On Tue, 3 Oct 2000, Ryan S. Dancey wrote:
> From: "Brian C. Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > So, I could make a computer game, for instance, that included
> > everything in the SRD as well as my own versions of the things it does not
> > cover?
>
> Translating the D20 system rules to a computer game is going to remove them
> from any copyright we might have claimed on the system as a whole. Adding
> back in the skills, feats, spells, magic items and monsters returns us to
> the grey area.
>
Since the descriptions are in the SRD and will be open game
content, aren't they free to be used? I don't see the distinction between
the mechanics and the skills. In fact, looking over the skills and such I
noticed that a number of mechanics would have to be added to a computer
game to implement them correctly.
> In other words, the OGL may not add much value to a computer game. Access
> to the D&D product identity is valuable, but that's not what you get, from
> the perspective of a computer game, with the D20 SRD.
>
Well, IMO based on the SRD it doesn't look like much of a role
playing game. There are too many rules and there are too many exceptions
to deal with during play. However, I can see those rules being used
successfully in a combat based computer game where the player doesn't need
to worry about remembering if an action is a partial move and what that
means. In terms of gameplay, I see porting the SRD as beneficial not in
name marketing but in having a robust and interesting set of game
mechanics.
> In short, the OGL is not a good software license. I think that an OGL
> project, combined with an OSI certified software license is a viable
> project, because the access to the sourcecode provided by the software
> license will remove the problems with OGC being identified.
>
> If I were a publisher, I would not rely on the OGL for a software product,
> especially not a game.
>
Well, what I have in mind is actually an open source project that
probably would never be commercially sold, but I am also interested in the
commercial possibilities.
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surest basis of public happiness." - George Washington
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