SRD Spinoff Possibility?

[RaynerApe]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post here and I hope to become more frequent poster but for now please bear with the curse of the "totally useless first post" and one idea I have been thinking about lately with the imminent approach of 3.5 edition of our most-favourite game.

There have been fears that several years after 3.5 we might get another revision that fixes old bugs and introduces more broken rules for the next one to finish - be it 3.5.1, 3.75 alpha, or 3.9.0 Release Candidate 12. I am almost certain that this is going to happen as Hasbro is pushing on WotC to generate more money from the brand or scrap it. It would further frustrate the customers (like they aren't frustrated right now) and d20 publishers, an effect that can be moderate right now (everyone publishing d20 material is eager to embrace the changes) but in future it would be constant danger of "revision overhauls" that destroys old d20 material in order to create a market with a set "life span" of published material such as Magic The Gathering's T1/T2 formats. It would further suit WotC if they want to get rid of d20 compatibility of published material they would want to cover in their next revision. If there are, say, 3 alternative books on Psionics and WotC wants to set their own as standard, they can set it's revision's release date immediately after revision of the core books, making enough changes so the d20 alternative products are no more compatible without serious changes.

So, in order to avoid such possible aggressive approach from WotC, is it possible for a collaboration between several major d20 publishers to come up with a SRD spinoff - a variant PHB/DMG/MM combo, such as Everquest and Arcana Unearthed - and then continue developing material for it instead going for the (possibly) self-destructive market of d20. Instead standing the chance to work with the huge market of D&D and face constant authorative changes, the already powerful d20 Market could become independant with it's own core rule book - which won't be d20 of course - but get powerful support and the knowledge that behind that corebook there isn't some corporative force requiring constant changes.

Just my .02. Opinions are welcome...

 

[JPL]

Welcome to Enworld.

 

[Mark]

Welcome to the boards!

There are certain things you can do under the OGL that you cannot do if you wish to also sport the d20 logo. They're outlined in the licenses and guides here-

http://www.wizards.com/D20/main.asp?x=welcome,3

(right side links)

It's worth noting that WotC opened up the material in the SRD (and created the licenses) as a way to gain support for their core books and perhaps their other products. Circumventing that support, for whatever is the most current version of the core books they are promoting, is likely to cause them to respond in a manner that means revising the d20 licensing to be more restrictive.

Whether their scheduled revisions (or an entire revamping) of the rules seems agressive or not, I think it is wise to keep things in perspective here. At a certain point one has to realize that when someone is kind enough to invite you to use their swimming pool, they probably mean when they are there to enjoy it with you.

They are in business and without their kindness, for what it is worth, there wouldn't be an OGL or d20SL. What you are asking for, it seems, is a bunch of companies that would not exist if not for WotC's strategy to come forward and try to basically do an end-around on WotC.

Any takers...?

 

[Celtavian]

re

I am still amazed that WotC's is allowing the free use of the d20/OGL license system for game development by competing companies. The free licensing was a real gem of an idea. They really created alot of opportunity in the gaming community that wasn't there previously. Now if I can just come up with a product that everyone will want to buy.

 

[Buttercup]

First off, Welcome to ENWorld!

I'm sure many respondents to this thread will know more than I do, like Mark up above, there. But for what it's worth, here's my take.

1. Ryan Dancy has earned a special place in gamer heaven for his role in the creation of the D20 license and the system reference document. He truly did save D&D.

2. Doing an end-run around WotC would backfire quickly, I think.

3. In the event that WotC decided to get out of the D&D business, I suspect (and hope!) that someone would buy the brand from them. Sword & Sorcery studios, perhaps. Ryan Dancy & Peter Atkinson perhaps.

And lastly, where did you hear this?

I am almost certain that this is going to happen as Hasbro is pushing on WotC to generate more money from the brand or scrap it.

Is Hasbro really thinking of scrapping the brand? If it's public knowledge, surely we would have heard about it here. If it isn't public knowledge, where did you get your info?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I am almost certain that this is going to happen as Hasbro is pushing on WotC to generate more money from the brand or scrap it.

Your certainty is based upon this assertion of Hasbro's intent... Care to back it up?

 

[Piratecat]

Says the man who works for Hasbro.

Welcome, RaynerApe!

 

[RaynerApe]

Thanks everyone for the quick response. The "Hasbro pushing WotC to turn D&D into MtG" comment I posted originally is based on several threads on the 3.5 Q&A board at WotC, few posts even backed (indirectly) by comments from WotC crew. I'll have to dig in to find the exact posts.

It is also a very logical (and frightening) consideration. For Habro D&D is at par with such licenses as MtG, but it doesn't generate as much money as the card games. So I think WotC had the option of either to put D&D into infavorable position and risk Hasbro scrapping it, or they would generate another "corebook sale boost" with the revision. I also happen to think one of the reasons they touched and fixed (or broken) so many things in the corebooks with the revision is also the need for the game to be less backward compatible, a strong stimulation for all D&D fans and publishers to move to the new corebooks and generate income.

I personally am afraid that WotC will try to keep D&D profitable in long-term by frequent revisions and reprint of revised material. It is not the bad thing that they are making profit from the game again, the bad thing is that this denominates the value of D&D. It was the roleplaying game that could stand on it's feet for decades, generating massive supported product lines and deeply developed worlds. Now it could become more or less constantly-revised rule-based product with small tides of material that die off quickly or have to be repurchased once the core books are - once again - revised. d20 will self-fragment into multiple barely compatible editions - 3.0, 3.5, 3.x, 4.0, etc. And in summary, every d20 product will have "lifespan" dictated solely by WotC plans to "recycle" the game once again. They are going to be the ones who say that if the market is already saturated with fantasy material, it has to be "revision-flushed" so WotC could take better control of it. This _is_ scary.

That is why I am thinking that once the d20 industry is strong enough and WotC poses danger over the development of this industry with plans for constant revisions, someone might separate d20 - or a d20-similar system engine - base a universal corebook on it and then offer it to the companies for support. I am sure there will be many disadvantages and difficulties (I might even see WotC tightening up OGL/d20 license if Arcana Unearthed or similar projects gain serious support and poses danger to fragment the d20 market), but I don't want to see the wonder of d20/OGL license destroyed because it grew stronger han WotC ever imagined in the beginning.

 

[jgbrowning]

I'm sure I probably have a somewhat niave view, but it seems to be to be a pandora's box.

Once it (concept of OGL role-playing) is out of the box it cannot be put back in.

For that I thank Mr. Dancy. I think he knew full well what he was doing.....




joe b.

 

[RaynerApe]

Yes, they can. They can decide d20/OGC is not working anymore for them, release D&D4ever (oh sweet irony!) as non OGL content, and let d20 companies keep up developing and using the old 3.x ruleset. The new, fourth edition ruleset can come out under different license ("you cannot release things that cover topics we have decided to release ourselves", or "you cannot release d20-compatible player manuals" and so on) , be licensed directly instead free and so on. It would be a big smack in the face of the d20 industry, but I think at this point is it strong enough to recover and keep up as a competitor.