D&D 5E Don't Throw 5e Away Because of Hasbro

[Retreater]

going by Roll20 numbers, that (D&D 5e being 50%) is what we have today…

Good to know. I wonder if that translates to a similar equitable spread to other VTTs, online chatter in social media, and book sales? Not that it has to be.
I guess if I were to stick with 5e, I would go exclusively with something like Level Up for the core books and use adventures and supplements from third parties such as Metis Creative & MCDM. (I don't know why the Kobold Press stuff has struck out with me ever since Hoard of the Dragon Queen.) I don't even know about running licensed stuff like the OAR books by Goodman Games (with the exception of upcoming, non-Hasbro stuff like Dark Tower.)
Still, I'd like to run games that are so "unlike D&D" that my players don't describe what we do as "playing D&D." Like if we're playing Call of Cthulhu, that's different enough that we're promoting it as its own system. (Admittedly, I'm hesitant to support CoC because of Lovecraft's issues. I'm already having a hard time shaking off my teenage players from reading his stuff. Don't want them thinking I condone that worldview.)

 

[Minigiant]

They created the market and infrastructure around themselves, not the entire hobby. Especially when one start acting like this one company is apparently holding up the whole industry and that's somehow a good thing.

If we want a healthier hobby, we need multiple players competing and innovating, not one fat fisher king resting on their laurels, acting like they're a keystone for the entire hobby and just expecting everyone to fall back into line no matter what they do.

The point is that the nature of the hobby prevents having multiple players at the level we want.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

Admittedly, I'm hesitant to support CoC because of Lovecraft's issues. I'm already having a hard time shaking off my teenage players from reading his stuff. Don't want them thinking I condone that worldview.

Point them at Winter Tide, and The Ballad of Black Tom, and Lovecraft Country, and...

 

[Vaalingrade]

The point is that the nature of the hobby prevents having multiple players at the level we want.

Because of the one big company at the top.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I think I treat D&D like I do any entertainment.

if D&D meets my needs I will still use it. Then again I am no cheerleader…if it does not meet my needs, I am not giving special WOTC credit (looking at you, maybe 5.5).

My Taco Bell breath is also not an endorsement of PepsiCo either….

 

[Retreater]

Point them at Winter Tide, and The Ballad of Black Tom, and Lovecraft Country, and...

Sure. I wish that Chaosium didn't celebrate Lovecraft so much - devoting chapters in their RPG core rules to how influential and awesome he is. (In fact, I think they've largely moved past needing Lovecraft at all in their game.)
That said, it doesn't prevent me from buying the books. But if Lovecraft were still alive and the CEO of Chaosium, I wouldn't want to buy Call of Cthulhu products.

 

[CellarHeroes]

They created the market and infrastructure around themselves, not the entire hobby. Especially when one start acting like this one company is apparently holding up the whole industry and that's somehow a good thing.

If we want a healthier hobby, we need multiple players competing and innovating, not one fat fisher king resting on their laurels, acting like they're a keystone for the entire hobby and just expecting everyone to fall back into line no matter what they do.

This reminds me so much of the Floating Point Error debacle with the early Intel Pentiums. I was at a roundtable discussion with several Intel engineers about 10 years later, and worked up the nerve to ask them about it and how it was allowed to happen.
They said that at the time Intel thought it could dictate how the world would use computers. After footing the bill for the recalls Intel changed their philosophy toward users.

 

[Vaalingrade]

My Taco Bell breath is also not an endorsement of PepsiCo either….

But how do you feel about YUM! Brands?

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

This reminds me so much of the Floating Point Error debacle with the early Intel Pentiums. I was at a roundtable discussion with several Intel engineers about 10 years later, and worked up the nerve to ask them about it and how it was allowed to happen.
They said that at the time Intel thought it could dictate how the world would use computers. After footing the bill for the recalls Intel changed their philosophy toward users.

When you have enough market share, math is what you say it is.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

But how do you feel about YUM! Brands?

If they own Taco Bell (assume they do now?)
The same way. I don’t.