'Varisia' Locations DB, that can be shared like the PFRPG Campaign modules

[swest]

This will sound totally Lazy, and Self-Serving (and I am willing to suffer the slings and arrows of, etc...), but has anyone created a Locations DB for Varisia (i.e., a Locations DB for the Pathfinder setting) that could be shared?

(By 'Locations DB', I am referring, of course, to dulux-oz's most excellent 'Locations' extension to Fantasy Grounds.)

If not, has anyone considered the idea that we (as a FG/Pathfinder community) could organize the man-(person)-power to accomplish said feat?

I've been looking for a job that I could take on (as a FG/Pathfinder community member), to begin to try to pay back those who have given... uhh, those from whom I have taken... so much (now there's a slightly obscure film reference that I'm sure all of you will get), so I would be motivated to give it a go.

I haven't thought through the licensing implications of that kind of shared content, but I'm sure it is something that must be considered... so I would appreciate some guidance before starting out on something that might violate copyrights...

Thoughts?

Thanks.

- s.west

[damned]

because each entry is linked to other entries you might find this to be a challenge to do as a co-op effort.
possibly people could help you collect all the location names and relationships but I suspect it will need to all be entered one the one db...

additionally Im not sure if this applies to the Locations DB but with the free/demo license you cant save campaign data so you need to check if that happens here too...

[Trenloe]

Paizo world information is not part of the OGL - it is classified as "product identity" and so is covered by copyright.

Some basic info can be shared as part of the community use policy: https://paizo.com/paizo/about/communityuse But, producing detailed info on Varisia would be outside of this policy.

[Nylanfs]

Not entirely true



• You may descriptively reference trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc.), locations and characters from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List at paizo.com/communityuse/products, provided it is clear that these are our marks.

• You may descriptively reference dialogue, plots, storylines, language, and incidents from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List at paizo.com/communityuse/products in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games.


As long as you aren't wholesale copying and pasting descriptions of locations you should be okay.

[Trenloe]

As long as you aren't wholesale copying and pasting descriptions of locations you should be okay.
That's why I said "But, producing detailed info on Varisia would be outside of this policy." Assuming that "detailed info" would be copy/pasting info and/or re-writing info from Paizo products, essentially keeping the original information intact (even if it's re-written in your own words).

Let's be very clear here - the community use policy does not allow you to wholesale use lots of information that is deemed "product identity" by Paizo.

[Nylanfs]

I just re-read a) the original post and b) what the Locations extension did. So yes this would definitely be outside of the Community Use scope, unless you distill any fluff description into one or two line descriptions.

[dulux-oz]

Putting aside the Copyright issues for the moment, the way I'd go about organising this is have volunteers create each Place Record in detail, but not create any of the Links between them. Then have each creator mod up all the records and send the Co-Ordinator the mod files (or get them out of the system and to the Co-Ordinator some other way - even if its only sending him/her each db.xml so he can copy and past the raw db hives).

Once the CO get the Records into a Campaign db (a fresh one, obviously) then he/she can create all the links, and then create the final mod file.

And no, the Free Version won't say any data, so all volunteers would have to own Full or Ultimate Licenses.

All in all, probably not going to happen - way more likely one individual does the lot (or the whole thing is done in raw xml - good luck).

Cheers

[swest]

A couple of things.


...have volunteers create each Place Record in detail, but not create any of the Links between them. Then have each creator mod up all the records and send the Co-Ordinator the mod files...

That was the strategy I had in mind.

And I was a little sloppy with my language regarding copyright issues. There was no question in my mind that we would be dealing with copyrighted material when talking about places in Varisia. What I should have been clearer about asking was whether the sharing of such a database (regardless of how it was produced) between customers of Paizo's who have purchased the source material from which it was compiled falls under the same dispensation as the sharing of modules containing campaign material (e.g., the Rise of the Runelords campaign I am currently using for my gaming group).

Same or different?

- s.west

[damned]

And I was a little sloppy with my language regarding copyright issues. There was no question in my mind that we would be dealing with copyrighted material when talking about places in Varisia. What I should have been clearer about asking was whether the sharing of such a database (regardless of how it was produced) between customers of Paizo's who have purchased the source material from which it was compiled falls under the same dispensation as the sharing of modules containing campaign material (e.g., the Rise of the Runelords campaign I am currently using for my gaming group).

Same or different?

- s.west

you refer back to RotRL - this is shareable only because it is a PFS Sanctioned scenario....

[Trenloe]

Same or different?
I'd say it's different as compiling a location resource that is not part of a FG scenarios module could be viewed as not being part of the "scenario" allowance from Paizo - it would be stretching the agreement. But, as has been mentioned in a similar thread before: get in touch with one of the online PFS Venture Officers and ask them their opinion. The original agreement came through them.

[Nylanfs]

Hmmm, FG could have a standalone "Interactive Golarion Worldmap" on their hands that Paizo might be interested in...

[swest]

Hmmm, FG could have a standalone "Interactive Golarion Worldmap" on their hands that Paizo might be interested in...

Yes. If such a thing already existed, I would spend money on it.

[Trenloe]

Hmmm, FG could have a standalone "Interactive Golarion Worldmap" on their hands that Paizo might be interested in...
https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Portal:Geography

Note that the Pathfinder wiki is released under the Community Use Policy - the original creator now works for Paizo. Looking at the info they provide for Varisia: https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Varisia This is basically high level topics - with direct references to the original Paizo source material. Images used are only those available through the community use policy. And, of course, this website is registered at paizo.com as using the community use policy (a requirement to use the policy).