Holostreets, Community Published Shadowrun Options

[DeathStrobe]

https://support.drivethrurpg.com/hc/en-us/a...tent-Guidelines

Looks like you can publish for any edition. While it won't be considered canonical, creators can at least make a buck. Maybe we can see those unofficial setting books get a somewhat more legit release... Shadows of Latin America... 10 AIs... etc etc...

Is classic CGL faction, the templates haven't been released yet. Will hopefully be up soon.

[JanessaVR]

Well, hell. This is a kind-of OGL for Shadowrun.

4th Edition Forever! I'll totally purchase darn near any new 4e material that someone puts out.

[Kagetenshi]

The 1999 cutoff is weird given established canon that SR first visibly diverges from real history in 1986 when Warren Burger doesn’t resign. I guess they’re counting from the Seretech decision?

Also, phooey to you youngsters and your fixed TNs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

~J

[Sengir]

I feel really old, because I remember Holostreets as the name for the fiction subscription service that never went anywhere...

[Cochise]

~hmmm~ When I first heard about this some weeks ago I at first felt a bit of a rush and even considered working on something SR3 related ... but seeing some of the "obviously necessary" wording of the rules I can't help but feel disappointed and so I have little expectations for noteworthy products seeing the light of the day (or the shadows that our fictional characters reside in)

Yay me for being the debbie-downer from the get go.

[pbangarth]

I'm waiting for a reply from Holostreets regarding a SR3 module I wrote for the old Virtual Seattle RPGA group, specifically asking about copyright. I believe I have it, but just checking before I go to the effort of archaeological excavation of my records (? a lá Michel Foucault ?).

In terms of content, it passed the scrutiny of the RPGA years ago and was played at many conventions, despite having a free spirit/adept-taxidermist pair who engaged in possession of and flaying of living victims to feed the spirit with the fear and pain of the victim.

I called it "Skin Game".

[JanessaVR]

I'm waiting for a reply from Holostreets regarding a SR3 module I wrote for the old Virtual Seattle RPGA group, specifically asking about copyright. I believe I have it, but just checking before I go to the effort of archaeological excavation of my records (? a lá Michel Foucault ?).

In terms of content, it passed the scrutiny of the RPGA years ago and was played at many conventions, despite having a free spirit/adept-taxidermist pair who engaged in possession of and flaying of living victims to feed the spirit with the fear and pain of the victim.

I called it "Skin Game".

Send us a link if you get it approved! I'll buy a copy immediately on DTRPG.

[pbangarth]

Send us a link if you get it approved! I'll buy a copy immediately on DTRPG.

It would appear Topps owns copyright to Living Seattle modules. There appears to be some confusion at the highest levels about whether Virtual Seattle is the same as Living Seattle. I'm waiting for clarification. There is also the matter of this thing being published 20 years ago. I don't know how long copyright lasts.

If it turns out I am not allowed to sell this story, I will gladly share my copy of the two rounds with you. It is written for SR3, mind you, and depends on a particular set of mechanics that solves a problem the RPGA had.

At the time, Virtual Seattle was having a problem with a few teams of players who had been together for years at conventions, and had PCs with 40+ Karma Pool, basically allowing the PCs to guarantee all dice being successes when the players wanted it so. Runs were being ... overrun by teams that killed everything in their path. It was difficult to write anything that could challenge them and yet be doable by rookies.

I wrote this to address that problem. At GENCON there was at least one TPK of such a killer team, despite there being a clear warning they could not win a shootout, and yet I ran a session with brand new PCs run by a bunch of fun-loving teenagers, who completed the run without any loss. They solved the issue in a very 'un-street' way. One of the most enjoyable experiences I ever had in this game.

[Kagetenshi]

There is also the matter of this thing being published 20 years ago. I don't know how long copyright lasts.

For US laws on things made after 1978 the three options are life of the creator +70 years, 95 years from publication, or 120 years from creation.

Other major economies have broadly similar terms—it’s just conceivable that some jurisdiction could have required a copyright registration or renewal to be submitted, but otherwise there’s no chance anything SR-related has fallen out of copyright.

~J

[pbangarth]

Yes, I figured 20 years wasn't enough. Thanks.

Still waiting to hear whether Virtual vs. Living makes any difference.

[Sengir]

It would appear Topps owns copyright to Living Seattle modules.

Hmm, so CGL could re-release that stuff?


Anyway, I'd also love to see your old module, with Holostreets or without.

[DeathStrobe]

It would appear Topps owns copyright to Living Seattle modules. There appears to be some confusion at the highest levels about whether Virtual Seattle is the same as Living Seattle. I'm waiting for clarification. There is also the matter of this thing being published 20 years ago. I don't know how long copyright lasts.

Well, technically, if you rewrite it, you own the new copyright.

You can only copyright words, not ideas. So if you recycle the ideas and just use new words and phrasing to express the idea you could get around it. It could be considered plagiarism, but this ain't acadamia and it's not illegal.

[Sengir]

Well, technically, if you rewrite it, you own the new copyright.

You can only copyright words, not ideas. So if you recycle the ideas and just use new words and phrasing to express the idea you could get around it. It could be considered plagiarism, but this ain't acadamia and it's not illegal.

Unfortunately IP law is not that clear cut, see Games Workshop's various lawsuits over things like should pads or whether the term "space marine" can be protected.

And those lawsuits also show another problem: Your work might be perfectly legal, but your legal department is probably smaller than the legal department of the company saying otherwise...

[adambeyoncelowe]

Having read the Holostreets T&Cs, I think another issue is the skin-flaying. The rules make it clear that R or NC-17 rated material is verboten.

[Ka_ge2020]

...And another good way to get some marketing data. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[pbangarth]

Well, the skin flaying issue didn't seem to bother the Virtual Seattle folks. It wasn't really a large part of the story, and some PC teams missed that connection entirely.

I haven't received a reply to a further query I made about the module in question. I suspect I would have troubles if I tried to sell the story on Holostreets. So, anyone who is interested in seeing it, message me here an email address you are willing to share and I will send you copies of the PDFs of each of the two rounds.