The most annoying thing about the current "wizards of the coast is evil" debacle is that this like.... like... uh... our third rodeo? This century? Just from Dungeons and Dragons?
The important thing is that Wizards can't copyright D&D.
They can copyright their writing down of D&D - but not D&D.
And the core conflict the OGL solved was people having incredibly petty and stupid arguments about what that was, and then the entire budgets of gaming companies going to lawyers instead of books.
Fun Fact that this kind of fuckery is why most card based games have a mechanic called Exhaust
You see - you can't copyright "turn a card on its side to indicate you've used it" but you *can* trademark the term Tap to mean that.
Wizard's wants a piece of that sweet sweet Critical Role action!
Let's say that Critical Role decides that it's not worth it, and decides to leave D&D.
They don't need to go from Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons to Call of Cthulhu or Burning Wheel or whatever. They can go to Nith Nedition Nungeons and Nagons, a game with *exactly the same rules* as D&D, but owned by them, and be legally in the clear
Sorry, I'm trying to make the larger point. There's a company called USAopoly that just... makes knockoff Monopoly, because Parker Brothers owns the pictures of a train and the free parking picture, not the rules of Monopoly.
The main thrust of this is basically, "Wizards barely owns shit, and they're throwing a fuck of a fit over how they wanna get paid more"
I think we're saying the same thing but not quite getting it, I dunno. It's when you say "Public Domain" which this isn't even, this is freer than that.
silverwizard
Unknown parent • •The important thing is that Wizards can't copyright D&D.
They can copyright their writing down of D&D - but not D&D.
And the core conflict the OGL solved was people having incredibly petty and stupid arguments about what that was, and then the entire budgets of gaming companies going to lawyers instead of books.
Fun Fact that this kind of fuckery is why most card based games have a mechanic called Exhaust
You see - you can't copyright "turn a card on its side to indicate you've used it" but you *can* trademark the term Tap to mean that.
Because Wizards sucks.
silverwizard
Unknown parent • •No no! It's worse than that!
Wizard's wants a piece of that sweet sweet Critical Role action!
Let's say that Critical Role decides that it's not worth it, and decides to leave D&D.
They don't need to go from Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons to Call of Cthulhu or Burning Wheel or whatever. They can go to Nith Nedition Nungeons and Nagons, a game with *exactly the same rules* as D&D, but owned by them, and be legally in the clear
silverwizard
Unknown parent • •Sorry, I'm trying to make the larger point.
There's a company called USAopoly that just... makes knockoff Monopoly, because Parker Brothers owns the pictures of a train and the free parking picture, not the rules of Monopoly.
The main thrust of this is basically, "Wizards barely owns shit, and they're throwing a fuck of a fit over how they wanna get paid more"
I think we're saying the same thing but not quite getting it, I dunno. It's when you say "Public Domain" which this isn't even, this is freer than that.
silverwizard
Unknown parent • •