So how do we respond?

[FormerLurker]

I think we're already doing it.
It feels like someone at WotC leaked this so the management/ Hasbro would realize it was a terrible idea. Voicing our displeasure and promising to support any legal action or protests in the community puts pressure on WotC to move forward with an alternate license.

Similarly, if WotC does quietly back down, we should praise them for doing the right thing (even if they don't admit to bowing to fan pressure).

But we should be ready to boycott, pull products, and support alternatives.

 

[MGibster]

I suspect I'll be in a distinct minority here, but, as a consumer, I don't really care what WotC does with the OGL. For pretty much the entirety of 5th edition, I don't think I've purchased a single game product that was under the OGL. That isn't to say I don't have a detached interest in what's happening, just that I'm not going to boycott or otherwise avoid WotC products because of this. I'm far more concerned about their announcements to monetize D&D and attempt to make us into recurrent spenders.

 

[FormerLurker]

I suspect I'll be in a distinct minority here, but, as a consumer, I don't really care what WotC does with the OGL. For pretty much the entirety of 5th edition, I don't think I've purchased a single game product that was under the OGL. That isn't to say I don't have a detached interest in what's happening, just that I'm not going to boycott or otherwise avoid WotC products because of this. I'm far more concerned about their announcements to monetize D&D and attempt to make us into recurrent spenders.

Consider also if this goes ahead it might mean a company like Paizo is forced out of business as they rely on the OGL and can't make a brand new game in 6 months. Which means 125 employees are out of work as the second biggest name in tabletop gaming goes away...

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Consider also if this goes ahead it might mean a company like Paizo is forced out of business as they rely on the OGL and can't make a brand new game in 6 months. Which means 125 employees are out of work as the second biggest name in tabletop gaming goes away...

I don't but PF TTRPG (but I did buy the card game) I would feel SO sorry for every one of those employees

 

[Xethreau]

I think we're already doing it.
It feels like someone at WotC leaked this so the management/ Hasbro would realize it was a terrible idea. Voicing our displeasure and promising to support any legal action or protests in the community puts pressure on WotC to move forward with an alternate license.

Similarly, if WotC does quietly back down, we should praise them for doing the right thing (even if they don't admit to bowing to fan pressure).

But we should be ready to boycott, pull products, and support alternatives.

I mean didn't a bunch of folks at WotC just get fired / moved into different roles? That's motive right there

 

[Umbran]

So what should our actions be? Immediately stop buying products, boycott WotC events, shun the D&D movie, buy 3PP products instead, ignore content creators who stick to D&D products in favor of those supporting other game systems or OGL derivatives, go back to OD&D 1974 with diaglo ... what? What say you?

Boycotts are not effective unless you tell them why you are boycotting.

So, the first actions need to be to inform WotC that you are not pleased by this. Tell them directly - if you want action to be effective, the first step is a deluge to every relevant e-mail address and social media outlet with a message that this license will not be acceptable.

If that doesn't work, then you put your money where your mouth is. Tell them about every product you chose not to buy, and what preferable alternative you bought instead. Lay out for them exactly what they stand to lose. Show them the receipts.

 

[Branduil]

If I were Paizo, or any of the numerous 3PP who make OGL products, what I would be seriously thinking about, and discussing openly with allies, is the idea of writing a truly open-source gaming license, one which is not owned or copyrighted by anybody. This would obviously be a time-consuming endeavor, and also wouldn't be a silver-bullet against legal action, but it would have one very big benefit: anybody who used this license (let's call it the TOGL, the True Open Gaming License) would be highly incentivized to defend it at all costs. It would be much harder for a bully like WotC to try and pick off publishers and creators 1-by-1 when they had no say in the license to begin with.

I fear at this point that even if WotC walks back their plans, the well is poisoned. You can no longer trust that WotC will leave the OGL alone like they promised and intended at its creation.

 

[Retreater]

I'm going to stop purchasing official products while trying to support 3PPs (and other systems) in the immediate future.

 

[Solauren]

Realistically, we only have a two options.
#1 - Not support the current and later editions of D&D anymore.
Not a big problem for me. I haven't purchased at WOTC D&D RPG products since I read over the 4E PHBK first few chapters and then put it back on the shelf. (Let's hear it for public libraries on that one)

#2 - Continue to support D&D, despite the license change and activities they take as a result of it.

Anything else is just a variant of #1

 

[Umbran]

I fear at this point that even if WotC walks back their plans, the well is poisoned. You can no longer trust that WotC will leave the OGL alone like they promised and intended at its creation.

Just to be clear - you never really could trust WotC. WotC is not a person. It does not have personal loyalty that you can trust.

They are a company. They act like a company. A company's memory is not generally very long, and often loses emphasis when it doesn't meet the preferred narratives of new leadership.

I guess current leadership thinks we don't care about such things. We shall have to see what we can do to disabuse them of that particular notion.