Wizards Legalese OGL?

[Azure Trance]

IIRC, from an ancient post in this forum, one can use the OGL to use D&D 3.5 or D20Modern to create new print products such as source books, adventures, or campaigns, but not anything electronically interactive (competitive die rolling?) since those rights are tightly held by Wizards computer gaming studio (Bioware? Black Isle?).

The reason I ask is that I was idly wondering (daydreaming, really) about fantastically creating a MMORPG with god-like programming powers but fretted on the rules system. Not to have something as minor as that complicate my power trip, I pondered on what would be best for a Shadowrun-esque game. I knew the jig would be up if FASA (now FanPro) saw a game with d6s, shamans, and dice pools. Then I remembered Wizards had an OGL and maybe that was an invitation to use it's rules - then I remembered that it may not be applicable (ever). In any event, it's an enjoyable mental exercise, particularly after SW: Galaxies really started sucking, hard. I should just imagine that FanPro is less restrictive with usage of their Shadowrun license and be done with it

 

[Azure Trance]

Hey, Ho

Hey!
http://www.happypenguin.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1089

Ho!
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/oglfaq/20040123i

 

[smetzger]

The short is that you can use the OGL for software but the d20 license is much more restrictive and would not be suitable for what you describe.

The biggest hurdle for using the OGL in software is that you must clearly mark everything that is OGC in your work.

 

[Planesdragon]

IIRC, from an ancient post in this forum, one can use the OGL to use D&D 3.5 or D20Modern to create new print products such as source books, adventures, or campaigns, but not anything electronically interactive (competitive die rolling?) since those rights are tightly held by Wizards computer gaming studio (Bioware? Black Isle?).

No. You can use the OGL to make software--it's just not clear-cut. You need to "Clearly Identify" all of the OGC in your software, and that very well might mean having the program logic dictated by your software be human-readable text (like an VBS or PHP file). The other option is to mark the whole program file-by-file as OGC, but various compilers and IDEs might throw you if you do that. (You need to have the right to relicense, not just redistriute.)

As other folk have pointed out, the d20STL essentially prohibits software. (Feel free to ask WotC for permission, though--they might be good sports about it, depending on what you're writing.)

The Prometheus Compatability license (see sig), however, expliictly permits software, and has the added bonus that we can't pull the rug out from you (like WotC can with the D20STL.) It's getting a larger visibility as time goes on, and it won't be too long before our twenty-sided gear has almost as much meaning as that square "d20".

 

[pensiv]

Planesdragon your "see sig" link goes to an "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" page.

 

[Azure Trance]

No. You can use the OGL to make software--it's just not clear-cut. You need to "Clearly Identify" all of the OGC in your software, and that very well might mean having the program logic dictated by your software be human-readable text (like an VBS or PHP file). The other option is to mark the whole program file-by-file as OGC, but various compilers and IDEs might throw you if you do that. (You need to have the right to relicense, not just redistriute.)

As other folk have pointed out, the d20STL essentially prohibits software. (Feel free to ask WotC for permission, though--they might be good sports about it, depending on what you're writing.)

The Prometheus Compatability license (see sig), however, expliictly permits software, and has the added bonus that we can't pull the rug out from you (like WotC can with the D20STL.) It's getting a larger visibility as time goes on, and it won't be too long before our twenty-sided gear has almost as much meaning as that square "d20".

Would clearly identify also work if the 'rules mechanics' were identified in a seperate manual? Example: (Manual - OGC Section) "If you attack in game, you [...]" / "Skill List and Descriptions" / Etc. I assume a theoretical, complicated, perfect way to get about this would be clicking on a file will magically decompile it and open up only the relevant OGC text in notepad. Wouldn't that be just about the same as putting the OGC text in a manual, maybe even pointing with what OGC contents are in what file.ext?

Also: I googled Prometheus and found another line - freegamingassociation.org; unfortunately whenever I click any link I get a parse error in IE (At least at the school comp site I'm at now).

 

[Ranger REG]

The OpenGamingFoundation.org have a mailing list archive where there have been numerous discussions of applying OGL to software program.

But even the author of OGL (and advocate of Open Gaming) confessed that the OGL is not suitable for computer programming.

 

[WingOver]

If you could put all the rules and data (the open content) in files to be parsed and used by the application it would satisfy the OGL. The problem is architecting the app to use rules from a file, instead of having the rules hardcoded as program logic (which is an easier approach).

Does anyone know if you can put the open content in a database instead? If so, but you used a commercial database, would that violate the OGL?

 

[Azure Trance]

Would WOTC legal send threatening letters and bend me over if I used rules similar to OGL, but all number variables were increased by 10 to show differentiation? IE: Fighters HP = D100, Battle Axe = D80 damage. Unfortunately, I don't think that would be enough to count as a 'wholly non-derivative art.'

But, really, I am confused why it must be exactly the files using the OGC and no other derivative solution, including an exact non-compiled copy of the OGC files, pointing out the specific OGC in a manual chapter (you know when you do this and that happens? OGC baby), or any other similar version of the above. It seems as if the OGC license was specifically meant to be this obfuscating, unless it was a poor poor translation of print OGC usage to electronic OGC usage. Would there be ways around the loophole? Is there a grand poobah who can bless certain products with not having to suffer from exact translation of the rules? Will OGC be revised in a future update to be more accomdating? Does the OGC ever get revised, or is it now just an untamable beast in the wild?

 

[Ranger REG]

Basically what WingOver said. No matter how you translate the designated OGC, from simple reading text to binary code, that OGC must be able to be used by other people. In this case, another computer programmer. You can modify any way you want them, as long as they remain OGC and can be accessed by other computer programmers like yourself.

The challenge for most developers is how to do that while keeping the rest of the source code propietary and closed, unless you -- the author of the source code -- are willing to share that as well.