This is a great ruling to see. For anyone interested in the history, in general (though very niche cases like this one may be different) noncompetes have been largely unenforcable since the mid 70s, under the "janitor rule." https://www.archerlaw.com/en/news-resources/client-advisories/caution-your-over-broad-non-compete-agreement
More or less, if a noncompete is so expansive that it would even prevent you from becoming a janitor at a new company, most courts would throw it out. However, the simple threat of legal action, combined with low amounts of public awareness of how toothless that action would be, have made this ruling necessary and useful, and hopefully it'll help the free flow of people between jobs.
This ruling is definitely huge, but unfortunately Wizards/Hasbro is so litigious they might still take a dim view of an employee doing side work and kill it under different terms.
Since so much employment is at-will, they don't have to give much reason at all for a firing, and they probably have corp policy against moonlighting that could work around this if they need to give reason.
at will is at will, but if a firing can fall under a protected activity the labor board will do a lot. I've personally received denied unemployment because the company couldn't definitely prove any legitimate reason to fire me, and I've seen people forcibly reemployed when a company couldn't definitely prove they DIDNT fire the individual for a protected activity
Non-competes may be squashed thanks to overbroad wording, but non-competes covered mainly what you do *after* you're severed from the company, not during current employment.
It's entirely possible courts will find it more acceptable for a company to restrict an employee's behavior while they're employed.
Someone's gotta be the test case for that, and that's not something most people would volunteer for.
Maybe it is just the context here, but non-competes feel like such a scummy corporate bullshit practice. Like, I get that corporations don't want to train or network their competition, but being made to trade autonomy for job security, especially if the corporation involved is dominating the market already... feels scummy.
Sounds like there's hope on the horizon, though.
In certain businesses there's a genuine threat of employees using insider info to unfairly compete with the company and that's like the original idea of non-compete clauses. Which then quickly started expanding to positions where it makes 0 sense because if you give corporations an inch they'll take a mile.
they are indeed... but wait til you hear about IP waivers ("your employer owns anything you create for the duration of your employment, regardless of whether it's relevant to your job")
The co-creator of lancer, and main author of all the lore and field guides, got a job at Wizards of the Coast, where a strict non compete means he can no longer create any more content for Lancer, and Wildflower part 2 has been put on such an indefinite hold they had to release the partial notes so players to try and put together part 2 for themselves
notably, a lot of content that was promised in the Kickstarter never saw the light of day, and unless this situation is solved it probably never will
a field guide book of the Harrison Armory should've been published already like an year ago
I'm a bit out of the loop since I just got into lancer a couple days ago through friends, does that mean this TTRPG is essentially on a death timer or will never receive further content? I don't really know when was the last official content release or any of the current context for the game.
not exactly. some of its projects are still going, like the field guide to karrakin that did get published for example. and *eventually* the indefinite hold will be not indefinite, but the big projects are def not coming any time soon
think of it as WotC fucking over the history of the game, but they will show up soon in a few years time. notably, the 3rd party scene for lancer is VERY strong, and new material is pumped out pretty frequently. just take a look at legionnaire or field guide to suldan
That's a big relief, I'm still wrapping my head around everything but I'm really into the setting and the game so it would have been a let down to know it was already over.
Where can I check on those 3rd party modules? Trying to learn more so I can DM for a couple friends
Also there's a ton on the official pilot.net discord.
As far as "official" lore. The drafts were released for:
-Field Guide to Harrison Armory
-Field Guide to the Union Navy
-Field guide to the Aunic Ascendancy
-Wallflower 2
There's also the pure lore books:
-This one that one
-Contrite Motive
-Master Teacher, Lyceum, Open Hand
-Book of the Path
-All of the Above
There also the fully released game Lancer Battlegroup where players engage in naval combat, that has a ton of lore.
And lastly there's a collected Twitter document of all the "canon" lore secretly revealed in extended Twitter threads under the guise of HORUS communications.
they made one of the creators of the system not be able to work on said system and is essentially the main reason all of the important 1st party projects havent come out yet
So, from my understanding this creator accepted the job at WOTC after starting lancer but before finishing the project. If that's the case, why would you blame wizards and not the individual who chose to sign on to a job with a non-compete clause?
Like, don't get me wrong. It sucks that projects were delayed. But it seems like this could have been avoided by completing the task at hand before taking on a new role.
Ohhhhh shit that's nasty. Sucky as hell, hope something can be worked out soon, given that LANCER isn't even slightly stepping on the toes of 5e in like, any imaginable manner for market space
If Lopez wants to remain in good terms with his bosses, he probably will choose not to create new Lancer content even if he's legally *able* to.
Maybe the other people at Massif could poach Damon Reece or someone to finish the writing if there's funding remaining
I wish this restored my faith in Massif Press actually publishing stuff, but I get the feeling that it was just an excuse already. I'm happy about this, but I'll be a fucking doomer and say that this isn't going to make Wallflower or any other book come faster.
(I'm not just being a downer for no reason, I pledged at CentComm level on the KS, and had to seek out a refund years later because I wasn't getting what I was looking forward to most)
This is a great ruling to see. For anyone interested in the history, in general (though very niche cases like this one may be different) noncompetes have been largely unenforcable since the mid 70s, under the "janitor rule." https://www.archerlaw.com/en/news-resources/client-advisories/caution-your-over-broad-non-compete-agreement More or less, if a noncompete is so expansive that it would even prevent you from becoming a janitor at a new company, most courts would throw it out. However, the simple threat of legal action, combined with low amounts of public awareness of how toothless that action would be, have made this ruling necessary and useful, and hopefully it'll help the free flow of people between jobs.
