Kalamar - first published 4e setting?!?

[Fenes]

Yes, they transport me to the Land of Syllables.

Tolkien got away with it because he was a professional. That doesn't mean YOU do.

prfr t hv sllbls nstd f n sllbls, bt tht cld b jst m.

I ee o ae yae iea o o yae u ou e u e.

Letters alone don't cut it.

 

[Jack99]

I must admit I have always considered Kingdoms of Kalamar the worst 3.x book I ever bought. If nothing has changed (style, naming conventions, writing) in the 4e version, that's definitely one book I will never buy, unless I ever suffer from insomnia, since that book could probably cure it.

 

[mhensley]

Kenzerco is definitely not going with the GSL.

Correct, we no longer have an agreement with Wizards. Why? Is there some "magic" restriction in IP law that restricts people from making new creative material that doesn't use any TMs, patents or copyrights of another company?

Oh, perhaps it's the magical FUD rule that you're referring to?

By-the-by, KoK first appeared in 1994 and we had no formal relationship with TSR.

http://www.kenzerco.com/forums/showpost.php?p=678175&postcount=34

 

[Jorunkun]

It's kinda funny - when I read the design concept of Kalamar, I thought "this is the campaign setting of my dreams", what with all the emphasis on paralleling earth's geological and social development to attain a high degree of realism/believability/whatchammacallit. Well, they say the worst thing is getting exactly what you asked for. Because not only is Kalamar all this, it is also (imho) the single most boring setting I have ever come across. Everything in this world is there for a reason, documented in depth - and utterly uninspiring. Your mileage may vary, but I'd caution against buying this.

J.

Edit: I forgot to mention that this refers to the 3e version of Kalamar.

 

[Baumi]

Kenzerco is definitely not going with the GSL.
---
Correct, we no longer have an agreement with Wizards. Why? Is there some "magic" restriction in IP law that restricts people from making new creative material that doesn't use any TMs, patents or copyrights of another company?

Oh, perhaps it's the magical FUD rule that you're referring to?

By-the-by, KoK first appeared in 1994 and we had no formal relationship with TSR.
---
http://www.kenzerco.com/forums/showpost.php?p=678175&postcount=34

I had a great Campaign as a player in Kalamar, so if someone does not know it and want a Setting with a realistic feel than it's definitively worth a look.

But I have to admit that I am put off by their policy ... They are making money through the new Edition, but instead of working WITH Wotc, they are working against them! Either make your own independent system or work with the creators not AGAINST them ... that will only lead to a fight that might bring a much more restricted GSL in the future

Also I simply think that it is to early for 3rd Party stuff since we all have still learn the rules. And while the 16page Preview shows nearly no crunch, the bit that they show (hobgoblin) is quite strange since it introduces a encounter-power that has a Trigger but uses a Standard Action instead of an Immediate Action. It could be that they put that purposefully in, but it seems really strange to me.

 

[hong]

Eh, WotC still wins even if Kenzer doesn't sign the GSL. More players playing 4E == more sales of 4E core books, and very likely more sales of splats as well.

 

[Fenes]

Indeed. If Kenzer's books are crunch free - and they seem to be - then WotC's crunch-heavy books are the most likely splatbooks to be picked up by KoK 4E players.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

But I have to admit that I am put off by their policy ... They are making money through the new Edition, but instead of working WITH Wotc, they are working against them! Either make your own independent system or work with the creators not AGAINST them ... that will only lead to a fight that might bring a much more restricted GSL in the future

You need to explain how this would "bring a much more restricted GSL in the future", in detail, if you're going to claim that, because is a completely illogical claim, on the face of things.

This product is not under the GSL. If the GSL was more restrictive, it would still not be under the GSL. On the other hand, if the GSL was less restrictive, previous evidence suggests Kenzerco would be using it or a similar license. As I said, there's no logic to your suggestion. The more restrictions one puts in the GSL, the less people will use it, and nowdays companies are a lot more competent at making, confident in making D&D-compatible products. In the old TSR days, where KoK first appeared, things were different, but we're talking about older, more professional, more knowledgeable publishers, and on the contrary, a flood of non-GSL books if such a thing occurred, would be a signal to WotC that their lawyers had been overly grasping, rather than a signal to grasp harder. After all, how much harder could they even grasp? They can already cancel your product line at will, force you to stop publishing any product they want to do, and prevent you from re-using the material in perpetuity. What exactly, beyond that, do you fear?

 

[mhensley]

This product is not under the GSL. If the GSL was more restrictive, it would still not be under the GSL. On the other hand, if the GSL was less restrictive, previous evidence suggests Kenzerco would be using it or a similar license.

Yep, this is a big sign that the GSL is a failure. I suspect Goodman Games will be going the same route.

 

[thundershot]

I was hoping it'd contain the 3E Kalamar classes. Of course, that'd create another 100 pages of powers alone.

C'mon Kenzer.... Hook us up with a new updated Goods & Gear.... I want stats for all my animals. And dinosaurs. PACK APE!



Chris