Generic RPG

Space

Has anybody noticed that developers aren't making D&D games anymore? Instead they make their own generic RPG intellectual property to avoid paying royalties to wizards of the coast.

This trend started with Dragon Age however now there is Pillars of Eternity and Tides of Numenera coming soon which both use generic RPG settings designed by the developers themselves copying D&D to a large extent.

How do you feel about this trend? Do you think developers can do better than D&D or are developers simply trying to avoid paying for the D&D license?

Kamigoroshi

Numenera now is really not a tabletop game that could be described as "generic RPG". That would be like calling Fallout or Wasteland generic RPGs as well. From what I saw in the rule books, it's dystopian sci-fi with dark ambiente, cyberpunk and biopunk mixed in. If anything, I'd call that *refreshing*.

Dragon Age's setting is more on the mature side, but I feel it lacks in flexibility, amongst many other roleplaying aspects. Well, given that it isn't based on a tabletop game this doesn't come as an surprise.

As I haven't played the PoE beta yet, and generally tried to avoid as much spoilers as possible, I can't comment on that franchise at this point of time.

Honestly D&D in itself is rather generic, taken mainly the well traveled mid to high level medieval fantasy road. It's quite similar to The Dark Eye franchise in that aspect.

booinyoureyes

Honestly, I wish they would use the D&D/Pathfinder rules more. I have been turned off of trying many new games because I don't have the patience to learn new rulesets. Personally, I find it a bit of a drag and they all end up being inferior knockoffs of D&D anyway. I understand its probably a bit costly to get a hold on the rights to use the rulesets, but it would certainly lead me to maybe trying some other games.

Belanos

Space said:

Has anybody noticed that developers aren't making D&D games anymore? Instead they make their own generic RPG intellectual property to avoid paying royalties to wizards of the coast.

As I understand it, there's more to it than just paying the royalties. Apparently Wizards of the Coast uses a pretty heavy hand when it comes to the development of a D&D game, they stick their noses into all sorts of areas of the production. I've read that's why Bioware dropped D&D and went with their own scheme in Dragon Age. They just didn't want to put up with all the interference.

Space

Intellectual property law is wrong. Developers shouldn't have to pay for licenses to develop D&D games.

deltago

Space said:

How do you feel about this trend? Do you think developers can do better than D&D or are developers simply trying to avoid paying for the D&D license?

Both.

With a few exceptions, D&D video games do not meet, let alone exceed my expectations on what a RPG should be.

Squire

I think it's a licensing thing, but apparently Obsidian have acquired the license to make Pathfinder games, which is as close to D&D as it's possible to get without actually being D&D.

Also, is it a coincidence that Bioware ended their contract with D&D at about the time 4th edition was released?

O_Bruce

So, if I came up with my own original idea of RPG system, it will be called "generic" instead of "original". Interesting.

Space

O_Bruce said:

So, if I came up with my own original idea of RPG system, it will be called "generic" instead of "original". Interesting.

I say generic because the creators copy D&D to a large extent.

O_Bruce

If they want the gameplay to be similar to classic infinity engine games, without their freedom being took away by souless lawlyers, then I can perfectly understand this.

scriver

@O_Bruce - It will be called generic if it is generic, just like the majority of DnD settings (Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, etc) are generic.

As for the OP's questions. You ask if vidya game developers can do better, but the truth is that DnD doesn't set a particularly high bar. It might be hard to outdo the 40 years of work some DnD setyings have to them in terms of quantity, but I definitely would rather see developers try out new and fresh settings rather than the remain mired in the same old fluff forever.

element

seems weird to describe other settings as generic whilst describing D&D which is about as generic as it gets

HaHaCharade

I lost interest in AD&D-based games after 2nd Edition anyway. I know... I'm old school and a dinosaur.

iKrivetko

The good thing about dnd based games is that game designers don't have to spend 80% of their time creating the ruleset, the lore, the world and what else have you, but can instead focus on the story and other things that matter.

Kamigoroshi

iKrivetko said:

The good thing about dnd based games is that game designers don't have to spend 80% of their time creating the ruleset, the lore, the world and what else have you, but can instead focus on the story and other things that matter.

Same goes for pretty much all computer games that are based on already existing tabletop franchises, really. It's not like D&D is a one-of-a-kind rpg.

iKrivetko

I never stated the opposite. Although few rulesets are as thorough as DnD, or d20, for that matter.

deltago

Squire said:

I think it's a licensing thing, but apparently Obsidian have acquired the license to make Pathfinder games, which is as close to D&D as it's possible to get without actually being D&D.

Also, is it a coincidence that Bioware ended their contract with D&D at about the time 4th edition was released?

The cancellation occurred becauce EA bought Bioware, and Atari had the distribution rights to D&D games.

dunbar

I don't want to get involved in any litigation so I'll just suggest that anyone interested, and with several hours to spare, does some research into: Wizards of the Coast, "Dungeons and Dragons", licensing, copyright, and trademarks.