Goblinoid Games said:The only material in GORE that is copied word for word is material from several OGC SRD documents. That material does still belong to the contributors, but is used under the terms of the OGL.
Well, what your saying is technically true. But someone could argue that your took someone else's idea and didn't change it enough for it to be considered fair use. For instance the idea of Resistance Rolls is exactly the same as RuneQuest 2 and RuneQuest 3 and all of the information in the table is copied item per item except that you call it an Opposition Table. All you did was switch the order of numbers in one column. I know that a lot of work went into designing that table and the weird thing is you didn't even give Steve Perrin credit for it. I think you're taking an awfully big chance on a lawsuit, but that's your business, I guess.
There are certain concepts about Chaosium's basic roleplaying system that make it unique from other roleplaying games. Things like Hit Points, the characteristics Strength, Dexterity, etc. are common among many games. True, many of these ideas seem to be included in the new game. But that particular resistance table, is unique to Chaosium's products...unless Mongoose gained the right to use it, and decided not to use it. If that's the case, then I would like to know. If you're not willing to discuss it, then there must be something fishy going on.
It wouldn't be so bad if you were in it just for yourself. But you are going to have a lot of people writing for your system and you put them in jeopardy if they use 'your' rules and they are not really your rules.
The whole issue makes me wonder, 'What is true creativity?' Can you just lift concepts from someone else's work and re-word them, and that's okay? When is it legal to do it and when is it plagarism?
On the other hand, if its all legit and square...hey, that's great. If Mongoose has the rights to all of the RuneQuest material let's make a Classic Runequest edition. I would like nothing more than to have it in print again. I'm all for that!
Anyway, like I said before, the issue is an interesting one to me, and I am not trying to knock your product. I think it is a good product. But I hope you can understand if I don't turn cartwheels about the amount of effort you put into it. It is good, basically, because it was taken from a good system...the Basic Roleplaying System.