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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zelgar" data-source="post: 2771126" data-attributes="member: 6630">Just a few comments on the above...Sorry, this is going to be long, but...1 & 2 It's good to hear that some publishers/authors understand this.3 - A Wiki could be a blessing or a bane for the rpg industry.  It all depends upon how the industry (RPG-I) views and reacts to it.  If the RPG-I reacts negatively to a Wiki by reducing new OGC material, tring to shut down the Wiki, limit OGC material available to the Wiki, there could be a blacklash like in the 90's when T$R had their draconian policies regarding material on the internet.  If the RPG-I worked with the development of a Wiki, I think many of the potential problems with a wiki could be prevented.  Quality Assurance & Quality Control of the Wiki would likely be better of only OGC and not PI material getting into the Wiki.  Correct linkage in the Wiki of OGC material to the original source for Section 15 (maybe even better than some published sources).  Also, there may even be an increase in some sales of rpg products based upon users wanting an entire copy of the source and not just the OGC material.It also depends upon how the end users (e.g., gamers) react to having the material in a wiki.  There will be a certain percentage of gamers that will take from the Wiki and not support the RPG-I by not purchasing anything.  Of course, the RPG-I acknowledges that a certain percentage of their profits are lost due to theft of books and p2p.  There are no guarantees that a Wiki will cause an increase or decrease in sales of rpg products, but opposition to a Wiki may cause a decrease in sales because gamers can be spiteful.  By having the Wiki it will expose more people (gamers & the RPG-I) to the OGC material.  How the person reacts to having the OGC material on a Wiki will be entirely up to the individual.4 - I think most of the people who want an OGC Wiki are gamers and not the RPG-I.  I believe that most gamers have read the OGL and believe that the OGC material should be freely available.  Based upon numerous comments, some in the RPG-I feel that having a Wiki would be detrimental to the industry (e.g., loss of sales, deminishing "value" of OGC).  As I stated in 3 above, the Wiki could be a blessing or a bane to the RPG-I, but fighting the establisment of a Wiki it is more likely to harm the RPG-I (e.g., gamers fight with their pocketbook) than working together with gamers in establishing the Wiki.5 - I'm not a game designer, but I think the Wiki could be a benefit for some.  By having a wiki, a game designer can see what has already been established by others before him.  This doesn't mean that the concepts the desiginer will be in the OGC as the info may have only been put out as PI, but it's a first step in the process of seeing if the designer has anything to contribute to the RPG-I.  I doubt that any game designer would want to find out when trying to be published (or even worse, after he has been published) that his concepts were already published as OGC or PI.  If a Wiki existed, the designer could evaluate what is in the Wiki, may or may not purchase the source of the OGC, and decide on an outcome prior to spending a lot of time.6 - As I stated in 4 above, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people who want the Wiki are gamers who think the OGC should be freely available based upon the OGL and its FAQ's.  I think a lot of people in the RPG-I feel threatened by a Wiki because they have an invested interest in the OGC material (e.g., they wrote it, feel a Wiki could threaten sales).  Alternatively, gamers who want a Wiki feel like the RPG-I is not living up to their obligations of the OGL for the OGC by fighting the establishment of the Wiki.7 - As I said in 3 above, its is unknown what having an OGC Wiki will have on the RPG-I.  Some people will probably purchase the source rpg products because they have seen the OGC in the Wiki, while others may not.  From my experience, gamers are pack-rats.  We collect everything and throw away little.  Even if a Wiki was established, there would still be some gamers who would purchase books that was just a rehash of OGC material.Additionally, as you indicated, if you find out what the source of the OGC material, you will purchase the book.  I think it can be reasonably said, that some gamers will also purchase the book if they were interested in the material contained within it.  Some sales may be lost if the only thing the gamer saw that was worth his $ was what was the OGC material, but that is the risk the RPG-I must take if they put out material as OGC or expand original OGC material.8 - I would hate that people would have to "worry" about the creation of a OGC Wiki.  I would like to think that a Wiki could be benefitial to both gamers and the RPG-I, and not think of it as a RPG-I Slaying weapon.Zelgar</blockquote>

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