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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Schmoe" data-source="post: 4460488" data-attributes="member: 913">Something else to consider are a couple of a fundamental difference between software and RPGs (as if we need to be told they're different!)  In software, the end functionality forms the majority of the requirements for acceptance.  Especially with increasing hardware performance, there's little emphasis on how a piece of code does what it does, it is primarily judged on what it does.  In an open source software project, if someone submits some code that meets an end functionality requirement, it's often sufficient.  How the code does what it does is never exposed to the end user, and the end user doesn't care.By contrast, the very nature of RPGs exposes the how to the end users.  This makes the criteria for judging acceptance of RPG rules much more difficult and subjective.  This becomes evident when you compare Storyteller games and Rolemaster.  Both achieve similar functionality requirements, but using vastly different methods.  An open source RPG will need to address this difference in terms of the criteria for acceptance of rules mechanics, as well as organizing branches of the rules.In addition, open source software is easier to adopt because it only requires adoption by an individual.  RPGs, on the other hand, require adoption by a group.  Imagine if you had to convince 3 of your buddies to run Linux before you could get it working on your system.  Chances are you'd stick with Windows.  This is a challenge that faces any indie developer as well as an open source RPG effort, and I'm not sure of a good strategy to overcome it.  Presumably, though, if an open game was based off of the d20 SRD, the challenge would be more akin to convincing your friends to run Windows: The Next Generation (TM), when they're already running ME.  If that's the case, the effort has some built-in traction from the pioneering work of WotC with 3rd edition D&D.</blockquote>

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