* Legitimate businesses can pony up $5,000.00 USD and get a four month jump on the competition. They also get advanced copies of the books and OGL docs.
* Everyone else can use the 4e OGL January 1st, 2009.
* There will be community standards in the new OGL. In 3/3.5 only the D20 license had community standards.
* There will be an SRD document, however it will not be a regurgitation of the text from the core books but an actual reference to sections of the and how they can be used in the OGL. The reasoning is that electronic versions of the Core Books will be cut and pastable so there is no reason to make the SRD PH, DMG, MM lite.
* A lot of 3rd party publishers are on board for 4e.
Of note, Necromancer Games (in party with Paizo) will be releasing
Tome of Horrors (4e) and The Advanced Players Guide (4e) to fill in the gaps that WotC PH and MM leave. If there is a race, class or monster missing they will most likely show up in these two books...
So I guess this means no independent 4e products at GENCON 2008, as it will be in September that the early birds who pay $5,000 will first get access to the 4e OGL. The independents can lay some plans, but might as well do something entirely different until then. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Nah, there will be several companies that have both the cash and the time to get 4e products out by GenCon. They'll be scrambling hard to do it, but some will manage.
Just on a whim I called a publisher friend of mine: according to him, if I had a manuscript and art available I could have a softcover publication printed and delivered inside a month - provided, of course, that I had the extra cash to get things moving. Given that that amount of cash is not great, if a company could whip out a 4e conversion of one of their current projects in a month (reasonable, if difficult) and slap together some art that they've already purchased, they could do it easily. Even if you take the time for playtesting it can be done.
You must also take into consideration the fact that many companies were anticipating the release of 4e and it's attendant license. They'll be ready, mark my words.
Right now both Paizo and Green Ronin (GR) are on the fence. Basically they want to see the OGL before committing $5,000 USD and their resources on a new and unproven product.
GR's Chris Pramas' blog on the subject can be found here:
Chrispramas.com
Erik Mona's position from Paizo.com can be found here:
Phase 1 of OGL/SRD
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