Androrc wrote...
Failed.Bard wrote...
It doesn't follow pathfinder rules because it ~can't~ follow them. They'd have to get WotC's permission to use the d20 system their game is built on in any alternate media format. Books, and digital forms of books (PDFs and such), are all the license agreement allows.
Since that might cut into potential profits of their own MMO (assuming it's ever released), WotC has no reason to give that permission.
I'm not sure whether that's accurate. I have looked at the OGL multiple times, and so far haven't been able to find any clause limiting d20 computer games from being made.
You are quite right Androrc. It's not even an issue of licencing, It's a copyright issue. Procedures simply cannot be copyrighted.
By extension, therefore, game rules can't be copyrighted.
The artistic presentation of the rules can be copyrighted, as can plot, character, and setting elements, but game rules themselves are public domain. You cannot copyright RPG rules any more than you can copyright the rules of football (or other commonly used procedures; like double entry bookeeping, for example).
That's why pathfinder exists in the first place. Like
OSRIC (Advanced D&D),
Labrynth Lord (Basic D&D) and
Swords & Wizardry (White Box or OD&D), Pathfinder started out as a D&D clone that was made without the consent of WotC or Hasbro. As long as the artistic presentation of the rules is unique there is no copyright infrigment.
Of course, this complicates the marketing of such projects, and until Pathfinder broke the barrier they have traditionally been marginalized because as soon as you SAY "This is a D&D clone" you have crossed the line into copyright infringment. The terms "D&D" and "Dungeons & Dragons" are part of a legally copyrighted artistic expression and cannot be used without Hasbro's permission.
Pathfinder has since evolved into something slightly different, but what makes it legal is that it doesn't make any refences to protected IP like campaign settings or characters. They would be well within their legal rights to use the 3.5 rules without any changes at all as long as they changed "Bigby's Crushing Hand" to simply "Crushing Hand".
Modifié par Urk, 14 mars 2013 - 02:13 .