Re: (TFT) d20 System Homage to TFT?

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

The Open Gaming Liscense is a very interesting development in the art of
RPG systems. 

It will be very interesting to see how it it shakes down. 

Some people might consider this to be an off-topic post, but since this RPG
list has had more discussions about copyright material than any other RPG
mailing list --- including FUZION! --- I think it's appropriate and
apologize to those who do not. 

The idea of a "universal" game system has been around for a long time. 

I think  it was Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) who once started a project
called "ENVOY" that would allow anyone to use a "generic" system that would
make it easy to convert ENVOY numbers to any other game system. Started no
doubt by their being sued for publishing unlisenced conversion rules for
Palladium's system in their Primal Order product.

All in all, I think its a brilliant move by WOTC. After all, it makes D&D
the universal system and it frees up WOTC from having to publish generally
low-profit adventures! They want D&D to be the "Windows" of gaming. And who
can blame them?

Of course, I feel about d20 the way alot of people feel about Windows....

R. Talsorian's FUZIONs attempt to meld Cyberpunk/Mekton's Interlock system
with Champions HERO system was an awkward failure, but an interesting
experiment in allowing anyone to use the FUZION system, provided they got
permission ahead of time and put the right logos in place.

I've heard several different views on the Open Gaming License (OGL):

1. It will crush all other RPGs because everyone will simply churn out d20
reprints of existing material or poor-quality d20 material because d20 will
sell well with pretty pictures no matter what is inside.

2. d20 will slowly evolve as people write better and better rules for it
into a very good and interesting system (although still D&D based). 

3. d20 will lead the way for *other* OGL game systems and it will be THOSE
systems that will crush the d20/D&D system and lead to a universal game
system that will work for everyone. (ATLAS games is rumored to be releasing
the "Over the Edge" game system under the OGL). Of course the key to WOTC
being more successful with a universal system than anyone else is that they
are the only company big enough to go after anyone who breaks the liscence.


4. d20 will cause so many poor quality products to be published that there
will soon be a "d20-backlash" and you wont be able to give d20 products
away. 

5. Since some d20 products are being released that look so close to the
"official" D&D products that customers can't tell them apart, WOTC will
soon restrict the OGL even more to make it harder to publish d20 materials
after the initial rush. So they may make it so hard to publish d20 products
that the smaller game companies die off and the experiment goes
unforgotten. 

Interesting stuff...
Michael 
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