The OGL: Why is this really happening, and what to do now...

[Dustin_00]

I do not support actions out of spite however.

So having an adult dialogue before taking ultimate actions seems more healthy.

Wizards is no longer trust worthy. They want to change the rules and reserve the right to change the rules any time again that they want to.

3PP publishing schedules and kickstarters have been thrown into chaos, hurting hundreds of employees that started the new year thinking they had paying work to do.

1,500 and climbing have signed on to the #ORC project to produce an ecosystem that is fair and stable for all these companies and 3PP creators. A way forward where no company can harm the other companies with legal bullying.

Supporting all of them over the one company that wants to burn all of them without warning isn't spite. It's compassion for people's lives and careers.

Can we have a better gaming sphere by removing 1 company? Yes.

Can we protect hundreds or maybe thousands of others by removing 1 company? Yes.

Can we have an ecosystem where companies can plan out years of work, give players a long-term path forward by removing 1 company? Yes.

Does having solid multi-year plans enable companies to offer stable employment and rich product growth for players? Yes.

What is the value of protecting the one company that is legendary for hiring for one cycle then firing everyone?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Wizards is no longer trust worthy. They want to change the rules and reserve the right to change the rules any time again that they want to.

3PP publishing schedules and kickstarters have been thrown into chaos, hurting hundreds of employees that started the new year thinking they had paying work to do.

1,500 and climbing have signed on to the #ORC project to produce an ecosystem that is fair and stable for all these companies and 3PP creators. A way forward where no company can harm the other companies with legal bullying.

Supporting all of them over the one company that wants to burn all of them without warning isn't spite. It's compassion for people's lives and careers.

Can we have a better gaming sphere by removing 1 company? Yes.

Can we protect hundreds or maybe thousands of others by removing 1 company? Yes.

Can we have an ecosystem where companies can plan out years of work, give players a long-term path forward by removing 1 company? Yes.

Does having solid multi-year plans enable companies to offer stable employment and rich product growth for players? Yes.

What is the value of protecting the one company that is legendary for hiring for one cycle then firing everyone?

Nice that you answer all your questions.
Lets just say, I don't share your optimism.

 

[Scribe]

I mean, WotC is not the evil corporation. It is just a corporation trying to trade services against money... like every corporation does.

Absolutely wild that you can state this. If it was simply about their product (1D&D) this wouldnt even be an issue.

They absolutely are doing harm, unnecessarily so, and it is both calculated (poorly) and intentional.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Absolutely wild that you can state this. If it was simply about their product (1D&D) this wouldnt even be an issue.

They absolutely are doing harm, unnecessarily so, and it is both calculated (poorly) and intentional.

I don't disagree. But answering with revenge is not the path to go.
You also harm people who deserve better.
It is a dilemma, I know.

 

[The Stray]

I am pretty sure WotC would fail at trying to de-authorize an "open license".

But we will see how crazy the execs are.


Note, it would be possible to use the Open Gaming Content − without using the OGL 1.0a license at all. Approach the content like one would any other copyright situation. The rules in the Open Gaming Content cannot be copyrighted, so use those straightforwardly. Then try change the terminology where possible, unless one is confident the terminology is truly generic. RPG rules tend to be generic. For example, to say, "roll d20 and add your ability bonus and your skill bonus" is generic.

That's assuming there's only rules in the collective OGC, which is a tough case to make. As people have noted numerous times, IP laws are complicated and "rules can't be copywritten" is a generalization that doesn't necessarily apply to games as complicated as RPGs, especially the RPGs where the mechanics are used to emphasize something about the game (and thus could have a case for expression made).

And this isn't counting all the stuff that people dumped in there wholesale, without marking ANYTHING as Product Identity.

 

[Aspirinsmurf]

Nice that you answer all your questions.
Lets just say, I don't share your optimism.

Even if only 1 out of every 10 players have decided that they will have nothing to do with WotC going forward, that's huge. The majority of these would GMs, the primary consumers of so-called 3PP content in the first place.

I get that if you're not a GM, you may well like whatever it is WotC wants to do with D&D going forward. But in all honesty, wouldn't it be better if they were incentivized to just make a great product instead of hobbling the competition in the VTT space?

 

[Scribe]

I don't disagree. But answering with revenge is not the path to go.
You also harm people who deserve better.
It is a dilemma, I know.

I dont need revenge.

There are a very small number of ways an individual can be 'heard' by a corporation of Wizards size and ignorance.

A united boycott, is one of the sure ways to do so.

 

[Aspirinsmurf]

...

 

[Dustin_00]

Nice that you answer all your questions.
Lets just say, I don't share yoir optimism.

I gave you an adult conversation at your request, then asked:

What is the value of protecting the one company that is legendary for hiring for one cycle then firing everyone?

Here, I'll do your half and list the things WotC is promising us:

• nobody else is allowed to introduce animations in their VTTs
• Only Hasbro can add NFTs to table-top gaming
• Monetization of player's monthly table-top activity
• Want anything home-brew in your VTT game? Pay more money!
• 3PP companies cannot trust the licensing ecosystem. Everybody go get some other job and quit doing full-time gaming work.

So, again, I'm asking to continue the adult conversation you asked for: What is the value of caring about anything WotC does?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I gave you an adult conversation at your request, then asked:



Here, I'll do your half and list the things WotC is promising us:

• nobody else is allowed to introduce animations in their VTTs
• Only Hasbro can add NFTs to table-top gaming
• Monetization of player's monthly table-top activity
• Want anything home-brew in your VTT game? Pay more money!
• 3PP companies cannot trust the licensing ecosystem. Everybody go get some other job and quit doing full-time gaming work.

So, again, I'm asking to continue the adult conversation you asked for: What is the value of caring about anything WotC does?

I think you missed the mark. In an adult conversation everyone speaks for their own, not the other one...