Draddog,

I have been participating in a thread dedicated to playtesting and commenting on a set of alternate rules for unrestricted play. This thread has been very active for the past month or more. There was no flaming and no rancor, just a calm and active discussion about one player's attempt to bring balance to a rule set that nearly every player who comments on this site thinks is fairly broken. Today, I received an email saying that the thread was taken down, and that WizKids has asked the thread's author to stop promoting his alternate rules here on this site even though Realms has no formal business relationship with WizKids.

Can you explain to me why MWRealms took down the thread, and why WizKids feels it is in their interest to interfere in this way with a free exchange of ideas by fans of its games?

I feel like WizKids is attempting to interfere with my rights, and nothing that has happened in this game, not set retirement, not lack of balance, not consistently angry discussions about broken rules has made me come closer to abandoning this game.

We who were involved in that thread weren't whining or threatening. We were just talking about steps we could take to keep this game that we love fun and interesting. We were discussing ideas we could implement that would allow us to continue investing in products made by a company which produces a game we love. I think WizKids' decision is wrong-headed and mean-spirited, but I'm willing to hear the logic behind it. Convince me that banning our discussion of alternate rule ideas is better for me, as a player of and investor in this game.

Oooh... that is one COLD post... *takes a drag from his cigarette then speaks in french accent* I like it, lol

I think that's pretty brutal... maybe they saw you as a possible threa to their interests, I don't know. I will not pass judgement or make any assumptions until Draddog gives an answer, but your post did move me, I will tell you that ncluff

Hmm..
Maybe promoting the use of those alternate rules was a violation of venue/envoy regulations...dunno.

Another possibility is that posting alterations of publicized rules violates some aspect of their copyrights. (I.E. claiming they were his rules and not giving appropriate credit to WK)

The 'believeable rules' thread was pulled at the request of WK in compliance with their policy found at :
http://www.wizkidsgames.com/wk_artic...frame=Company.

Thats pretty ridiculous. Then what are the guidelines for posting at the new sub-forum for custom MW scenarios over at Custom Edge? Could we post the Believable rules there?

I need this set of rules for our venue-supported events Draddog! :ermm:

What more can I say? My players enjoy these rules FAR more than "Approved Play", and our attendance is growing! :grin: We haven't had this growth since FFE!

So it was just WizKids protecting its copyright? Man, we aren't interested in violating copyrights. I expect this kind of rules nitpicking from Disney. What's the point to protecting the copyright of a game that no one will play? Mean companies suck. And today, WizKids is mean.

The bottom line is that the 'Believables' posed a problem for WK. The ideas were good, and easily implemented. Regardless of copyright, it'll be tough to improve the official rules, if people draw comparisons to 'Believables', and think in any way, shape or form that the idea was first used by enterprising fans. Doesn't do the old corporate image any good to be out game-developed by amateurs, so it had to go. As I told Stu in a private message earlier- 'No good deed goes unpunished.'

And 'Believables' were just that, a good deed, by a loyal fan trying to help his game.

bunch of bloody tyrants they be

So that is why you and the others get each others e-mail addresses and start an e-mail messaging back and forth. That way it is not posted in an open forum, and Wizkids can't complain since it is just people discussing things back and forth in private.

or you could start a group on a place like yahoo.

apparently wizkids godly domain doesn't extend to the google caches. I'll be hosting a mirror soon. Wizkids, hope you like litigation in a 3rd world county where patents are ignored. Maybe you can go cry to ICANN.

OK, but WHY must we be driven off, forced underground, whatever.

Webster says the def. for forum is- b : a public meeting place for open discussion.

Well, we already know THAT can't be allowed. Just ask StuManUSA.

The point is, his thread wasn't obscene or offensive. It was one of the rational places you could go, to try an idea on for size.

And they canned it.

Man, WK is making it tough for me to turn over that new leaf I was working on.

Litigation's a bit harsh, don't you think?

This is disappointing - pretty much the same thing that happened to Solaris VII, for the same reasons. I understand the importance of intellectual property, but WizKids doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference between customers and competitors. They make money selling plastic figures, not rulebooks...

I just wish WizKids would publish their own "official" rules update soon - something that returns balance and fun to this game, not the stuff that's been in the FAQ lately. Maybe then we wouldn't be tempted to publish bootleg rules.