Redblade Character Generator Rocks

[gariig]

Ok, what annoys me is that WoTC was like "whatever" basically UNTIL they got into the market and had competition. That is annoying. Also, it will make programmers who want to make an app for the community not want to because of all the hoops to jump through. Really sad if you ask me.

Gariig

 

[2WS-Steve]

Holy crap, a user interface I can stand! And it's small, fast, and responsive! I wonder how long it took to make...

Are "me too" posts against etiquette because I'm posting one anyway!

Anyway, hope the license stuff gets worked out because Redblade is looking very good.

 

[Fast Learner]

Ok, what annoys me is that WoTC was like "whatever" basically UNTIL they got into the market and had competition. That is annoying.

It would have been cool by you, then, if WOTC had been doing this from the start?

 

[Twin Rose]

Ok, what annoys me is that WoTC was like "whatever" basically UNTIL they got into the market and had competition. That is annoying. Also, it will make programmers who want to make an app for the community not want to because of all the hoops to jump through. Really sad if you ask me.

From personal experience, I can tell you that it didn't happen like that at all. They started looking long before eTools release. However, eTools was scheduled for release at GenCon... and GenCon was also the first chance that many of the small software developers and publishers had a cahnce to meet WOTC representatives.

And, now, WOTC has approved of several character generators out on the market - Campaign Suite and PCGen come to mind, but there may be others I'm as yet unaware of. (I don't think RPM makes characters, does it? Just statblocks?)

They were quite generous in what they allowed software and d20 producers to get away with, why not just do the research and do it right the first time?

 

[Grazzt]

Right away, I was able to see "Sword and Fist" in their features list. I didn't need to read any further to realize that this, like any other character generators, is going to be in trouble. I do wish that developers read these forums more.

Those were my thoughts as soon as I checked the site. Believe I will pass on this one until it is legal.

 

[Grazzt]

Regarding d20/OGL: people may be annoyed that WoTC throws there weight around and demends d20/OGL compliance from software tools on the internet.

But why people express anger at the d20/OGL on this issue confuses me. The d20/OGL is not the thing that gives WoTC the right to throw their weight around. The mere fact that the tool is making use of WoTC's copyrighted material gives them the right to do that.

If there was no d20/OGL you wouldn't even be able to put the players handbook classes in your tool without evoking the ire of WoTC. But you can use the PhB material legally because of the d20/OGL.

Pretty accurate. It seems that the ones that cry the loudest about how unfair WotC is don't really understand what the OGL/d20 licenses are anyway (including some of the software publishers I have seen frequent this place).

 

[linnorm]

Pretty accurate. It seems that the ones that cry the loudest about how unfair WotC is don't really understand what the OGL/d20 licenses are anyway (including some of the software publishers I have seen frequent this place).

Actually, my biggest beef with WotC is that they expect everyone else to play by their rules, but fail to do so themselves. E-tools doesn't have to play by the same rules that its competitors do because WotC made it. What makes it even more insulting is that even without the restrictions put on it by d20/OGL licensing it still isn't very good. WotC would have been better off buying out one of the independant generators (PCRec, Redblade, etc.) and giving it the official stamp. Hipocrocy does not beget respect.

Linnorm

 

[Fractalwave]

Actually, my biggest beef with WotC is that they expect everyone else to play by their rules, but fail to do so themselves. E-tools doesn't have to play by the same rules that its competitors do because WotC made it. What makes it even more insulting is that even without the restrictions put on it by d20/OGL licensing it still isn't very good. WotC would have been better off buying out one of the independant generators (PCRec, Redblade, etc.) and giving it the official stamp. Hipocrocy does not beget respect.

Linnorm

Actually, Fluid developed E-tools from a completely separate license they purchased, I believe. That is the reason they do not play by the d20/OGL rules.

But the really funny thing about it is that unless they negotiate separate agreements with publishers who publish OGC using the OGL then they will need to be able to comply with the OGL as well in order to publish that same material through E-tools.

From a first glance, their product is not designed to do that and would most likely require a bit of a rewrite. And then they would be put into the same boat as the rest of us in working with WotC to verify OGL compliance.

E-tools is a tool to work with core data only. In that scope, it functions. Core data is what the rest of us aren't allowed to handle. So it's a trade-off. If you want to work within the core data and core rules only, buy E-tools. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

 

[Slander]

my biggest beef with WotC is that they expect everyone else to play by their rules, but fail to do so themselves

It's their material ... why should WotC be restricted in what it can do with it's own material? WotC is being generous and allowing others to use their material as well via the d20 and OGL licenses. Those licenses include certain restrictions to ensure they retain full legal rights to the material they have created. If they don't do that, they lose the legal rights to their material. It's not the "big bad company stepping on the little guy", that's just smart business ... downright friendly considering they could deny its use altogether. Companies can't survive if they give their products away, however much we want the contrary.



Slander

 

[Grazzt]

Actually, my biggest beef with WotC is that they expect everyone else to play by their rules, but fail to do so themselves.

Linnorm

As previously stated above, WotC doesn't have to play by the rules with E-tools (or any of their products). They can use anything they want from any book (of theirs) they want. They make the rules. Everyone else plays by them. And if they hadn't made the rules and shared them, there would be no d20 publishers, no PCGen, no RedBlade, no Campaign Suite.

That's just how it works.