Realm Works Content Submission Guidelines

[Farling]

Originally Posted by daplunk

If a category is not fit for purpose... is it acceptable to create a new one? How will an export / import handle that?

If it is for official content, maybe having a word with LWD will allow them to either suggest the category, or add a new official category.

[daplunk]

In terms of 3rd party content I think it's going to be quite common to find alternative category requirements. Due to OGL issues it's very common to not use official names for things. Now in the situation where content is being prepared for the market and that content is released under OGL we have to avoid using the original category right?

Currently my need is different. It's a supplement that adds new elements to the category and ideally I don't sent to create the tags manually for a large number of articles.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by daplunk

In terms of 3rd party content I think it's going to be quite common to find alternative category requirements. Due to OGL issues it's very common to not use official names for things. Now in the situation where content is being prepared for the market and that content is released under OGL we have to avoid using the original category right?

Or some nice person ensures that the official Paizo books have the OGL name as an alias of the same topic :-)

[daplunk]

Usually the names and things that are changed are not in the OGL at all thus the reason for changing the name on the first place.

For example. Official 5e stat block lists "Actions" as a heading. Primeval Thule couldn't use this and instead uses "Combat Actions". It's a common loophole.

[Silveras]

The purpose of the OGL is to declare what third parties can use. Everything declared as open content for the OGL is usable "as is".

Some publishers have been criticized in the past for "crippled OGL" declarations because they basically kept the full text of Feats and the like closed instead of open when other content was open.

Paizo makes just about all rules content open... only some names that use proprietary names (such as Golarion countries, deities, NPCs, and such) are closed, and need to be re-named.

Terms like "Feat" and such.. I am not sure they can individually be protected. The overall stat-block format CAN be, but that would not affect the names of categories. If you're really concerned, consult a lawyer about it.

[kbs666]

5e is claiming "Actions" as product identity? Really?

Generally that won't fly legally. They can certainly claim things like the Gith races or the Beholders but a common English word? I think some lawyer at Hasbro lost it.

[daplunk]

I havn't got into the nitty gritty legalities of it.

My concern though, if I'm entering data for 3rd parties (which I am) I need to replicate their current format. I don't have a right to change that and work on the assumption that they have already made all the checks and balances on their end to legally release their work.

Therefore I copy everything as it is. Just because I know where something should go doesn't mean that's where i put it. I have to assume that there's a reason it was not put there in the first place. I also post the legal agreement.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by daplunk

Therefore I copy everything as it is. Just because I know where something should go doesn't mean that's where i put it. I have to assume that there's a reason it was not put there in the first place. I also post the legal agreement.

Isn't the point of having published information in RealmWorks that all the data is presented in a consistent manner?

The transition from paper/PDF to RealmWorks will always involve re-arranging the data to a certain extent, otherwise the data isn't much more useful than just remaining in a PDF.

[Pollution]

Deleted

[rob]

Originally Posted by Pollution

Yeah but some of these requirements are wild and arbitrary.

Put stat blocks for creatures at the bottom of a topic under Additional Details???

No. I put it under the mechanics section (or NPCs go under Individuals) and reference it with a link. Short blocks go under the adversary section. Like the text suggests.

The guide is nice, but I'll be ignoring a majority of it for my 3PP client. With 30 modules a bestiary and 2 full APs ready to go, I'm not rewritting all of the completely a few weeks before Content Market launch.

I have a full time job and these took a year to get in as is.

They are definitely NOT wild and arbitrary. It sounds like you just scanned things and leapt to conclusions. Perhaps asking for clarification would be a better tactic next time. I'm happy to provide it...

If you look at the guidelines, there are multiple places where statblocks are expected to be provided. Those places exactly parallel where the statblocks are found within print/PDF resources. If you purchase a book of monsters, you'll find statblocks with all of them. If you purchase a module, you'll find statblocks for each standalone NPC with that NPC. If you purchase a module and there is an encounter, the statblocks for the NPCs and monsters that appear in the encounter are provided in the encounter. That way, it's all right there for the GM.

We do the exact same thing in the content we've developed for RW, as that's what users will both expect and find useful. The guidelines simply codify that as a requirement, but it's nothing new or different from how things are done today in the print/PDF space. This approach is neither "wild" nor "arbitrary", and it certainly would not require a complete rewrite if something needs to be added somewhere - most likely, just a copy and paste of some statblocks.

You are welcome to ignore whatever you want in the guidelines. However, content that gets distributed through the CM needs to be consistent and maintain a high level of quality and utility for users. That's the whole purpose behind the guidelines. There is no requirement that a 3PP follow any of the guidelines if they are eschewing the CM and directly distributing the material themselves, but I'm pretty sure at least some users won't be keen on the material if it's wildly different from everything else in RW, and that may have undesired ramifications. However, that's a subject that can only be assessed by the 3PP.

If there are other specific items in the guidelines that you have questions about, please post them and I'll do my best to explain the rationale for instituting them the way we have. I can assure you that a heck of a lot of thought and consideration when into establishing these guidelines, and it's based on working through lots of different material.