I've pondered this. A long time. Actually, well before the announcement. If I suddenly won the lottery, what would I like to do?
The question I've got is this: If you offer NCSoft enough money, would they sell it? What is the property worth to them? It's worth a lot to us in keeping it going, and we could (as a not-for-profit communal effort) keep it going, and I'm fairly certain not-for-profits just have to pay back the "loans" that got them going and manage low profit interests. Expenses are acquiring the property, server fees (using standard free to play with goodies rates are in this low key enviro).
Frankly, a lawyer to rewrite the terms of service, an accountant, both or either on spec, and with the craptastic job market, can't argue the potential for a newb with verve.
I'm thinking Kickstarter. Not saying it'd be a cheap Kickstarter campaign. (Nobody bought Tabula Rasa, after all.) But there's a lot of what's already been done with in-game fan-made movies. Still on YouTube, so NCSoft would have a difficult (cf. Lawyer) time really arguing that one. If after Tax Returns this community cannot get the game, the Kickstarter has a default: We donate residuals to charity. Follow the "pay it on" and give 10% to other efforts We as donators vote on democratically, maybe financially based on what we donate giving more weight. That way we don't lose. We are defeated, but we come back. We still get a say.
Set aside real, actual profit to charities for the same sorts the hero-side are defending (cf. Accountant, as the particulars really do need a something close to zero balance sheet) and use things to try to manage odd new content... (Not profit, but can't trust some peeps.)
Ponder, respond. I'm interested in thoughts, more interested in responses.
