I have some stuff to put in place before I can release an official press release to the effect, but I thought I'd let everyone here know what I have planned for D6.
Shortly, I'm going to be releasing the D6 System license for free. Although in the past it was effectively free, there was still some confusing aspect to the license which prevented publisher from understanding the cost and reimbursement aspects of the license. That is all changing. The D6 will be totally free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes, and without restriction. It is not going to be released under the OGL per se, but anyone wishing to use the license will be able to do so but filling out a form on the website.
I'll also be releasing an SRD so that players can get the basics of the system for free. I'm hoping this will help turn players on to the D6 System and increase the player base.
__________________
Eric Gibson
Publisher, West End Games/
Purgatory Publishing Inc.
Now would be the time to do it.
With all the uproar over 4th Edition D&D (I'm not even talking about if it is good / bad / or ugly), getting "free" exposure to alternate systems is a good choice.
And frankly, I find the D6 system superior to the D20 system. But multiple die systems aren't for everyone...
I've always had fond thoughts since I learnt to play it with WEG Star Wars (the only starwars rpg for me). Looking forward to seeing the OGL and SRD.
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Good find! I've been following this off and on for awhile.
off topic: Archlich, the STAP PbP is trying to get started back up - we miss you! Stop by here and let us know what's up...
I thought it already was OGL.
Btw, is this the same WEG as published Paranoia years ago?
I thought it already was OGL.
Btw, is this the same WEG as published Paranoia years ago?
I believe so, I owned the old Paranoia stuff. I now have the new Paranoia stuff (largely the same) published by Mongoose I think.
Yeah, Star Wars d6 is the ONLY Star Wars system worth playing IMO.
They are getting rid of any stipulations and payments. Completely free, easy to understand use rights, etc.
Very interesting. I will have to give D6 another look.
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Ahhh WEG.. I didn't know they were still around, I thought the bankruptcy they filed (thus losing them the star wars license) was the end of them.
WEG Star Wars was the first P&P RPG I played actually and as I recall, the system was a lot quicker then D&D and the skill system very straight forward... although rolling 12d6 was a pain in the ass and wished they'd figure out a way to stream line it.
RPG Superstar 2013
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Wow. Different perspective here. I hate that system. Struck me as not fun, and arbitrary. 17% chance of great success or failure, no matter how good or bad you are at something. Maybe the folks that introduced me to it did it wrong (long time, smart gamers, so I doubt it), but I found that system gimmiky and not exciting. No where near the league of d20. Roughly on par with Chutes And Ladders.
Sorry, I guess. There are good, unique systems out there that aren't DnD. d6 sure isn't one of 'em.
... 17% chance of great success or failure, no matter how good or bad you are at something....
Now I just glanced through it, and I don't have a copy to consult on this now, but that's not how I understood it. Huh, maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps someone who has been playing it for a while will chime in.
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RPG Superstar 2013
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You buy half points (pips) in skills, and those affect the outcome of rolls, but then there's this wild-die that radically changes the dynamic of your roll.
I grant, there could be a revision to the system since I last played (star wars/paranoia/MIB). But it sure put a bad taste in my mouth.
My understanding is that you roll multiple D6 to achieve something, depending on your skill. Because multiple dice produce a bell curve achieving something outrageously difficult or failing at something tremendously easy is statistically VERY unlikely. This is as opposed to d20 systems where a five year old with a dagger can roll a 20 and hit a green beret 5% of the time.
My understanding is that you roll multiple D6 to achieve something, depending on your skill. Because multiple dice produce a bell curve achieving something outrageously difficult or failing at something tremendously easy is statistically VERY unlikely. This is as opposed to d20 systems where a five year old with a dagger can roll a 20 and hit a green beret 5% of the time.
This fits with my recollection- I dont recall a wild dice. I only played the star wars game, has anyone played fantasy D6?
Please excuse me if my saying this seems to be bragging, but it should be said.
D20 has some serious problems. I spent 15 years teaching and competing in martial arts and have fought, I reckon, several thousand beginners, adult and child, and they do not get hits 5% of the time. I'm pretty sure I can go for hours with someone who is untrained and has no aptitude for sparring without being hit. Additionally, if I am in a clear state of mind, I do not make a critical fumble 5% of the time while fighting.
