OGL:Someone releases as OGC a most revolutionary & awesome game design.You, Wotc...

gamerprinter said:

One could argue that any RPG game, even if completely unlike D&D is a D&D spinoff. D&D was the first; the game that created the industry.

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I could see that easily being true. Mechanically Call of Cthulhu for example still has 3-18 style ranges for stats such as strength, dexterity, constitution etc. - that all goes back to the original mechanics of D&D. It still has a referee, people talking around a table, challenge rolls with dice. Lots of similarities at that level.

The nuance of that game can be quite different though. Call of Cthulhu may never be the number one seller, but got to admit, innovative when it was new and phenomenal staying power.

I wonder what wonderful innovations there could still be in RPGs that would make it change for a majority of people? - or will it become a little like chess? Once the tropes are in place, that's it for the next few aeons?

Nellisir said:

It may or may not be relevant to point out that, insofar as I know, WotC does not "recruit".

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I can see that. It may give the wrong message: apart from us (Wotc) there are other stars that can shine too. Mearls was working on D20 which was a Wotc invention first place with the OGL around the development spirit around the OGL was considered normaly and naturaly connected to Wotc.

Interesting that some posters replied to the OP question as hiring being their answer. And I do not say it is a bad answer for them -on the contrary this could not be further from the truth: it shows an instinct of respecting and valuing the hobby community and its own fruits. Wotc would not operate like this because its primal instincts are not the same. It is the leader and as long as it remains the leader or can remain the leader it will want to remain the leader: this is its role, this is its instinct. Fascinating how this comes to surface. Before I got attributed with the intent of stirring up feelings, let me say this is not something evil for Wotc. It shows business perspective. If I were Wotc I would operate like that.

As said, I find fascinating how these differences come to surface. The more we understand from a consumer's stand point the more our standards rise and the more demanding we become for utility and functionality of product. Be it game design and development in our case. Competition is one force that drives the change of market from outside. Consumer quality demand is another force that drives the market from inside.

xechnao said:

You have made yourself an interesting observation here. So why do you think that might be?
I am talking about the stance of the rpg crowd obviously

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Not sure really. Could be a whole bunch of factors like economics, barriers to learn a new rpg as opposed to new boardgame, ccg, cmg, time to play, etc. or as something as simple that we act like a herd of cats. Could be a topic for a new thread I guess.

xechnao said:

Interesting question. As I said above the streamlining and organization. Its results make me think of M:tG. From monsters to characters to mechanics. Monsters, conditions etch are all streamlined in a certain way that answer to the same underlying design structure. From outsiders and magical beasts, to stunned and the way you damage incorporeal creatures. This reminds me of the M:tG organization of dividing the game in different card types and establishing relations that make things work. From the different colors to the lands powering the powers. Now on to characters: using this undelying structure character development is designed as deck-building more or less. It is all very focused on this. That is the design is very focused to provide that at 100% and only that. For me, the tight direction of the gameplay to these of results that are akin to M:tG is not a coincidence.

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I'll have to take a look at my old M:tG stuff in storage. I didn't notice this offhand.