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Quick Reference Page

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:06 am
by Evil Genius Prime
I was wondering if anyone had made up a quick reference page that (very briefly) describes what each Ability and Weakness does, that could be printed out and given to players to speed up character creation?

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 2:36 pm
by MarthWMaster
This is an excellent idea! I've got no skill in this, but I would definitely be interested in printing out some copies for player reference.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:04 am
by Evil Genius Prime
I'm working on something. I don't know when I'll be done, but I'll let everyone know when it is completed. I'll also check with Clay before posting it. I don't want to do anything to infringe on copyright.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 3:14 pm
by Chris Brady
Evil Genius Prime wrote:I'm working on something. I don't know when I'll be done, but I'll let everyone know when it is completed. I'll also check with Clay before posting it. I don't want to do anything to infringe on copyright.
As long as you're not selling it, legally, you should have no issues.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:40 pm
by Clay
Technically speaking, not making money doesn’t change whether something is copyright infringement or not. (If that were the case, no one would have a problem with internet piracy, which...um...they do.)

But legal nitpickery aside, I would have no issue with this. In fact, part of the reason I hadn’t replied is because I planned to do one up for you. But alas, I haven’t had the time. I still might at some point, but if you beat me to the punch, by all means!

Of course, I would be less enthusiastic if you pasted the entire Ability text in there, but I’m sure that’s not your intention. (It also wouldn’t be very useful for the purpose you’re describing.)

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 12:55 am
by Evil Genius Prime
Thanks Clay. I've been busy as well lately. Hopefully you'll beat me to it. I'd rather have an official sheet than make one myself. LOL!

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:24 am
by Chris Brady
Clay wrote:Technically speaking, not making money doesn’t change whether something is copyright infringement or not. (If that were the case, no one would have a problem with internet piracy, which...um...they do.)
Only because they made it into an issue. Because what one corporations 'piracy' is another city's public library. Yes, your local public library does the exact same thing, it's a repository of copyrighted materials that are given out FOR FREE to individuals who take the time to take them. And it's done on an honour system that hopes that said individuals give it back.

Internet Piracy is a term to obfuscate and criminalize, because Big Boy Corps are afraid of losing relevancy in this age of so-called information freedom.

It also falls, I believe under 'Fair Use' clause anyway.

It's nice that Evil Genius cared enough to mention it, but there's literally no legal recourse even if you did take objection. He bought the product, he can do what he wants with it as he OWNS it.

Blech, the internet screwed up a LOT of things, didn't it?

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 4:19 pm
by Clay
I fear I’m getting into a debate over semantics, since as I just stated I don’t actually have any issue with a document of this kind. But anyway...

There’s a few interrelated issues here, and it’s not really a matter of any one specific law or idea.

First off, the public library is a government mandated program that’s legally protected. It’s an entirely different case and not really relevant to this argument. But even at that, a library cannot make derivative works from the content on its shelves just because it can loan them out for free.

Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted, per se, but the language used to express that game is. So while someone is free to create a quick-list of Abilities and Weaknesses with summaries they create based on my text, actually quoting verbatim the Abilities and Weaknesses chapter in its entirely would be copyright infringement. (And this has nothing to do with corporate bully tactics, this is how copyright has worked for 100 years. It’s only the period of copyright that has been expanded and abused by companies to prevent their prized money-makers from falling into public domain.) Owning a book is not free license to do whatever you want with it. It’s freedom to possess it and enjoy it. Have ideas inspired by it. But not to redistribute content contained within as written.

Fair use is, by its nature, very vague and difficult to pin down. But by and large, quoting a small passage from something is fair use. An entire chapter is not.

Again, I don’t have a problem with such a list. I don’t troll the net looking for pirated copies to take down, and on the rare occasion someone emails me asking for permission for silly things like “Can I share the PDF with my friends?” or “Can I post X to my website?” I’m always fine with that. We’re gamers. Taking stuff and making things with it and sharing it with others is in our DNA.

...but that doesn’t change the technical legality of it. That’s all.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:20 am
by The Reddest Mage
Well if anyone makes such a quick reference page I'd love to know about it.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:14 am
by Clay
I’ll try to get to it one of these days.

Re: Quick Reference Page

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 12:47 pm
by Sprain Ogre
Chris Brady wrote:
Clay wrote:Technically speaking, not making money doesn’t change whether something is copyright infringement or not. (If that were the case, no one would have a problem with internet piracy, which...um...they do.)
Only because they made it into an issue. Because what one corporations 'piracy' is another city's public library. Yes, your local public library does the exact same thing, it's a repository of copyrighted materials that are given out FOR FREE to individuals who take the time to take them. And it's done on an honour system that hopes that said individuals give it back.

Internet Piracy is a term to obfuscate and criminalize, because Big Boy Corps are afraid of losing relevancy in this age of so-called information freedom.

It also falls, I believe under 'Fair Use' clause anyway.

It's nice that Evil Genius cared enough to mention it, but there's literally no legal recourse even if you did take objection. He bought the product, he can do what he wants with it as he OWNS it.

Blech, the internet screwed up a LOT of things, didn't it?
That's... not really accurate. While there are a lot of issues with IP law as it stands, especially with length of Copyright for example, piracy is indeed a crime, and does attack the constitutionally stated reason for the existence of copyright. Library's exist because they are not creating more copies of the work (you know, COPY RIGHT), so a creator/rights holder is still be compensated for the work, just not as much as if everyone who borrowed the book (whatever) had purchased it. BUT, since it is a societal good to have these repositories of information and culture available no ones going to argue that they should or should not exist (they should exist, they absolutely should. Just wanted to be clear there).

Fair use is an umbrella that covers many things, but it does have limitations.

The real issue would be what sorts of things CAN be copyright. And that is a problem that RPG's can run into, and is a whole thing.

End of the day, don't be a jerk and just reprint whole chapters. Going into it any deeper would be on a case by case basis and require a lot of droning on.

(This is not legal advise, simply commentary)