How long do we wait for WoTC to speak?

[bedir than]

I think this specific question is best detached from the more general threads.

I have a friend with a team of writers working on a big 3PP Kickstarter/publication, planned to be for 5e using the OGL. She and the team, with my advice, are now working on a non-OGL version. But I suggested that before doing too much work on this - it will be a lot of work - she wait to see if WoTC makes an announcement reassuring 3PPs that they are not trying to revoke OGL 1.0. I suggested waiting until Monday 16th before pressing forward. But I wanted to see what other people think. How long should the community wait on WoTC to speak? Or should we not be waiting? A lot of people already seem set on abandoning the OGL, just from the threat that's been raised.

If it's a large project with a lot of time and money involved they should wait for whatever Wizards says.
Especially if it's a first time go at this. When Critical Role does non-D&D viewership shrinks. When an indie with an established name does D&D stuff their numbers explode (see Level up v WOIN).
D&D is still the largest market, by far.
Waiting for a chance that Wizards backtracks means waiting for a chance to grab onto what remains of that market, which will still be the largest even if it shrinks, especially since 3pp are fracturing rather than unifying.
Your friends are risking money. The safest thing to do is wait. The emotional thing to do is rush. They don't have to copy the big players because there's no need for vengeance.

 

[Ibrandul]

Yeah, but the question is it a misunderstanding or intentional? It seems far more likely to be basically a misunderstanding, and it's re: a COMMENT, not the legalese. If anything it's being slightly kind to WotC, too, by essentially suggesting they're open to being reasonable on this!

It could be accidental. Lord knows I’ve accidentally made worse mistakes. It doesn’t look that way to me, though, and in my view it’s very bad form either way. But I last practiced journalism in an era with standards very different from today’s. As to whether it’s kind to WotC, that’s a matter of perspective. It’s not kind to readers.

But it’s immaterial. I bring it up only to contrast this relatively small flaw in the article with OA’s performatively vituperative account of it as “garbage” from beginning to end.

 

[humble minion]

I think this specific question is best detached from the more general threads.

I have a friend with a team of writers working on a big 3PP Kickstarter/publication, planned to be for 5e using the OGL. She and the team, with my advice, are now working on a non-OGL version. But I suggested that before doing too much work on this - it will be a lot of work - she wait to see if WoTC makes an announcement reassuring 3PPs that they are not trying to revoke OGL 1.0. I suggested waiting until Monday 16th before pressing forward. But I wanted to see what other people think. How long should the community wait on WoTC to speak? Or should we not be waiting? A lot of people already seem set on abandoning the OGL, just from the threat that's been raised.

Definitely wait and see on WotCs response, and the response of the big players in the industry to that. Unless the kickstarter was planning on being launched in the next month, there's time to wait til some of the dust settles.

 

[jerryrice4949]

In the leaked draft, WotC admits it might “receive community pushback and bad PR,” and says “We are more than open to being convinced that We made a wrong decision.” The Gizmodo article quotes this. But in the draft, these lines are about any judgments the company might make about licensors who are found to have engaged in hate speech, etc., whereas Codega frames it to sound like that quote is an admission regarding the OGL 1.1 itself—with the implication that WotC admits in advance that they predicted a possible outcry and might consider changing course.

It’s a crystal-clear example of distorting a quotation’s meaning by taking it out of context.

I am sure they anticipated some pushback but by the silence of their twitter and Facebook I would say they are surprised by how bad it has been. They make have expected bumps and pushback but they are the titanic that has hit the iceberg.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

God, I remember when I was working at an international law firm and someone sent an email to EVERYONE saying "check out my pecs on Letterman tomorrow night."

That's why you don't enable "reply all" on disgruntled employee's outlook profiles.

Back to the matter at hand, Wizards has long been slow on the draw. How long did it take them to respond to the Hadozee, Orion Black, and Zak S. controversies?

 

[Ibrandul]

I am sure they anticipated some pushback but my the silence of their twitter and Facebook I would say they are surprised by how bad it has been. They make have expected bumps and pushback but they are the titanic that has hit the iceberg.

I’m sure you’re right. But that’s not what the quoted material means in the draft. Still, it’s probably best to move on.

 

[TwoSix]

Back to the matter at hand, Wizards has long been slow on the draw. How long did it take them to respond to the Hadozee, Orion Black, and Zak S. controversies?

How long is long? I could swear they had an update for the Hadozee within a week of the controversy bubbling up on Twitter; that may be slow in Internet time but is pretty speedy on a corporate timeline.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

God, I remember when I was working at an international law firm and someone sent an email to EVERYONE saying "check out my pecs on Letterman tomorrow night."

I sent an email to all the upper management of my current employer where I misspelled accumulators as assumulators in multiple areas including on the attached report.

The CEO actually teamsed me about it

 

[Composer99]

I once forgot a decimal point when preparing an invoice for a client at my old job, so a circa $1,000 invoice turned into a $100,000 pure profit scheme.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

You have a point - large corporations can be like ships slowly turning in the ocean.

How long is long? I could swear they had an update for the Hadozee within a week of the controversy bubbling up on Twitter; that may be slow in Internet time but is pretty speedy on a corporate timeline.