Now, when you are talking about skilled combatants fighting each other, that's fine--then d20 doesn't seem so absurd.
D6, it seemed to me, is far better at explaining reliable results being achieved by skilled actors.
I don't play d20 because it is logical. I play it because it has a LOT of resources and it is exciting.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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My understanding is that you roll multiple D6 to achieve something, depending on your skill. Because multiple dice produce a bell curve achieving something outrageously difficult or failing at something tremendously easy is statistically VERY unlikely. This is as opposed to d20 systems where a five year old with a dagger can roll a 20 and hit a green beret 5% of the time.This fits with my recollection- I dont recall a wild dice. I only played the star wars game, has anyone played fantasy D6?
I remember the Wild Die from Starwars. The example given was Lando makes his pilot check to get throgh the Death Star's internal structure,but teh wild die comes up a 1. The communications array on the Falcon was damaged as a result (where the radar dish comes off) I don't remember what the example for the failure but wild die came up 6 was.
It was a nice dramatic tool, I thought.
I think the whole d20/percentile vs. bell curve argument is a matter of preference.
I remember the Wild Die from Starwars. The example given was Lando makes his pilot check to get through the Death Star's internal structure,but the wild die comes up a 1. The communications array on the Falcon was damaged as a result (where the radar dish comes off) I don't remember what the example for the failure but wild die came up 6 was.It was a nice dramatic tool, I thought.
Depending on the DM choice of the situation possible effects of the Wild die:
Rolled a "1", situation not stressful: 1 counts as a 1
Rolled a "1", situation easily screwed up (not trained in engine repair... while the system is overloading... in hyperspace, etc): roll again and minus that result off of the total roll
Rolled a "1", situation very easily screwed up (not trained in engine repair... while the system is overloading... in hyperspace... while suffering from a neurotoxin, etc): roll again, minus that result from the total of your check. If another 1 is rolled keep rolling the wild dice (and totaling the result) until a 1 isn't rolled. Minus that grand total from your check.
(the situation type is just used as guideline only, the GM can of course adjudicate as they wish for the sake of the game)
If a "6" is rolled: roll again, add that result from to the total of your check. If another 6 is rolled keep rolling the wild dice (and totaling the result) until a 6 isn't rolled. Add that grand total from your check.
Of course this is all just my recollection from playing WEG Starwars. It may be incorrect for the whole D6 system.
I think the whole d20/percentile vs. bell curve argument is a matter of preference.
Absolutely
Not to add to all the agreement, but it's true: I prefer 1d20 to a series of d6's for two reasons: 1) I like the 10% chance of a "dramatic" 1 or 20 and 2) It is easier for me to get my head around a situation, set a DC and convert that into a baseline percentage on the fly with the 5% increment thing. I wing it a lot, and d20 makes that easier for me. That said, some folks I know really like bell curves because it is easier for them to wing it on a bell curve. They also argue that the Yatzee effect is cooler than the natural 1 or 20. So to each his own.
That said, hats off for the opening up of the d6 system licence! Many, many years ago at Grade School recess (is this what it is like to FEEL 30?), I used to DM a simple, made-up RPG that was, in retrospect, a primative precursor to today's d20. (Rolling high was always good, armor class was expressed as a negative modifier to the other guy's attack roll, success/failure was decided by a modified d20 roll, etc). What I never told the players was that I got the TN system from Ghostbusters, together with the RBF (really big flashlight) used as a weapon by one of the NPCs. Back then, things like "Move Silently" were percentages, Skills were modified ability checks, and saving throws were fixed numbers. Before THAC0, we had to hit tables. Circumstance modifiers for each task (and their ability to effect a given situation) were wildly divergent, and certain direct head-to-head contests or margins of success could be hard to judge. It was a lot easier to smuggle a little black notebook full of various NPCs and their modifiers out to recess than several books full of the right charts and tables. In that context, the TN idea was a revolution.
