Power Critical?

[Boone]

There is a basic assumption in commerce that when money is exchanged for a product that is produced by a reputable company that that product will be one of quality. WOTC has time and again not held up their end of this relationship by putting forth error laden products that while good on whole are still below what many would consider an acceptable standard.

The perception is that if they don't care enough about making a product that is worth the $20.00 (U.S.) then why should they expect their consumers to respect WOTC's copyright. (The thinking is that WOTC is over charging for inferior products and doing so on a mass scale, supplement this supplement that...)

It sure is nice that every one needs to visit WOTC web site to down load Errata. In a web based world they have now virtually ensured that everyone who purchases one of their products will also click onto their site.

I am not proposing that it right to violate a copy right law. I am pointing out that their isn't alot of sympathy from the masses behind it.

Besides all of you who have so nobly proclaimed your copy right virtue, how many CD's have you burned, or cassette tapes have you copied, or how much pirated software is on your PC. the list goes on...

It sure is nice that we can pick and choose what we are going to be hypocrites about.

 

[IceBear]

Besides all of you who have so nobly proclaimed your copy right virtue, how many CD's have you burned, or cassette tapes have you copied, or how much pirated software is on your PC. the list goes on...

None - it's not worth the hassle of getting this stuff when I could just buy it without hassle.

I've been pretty happy with the quality of the stuff from WotC. They don't seem to be that below par with other companies.

So, just because a computer game is buggy, that's a reason to pirate it? (to understand your rationale why it's ok to copy WotC stuff). Wow....that's a really good reason.

IceBear

 

[FullTinCan]

I am not proposing that it right to violate a copy right law. I am pointing out that their isn't alot of sympathy from the masses behind it.

Besides all of you who have so nobly proclaimed your copy right virtue, how many CD's have you burned, or cassette tapes have you copied, or how much pirated software is on your PC. the list goes on...

None, the Open Source movement has greatly helped to ensure that I don't have pirated material.

However, the issue has now become whether it is illegal or not to post a description of a feat (as long as you don't plagarize). So the question of pirated software or music isn't wholly within the domain of the discussion.

Is it wrong to take the narrative of a feat or prestige class and repost them? Yes.

Is it wrong to take the idea of the prestige class or feat and write your own narrative and description? No.

My statement is that I would rather not even write my own narrative and description for an already existing, not explicitly open feat because I would rather support "the gaming industry" by encouraging people to purchase the product. This gets professional talent involved in the design and deployment of games.

That said, I would also agree with you that Wizards of the Coast frequently suffers from editting errors, but no worse than any other medium to large sized gaming company (about the only book without typos is the Bible). The problem that arises is that Wizards is a massive organization with more interests than RPGs and it has to report to Hasbro (who only cares if RPGs are profitable), therefore they are sluggish in their response, especially in the case of errata. However even this can be clarified via the Sage.

Wizards has chosen the media of print and therefore can't indulge in the luxury of PDF patches to update text.

 

[Rowenstin]

Regardless of the legal stuff, Don´t you think the feat is very powerful? Specially combined with a Smite (paladin, Destruction domain...) power.

 

[Victim]

Of course it's powerful. It's a high level feat. Shouldn't high level abilities be more powerful than low level ones?

 

[Boone]

I am not proposing that it right to violate a copy right law.
.

With the above statement in my post where did this come from?

YOUR QUOTE>>> ICE BEAR
"" So, just because a computer game is buggy, that's a reason to pirate it? (to understand your rationale why it's ok to copy WotC stuff). Wow....that's a really good reason. <<<<

My rational was for the lack of empathy that exists about copy rights. If it doesn't apply to you... so be it, but that doesn't mean that it is the same for everyone else.

Great you guys don't have any copy right violated material of any kind.

Also no one cares about the woes of a massive organization. What people care about is getting having the satisfaction of getting what they thought they were paying for. Massive organizations are still comprised of smaller design, manufaturing, distribution units that should be and need to be responsible for producing a quality error free product.

Ford is massive organization... if they delivered you new Silver Explorer and it had a orange door would that be exceptable?

I am not trying to instigate anything so don't personalize a "general" post. (although the Hypocrit comment could be viewed as personal it was intended as a general commnet) My apologies....

 

[kreynolds]

Wow. We've got ourselves a couple of angels here. FullTinCan and IceBear, I humbly offer my obedience and loyalty to your divine and wholesome magnificence. LOL Yeah right! Angels my foot! LOL And neither one of them has a single MP3!? Sure, choir boys that play DnD. Yep, I'm believing that.

Wait a sec...you two do know what an MP3 is, right? Just pokin' guys. I couldn't resist. For a second there you two were starting to sound like Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky, "I did not have illegal relations with that WotC supplement."

 

[FullTinCan]

Regardless of the legal stuff, Don´t you think the feat is very powerful? Specially combined with a Smite (paladin, Destruction domain...) power.

I would say that the feat is fairly strong, but within the bounds of acceptable. Does it give you an automatic hit with the attack (I don't remember and am asking) or is it once you hit you may automatically threaten?

In either case I believe that it would work just fine. Sure the Paladin could have one massive attack during a day
(20th level Paladin, with a 22 Strength, and a +5 Longsword, and Power Attack would be able to do (1d8+20+20+11) * 2 or 2d8 + 102 points of damage. Yes this is a lot of damage, and if you don't have to hit, then I would have a problem withit, if you do have to hit, then I don't see as much of a problem.

 

[IceBear]

Wow. We've got ourselves a couple of angels here. FullTinCan and IceBear, I humbly offer my obedience and loyalty to your divine and wholesome magnificence. LOL Yeah right! Angels my foot! LOL And neither one of them has a single MP3!? Sure, choir boys that play DnD. Yep, I'm believing that.

Wait a sec...you two do know what an MP3 is, right? Just pokin' guys. I couldn't resist. For a second there you two were starting to sound like Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky, "I did not have illegal relations with that WotC supplement."

Hehehe - yeah, I am a choir boy I guess. I wouldn't say that I've NEVER done anything against copyright, but I no longer do it - I just find it to be a waste of time and effort. I used to download MP3s, but I found it wasn't worth it, so if I REALLY like a song I buy it.

Anyway, I was just commenting on the fact that given what WotC is, they are a lot better at allowing the community leeway with copyrights than, say, TSR was, so I just shake my head in disbelief when I see a comment like in this thread.

I don't like the fact that because someone has an issue with a corporation because it's so large then it's ok to shaft them. I also REALLY like my RPG hobby and my computer gaming hobby. I wouldn't want either one of them to have no future because it isn't profitable for them anymore due to pirating.

I also see that in today's market it is very rare for anyone to come out with a perfect product. Is it right that it's almost the norm that every PC game is buggy on release? No. But I also respect the fact that the company has to make money. There is no point on working on perfect code if you go bankrupt doing it.

Anyway, a copyright debate shouldn't be on this forum, this is for discussing rules, so let's get back to the topic (which, since I don't have MotW, know nothing about ).

IceBear

 

[FullTinCan]

Wait a sec...you two do know what an MP3 is, right? Just pokin' guys. I couldn't resist. For a second there you two were starting to sound like Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky, "I did not have illegal relations with that WotC supplement."

Ah yes, the great MP3 debate. If I make a copy of a CD to an MP3 for back-up purposes, am I violating copyright? If I burn a CD for back-up purposes, am I violating copyright? If I use the burned CD at the same time that I am using the original, then yes it is illegal.