Hi Dakotah I like the idea of only giving it out to people that all ready have a copy. This comes back to the point I made about torrent/file sharing sites as this is how they get round it by having some disclaimer on the site explaining that the files are only to be downloaded if the person downloading has the original and is just creating a backup. This in mind if the books are put onto thomas's site with the express intention of being an accessible version for the blind who already own the paper copy could there just be some tick box that someone has to select before they download to say they own the original and they are blind and just wanted an accessible version. Then it is the responsibility of the person downloading the file to ensure they either have or obtain the original version to.
-----Original Message----- From: gamers-boun...@audyssey.org [mailto:gamers-boun...@audyssey.org] On Behalf Of Dakotah Rickard Sent: 17 June 2012 20:03 To: Gamers Discussion list Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Redistributing RPG Source Books This is a huge topic, and I'm skipping a lot of messages. I want to admit that and apologize. First, people are greedy, and the more they get, the greedier they get. It's a version of the old saying: "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." That's why these distributors make money, and want to keep making money, off the work of creative persons. As for roleplaying, there's all sorts. A pen-and-paper roleplay is what led to muds today. Essentially, the game or dungeon master is the server and the players are clients. The clients tell the server what they want to happen with their character, and the server tells the client what happens or that what they want to happen is invalid. it's a good bit more flexible though, because the only timing you have to worry about is the patience of your friends as you figure out what to do, for the most part. It's also pretty cheap and requires very little in the way of stuff to roleplay. I've done a bit of live roleplay when it comes to combat, and by that I mean acting it out. It feels a lot different to hold a sword, metal or wood, either works, in your hand and lock blades, even slowly, with an enemy rather than to say "I want to swing my sword at them." but that's mostly for modeling purposes. I've never costumed up. still, I've heard it can be fun. As for the legality of distributing these books, I say this: If you distribute them for free, you are actually being illegal. If you distribute for proffit, you are being super illegal. If you distribute them for free but with a password, it doesn't really cover your butt any, because it's just making the illegality exclusive and if you get into trouble, the powers that be know exactly who should get into trouble alongside of you rather than just assuming that anyone and everyone downloaded them. If you want the rats to go down with the ship, put a password on it. Otherwise, let it be. However, one legal way of distributing the books is to force everyone to buy the books. Hell, just get them from a used book agent like a local shop or amazon. Then once the person has the books, they can e-mail you, Tom, and say they have them and you can give them the archive. What they do with it from there is their own concern. Summary. The user buys the books somewhere cheap. They give Tom the info saying they bought the books. Tom gives them the archive as a backup. Legal, completely fine, and no issue. If you don't care to do all that, just distribute them. If it doesn't look suspicious, it won't get noticed. That's my two cents. Signed: Dakotah Rickard On 6/17/12, Thomas Ward <thomasward1...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Dark, > > Right. The dice are basically there to enhance the plot of the game > and to put in some realistic skill checks so your character can and > can't do certain things. Even the most powerful characters have to > have limitations and/or run into a bit of bad luck sometimes. The dice > can help determine how successful a certain task is. > > For example, let's imagine a battle between Master Yoda and the > Emperor like in Revenge of the Sith. In the movie Palpatine bests > Yoda, but that was only because Lucas had to be in keeping with the > plot of the original series. However, in reality both Palpatine and > Yoda are probably equally matched both being masters of the force and > if memory serves me the skill sets are about the same as far as the > roll playing games are concerned. > > In any case there is a scene in the movie where Palpatine catches Yoda > off guard, hits him with a lightning bolt, and Yoda is knocked clear > across the room like a rag doll. In an a roll playing game the > gamemaster who is probably controlling Palpatine might roll the dice > to see how successful his lightning attack is and the player playing > Yoda can throw a saving roll to minimize the damage or deflect the > attack altogether. He might block the lightning bolt with his light > saber, use the force to create a barrier between himself and the > lightning, or try to hurl an object such as a statue in the > lightning's path deflecting it. If he uses an object like a statue it > might block the lightning but a good gm might say the statue explodes > and Yoda ends up taking some damage from getting hit by pieces of the > statue when it explodes. Therefore the dice only partly determines > what does and does not happen, but the gm really has the final say > what actually happens between rolls. > > Cheers@! > > > On 6/17/12, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: >> To be honest I'd see the diceas simply a way of limiting your characters' >> abilities, and also adding an element of chance into the game. >> >> To take tom's glider example. If your character was a barbarian from the >> frozen wastes, it might be that she doesn't really have the manual skill >> or >> >> indeed knolidge to build a glider, where as if your character was a mage >> who >> >> spent his time building magic devices, ---- well even though a glider >> isn't >> >> a magic device he will at least be more familiar with engineering >> principles. >> >> The gm would probably ask your character to roll some stats, say their >> intelligence, and based on that roll decide how good the glider was. >> Then, >> when you fly across the chasm, the gm would probably roll some more >> checks >> against the glider, and obviously a better designed glider will have more >> chance of making the checks, but even a well designed glider might be >> unlucky. >> >> Of course though, sinse your characters are part of the plot, the gm >> might >> not actually want to perminantly kill you for such a mistake, so if your >> glider breaks, the gm might have you fall down the chasm and land on a >> ledge, but then, you'd be injured, and stuck halfway up a chasm with no >> way >> >> off. Or, if it is a fantasy game, perhaps you do actually die, and then >> need >> >> to talk to someone like hades about being returned to the land of the >> living. >> >> Of course, some gm's might just say your dead and that's the end as well, >> but again, it'd all depend upon what sort of plot the gm is making. >> >> One of the best uses of dice mechanics I've actually seen recently was >> when >> >> our party was involved in a traditional jousting tournament a few days >> ago. >> >> My character, sinse he can only really fight within his armor, wasn't >> participating, but offered to act as herald, introducing our party >> members >> who were fighting and getting the crowd on their side. >> >> The heralding basically worked by me and the other herald comparing some >> diplomacy skill checks, with whoever won imparting a bonus to their >> knight. >> >> I was able to improve my roll depending upon how well I was able to >> speak, >> and how convincing I was according to the circumstances. >> >> For instance, in one fight, one of our party who is actually the earthly >> encarnation of an angel was fighting a very lissivious knight who very >> obviously liked the ladies a bit much. >> >> I then played up the part about knightly virtues, with a bit of an >> emphasis >> >> on chastity! which of course, sinse it was according to the circumstances >> gave me far more of a bonus, and in turn gave our party member more of a >> bonus as well. >> >> that's the sort of thing I mean about dice mechanics, that they are used >> to >> >> enhance the actual plot, and defign what your characters can and cannot >> do, >> >> rather than just being something you continually follow. >> >> Beware the grue! >> >> Dark. >> >> >> --- >> Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >> gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. >> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >> http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. >> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >> list, >> please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. >> > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
