Beware the Gifts of Dragons: How D&D’s Open Gaming License May Have Become a Trap for Creators | Electronic Frontier Foundation
January 13, 2023
According to leaks reported last week, the company that owns Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is planning to revoke the open license that has, since the year 2000, applied to a wide range of unofficial, commercial products that build on the mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons. The report indicates that this wouldn’t simply be a change going forward, but would affect existing works that relied on the license. The old license would be revoked for existing uses, and people who have used on it will be forced to adopt new terms or renegotiate with the company, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of game giant Hasbro.
Obviously, this would be a rude and unfair thing to do to people who have accepted the invitation of the open gaming license (OGL) to create new games and stories that build upon Dungeons and Dragons. But would it be legal?
Even more interesting, would revoking the OGL actually give some third parties more freedom to operate, given that the OGL forced them to promise not to do some things that copyright and trademark law otherwise permit?
Year in Review: 20 Best Tabletop Roleplaying Games from 2022
December 27, 2022
Year in Review: 20 Best Tabletop Roleplaying Games from 2022:
It’s been an incredible year for tabletop roleplaying games, from both large publishers and indie outfits. Crowdfunding has firmly established itself in the ecosystem, and both small indie games and massive core rulebooks are making the most of the model.
I didn’t have space for all the incredible games that came out this year, but here, for your entertainment, in no particular order, are some of my favorite games of 2022.
-via Boing Boing
Diablo IV developers allege mismanagement, crunch and disturbing creative decisions in new report | Rock Paper Shotgun
December 8, 2022
Employees also spoke about the “disturbing” creative decisions by Sebastian Stępień, the former creative director on The Witcher 3 and head writer on Cyberpunk 2077, who became creative director on Diablo 4 in 2019. Stępień allegedly undertook a rewrite of Diablo 4’s entire script, creating what multiple employees called the “rape version” due to repeated references in the script to the rape of a love interest, and to the script referring “to this female character as the raped woman as her primary description,” according to the Washington Post.
Two employees also told The Post of a line in the script which read, “And then she was raped, brutally”, and that employees would repeat the punctuation out loud to each other, “comma, period – alarmed by the direction Stępień had gone with the script.”
Maybe it’s time to just let Blizzard burn.
What’s new in tabletop gaming | Boing Boing
August 16, 2022
What’s new in tabletop gaming | Boing Boing:
Dungeons & Dragons: Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel (Wizards of the Coast, $30)
If there’s one compelling reason to buy this book it’s because of the racist reactions it has inflamed. It was written by people of color (and marketed as such). And it contains cultures and ideas not commonly found in Western fantasy literature and games like D&D. So, of course, that’s enraged snowflakey conservative players. I, for one, embrace our inclusive gaming future and especially appreciate the introduction of different cultures and mythologies to the game. The adventures in this anthology draw from Asian, African, Native American, Arab, Hindu influences. But, all great intentions aside, buying the book wouldn’t be more than a vote for greater inclusiveness if the content wasn’t good. It is. It all hangs around the Radiant Citadel, a hub-world on the ethereal plane that’s a crossroads and melting pot for diverse cultures from throughout the multiverse. It acts as a jumping off point for the other adventures in the book. There are 13 adventures in all, for levels 1-14, that are designed to be dropped into any adventure, or as a campaign setting. “From glittering night markets to undersea cities, from curse-afflicted villages to angel-ruled city-states—each adventure in this anthology takes inspiration from the writer’s personal connection to real-world mythologies and cultures, creating a rich tapestry of never-before-seen lands and stories for you to explore.” I haven’t played any of it, but reading through the handsome book, it’s definitely an excellent anthology and collection of usable content worthy of your support. And, for every copy sold, a Proud Boy gamer fails all of his saving throws.
Good enough reason for me!
Really – I haven’t delved into D&D at all during it’s recent revival, or any tabletop gaming really given the whole
GLOBAL PANDEMIC
but Wizards seems to be holding a cultural stride that I can’t help but love.
Nova Open Infuriates Hobbyists With Their Policies
August 9, 2022
Nova Open Infuriates Hobbyists With Their Policies:
tl;dr – Nova Open cares about it’s attendees more than the venue, and some people are really angry about it.
Nintendo Sound Effect (acapella) – YouTube
June 11, 2022
8 Queer Video Games Worth Playing | WIRED
June 9, 2022
8 Queer Video Games Worth Playing | WIRED:
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH to all the gaymers! During pride this year, as a celebration, I’m replaying a few of my favorite video games with LGBTQ+ representation. Even though many modern video game companies are committed to diverse representation, the execution still misses the mark at times. As a queer person, I value gaming experiences that leave me feeling included and understood.
After hours of dutifully playing through a variety of titles, I rounded up eight quality games where the LGBTQ+ characters feel natural, with a strong preference given to independent studios. This isn’t a complete list, by any means, so use them as a starting point to explore even more great queer games from queer creators.
Loom EGA/VGA comparison – superrune
June 7, 2022
Loom EGA/VGA comparison – superrune:
The original EGA background art for Loom was made by Mark Ferrari. The character art was done by Gary Winnick and Steve Purcell. Gary Winnick designed the sprites and did most of the sprite animation, while Steve Purcell did the larger character portraits and some additional animation. Ken Macklin did the effects animation, such as moving water and twinkles.
I love Mark Ferrari artwork across many games and formats…
https://assets.tumblr.com/post.js
This is one of the things I see in Star Trek Online sometimes when I play… People being like “Why is this corpocratic society being framed as Evil?” … Have you ever seen a Roddenberry production? He was flat out contemptive about using paper to keep score of power.
Mythforce looks like a first-person 80s cartoon | Rock Paper Shotgun:
Beamdog, the Canadian studio behind the ‘Enhanced Edition’ remasters of Planescape: Torment and Baldur’s Gate, have announced their first original game: Mythforce. It’s a roguelikelike first-person stabber with a striking visual style inspired by 80s children’s cartoons.
I was excited about this until I saw it was an Epic store exclusive. Let’s see if I still care in a year.
Pocket Realities 