Re: Discuss - Open-Source World [long]

["toganni" <toganni@yahoo.com>]

Paul,

Your proposal requires some serious consideration.

One cannot dismiss off-hand the amount of work that has already been 
done.  The overall project, from my meager inspection, is 
professional and well-done.  You should be commended for your work, 
and I wish I had already known about this project beforehand - I may 
have never made my recommendation!

I would like to also mention that I do not hold, or consider myself 
to hold any sort of supervisory role.  In fact, I kind of pushed this 
off to John as the DQPA President.  Rather, I see myself as a 
catalyst, with very selfish goals of having quality product developed 
and available so I can play, and to be able to maybe increase our 
body of players.  A game is only dead when people stop playing it.  

My comments as follows are meant for discussion.  I have had a lot of 
negative experience dealing with lists when people assume items 
brought up for discussion are actually argument.  I simply want to 
address some points, so please find no offense herein.

My original idea now belongs to the body as a whole with my now 
having no more say than anyone else, but here would be my (admitted 
small) concerns (labeled [C#]), along with potential solutions 
(labeled [PS]):

  [C1]  Certain creative aspects have already been completed.  This
        removes the opportunity for others to participate in the
        design work.
  [PS]  As you have already offered, our being assigned a seperate
        continent to do with as we will would satisfy this just
        fine.  My envisioning of the project would require an
        arbitrary definition of the land mass, then parcelling it
        out for others to 'flesh out.'

  [C2]  The concept of the design process is to allow others freedom
        of design, which would fall under an editorial body to help
        shape to the overall image.  This would supercede your
        authority over the work - would you be willing to give that
        up?
  [PS]  Again, the seperate continent project would satisfy this
        concern as long as you are willing to grant full editorial
        powers to the committee.  A suggestion would be to consider
        the continent "off limits" to the rest of the world until
        such a time as the comittee is ready to allow integration to
        the rest of the world.

  [C3]  The ability to create a "Living Dragonquest" (for lack of
        better term at the time) was one of the primary intents of
        the proposal.  This would be nearly identical as C2, above.
  [PS]  As above.

Personally, I find the idea acceptable (especially having the 
infrastructure already in place.)  Other solutions that I did not 
think of at the time would be to select any one of the current world 
products out there and adapt it to our use.  This could include Harn, 
Greyhawk, Shadow World (as someone else in the DQPA uses), etc.  And 
as an aside about Shadow World, in case anyone doesn't know, Iron 
Crown has reformed and is back in business.  Shadow World is slated 
for a September ICE release, and is also currently available as a 
commercial product by the designer.  Visit www.ironcrown.com for more 
information.

Thank you so much for your input!
Best,
David

--- In dq-rules@y..., "Paul Pishnak" <sergeantp@h...> wrote:
> I agree that this is all a wonderful idea and applaud any effort to 
get it underway. I offer a merger with you though ... I started an 
online gaming world many years ago that has flourished and is 
becoming increasingly more detailed. The place I speak of is the 
World of Fargoth. DragonQuest has LONG been my gaming system of 
choice and continues to be my favorite still.