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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Alphastream" data-source="post: 6211291" data-attributes="member: 11365">D&D has never existed in a space where it lacked competition. We can read accounts going back to the very beginning and everyone has always been taking competition seriously. For example, the very first adventure was created by a third party, as was the first campaign setting. Those are good examples both of the benefits of competition and the existence of that competition. The competition was continual, from Wee Warriors (involving both competition and partnerships) to Numenera (involving former staff). This has never been a monopoly, though D&D has been dominant for the majority of its history. What is interesting about Paizo is that it is providing another D&D. As a good friend of mine is fond of saying, "I'm not sure it is good for the industry's top games to be D&D and D&D." Until very recently (thank you, Kickstarter), D&D and Pathfinder were so utterly dominant that all other systems were practically indie games. It wasn't good for the industry, because Paizo and WotC don't greatly benefit from cross-pollination. While they often intermix staff (a good example is Chris Sims, who worked at WotC, then at Paizo, then at WotC), the games are too similar and too rooted to truly inspire one another. It is really only the recent arrival of Kickstarter that has created a platform for other games to attract greater notice. Of perhaps equal importance has been D&D Next. By creating a long playtest period it has encouraged many groups to consider options and play other games in addition to just D&D. We see that effect even with Paizo supporters, and it's a very healthy thing. All of this is different from saying that an OGL is good because it challenges DnD. I really don't think it does. Wizards sees plenty of different freelancers, both new blood and old d20 contributors. It isn't missing out on seeing new ideas for D&D. Having an OGL wouldn't somehow change 'monopoly status', both because it isn't a monopoly and because if anything a dominant OGL would again hurt gaming by making DnD too big a thing compared to other games. As an example, consider when Call of Cthulhu, Legend of the Five Rings, Star Wars, and many other RPGs all went d20. While there were some good aspects to that, the majority of fans of those games will point to a non-d20 edition as their favorite. And every one of those games moved away from d20 to better represent their game. (Spycraft is doing so with its excellent upcoming third edition). You made a number of points about free trade and the like, but they all rest on the concept that an OGL creates competition and new ideas, which I dispute. Especially as compared to a landscape where there is a single D&D with different RPGs rather than A) everyone writing for d20 or B) D&D and Pathfinder dominating. My hope is that D&D can be a great flagship brand for the hobby while other very different compelling RPGs provide a strong competition and influence. Either not having an OGL or having a restrictive OGL would help create that competition.I don't buy this at all. 3.5 was dying a certain death when WotC started 4E. We were deep into "Complete Adventuring Companion" type of material. There was practically nothing left to sell, and fans had been clear that they didn't want another minor edition change (they hated the .5). Sales were dropping and there was nothing left to offer gamers. Even books like the Book of Nine Swords were doing poorly, from all accounts. Importantly, the d20 market did nothing to change this. Nothing at all. It was not vastly pumping up the sales of core books at that time to where WotC could sit back. It was not creating amazing innovation that reinvigorated the market. Not at all. Instead, the only thing that reinvigorated the market was Wizards leaving it. Only when fans were faced with having to play a very different edition were they able to be open to accepting a 3.75. And that was only possible due to the OGL.</blockquote>

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