Hello,
"Martin L. Shoemaker" wrote:
> << Perhaps that is my problem. Perhaps I just am misunderstanding something.
> If we
> are part of the open gaming community, and closed content is not open. How
> does
> that help the open gaming community. >>
>
> It helps the gaming community -- which is of more concern to me than is the
> open subculture
There it is. Knew it was around here somewhere. Apples and oranges. :-) Do you
mean every gamer, or just those that play D&D/D20?
Personally i couldn't care less about the gaming community as a whole, or even
the D&D community. On the other hand the Open Gaming community has my attention.
But then, I'm not here to make money, only games.
> -- in at least six concrete ways that people have identified
> in this discussion.
Well, 1-5 benefit the businesses the most, and the gamers sort of by
association. But there is no real benefit for the Open Gaming community.
> 6. If done in compliance with the OGL, it spreads the name recognition for
> quality OGC and the creators of same.
This one gets closer. Although I have a feeling that the name recognition is
going to be what is on the front cover, not what is in the credits list.
> You clearly did not make your contribution expecting that this particular
> company would somehow contribute back to you.
<Shrug> I expect anyone drawing on the resources of the community to contribute
to it in one form or another. If they don't, they are not part of the community,
just taking advantage of it.
> You hoped that SOMEBODY would;
> and somebody will. And honestly, your personal benefit or motivation is
> probably the love of doing the work, which you get no matter what this
> company does.
Except i don't have to be part of the community to get that. If that was all I
was after, why bother with the community?
The absolute biggest benefit in Open Gaming is the ideas. I share my ideas and
return others share their ideas. In that way, the core material grows, expands,
and becomes better. If people do not give back to the community, then the
exchange doesn't happen, the core doesn't grow, expand or become better. It just
sort of stagnates, then is relegated to the back shelf of your library as
something new catches your eye.
> See above. More quality products and more gamers help the gaming community.
But not the Open Gaming community specifically.
The gaming community as a whole is too big for my shoulders. I'm only interested
in the Open Gaming Community.
Have Fun,
Darren
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For more information, please link to www.opengamingfoundation.org
