Ray Winninger comments on the OGL

[Nikosandros]

I mean, I don't see it as better or worse so much as, if it's something they rushed into, which strongly seems to be the case, they're probably less committed than if it was something planned for years.

OTOH, if the new strategy has been proposed by the newly installed leadership, they might see it as a signature of their tenure and be extremely reluctant to drop it.

 

[Ibrandul]

Emphasis mine.
Bollocks.

Nobody controls how you play besides you.

Yes and no.

I can keep running 5e in person with the material I already have in person forever, no changes.

But if WotC doesn’t change course, I highly doubt I’ll be able to run any edition of D&D on Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds once their current contracts with WotC expire.

 

[eyeheartawk]

OTOH, if the new strategy has been proposed by the newly installed leadership, they might see it as a signature of their tenure and be extremely reluctant to drop it.

Exactly what I was going to say. Seen this too many times to count. Whichever of the new Microsoft MBAs came in and likely made this their "look at what good I can do for the company" initiative and now that it's all exploding they can't possibly let it fail. Alot of inertia to overcome internally then.

 

[Reynard]

Yes and no.

I can keep running 5e in person with the material I already have in person forever, no changes.

But if WotC doesn’t change course, I highly doubt I’ll be able to run any edition of D&D on Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds once their current contracts with WotC expire.

I don't think that's true. The VTT language seems pointed at people without deals with WotC. Both Roll20 and FG have such deals.

But, hey, who knows what self destructive BS they came up with at whatever coke fueled manager's retreat spawned OGL 1.1.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Exactly what I was going to say. Seen this too many times to count. Whichever of the new Microsoft MBAs came in and likely made this their "look at what good I can do for the company" initiative and now that it's all exploding they can't possibly let it fail. Alot of inertia to overcome internally then.

I dunno.

My direct experience of corporate environments is limited to law firms, but from that and indirect knowledge of stuff at other law firms, if something is backfiring, failing, or just immediately going over budget and you're only three months in, you may see it as part of your "tenure" (Dan Rawson presumably does), but if there are people above you, they may well say "Time to drop it". I've certainly see stuff quietly dropped that was a few months or even a year old.

 

[Nikosandros]

I dunno.

My direct experience of corporate environments is limited to law firms, but from that and indirect knowledge of stuff at other law firms, if something is backfiring, failing, or just immediately going over budget and you're only three months in, you may see it as part of your "tenure" (Dan Rawson presumably does), but if there are people above you, they may well say "Time to drop it". I've certainly see stuff quietly dropped that was a few months or even a year old.

Fair enough. We'll see what happens.

 

[Ibrandul]

I don't think that's true. The VTT language seems pointed at people without deals with WotC. Both Roll20 and FG have such deals.

But, hey, who knows what self destructive BS they came up with at whatever coke fueled manager's retreat spawned OGL 1.1.

Surely those deals are term-limited—though I don’t think their expiration dates are public knowledge. And it’s evident the current WotC leadership intends not to renew them.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Surely those deals are term-limited—though I don’t think their expiration dates are public knowledge. And it’s evident the current WotC leadership intends not to renew them.

I think that's a fair reading. Once WOTC's virtual tabletop is fully up and running, or close to, I wouldn't expect those agreements with Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds to ever be renewed.

 

[Justice and Rule]

I think that's a fair reading. Once WOTC's virtual tabletop is fully up and running, or close to, I wouldn't expect those agreements with Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds to ever be renewed.

This feels like part of the endgame with all this: a hard sunsetting of 5E to push people into 1D&D, as well as completely controlling the licensed version of your game on the VTT market. It's incredibly dumb, but it feels too coincidental for it not to be purposeful. Just an utter misread of the market and the audience.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

OTOH, if the new strategy has been proposed by the newly installed leadership, they might see it as a signature of their tenure and be extremely reluctant to drop it.

If this was preposed by newly installed leadership, likely they won't be leaders for long.