Is All Still Quiet on the SRD Front?

[catsclaw227]

I will admit that it is weird, though, that most of my best freelancers have had the rules for months, but I haven't seen a thing. Sort of a frustrating position, but I am getting used to it.

Well, most of your best freelancers are some of my favorite adventure writers, so this is a GOOD thing as far as I am concerned.

That actually gives me some hope that some of them are privately writing Paizo adventures "under the table" and then we'll have some good stuff from Paizo at or near launch time.

 

[Pygon]

Thanks for your contribution, Orcus.

I don't have enthusiasm for a ruleset if I don't see decent adventure content for it. And I'm not talking content that simply advertises the ruleset. I mean well composed and thought out content with artistic themes and tones guiding the work. When 4e has that going for it, I will be much more on board.

Truthfully, I don't go to WotC for that kind of content. RHoD was a great piece of work. I liked Expedition to Castle Greyhawk, too. But the vast majority of all the other WotC offerings didn't compel me nearly as much. RttToEE wasn't much more than a 3.x playtest for me.

The sooner the 3rd parties can generate 4e adventures (and paths!) for us, the better.

 

[Nellisir]

TBH, a company can get a LOT of work done without the 4E srd. The mechanics have to be ironed out, but with the blurbs that have been said give a decent idea on how to build a dungeon and lay framework for the heavily populated, terrain wrecking, 4E encounters. After the SRD is out, it will be a rush of changing "heavily populated goblin level 2 encounter" to N level 2 goblins, Nx2 level 1 goblin minions, X level 1 goblin strikers and a goblin warlock, but it can be done.

That assumes you're writing an adventure. Most of the smaller companies don't do adventures, and Paizo/Necromancer is looking at Tome of Horrors 4e. You can't write a book of monsters without rules.

 

[Goobermunch]

You know, given that most of the smaller d20 houses have gone under, WotC may be delaying on the SRD/rules on the advice of counsel.

When 3.0 came out, they could get away with being a little laid back about putting out the rules early (via the Gentleman's Agreement). When 3.5 came out, major players were established, but there were tons of low value (economically speaking) houses out there too.

Right now, you've got a handful of relatively large players who have established businesses.

Be a real shame to get them started on products (or let them get close to finishing) only to announce that the release is being moved back two months.

See, the problem there is that WotC then could be found to be liable for the delay of the other houses' sales. That could include things like housing the unsold merch for two months, paying the lost revenue of those companies for two months, or inadvertently causing the collapse of a friendly publisher and the layoffs of its staff.

That's not good for business. It's not good for Necromancer, Paizo, Goodman and the others. It's not good for WotC.

I'm not necessarily saying that that's where things are, but they could be taking the advice of their attorneys and holding off until they're more certain they can hit their deadlines.

--G

 

[pogre]

See, the problem there is that WotC then could be found to be liable for the delay of the other houses' sales. That could include things like housing the unsold merch for two months, paying the lost revenue of those companies for two months, or inadvertently causing the collapse of a friendly publisher and the layoffs of its staff.

Liable insinuates some kind of legal culpability, which WOTC is not exposed to at all here. Not sure if you were saying that - so forgive me if I have misinterpreted your post.

Making sure they have rules in a fairly final form before shipping them off to third parties does make sense. I'm also fairly certain they do not want someone else beating them to the market with a monster book.

 

[Orcus]

See, the problem there is that WotC then could be found to be liable for the delay of the other houses' sales. That could include things like housing the unsold merch for two months, paying the lost revenue of those companies for two months, or inadvertently causing the collapse of a friendly publisher and the layoffs of its staff.--G

Uhm, as both the president of Necromancer Games and an attorney, I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is no such liability for WotC. I mean, this isnt even close to true. Not trying to be a dick here, just telling you that you are 100% wrong. That statement above could not be more incorrect.

 

[Tharen the Damned]

This is just an idea and no conspirarcy theory:

What if WoC does not send out the SRD because they want to be the only ones selling 4th edition products for the first few months?

 

[kunadam]

So what is in store for the "first few months"?

The 3 core books, that is required for any 4th ed book.
Some adventures, that some might like, others less so (I never by adventures, and if someone did in our group then it was Dungeon magazine...).
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. Again this is exclusively from WotC, noone can beat them there.
As far as I know the wider variety of product available for 3rd at the beginning actually helped sales.

I think (1) they are not finished with the rules AND (2) they still do not know what will be the future of OGL and SRD.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

This is just an idea and no conspirarcy theory:

What if WoC does not send out the SRD because they want to be the only ones selling 4th edition products for the first few months?

I think Clark addressed that: Because they'll have fewer 4e players than they would have had otherwise. They'll have a bigger piece of a smaller market.

 

[catsclaw227]

It has been my feeling that some Companies have not received the rules, but there are plenty of FREELANCERS of note that have the rules and are not legally connected to specific companies.

Erik Mona pretty much confirmed this earlier. So maybe the companies can't say that they've received it, but if some notable writers have gotten the rules (either for playtesting or otherwise), then we could still see some 4e products at launch.