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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emil" data-source="post: 4029018" data-attributes="member: 59657">I'll preface this post by saying I'm not sure what exactly the GSL will entail when it's finalized.It is my understanding that the original mission of the OGL and d20 STL was to allow creators to develop settings and splatbooks without the need to pay WotC a license fee or ask permission. This was meant to foster exactly the kind of glut that occurred with a multitude of publishers making a whole lot of content that was all compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition.It seems to me that the GSL is being drafted to work in a similar way. Publishers are allowed to develop all sorts of content that is compatible with 4E.What I thought was a "noble mistake" in the original OGL was the concept of Open Game Content, especially in the instance of releasing all the basic game rules as OGC (in the System Reference Document). Now, legally speaking, intellectual property laws do not cover game rules. Text can be copyrighted, but the game system itself can't be copyrighted or patented. Why not get around the legal complexities and release the text under a license that allows re-publication? The intention, I believe, was to keep publishers from rewriting all of the rule text in a slightly different fashion so that it could be used as-needed to clarify new content that is developed by 3rd-party publishers.While, I don't think it really turned out all that bad, I think that WotC feels that the spirit of the license has been damaged. I think it's great that a number of creators have been able to reuse and expand on each other's creations, making the d20 system much richer than it was at the outset. On the other hand, there have been a large amount of "broken" or "pigeon-holed" products brought to market. I don't think that these less-than-stellar productions have really harmed the market all that much, honestly.In my mind, the crowning achievement of the OGL was the ability for publishers to create whole new games inspired by the d20 system. Unfortunately, due to the licensing restrictions on the d20 STL, not all of these games are able to carry the d20 logo and advertise their similarity or near-compatibility.The thing is, there's no way any revision to the OGL, or releasing D&D 4E with a different license entirely can keep anyone from creating a new game that uses the basic d20 mechanic. In fact D&D 4E still uses the major elements of d20. I'm pretty sure that the new GSL will still allow publishers to create settings and splatbooks that are compatible with Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. Also, the original OGL already paved the way for derivative (though closely related) game systems that will continue to produce supplements.I know a lot of people that play Dungeons & Dragons don't care about the impact of the d20 system itself, but it's definitely made quite a mark, and I don't think WotC really has much power over the proliferation of the system (even if publishers aren't allowed to call their products by that name). Sure, 4th Edition is changing classes, changing level progressions, introducing some mechanics, but they're not really changing the basic elements of d20: 6 Ability scores (and their bonuses), hit points, a basic defense score (AC), a scaled bonus to attack (BAB), level-based advancement, skill lists, and the combination of the stat bonuses with a single roll of a 20-sided-die against either a set difficulty or another roll. People that know how to play D&D3e won't really have to learn a new rule system for 4e, just some style changes. That is the whole idea behind the d20 system to begin with.In my mind, D&D 3E, D&D 4E, True20, Mutants & Masterminds, Conan OGL, etc are all d20 games. The D&D 3E SRD exists and isn't going anywhere. It will always remain as a template from which to develop these games. And even if the D&D 4E SRD does not include a license for free use (to create variant game systems and character creation rules), I can't imagine that it can be so different from 3E's SRD to consider it a separate game system.Basically, what I'm saying is, the GSL will not invalidate the current OGL. d20 games will continue to be made. Even if they can't use the new elements of D&D4E verbatim, 4E will certainly have an impact on future products (even the ones that don't "require" the Player's Handbook to play).</blockquote>

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