SPECIAL NOTICE
Malicious code was found on the site, which has been removed, but would have been able to access files and the database, revealing email addresses, posts, and encoded passwords (which would need to be decoded). However, there is no direct evidence that any such activity occurred. REGARDLESS, BE SURE TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS. And as is good practice, remember to never use the same password on more than one site. While performing housekeeping, we also decided to upgrade the forums.
This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

WotC up to its old tricks.

Started by danbuter, February 08, 2015, 08:56:35 AM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1 2 3 ... 27
User actions

danbuter

February 08, 2015, 08:56:35 AM
WotC lawyers have made a guy shut down the free character generators he had posted to the internet, including the ones he made for Pathfinder. I have my tax return and was about to buy the three core books for 5e. Not anymore.

http://www.pathguy.com/ddnext.htm
Sword and Board - My blog about BFRPG, S&W, Hi/Lo Heroes, and other games.
Sword & Board: BFRPG Supplement Free pdf. Cheap print version.
Bushi D6  Samurai and D6!
Bushi setting map

The Butcher

#1
February 08, 2015, 09:01:45 AM
I first stumbled onto Ed Friedlander's site as a med student circa 1998. I came for the voluminous lecture notes and quizzes (Ed is/was a professor of Pathology at U. Kansas Med), but I was taken aback with the discovery of the D&D stuff.

I downloaded his AD&D 2e character generators (for MS-DOS!) and got plenty of use out of them, printing out Sans Serif character sheets on my matrix printer.

Heh. Good times.

Hopefully Ed will come to an understanding with Wizbros.

Omega

#2
February 08, 2015, 09:19:39 AM
More likely Hasbro suits at work.

I assume someone deemed that his system was using too much of their IP or in some way that was not allowable.

Or they were just being dicks.

Will

#3
February 08, 2015, 09:21:47 AM
Man, I miss OGL.

My somewhat overblown attitude toward WotC:


I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars, my joys & desires.

-The Garden of Love, William Blake
This forum is great in that the moderators aren\'t jack-booted fascists.

Unfortunately, this forum is filled with total a-holes, including a bunch of rape culture enabling dillholes.

So embracing the \'no X is better than bad X,\' I\'m out of here. If you need to find me I\'m sure you can.

Necrozius

#4
February 08, 2015, 09:24:04 AM Last Edit: February 08, 2015, 09:28:58 AM by Necrozius
While I can understand shutting down the 5e character generator (IF it included content beyond what is in the free Basic rules), I don't see how they could affect any Pathfinder material. That doesn't seem relevant, really.

EDIT: I'm surprised that they didn't just force him to remove any non-Basic character material and leave it at that. Any promotional tools are great free publicity.

EDIT 2: I'm not white-knighting a mega corporation or anything, but IF this site freely gave people material found only in the Player's Handbook... well theft is theft, whether the product comes from a cool, popular indie developer or a Big RPG.

Premier

#5
February 08, 2015, 09:40:22 AM
Oh, the Pathology Guy? I've known his page for... a looong time. It's good to see his Planescape stuff is still available with the silly pictures, I always loved that.
Obvious troll is obvious. RIP, Bill.

Sacrosanct

#6
February 08, 2015, 09:45:31 AM
There's a thread about this over at ENWorld.  Looks like this guy has been in violation of the OGL for a long time (yes, Pathfinder uses OGL stuff even though it's Pathfinder).

I'm guessing it's because they are working on their own digital tools and are finally starting to protect the IP.


Shame on them for having the audacity to protect their IP  :rolleyes:


And before someone says it, I don't care how long this stuff has been out.  Just because you've been stealing cable for a long time without the company coming after you doesn't mean they don't have the right to come after you when they do.
D&D is not an "everyone gets a ribbon" game.  If you\'re stupid, your PC will die.  If you\'re an asshole, your PC will die (probably from the other PCs).  If you\'re unlucky, your PC may die.  Point?  PC\'s die.  Get over it and roll up a new one.

jibbajibba

#7
February 08, 2015, 11:32:49 AM
Um .. not theft as no intention to permanently deprive the owner of said goods. So its copy-write infringement. That is why they had to make up a load of new laws round copy-write and couldn't just use the existing laws on theft.
Also its why when a kid nicks your car and dumps it on an estate in Peckham it's TWOC (taking without owner's consent) and not theft.

