From:	Waffelmeisters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Kiss and Tell
Date:	Tue, 26 May 1998 18:51:06 -0500

> From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
> Subject: Re: Kiss and Tell


> >> Are you people ready to spill your guts now. If you want to say
> >>you're playtesting just say it. That much I _think_ is allowed by FASA.
> >>Anything else isn't.
>
> Don't know. Anyone out there seen a FASA non-disclosure agreement?

I remeber it being pretty vauge- the whole thing is less than 1/2 a
page. The upshot is you don't talk publicly about FASA "inside info",
or reveal important aspects of upcomming material or related background
info. I assumed all playtesters signed one, but maybe its more because
I know one of the editors personally that I had to sign.
For example, If for some reason I knew what was up at Crater Lake
(which I don't, and never will unless I work at FASA or write related
subject material), I could not tell. If I discussed an upcoming product
with somebody at FASA, I could not reveal the specifics of that
discussion, including its topic, but could still discuss related areas
in other conversation. If I thought a rule should / would be changed,
and that idea came directly from such dissucssion, it would be a bad
thing discuss publicly. But if I thought up a rule change all on my
own, and sent the idea to FASA, I'm still free to share that with
whomever I like, as long as I don't talk about FASA's use of the rule.
I believe Steve K. has done this in the past.
The intention is that nobody messes with FASA's line developement and
publicity by spoiling long held in-game secrets (which they don't share
much anyhow) or publisizing unreleased work (which can change before
release anyhow).
Genrally, its hard to break the non-diclosure rule without looking
either really stupid (cause they might change stuff at the last minute)
or far to well informed (IE, "God Says So" type answers about certain
topics or off-the-wall rules changes and plot ideas- Like "what if
Dunkelzhan ran for President, and was then killed on the eve of his
inaugeration, and it created a mana vortex with X effect on astral
mages?").
So, yes, AFAIK, you could say you are play testing SOMETHING (unless
you were asked / told not to), but saying much about WHAT would be bad,
even after play testing ended. Saying EXACTLY what (specific rules) is
obviously out.
An important function of non-disclosure, as I can see it, is to keep
wild rumours to a minimum, giving FASA time to actually get something
done before folks send them tons of mail on the topic. Mike's desk
bends down in the middle as it is.

>
> > Aw, but then we'd loose that air of coy mystery. Actually, it
> >looks like many of the playtesters "handles" ended up as Shadow Talk
> >names in "Target: Smugglers Havens", so even if they won't tell you,
> >that will.
>
> Hey, how do you know that? The bloody thing isn't supposed to be shipping
> until today, and FASA's own site is saying to expect it on June 2!! (I'm
> expecting it a few days earlier though, since I've got a great game store
> with a solid distributor as my source). Don't tell me you've already got a
> hold of the thing...

I was asked if I'd like my name to be used, and asked if others were
maybe being used. I assumed It was OK to say so, as I thought the book
had arived in some locations by now (shows what I know, agreement or
not...). I can't imagine saying "uh, BTW, the name "Mongoose" and some
others may apear as a shadow posters" is the kind of thing
non-disclosure is meant for. Now, if I'd thought that maybe DUNKLEZHAN
was a shadowposter, or knew Mongoose and others played a major plot
role, THAT would be private info, as it would affect the product
developement. This is more on the area of an "easter egg" that makes
little sense if you don't know what to look for.

>
> And what about people like me or David or what not that use our real names
> most of the time? It's a lot easier to steal Mongoose as a handle than
> erikj is...

Couldn't say yet even if I did know exactly, I guess. I think somebody
was just looking for names, and thought it would be a cute "in-joke".
Anybody catches more once they scan the text, share them, eh? Unless
its "forbiden ground", of course.
-Mongoose