Necromancer Games-update by Orcus

[Wulf Ratbane]

You are saying that the market is dead because there is no one interested in offering supply. If there was a demand, the supply would emerge. My point is, the demand is not there. You can not blame companies for not making products that don't sell.

Well, yeah, if you want to get all capitalistic about it.

 

[JohnRTroy]

Gygax Games has only agreed to publish Gary's Lejendary Adventures line with Mongoose Games--and things have been delayed due to internal things that need to be resolved, as Gail has stated. Castle Zagyg--which is what I assume you're referring to--it's publisher, form, fate, etc., AFAIK has yet to be decided upon.

So I'm not sure how this discussion about D&D and GSL/OGL stuff relates to that.

 

[joethelawyer]

Gygax Games has only agreed to publish Gary's Lejendary Adventures line with Mongoose Games--and things have been delayed due to internal things that need to be resolved, as Gail has stated. Castle Zagyg--which is what I assume you're referring to--it's publisher, form, fate, etc., AFAIK has yet to be decided upon.

So I'm not sure how this discussion about D&D and GSL/OGL stuff relates to that.

just stream of consciousness as i just wiped pizza grease off the zagyg boxed set book 1 i am reading as i read these boards...

you're right tho, dont want to derail the thread so i'll go back and delete it...

 

[Eridanis]

This is what Necromancer should do:

Clark is a successful professional, and has a lot of experience in the RPG field these past ten years. If he could make it work from a business standpoint, he would give it a try (as stated in the OP). D&D is something he feels very strongly about, and I think it pains him greatly that he can't do for 4E what he did for 3E (for the many and good reasons stated by him and others in this thread). Telling him what to do with his company strikes me as a little pushy.

Take the 4E system, and fluff it out...

On the other hand, it sounds like you have some very clear ideas on a product you'd like to see. I recommend you go for it! Start writing, start your own company. As a regular joe posting on a message board, you're not that much different than Clark was ten years ago; a few ideas, a big burning passion, and a mechanism (OGL for him, GSL for you) to present those ideas to an audience larger than your own gaming group. Sounds like you have those things, yourself. I say go for it, and may you learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you.

 

[DaveMage]

On the other hand, it sounds like you have some very clear ideas on a product you'd like to see. I recommend you go for it! Start writing, start your own company. As a regular joe posting on a message board, you're not that much different than Clark was ten years ago; a few ideas, a big burning passion, and a mechanism (OGL for him, GSL for you) to present those ideas to an audience larger than your own gaming group. Sounds like you have those things, yourself. I say go for it, and may you learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you.

That is a great point, but Clark also had a secret weapon: Bill Webb.

Together...they are scary good.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

Though wishful thinking on my part, it would be great if the Pathfinder core book becomes an "evergreen" title.

None of the "big box" bookstores nearby have much of an rpg secton beyond WotC products, other than some old Everquest rpg books still on the shelves that nobody seems to pay attention to.

Have to jump back and finish reading this thread but all major named stores do stock it. Now your outlet may not have it on a shelf but you better believe it is i the warehouse. I was informed by books a million that pathfinder 20 was sold out and not sure when they could get more in.

The store was not sold out the warehouse was. GOOd thing is i my area most of the D&D shelf space now has other games in it from pathfinder to Wod but the D&D shelf is a 4th of the size it was 2 years back so now people see other games to, always a good thing. Not that BAm has a large section 3 shelves is all

Now If I recall about paizo and getting into big boxed stores it was over mags not books. When they lost the mags any people kept asking for another mag. An james I think it was stated that it was hard to get big box stores to even listen as Paizo was a small company with a nitch product with an unknown name

Edit: Erik seems to have weighed in...carry on

 

[cangrejoide]

Why? Didn't 3rd party stuff glut the market and the lack of quality control from some 3PPs damage the brand? Orcus even implies that there's not much appetite for it from distributors and retailers. In light of that, maybe the GSL is working as intended i.e. WOTC not forfeiting control over the latest edition under the D&D brand.

This.

Everything that has transpired has done so according to WOTC's desire.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

On the other hand, it sounds like you have some very clear ideas on a product you'd like to see. I recommend you go for it! Start writing, start your own company. As a regular joe posting on a message board, you're not that much different than Clark was ten years ago; a few ideas, a big burning passion, and a mechanism (OGL for him, GSL for you) to present those ideas to an audience larger than your own gaming group. Sounds like you have those things, yourself. I say go for it, and may you learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before you.

I'm not a writer. Its not that I can't or that I'm bad at it, its that I don't write. If you're a writer, you will write whether you get paid for it or not. I have to bludgeon myself to get anything written down that isn't a snap response on a message board.

 

[aboyd]

I don't think there is anybody, including anybody from WotC, who would try to argue that they didn't seriously drop the ball when it comes to the GSL.

But not everyone tends to be meanspirited about it.

Actually, I prefer carmachu's bluntness. I don't think people need to be evenhanded or even courteous to business entities.

Having said that, here is my maybe mean spirited comment (which I don't intend to be mean spirited so much as just stating what I believe to be the truth). That is, I do not agree with your statement that even WotC would say that they dropped the ball with the GSL. Maybe Scott would agree. But I believe that at the higher levels of the company, the GSL has worked exactly as they intended. I believe they are currently delighted with the state of things -- they've killed a bunch of the smaller competitors yapping at their heels. Yay.

 

[joethelawyer]

Actually, I prefer carmachu's bluntness. I don't think people need to be evenhanded or even courteous to business entities.

Having said that, here is my maybe mean spirited comment (which I don't intend to be mean spirited so much as just stating what I believe to be the truth). That is, I do not agree with your statement that even WotC would say that they dropped the ball with the GSL. Maybe Scott would agree. But I believe that at the higher levels of the company, the GSL has worked exactly as they intended. I believe they are currently delighted with the state of things -- they've killed a bunch of the smaller competitors yapping at their heels. Yay.

Agreed---with the other prong of the attack coming from the proprietary DDI that no one can add non-WOTC stuff to.