Sorry to be a pedant but the law is pretty pedantic so...
No longer living in Singapore
Method Actor-92% :Tactician-75% :Storyteller-67%:
Specialist-67% :Power Gamer-42% :Butt-Kicker-33% :
Casual Gamer-8%

GAMERS Profile
Jibbajibba
9AA788 -- Age 45 -- Academia 1 term, civilian 4 terms -- $15,000

Cult&Hist-1 (Anthropology); Computing-1; Admin-1; Research-1;
Diplomacy-1; Speech-2; Writing-1; Deceit-1;
Brawl-1 (martial Arts); Wrestling-1; Edged-1;

misterguignol

#8
February 08, 2015, 11:37:06 AM
Quote from: jibbajibba;814654Um .. not theft as no intention to permanently deprive the owner of said goods. So its copy-write infringement. That is why they had to make up a load of new laws round copy-write and couldn't just use the existing laws on theft.
Also its why when a kid nicks your car and dumps it on an estate in Peckham it's TWOC (taking without owner's consent) and not theft.

Sorry to be a pedant but the law is pretty pedantic so...

If we're going to be pedantic about it, it's worth noting that laws are different in different countries. There is no "taking without owner's consent" in the US, for example.

And stealing cable is theft of services, which is still theft even though you haven't deprived the owner of tangible goods.

Harl Quinn

#9
February 08, 2015, 02:49:28 PM
Y'know, it's crap like this that almost makes me pine for the days of "She Who Shall Not Be Named"... Almost... :mad:

Later...

Harl
"...maybe this has to do with my being around at the start of published RPGs and the DIY attitude that we all had back then but, it seems to me that if you don\'t find whatever RPG you are playing sufficiently inclusive you ought to get up off your ass and GM something that you do find sufficiently inclusive. The RPG setting of your dreams is yours to create. Don\'t sit waiting and whining for someone else to create it for you." -- Bren speaking on inclusivity in RPGs

MaybeJustNeverMind

#10
February 08, 2015, 05:36:47 PM
I'm also reminded of the old days before the OGL.

I learned through various shut down web pages and things that pre-date web pages that T$R stood for "They Sue Regularly."  If properly motivated, I might be able to remember what TSR really means.  Right now it escapes me again.  

PCGen recovered from something similar.  The OGL opened D&D up for hobbyists to help each other.  As long as I'm reminiscing, I'll remember that sometimes tools come back or new arrangements are made for the benefit of players.

I just wish I had heard about this when it still existed.

Larsdangly

#11
February 08, 2015, 05:51:47 PM
It is ironic how dickish they are about IP rights when their game spent its first several years taking freely from Tolkien, Moorcock, Leiber, etc. They got it all sorted out in a legally kosher way eventually, but their first instinct was to 'borrow' liberally and ask questions later or, better, never.

David Johansen

#12
February 08, 2015, 06:22:37 PM
I think the T$R phase lines up pretty neatly with the Lorraine Williams phase.
Fantasy Adventure Comic, games, and more http://www.uncouthsavage.com

trechriron

#13
February 08, 2015, 06:22:55 PM
The post on ENWorld has the site owner in it. He said the email was very nice (not mean or bullying). It also says the PF stuff is still there?  I guess I need to go back to the thread.
Trentin C Bergeron (trechriron)
Bard, Creative & RPG Enthusiast
----------------------------------------------------------------------
D.O.N.G. Black-Belt (Thanks tenbones!)

Spinachcat

#14
February 08, 2015, 06:25:18 PM
More proof I was right when I said 2e + 3e = 5e! :) You get the dull gameplay of 3e, but now with the Lorraine Williams' ignorance of 2e!!

Oh well, such a shame that nobody in the OSR or 13th Age took advantage of the marketing opportunity window that existed between 4e and 5e. Not only is there no business sense at the top of the food chain, there's no marketing savvy at the lower rungs of the hobby.

Hey, maybe #Gamergate can be mobilized to kick WotC in the Twitter dick over this stupidity.
Print
Go Up Pages1 2 3 ... 27
User actions