What were the 3 software developers ordered to cease and dissist?

[Leopold]

Someone will post it somewhere and it will be spread around like the plague, that's just the way it is...

We at the PCGen team cannot condone that action. We will not be housing those files nor releasing them at this time due to the licensing issue.

 

[Cergorach]

We at the PCGen team cannot condone that action. We will not be housing those files nor releasing them at this time due to the licensing issue.

I understand that perfectly and even agree on the reasons why you won't be hosting them. Still they'll be around, for the same reason that there are FR fan created files around for e-tools. People create them and want to share in the usefulness of it, no matter how i look at it i can't see the harm in that...

 

[kingpaul]

We at the PCGen team cannot condone that action. We will not be housing those files nor releasing them at this time due to the licensing issue.

No offense Leopold, but I'll believe that when they're off of the sourceforge site. I can still d/l stuff from back to version 2.0.1.

 

[Leopold]

No offense Leopold, but I'll believe that when they're off of the sourceforge site. I can still d/l stuff from back to version 2.0.1.

good point! Thanks for the info. I will get that looked into and removed...no sense saying one thing but doing another...

 

[dafrca]

Boy that did not take long. All gone...

dafrca

 

[kingpaul]

Boy that did not take long. All gone...

We must be looking at different folders, 'cause the one I get my stuff from (which is, btw, the same one EVERYone gets their files from), still has the stuff back to 2.0.1. And I refreshed my screen several time and emptied my internet cache just to makesure.

 

[Sm!rk]

I'm not surprised in the least.

I predicted this move to hobble the free competition once ETools came out so the gaming community would be forced to wait for ETools to catch up with the other more complete programmes like PCGen. You can't sell ETools if there are programmes out there with more content. Everyone of course, told me this was complete paranoia and if WOTC/HASBRO hadn't done it up to this point, then they would never bother.

I don't know why you used power words like "Free" when its far from the truth. WoTC owns the IP, IP is buisness, protecting your IP and serving violaters with C&D regardless wether they are profitting from its sale is not "hobbling the free competition".

From what I've heard etools is selling well, doubt it will selling millions, but neither have the core books. But I would wager there are more etools users right now, than pcgen users.

 

[Nathanael]

Considering the lack of ETools availability around the US, and the limited scope of that programme, I highly doubt its users outnumber PCGen users. Especially since Mac users can use PCGen without PC Emulators.

The Core books do sell well, by the way. That's the best selling item. It has to be or there would be little purpose in their creating more supplements, not to mention the fact that D&D would have been dumped long ago.

Oh, and on that note, if ETools doesn't sell millions, according to WOTC/HASBRO's previous history for dealing with items that don't sell well by their standerds (i.e multi millions), you can kiss ETools and any possible expansions goodbye.

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm not surprised in the least.

I mentioned this many times on the WOTC board as well as Fluid's. The reason the SRD hasn't been updated in forever was always in my mind a way for WOTC/HASBRO to keep complete control of those properties for just this reason. And now it seems, I am proven correct. Watch and see as all of the non-SRD material is taken out of PCGen, making it, functionally, no more than ETools is presently.

You forget. While PCGen cannot make use of any Wizards' copyrighted material that may not appear in the SRD, PCGen CAN incorporate OGC material from other sources such as Green Ronin, Necromancer Games, Fast Forward Entertainment.

Now they can't advertise they have these material from other sources, but from I have seen they made an effort to contact third-party publisher for the use of the name and product along with the OGC material, making PCGen firmly established as THE d20 electronic aid.

Of course, while it is a major convenience that the PCGen developers are willing to volunteer their free time (in a world where there is no such thing as "free time") to make expansions, the PCGen software must support itself by allowing us users to input data on our own.

I never blamed Fluid, and as a matter of fact, I had decided to think positively about the product ever since Scott answered my expansion questions, which have now been reported widely and encouraged many to buy ETools. Now I'm glad there weren't many copies available at my FLGS. I've been saved a world of anxiety concerning whether or not this product would be updated.

Exactly what did he say with regards to future support and expansion? Some can't help but ask the question, why were they not included in the core e-Tools?

My current prediction: ETools will have to sell great, Pokemon sized amounts within the next 90 days or WOTC will drop it faster than Chainmail and deny anyone the right to expand the base programme beyond what is contained in the stillborn SRD. The corporate heads are THAT kind of business person.

At least they're generous to put the product and test the market. If I headed the Hasbro/Wizards business, I would have shut down the project before we bleed heavily. Let the contract with Fluid expire or if I have the power, terminate it.

Then rehire Ryan Dancey as Project Manager and try to recruit the PCGen developers.

I think it's about time that WOTC/HASBRO sold D&D to somebody who cares about the product, won't fire off the designers and put creative decisions in the hands of business managers, and who can see profit as meaning 'any amount left over after costs have been subtracted' as opposed to 'any amount, after cost, that rivals the GNP of a third world nation which ensures the executives a new 100 foot boat and house in Malibu.'

Sorry, bro. Despite this setback, I doubt they will sell D&D and other TSR's asset to someone else. D&D 3e product line are still selling strong with the debut of the Epic Level Handbook and there is the hype regarding a controversial product, The Book of Vile Darkness.

 

[gregweller]

Well, I've still got my 2.73 .lst files. And I'm sure a lot of people have other versions. And that's the wonderful thing about the Internet. If one person has the files, everyone has the files. I just stuck my copy in my Kazaa shared folder.