Sunday, May 4, 2008

4e GSL

Well, WotC has answered some questions about the 4e GSL. Like all things, it is a mixed bag.
Basically, you have to decide if a "product line" is going to be GSL or OGL meaning you clearly can't have game statistics for the GSL and include game stats for another game such as d20, CnC, True20, etc. It would appear that making two versions of a book is also verboten. None of this is really surprising. It still leaves some larger publishers such as Mongoose and Green Ronin with some difficult questions. Example: Green Ronin has been planning (or rumored to be planning) to release more Freeport material for multiple game systems. Goodman Games often re-releases some of its DCC line as CnC modules. Mongoose has several of its own OGL games but I am guessing they'll create a new "line" to support 4e as they can make money doing it.
Another thing they haven't answered is whether or not there is any way to use other people's GSL material (as with the OGL). People have asked whether or not you could bring OGL material into GSL releases on the message boards. This hasn't been explicitly answered, to my knowledge, but, well, reading the OGL tells me that the answer is clearly no. Now, companies can use their own copyrighted material in new GSL releases, so they CAN upgrade material of their own.
I think a lot of questions will be answered, on, well, June 6th when the GSL is officially released.

Onto Maps. I am working away on (re)creating maps. I am climbing the learning curve here, but it is starting to go fairly well. I am trying to decide how many details to add to some of the maps. More details=better looking map=longer creation time=more work. Obviously, less detail makes for faster map-making.
Right now I am using Dundjinni, transferring into photoshop, adding a few more details, and going black and white (grayscale). I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth creating "battlemap" sized maps as additional releases. It appears I am back on track for the moment but I have a lot to do before the end of the school year. Including some decisions about what school(s) the kids will go to next year.

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