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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eyebeams" data-source="post: 2775346" data-attributes="member: 9225">1) No, it clearly did not fulfill its original purpose, which was to reduce the demand for other systems and maximize WotC profits by focusing them on the cores, leaving most supplements to the third party. We know this both because of the continued prevalence of other systems and tyhe fact that, after much hubristic chatter, WotC has returned to an aggressive supplement schedule.2) This does not mean that it was useless. Not one bit. What it did do was change the complexion of the market by heading off D&D clones (since you can use the system anyway) done by vanity projects. On the other hand, it promoted vanity projects using open content. This got rid of some chaff (though it really was intended to be a burden on major competing systems as well, and never succeeded at that) and better yet, served as a laboratory where major publishers could see how viable an idea was by observing minor partners. Consider, for instance, that many, many WotC releases mirror recurring subjects from third party retailers.  The career books basically responded to third party success in selling class books, which WotC originally refused to give more than thin softcover treatment.While the OGL has not killed other systems or made producing supplements unnecessary for WotC, it has crippled the market for softcover print releases that are not modules. Gamers now want books as specialty artifacts and want them presented as "core" material. Thus, nearly all OGL (and many other) industry line releases besides adventures are hardcovers or .pdfs. Adventures are an exception because of nostalgia value, size and economics (only DMs buy them).3) The OGL is only as strong as participants willingness to engage in litigation. Keep in mind that technically, the OGL's content was always free for others to use. Rules alone are not intellectual property and much of the Open Content is based on prior art. What you get out of open content is a specific expression of the rules which is easier to reconcile with D&D books. You always had commercial access to the rules themselves.</blockquote>

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