Jun-21-2011, 01:08 AM (UTC)
(This post was last modified: Jun-21-2011, 01:16 AM (UTC) by Farseer.)
Online gamer I am not but I'll be the first to admit that even I would enjoy playing a card game like that if it featured 
and 
, and even 
etc and, as soon as I opened Rainbow Dash, I thought how such cards could apply to the characters' 'skills' and traits within the Realm of the Elderlings! 
In saying that, I would err on the side of caution and give it a miss, especially seeing as it is an online thing? You may not be creating a whole world but you would still be using RotE characters within the game (cards are really just a different depiction of a character?) and, as you say, things "might cut a little too close to the bone" when you begin applying certain magics, elements of the characters as well.
You'd also have to think about any copyright issues with the artwork, unless you created your own, as well as the characters?
Copyright, and all that goes with it, is such a tricky thing (isn't it?!) as, really, making any of the cards based on any established characters is probably dubious and able to be labelled as a copyright breach. Things just seem to be more magnified and complicated these days due to the online element, the ability to 'share' on such a massive scale and the indisputable evidence of a possible breach when it appears online eg it can be witnessed, recorded and stored by another, external source but if I, say, make a game of cards at home, I can hide it and/or throw it out quite easily to prevent detection and discovery.
No doubt this knowing how easily our actions can be tracked and our accountability highlighted is what makes (most of) us stop more often and ask, "Is this acceptable?" I cringe every time I so much as add a link to something!
While you could say that there are grey areas with most character creators, there's not in Robin's case (as far as I can see?) because she has let her feelings on the matter be well known. In this, while it may or may not be 'illegal', I would respect her wishes and refrain from making any online game cards directly based on her characters.
EDIT: Though there is nothing (??) to prevent anyone from using aspects of them to create new characters with different names, especially as many of the elements, eg a prophet who fiddles with the present to determne a certain future, are universal as far as fantasy goes?
and , and even etc and, as soon as I opened Rainbow Dash, I thought how such cards could apply to the characters' 'skills' and traits within the Realm of the Elderlings! In saying that, I would err on the side of caution and give it a miss, especially seeing as it is an online thing? You may not be creating a whole world but you would still be using RotE characters within the game (cards are really just a different depiction of a character?) and, as you say, things "might cut a little too close to the bone" when you begin applying certain magics, elements of the characters as well.
You'd also have to think about any copyright issues with the artwork, unless you created your own, as well as the characters?
Copyright, and all that goes with it, is such a tricky thing (isn't it?!) as, really, making any of the cards based on any established characters is probably dubious and able to be labelled as a copyright breach. Things just seem to be more magnified and complicated these days due to the online element, the ability to 'share' on such a massive scale and the indisputable evidence of a possible breach when it appears online eg it can be witnessed, recorded and stored by another, external source but if I, say, make a game of cards at home, I can hide it and/or throw it out quite easily to prevent detection and discovery.
No doubt this knowing how easily our actions can be tracked and our accountability highlighted is what makes (most of) us stop more often and ask, "Is this acceptable?" I cringe every time I so much as add a link to something!
While you could say that there are grey areas with most character creators, there's not in Robin's case (as far as I can see?) because she has let her feelings on the matter be well known. In this, while it may or may not be 'illegal', I would respect her wishes and refrain from making any online game cards directly based on her characters.
EDIT: Though there is nothing (??) to prevent anyone from using aspects of them to create new characters with different names, especially as many of the elements, eg a prophet who fiddles with the present to determne a certain future, are universal as far as fantasy goes?
"I am the Catalyst, and I came to change all things. Prophets become warriors, dragons hunt as wolves."
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