Why OGC pleases me
Here's why I, as a consumer, like the idea of UA being 99% OGC: Because it will get support.
What I have noticed among current D20 books is that a lot of times, the wheel is re-re-re-invented. Some of that has to do with timing, as two or more companies work on the same type of book and come up with different implementations of the same thing. In other cases, it has to do with a feeling that "I can do it better".
WotC's name carries a great deal of weight. Regardless of anyone's personal opinion, it seems like a "stamp of approval" for many campaigns. By releasing Unearthed Arcana as OGC, these "approved" rules are available for standardization in many products. There is still plenty of room for people to try to "do them better", and that is part of what the OGC philosophy is about.
I agree that I would like to see some WotC IP made OGC. The 3.5 SRD contains the kernels of Epic and Planar content. People complain that books like the BoVD did not use Epic Feats, and the DDG did not directly discuss Epic play. Now, such products, or enhanced successors, can do so. And so can 3rd party products.
Likewise, by making the "rules subsystem toolkit" that is Unearthed Arcana OGC, 3rd parties are free to use what they like in their products. Because they are "WotC approved", that will carry more weight with many campaigns, opening them to using products they would not have touched before.
I, too, would like to see more of the ELH, DDG, and MoP made OGC. But the pieces that are already in the revised SRD should give the 3rd parties plenty of room to expand on it. While we're at it, I should mention that I would prefer to see more commonly-used material like the vehicle rules (from Dragon and Arms & Equipment) make it to the SRD long before I will care about more ELH or DDG material.
There have been a few attempts to re-use OGC content, but they have been few (Green Ronin has been perhaps most involved in this area, along with Mongoose, as far my knowledge goes). More "WotC approved" OGC content may inspire more "OGC re-use" from all companies. And that's a good thing.
Here's why I, as a consumer, like the idea of UA being 99% OGC: Because it will get support.
What I have noticed among current D20 books is that a lot of times, the wheel is re-re-re-invented. Some of that has to do with timing, as two or more companies work on the same type of book and come up with different implementations of the same thing. In other cases, it has to do with a feeling that "I can do it better".
WotC's name carries a great deal of weight. Regardless of anyone's personal opinion, it seems like a "stamp of approval" for many campaigns. By releasing Unearthed Arcana as OGC, these "approved" rules are available for standardization in many products. There is still plenty of room for people to try to "do them better", and that is part of what the OGC philosophy is about.
I agree that I would like to see some WotC IP made OGC. The 3.5 SRD contains the kernels of Epic and Planar content. People complain that books like the BoVD did not use Epic Feats, and the DDG did not directly discuss Epic play. Now, such products, or enhanced successors, can do so. And so can 3rd party products.
Likewise, by making the "rules subsystem toolkit" that is Unearthed Arcana OGC, 3rd parties are free to use what they like in their products. Because they are "WotC approved", that will carry more weight with many campaigns, opening them to using products they would not have touched before.
I, too, would like to see more of the ELH, DDG, and MoP made OGC. But the pieces that are already in the revised SRD should give the 3rd parties plenty of room to expand on it. While we're at it, I should mention that I would prefer to see more commonly-used material like the vehicle rules (from Dragon and Arms & Equipment) make it to the SRD long before I will care about more ELH or DDG material.
There have been a few attempts to re-use OGC content, but they have been few (Green Ronin has been perhaps most involved in this area, along with Mongoose, as far my knowledge goes). More "WotC approved" OGC content may inspire more "OGC re-use" from all companies. And that's a good thing.