All that aside, if I ever make a million, I'm cutting West End a juicy check anyway just for giving me TORG as a wide-eyed preteen. RIFTS ain't got NOTHIN' on the Possibility Wars, but that's a tale for another time.
Hey, these gamebooks aren't too bad on price.
- Charlie"CheapGamer"Rock
D20 has some serious problems. I spent 15 years teaching and competing in martial arts and have fought, I reckon, several thousand beginners, adult and child, and they do not get hits 5% of the time... I don't play d20 because it is logical. I play it because it has a LOT of resources and it is exciting.
I agree with your comparison between d20 statistics and real life, but d20 is a compromise between the two. Of course, so is d6. I think d20 provides a more exciting game; having virtually no chance of succeeding at something in a heroic fantasy game (in the interest of realism) isn't very heroic. IMHO.
I'm not saying anyone's wrong -- clearly this is 100% a matter of personal preference. Several people in my own group prefer d6. But I'm the DM, and they're unwashed heathens, so we ignore them :P
I have fond memories of d6 Star Wars, so I look forward to checking out the system again and seeing if I still like it. Any timeline on when this availability is?
At the moment they haven't set a hard deadline. But they do say they are working on it right now but it was slowed down slightly due to the holidays and a computer crash (which didn't effect the D6 open gaming license just the rest of their systems). That is all I have been able to glean so far. I can't think it will be to long a wait but no hard data to support that as of yet.
Missed this thread the first time around. The "wild die" was not a part of the 1st edition WEG Star Wars; it was added later. First edition (the only one I've played) was straight "roll'em, add'em'up, check the difficulty." Hence disparate memories of the system.
I like the 10% chance of a "dramatic" 1 or 20...
As someone with lousy luck with dice, 5% failure is always closer to 25%. Critically fumbling every fourth action is anything but heroic.
Still waiting for the official announcement of when the OGL license and SRD will be up.
Im looking forward to this
I only played weg sw a few times, and that was over 12+ years ago or so.
I have a huge project Im working on but haven't set on which mechanics are best for it. this might be what I need.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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I've just bought the d6 Hardcover Three-pack. So far, I'm half-way through d6 Fantasy, and I'm very pleased. As poeple have noted, the d6 system is one of the most heavily play-tested in the history of the industry, and handles a lot of different situations well.
And, I'm glad to say, I can show the book to my friends. Near the end of the Masterbook days of WEG, the illustrations were (a) poor quality and (b) pornographic. No, really.
The otherwise-terrific "Necroscope" sourcebook included ...
... which has nothing to do with the text in the book!!
One late project of that version of WEG was a small "generic d6" booklet, again filled with pictures of, for a tame example, a bored-looking woman in a very small bikini, casually holding the sawed-off, gruesomely-detailed head of a man in one hand with a large blood-spattered saw over her other shoulder.
Happily, the new books don't have any of that.
What they do have is a solid rules sstem, good lay-out, and clear character-creation rules. And maybe some other stuff, too. I'll let you know when I finish.
Having the rules available for free to my players would be a terrific help. I hope the d6 SRD website is as clear and easily navigated as the d20 SRD site.
I have a huge project Im working on but haven't set on which mechanics are best for it. this might be what I need.
I know more then handful of companies that would love to rally behind WEG and use the D6 system, if only WEG could get their act together and get D6 out the door.
In the days just prior to D&D3ed appearing, I was in the process of creating "The Compleat Wizard" (or something like that) - a magic system for the d6 rules covering a variety of magic styles based on the SWRPG 2ed rules. About halfway through it, the WotC purchase of the D&D license and essential revitalization of the D&D name encouraged me to shelve my idea. Such was further reinforced when Palter pretty much screwed up his company to the point it was no longer his company.
Point being - I liked the d6 system. I was growing gamers who liked the d6 system. Then it went away and a new system took over (d20).
Personally, I say good luck to WEG and hey - since they are even now changing their OGL, I might try my hand at a project or two, just to see.
A brief bump with a new post from WEG (though not as a official press release yet).
As was said in Eric Gibson's last post on rpg.net the open d6 will be situated at www.opend6.com.
Oh and here is that post if you don't care to travel:
[Open D6] It's coming -- be a part!
