Game Company B" that publishes under the GSL?

Or is he/she forced to choose the GSL over the OGL just like a company is?

 

[mxyzplk]

Hi all. So my questions, doubtless asked by many of the folks in this thread already:

<Overall - please distinguish clearly between the OGL and OGL (any ruleset) products, materials created under the OGL using content from/attributing the d20 SRD, and d20 STL products.>

1. What restriction exactly will the GSL have on a publisher? Does it not allow publishing of any OGL, d20-derived OGL, or d20 STL products, and is that on a per-product basis, a product line basis, or a per-company basis?

2. Is the limitation on new products going forward, or all old products (the "destroy your backstock" option)?

3. Is there any differentiation between print and PDF publishers for any of these restrictions?

4. Does this limitation also apply to a private individual, on the Web or whatnot? In other words, if the answer is "a publisher can't publish both OGL (any) and GSL content," then can I not put both variant d20 rules and variant Savage Worlds rules on my Web site?

5. You mentioned even private individuals will ahve to send in some sort of contract to WotC to partake in the GSL - how will that work?

6. Will there be any restrictions on freelancers or work-for-hire in terms of whether they can produce D&D material for WotC, or GSL products for other publishers, and OGL(any)/OGL(d20) products?

7. Do you think that these restrictions are legal and/or ethical, and if so, why? Do you understand the financial impact on a small publisher even if they really want to ditch everything and move forward with 4e support?

8. Is Wizards planning to discontinue sales of "back" D&D products? Currently everything back to 1e is available as PDF.

 

[mxyzplk]

And I guess most importantly - "If we don't like exclusivity in the license, who's the person to take that up with, or process to give feedback to the licensing decisionmakers?"

 

[Moon-Lancer]

will classes like the druid, barbarian and bard be added to the srd of the gsl?

afterall wizards did flaunt that all the phb and dmg were core so does core mean it will be in the srd?

 

[Goobermunch]

Hi all. So my questions, doubtless asked by many of the folks in this thread already:

<Overall - please distinguish clearly between the OGL and OGL (any ruleset) products, materials created under the OGL using content from/attributing the d20 SRD, and d20 STL products.>

1. What restriction exactly will the GSL have on a publisher? Does it not allow publishing of any OGL, d20-derived OGL, or d20 STL products, and is that on a per-product basis, a product line basis, or a per-company basis?

2. Is the limitation on new products going forward, or all old products (the "destroy your backstock" option)?

3. Is there any differentiation between print and PDF publishers for any of these restrictions?

4. Does this limitation also apply to a private individual, on the Web or whatnot? In other words, if the answer is "a publisher can't publish both OGL (any) and GSL content," then can I not put both variant d20 rules and variant Savage Worlds rules on my Web site?

5. You mentioned even private individuals will ahve to send in some sort of contract to WotC to partake in the GSL - how will that work?

6. Will there be any restrictions on freelancers or work-for-hire in terms of whether they can produce D&D material for WotC, or GSL products for other publishers, and OGL(any)/OGL(d20) products?

7. Do you think that these restrictions are legal and/or ethical, and if so, why? Do you understand the financial impact on a small publisher even if they really want to ditch everything and move forward with 4e support?

8. Is Wizards planning to discontinue sales of "back" D&D products? Currently everything back to 1e is available as PDF.

Although we butted heads in the other thread relating to the GSL, I think that mxyzplk's questions are all very important to the gaming public. I'd like answers to these questions as well.

--G

 

[Morrus]

OK, thanks guys. We've compiled a list of questions which we believe covers everything. We're not looking for more; we're bound to have missed some, so I apologise in advance, but I think the list will please most people.

Thanks again!

 

[Scipio202]

OK, thanks guys. We've compiled a list of questions which we believe covers everything. We're not looking for more; we're bound to have missed some, so I apologise in advance, but I think the list will please most people.

Thanks again!

Thanks for doing this! Any sense of when we might expect to hear WotC's answers?