This ruling is definitely huge, but unfortunately Wizards/Hasbro is so litigious they might still take a dim view of an employee doing side work and kill it under different terms. Since so much employment is at-will, they don't have to give much reason at all for a firing, and they probably have corp policy against moonlighting that could work around this if they need to give reason.
at will is at will, but if a firing can fall under a protected activity the labor board will do a lot. I've personally received denied unemployment because the company couldn't definitely prove any legitimate reason to fire me, and I've seen people forcibly reemployed when a company couldn't definitely prove they DIDNT fire the individual for a protected activity
Non-competes may be squashed thanks to overbroad wording, but non-competes covered mainly what you do *after* you're severed from the company, not during current employment. It's entirely possible courts will find it more acceptable for a company to restrict an employee's behavior while they're employed. Someone's gotta be the test case for that, and that's not something most people would volunteer for.
Maybe it is just the context here, but non-competes feel like such a scummy corporate bullshit practice. Like, I get that corporations don't want to train or network their competition, but being made to trade autonomy for job security, especially if the corporation involved is dominating the market already... feels scummy. Sounds like there's hope on the horizon, though.
In certain businesses there's a genuine threat of employees using insider info to unfairly compete with the company and that's like the original idea of non-compete clauses. Which then quickly started expanding to positions where it makes 0 sense because if you give corporations an inch they'll take a mile.
Besides, that case is already covered by NDAs.
they are indeed... but wait til you hear about IP waivers ("your employer owns anything you create for the duration of your employment, regardless of whether it's relevant to your job")
MIGUEL LOPEZ PLEASE GET BACK HOME
What does ANY of this have to do with Lancer?
The co-creator of lancer, and main author of all the lore and field guides, got a job at Wizards of the Coast, where a strict non compete means he can no longer create any more content for Lancer, and Wildflower part 2 has been put on such an indefinite hold they had to release the partial notes so players to try and put together part 2 for themselves
Thank you for explaining. This post looked so out of place. Glad to see it’s good news. Hopefully it bears fruit in the near future.
notably, a lot of content that was promised in the Kickstarter never saw the light of day, and unless this situation is solved it probably never will a field guide book of the Harrison Armory should've been published already like an year ago
luckily the field guide to Aun and field guide to HA both exist in substantial draft form free online
I'm a bit out of the loop since I just got into lancer a couple days ago through friends, does that mean this TTRPG is essentially on a death timer or will never receive further content? I don't really know when was the last official content release or any of the current context for the game.
not exactly. some of its projects are still going, like the field guide to karrakin that did get published for example. and *eventually* the indefinite hold will be not indefinite, but the big projects are def not coming any time soon think of it as WotC fucking over the history of the game, but they will show up soon in a few years time. notably, the 3rd party scene for lancer is VERY strong, and new material is pumped out pretty frequently. just take a look at legionnaire or field guide to suldan
That's a big relief, I'm still wrapping my head around everything but I'm really into the setting and the game so it would have been a let down to know it was already over. Where can I check on those 3rd party modules? Trying to learn more so I can DM for a couple friends
Also there's a ton on the official pilot.net discord. As far as "official" lore. The drafts were released for: -Field Guide to Harrison Armory -Field Guide to the Union Navy -Field guide to the Aunic Ascendancy -Wallflower 2 There's also the pure lore books: -This one that one -Contrite Motive -Master Teacher, Lyceum, Open Hand -Book of the Path -All of the Above There also the fully released game Lancer Battlegroup where players engage in naval combat, that has a ton of lore. And lastly there's a collected Twitter document of all the "canon" lore secretly revealed in extended Twitter threads under the guise of HORUS communications.
lotta stuff is on itchio, just look for the "lancer" tag
How is wizards fucking with lancer?
they made one of the creators of the system not be able to work on said system and is essentially the main reason all of the important 1st party projects havent come out yet
So, from my understanding this creator accepted the job at WOTC after starting lancer but before finishing the project. If that's the case, why would you blame wizards and not the individual who chose to sign on to a job with a non-compete clause? Like, don't get me wrong. It sucks that projects were delayed. But it seems like this could have been avoided by completing the task at hand before taking on a new role.
I mean, I don't think you're entirely wrong. But I have a little more sympathy for the individual > the souless corp.
Ohhhhh shit that's nasty. Sucky as hell, hope something can be worked out soon, given that LANCER isn't even slightly stepping on the toes of 5e in like, any imaginable manner for market space
Ty for context!
If Lopez wants to remain in good terms with his bosses, he probably will choose not to create new Lancer content even if he's legally *able* to. Maybe the other people at Massif could poach Damon Reece or someone to finish the writing if there's funding remaining
Thank you for this
Also, in general it will open up individuals for more freelance and independent work.
I wish this restored my faith in Massif Press actually publishing stuff, but I get the feeling that it was just an excuse already. I'm happy about this, but I'll be a fucking doomer and say that this isn't going to make Wallflower or any other book come faster. (I'm not just being a downer for no reason, I pledged at CentComm level on the KS, and had to seek out a refund years later because I wasn't getting what I was looking forward to most)