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Message: <blockquote data-quote="an_idol_mind" data-source="post: 6189773" data-attributes="member: 43749">Personally, I think one big reason WotC might want to avoid an OGL is that they don't know where the brand or the company is going to be in five years.The OGL served 3rd edition well, but the constant changeover in employees at WotC led to a shifting of design and business goals that helped contribute to a break when 4th edition was so different from what had come before.Paizo has consistency on their side right now and can use the OGL to their advantage. They've got their audience, their design goals haven't changed that much over the years, and they don't see a lot of turnover in their staff. When they do a new edition of Pathfinder, it's probably going to be done by the same folks who did the previous edition rather than a whole new team.From WotC's perspective, using the OGL for 5th edition might wind up biting them again if they release a 6th edition that splits the fanbase again. Regardless of the problems that 4th edition faced, one thing that seems pretty certain is that if the OGL hadn't existed, there would have been no Pathfinder to take a large portion of the fanbase away.</blockquote>