Still one make-or-break issue for me...

[Croesus]

As for third party tools competing with DDI stuff, I don't think this would be too big a problem.

Your comment got me thinking: how much 3PP crunch would people buy and use if it's not easy to integrate into a 5E DDI?

I don't believe we yet have any hard info on what 5E DDI will look like, but I'm assuming WOTC will have something up and running when the books are released. If so, and if (big if) a lot of 5E players subscribe, that could be a factor in limiting what 3PP material is bought. Adventures wouldn't be a problem, but new classes, themes, feats, etc. might be. WOTC could offer a somewhat open OGL, yet try to limit it's usefulness by making it difficult to use non-WOTC material in a 5E DDI. I would hate that - I houserule a lot - but I could see some in WOTC management thinking its a great idea.

My preference is for the "app store" model that Pinback, Delericho and others have suggested, but I'm not sure WOTC can or will implement anything like that.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I recently started running a Pathfinder game online, and now I've seen the great benefits of the OGL ecosystem. PCGen or Herolab let me make characters. I can import OGL objects into Maptool. Fantasy Grounds comes with OGL support out of the box. The Pathfinder SRD at d20pfsrd.com makes running the game significantly easier that it would be if I always had to flip through the book.

The result is this: I want a new edition of D&D. 4E wasn't for me, and even with the Pathfinder revision, much of 3.x could use an overhaul. But, the OGL ecosystem is a powerful argument for staying with Pathfinder.

Whereas, if D&D Next actually is good enough to unify most of the player base, putting it under the OGL would give it that final leg up.

More simply, the OGL could remove one of the major benefits to staying with their biggest competition.

 

[Ajar]

You can make 4E characters in HeroLab, too. I use MapTool in my 4E Zeitgeist game. GSL doesn't imply no 3PP support at all.

The OGL created a few problems for WotC, most notably the fact that they now have to compete with the previous edition of their own game, as adapted and published by someone else in the form of Pathfinder. Personally, I'm quite heavily invested in the d20 ecosystem, but haven't purchased a single official WotC d20 product; it's all 3PP. On the flip side, I'm also heavily invested in the 4E ecosystem, and ~75% of that money has gone directly to WotC for books and my D&DI sub. I do have significant 3PP content for 4E -- adventures, setting material, etc.

I think the GSL is too restrictive, but GSL/OGL is a false dichotomy. There's a middle ground between the two licenses that would allow enhanced 3PP relative to 4E without letting someone else adapt and republish the entire system.

 

[Alarian]

At this point in the game it's really a non-issue for me. When 4th was being prepared, it was a real sticking point, but for me that ship has sailed. As long as 5th significantly improves over 4th (and I really like what I see so far), I will be more than excited to switch back to DnD.

Hopefully they take a long hard look at Paizo's model. I think it's safe to say the father can learn a lot from the son in that case.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

More simply, the OGL could remove one of the major benefits to staying with their biggest competition.

This. I am more interested in buying Paizo products because Paizo products are of more use to me-- just as once, WotC products were more useful to me.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

Hasbro/ WOTC's decision on the OGL/ GSL issue would be just about the last thing I'd consider in making my decision on 5e.

 

[Blood & Bones]

I agree with the OP.

Actually, the lack of openness is what turned me off from 4th edition. It wasn't the system - I was kinda looking forward to it. It wasn't the hard deviation from traditional D&D lore - although that did have me worried. It was the lack of truly open content.

Everyone may argue whether it was a good business decision or a poor one - but for me, it's a question of what is better for the image of the company. Going open source made WotC a company to admire, in my eyes; they did something big that not many companies would be willing to do. Taking that away was a step backwards and made me feel cheated.

I have a bookcase full of WotC 3rd edition material behind me. Not one of those books are 4th edition. I've just recently started getting interested in Pathfinder. If WotC wants my money to go to them and not Paizo, all they have to do is move more towards a OGL type of license. It doesn't need to be as open as it was with 3rd edition, but it needs to be much more open and thorough than it was with the GSL.

 

[IronWolf]

You can make 4E characters in HeroLab, too. I use MapTool in my 4E Zeitgeist game. GSL doesn't imply no 3PP support at all.

Do you have to have a DDI sub to get the data for Hero Lab for 4e character generation? I haven't used it for 4e, so genuine question.

I think the GSL is too restrictive, but GSL/OGL is a false dichotomy. There's a middle ground between the two licenses that would allow enhanced 3PP relative to 4E without letting someone else adapt and republish the entire system.

While a fan of the OGL, I do believe there is a middle ground that could serve the customers as well as WotC. Hopefully if they don't go OGL for 5e, they do find this middle ground.

 

[IronWolf]

I do have a make or break issue for my adoption of 5e. While I am a fan of the OGL, I am willing to admit there is likely a compromise. So rather than say 5e has to be released under the OGL, I will say what I need to facilitate my adoption of 5e.

I need access to the rules on my terms. That can either be an open SRD like 3.x and Pathfinder have which allow the rules to be published on the web for easy reference from numerous locations and devices. Or it can be via PDF (or similar multi-platform, offline digital format).

I am so used to being able to access 3.x or Pathfinder material via the web SRDs or PDFs in Pathfinder's case that I am not sure I could game effectively without those resources.

As I look at other games I dabble in, they release in PDF as well. So again, even though they aren't using an open license, I can access the rules on a multitude of devices, while offline, without the need to maintain a monthly subscription.

That is the make or break issue for 5e for me.

 

[Ajar]

Do you have to have a DDI sub to get the data for Hero Lab for 4e character generation? I haven't used it for 4e, so genuine question.

I believe so, although I haven't used it myself. Same for using something like Power2ool that links to the Compendium database.

*

I have a strong preference for the online 4E Compendium over any sort of traditional reference document, whether book or PDF. I'm willing to pay a subscription fee for that sort of searchable database.