No doubt, many of you have been patiently waiting, only to become frustrated at the slow pace of this. This is completely understandable, and I thank you all for the great patience you have already shown. Releasing Open D6 as planned is such a great undertaking than I can hardly explain, but I'll try.
First, Open D6 is not simply a release of an open license and the release of a simple SRD. Open D6 stands to be the greatest leap forward in Open Gaming since Wizard's of the Coast released the OGL. I hope Open D6 is to tabletop gaming as Web 2.0 has been to the internet. Open D6 aims not to simply to be a free game system, but a community gaming movement on a grand scale.
So what is Open D6?
Open D6 is a game system, based on the fan favorite D6 System that broke new ground in rules-lite cinematic gaming with The Star Wars Roleplaying Game.
Open D6 is a powerful utility to create customized roleplaying, miniatures and board games. Soon, by navigating to the Open D6 website: OpenD6.com, players, gamemasters, and publishers alike will be able to search a robust list of system extensions and addons, picking only those rulesets that work for their game or campaign, and download a fully customized rulebook.
Open D6 is a design resource. Publishers and players alike will be able to use the Open D6 license and website to create new material for Open D6, uploading it for everyone to peruse and use.
Open D6 is a community. By using OpenD6.com, players will be able to find others with which to game, organize in-person, play by post, or play by chat game. The gamists among us can discuss rules, or communally develop new rules and modules. Publishers will be able to use the site as an additional avenue for promoting their next free or commercial release. D6 is one of the most played game systems of all time and remains a well loved system by many tens of thousands of gamers.
Open D6 is a publishing company -- owning the Open D6 and all variant D6 Systems, wholely independant of any other publishing company. In addition to publishing and maintaining the Open D6 game system, Open D6 will publish fully developed games and game worlds, adventures and supplements, both for free and commercially.
Furthermore, Open D6 will be the first ever game company that invite the public to own and operate the company. Anyone, from independent game companies to loyal fans, will have the opportunity to invest in and own a piece of this game company, settings and game system it maintains. People wishing more information on purchasing stock in Open D6 should contact me at hellsreach@gmail.com. I'll be happy to provide information on and possibly extend a private stock offering.
Open D6 is the future of community based, cooperative gaming.
Open D6 is me
Open D6 is you.
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So, what's the hold up?
Well, like I said, there is a lot of work that is to go into even the basic SRD, especially in a format that will allow downloadable, customized ruleset.
Open D6 is also still in the zygote phase of formation. I need to discuss matters with shareholders and potential shareholders, establish responsibilities and develop policies.
At such an early stage, we need to get help with developing the OpenD6.com website (navigating there now will show that no public website yet exists.
For this we need programmers and website developers. We need personable and passionate folks to help build our community, run convention games, moderation our forums. We need designers to create graphics and promotional material.
All this must be done on a very shoestring budget. This is a true bootstrap initiative, but since it is your company and your community, I'm hoping people will be eager to lend a hand.
That’s not all. There is a legal matter that need be sorted out. That is the matter of the license. The Open D6 license has yet to be written. This is partially because I need to see the wording of another open-ish license coming out in a few days. I want to avoid any difficulties for publishers wishing to put out material for both Open D6 and 4e. Wizards of the Coast have been very clear that there are going to prevent publishers wishing to put out the same material for both 4e and legacy OGL systems and I want to make sure that the same restriction is not extended of other open game systems not using the OGL.
Hopefully I'll let you all know more as I has information to provide.
Once again, people looking for equity investment opportunities in Open D6 -- a chance to own a piece of your very own game company, should contact me via email hellsreach@gmail.com and write [Open D6] in the subject.
__________________
Thanks,
Eric Gibson
Publisher, West End Games
As was said in Eric Gibson's last post on rpg.net the open d6 will be situated at www.opend6.com.
Strange. The link does not go where I want it to go. Let's try this again:
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As was said in Eric Gibson's last post on rpg.net the open d6 will be situated at www.opend6.com.
Strange. The link does not go where I want it to go. Let's try this again:
www.opend6.com
This page is parked free, courtesy of GoDaddy.com
He's registered it. Coolio.