It is time to forgive WOTC and get back onboard.

[Imaro]

"Your honor, sure my client committed assault. But there are other people out there committing murder! How can you fault him, in the light of that greater evil?"

But it's not all the same severity in sentencing is it?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I know you have asserted this in multiple threads, and I understand your reasoning, but the fact that they have yet to legally ensured the OGL remains irrevocable forever suggests it isn't as clear cut as that. Not revising OGL 1.0 in this way strongly suggests they are holding an option in reserve to try to nuke it again.

I do not believe that this in possible. My understanding (not a lawyer) based on the legal discussion, here and elsewhere, is that the claim to de-authorise the OGL was not legally tenable. That is, a publisher that continued to publish under the OGL would ultimately prove successful in court, if they could afford to carry the case until it came to trial.
I do not think it was an absolute certainty, as the actual legal arguments, the quality of the lawyers and the judge all effect the outcome but that the case was a strong one.
Everyone believed that the OGL was rock solid before this bout of shenanigans. Again from reading what the lawyers say, I do not believe that there is any formulation of words that would be rock solid enough to be free from a threat mounted by the combination of: a novel legal approach, and a mountain of cash being thrown around as a threat.
This is more a commercial (and may be an equality o justice ) issue.
The release of the SRD under the CC-BY 4.0 licence is as rock solid as you can get. That would get a lot more than gamers mad if someone tried to break that licence.

As for Third Party Publishers:
I would leave the existing OGL stuff where it is, it is safe enough for now.
I would get my base game rules out from under the OGL and move to the CC-BY-4.0 or the new ORC licence once the independent foundation is up and running.

 

[Maxperson]

I don't agree with the analogy or the hyperbole around it. The OGL 1.0a being revoked is in no way comparable to someone trying to murder me.

They tried to kill the businesses of all 3PP and VTT competitors and take away what for some was their livelihood and not just some money on the side.

If a friend tried to take advantage of me (say trick me out of some money) and I protested his actions and he relented and gave me the money back and apologized... yeah I'd probably forgive him.

I probably would as well, but it would take a very long time to fully forgive, and trust might never return. Much like with WotC.

 

[Parmandur]

I will probably always be wary around a person who brandishes a lethal weapon in my direction regardless of whether they used the weapon against me or decided not to. This is why many 3pp are looking at other licenses like CC or ORC. Not everyone feels as safe in WotC's "safe harbor" anymore. It's not about wanting to pounce on WotC; instead, it's about not wanting to risk being pounced on.

A corporation is not a person.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't know if we depart that much. I don't think of WotC as an entity that can earn or lose trust as a whole. I do trust the designers. I don't trust the suits.

Somebody in a suit had to sign off on solving this.

 

[bostonmyk]

Forgiveness is as good for the mind and moving forward. I'm doing it for me way more than for the corporation.

Mike

 

[Aldarc]

A corporation is not a person.

You're right. A corporation is more dangerous than a person.

 

[Parmandur]

You're right. A corporation is more dangerous than a person.

Sure, and that was true before. The point is that a corporation is not a being with agency, it's a network of people working towards a common goal, sometimes together and sometimes at cross purposes.

You cannot trust the network as a gestalt, but individuals maybe or maybe not.

 

[Aldarc]

Sure, and that was true before. The point is that a corporation is not a being with agency, it's a network of people working towards a common goal, sometimes together and sometimes at cross purposes.

You cannot trust the network as a gestalt, but individuals maybe or maybe not.

This is trying to make a distinction without too much of a difference. Do you think that the people of Paizo care too much about this distinction when it comes to WotC threatening their business?

 

[Parmandur]

This is trying to make a distinction without too much of a difference. Do you think that the people of Paizo care too much about this distinction when it comes to WotC threatening their business?

No, pro baby not. But, as a consumer or a business, you shouldn't "trust" any corporation beyond legal obligations (and even that can be a fight). Anything more is gravy, and due to individual humans making good decisions.

Should people "truat" Paizo to do right by their employees, whixh was a bif quesrion last year? Itbetter now that they are unioinized, but that took a major public wffort to force on Paizo.