So how do we respond?
- Thread starter Olgar Shiverstone
- Start date
Doc_Klueless
Doors and Corners
This is me. And I suspect the great majority of WotC customers. Changing, deleting, etc. won't impact ... say... 90-99% of WotC customers.
Wait until Matt Colville comes out against it. Wait until Paizo comes out against it. Wait until Matt Mercer and Critical Role come out against it.
If it's as draconian and terrible of a contract as it seems - it will impact 3PPs (of course), but also merchandise, live streams, YouTube, wikis - a lot of stuff.
This is going to kill their brand if they don't change it.
And, wanting control of 2, 3, and 4 is okay. They can have that.
The license, unfortunately, also exerts control on 1, which they'd let loose on a couple of decades ago.
There is no pie there for WotC. Nobody* larps based off the d20 engine - larps generally run diceless systems, and D&D doesn't convert to diceless well..
*or almost nobody. As in "that's not a thing" in larp circles.
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Vaalingrade
Legend
The reason they and a lot of other companies now include 'pantomime' again is Tik Tok skits.
Because a weird acting over voiceover sketch would be something worth totally-not-stealing-because-we-made-an-extortive-contract.
Edit: beaten
Because a weird acting over voiceover sketch would be something worth totally-not-stealing-because-we-made-an-extortive-contract.
Edit: beaten
Uni-the-Unicorn!
Hero
I think if they came out with a OGL 1.0(b) that simply added a clause that it is non-revocable. That might remove the poison IMO.
MGibster
Legend
I do understand that. I'm also cognizant that there are many posters here who have a financial stake in the OGL and I can appreciate how they must feel as this threatens their livlihood. The RPG industry, and more broadly speaking the entertainment industry as a whole, is a bit odd because there's a strong parasocial relationship between authors and artists with their customers. Most of us probably wouldn't care all that much if there was a spat between Domino's Pizza and the other pizza companies in the area. And it's because we don't know or care who the CEO of Domino's is or who came up with the recipe for their sauce. We just dont have that kind of relationship with Domino's like we do with WotC, Paizo, or EN Publishing. I could send a message to Morrus right now and there's a decent chance I could get a personal reply which is unlikely to happen with Domino's.
Yaarel
Mind Mage
If I do an oil painting of an Elf Wizard. That is my artwork. I own the painting. Not Hasbro corporate executives.
Even if I am portraying SRD content, such as a High Elf Evocation Wizard . It is still my artwork. I have the legal right. It is part of "folk D&D" as a community tradition, a subculture, a sport like tennis or football.
This is Intellectual Property that the OGL licenses to the living tradition.
The oil painting is mine.
If my artistic medium is computer digital art, including 3d portraits of an Elf Wizard, that is my artwork, I own it.
And if I make an NFT out of it − or a videogame out of it − or a digital character portrait builder for others to create portraits of their own characters, it is my property. Hasbro lacks a claim on it.
Even if I am portraying SRD content, such as a High Elf Evocation Wizard . It is still my artwork. I have the legal right. It is part of "folk D&D" as a community tradition, a subculture, a sport like tennis or football.
This is Intellectual Property that the OGL licenses to the living tradition.
The oil painting is mine.
If my artistic medium is computer digital art, including 3d portraits of an Elf Wizard, that is my artwork, I own it.
And if I make an NFT out of it − or a videogame out of it − or a digital character portrait builder for others to create portraits of their own characters, it is my property. Hasbro lacks a claim on it.
G
Guest 7034872
Guest
I think that's right. Angry boycotts, Gofundmes, and Twitter posts from regular Janes and Joes like us won't do much unless they groundswell to the point of significantly damaging Hasbro's revenue from D&D, which I think unlikely, but what would cause a major about-face is sustained bad press from the major online popularizers of D&D. Over on Youtube, Dungeon Craft/Professor Dungeon Master has discussed this in guarded terms, and Questing Beast has been slightly sharper in his words (still careful, though). But imagine the following strictly hypothetical scenario of Matt Mercer speaking openly right during the intro to Critical Role's weekly session:
That would be something Hasbro would not have the luxury to ignore. Ditto for Matt Colville and a few others. Hasbro is a service industry corporation, after all; there is a certain amount of bad press they cannot afford to receive and they know it.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
In another thread someone said something to me I will share here:
Go buy 3pp books, especially starter sets (like paizo.com - Pathfinder Beginner Box) and donate them to churchs, schools and libraries.
Go buy 3pp books, especially starter sets (like paizo.com - Pathfinder Beginner Box) and donate them to churchs, schools and libraries.
Lakesidefantasy
Hero
I've been excited about the 50th anniversary, but I've been dreading switching to a new edition. I like 5th but I haven't had enough time with it. Due to a long standing Pathfinder campaign my Table didn't switch to 5th edition till 2018. Then we lost 2 years during the Pandemic.
I expect to stick with 5th edition like I did with 3rd edition. I've already stopped buying new 5th edition products because the game has moved into a space where I don't feel comfortable or safe. Plus, there is plenty of 5th edition material to keep me occupied till I die.
I know that's overstating things a bit. The temptation will be great, and I will probably end up buying an occasional book from Wizards.
I expect to stick with 5th edition like I did with 3rd edition. I've already stopped buying new 5th edition products because the game has moved into a space where I don't feel comfortable or safe. Plus, there is plenty of 5th edition material to keep me occupied till I die.
I know that's overstating things a bit. The temptation will be great, and I will probably end up buying an occasional book from Wizards.
Kid this day are raise with smart phones, I really doubt they will play them instead watch more brain-rotting TikTok
GMforPowergamers
Legend
my niece and nephew learned to play a bit as kids... now both in HS (god time flys) and the younger of them (niece) has started (helped really) a gaming club and has a dozen TTRPG players in a small town.
Sorcerers Apprentice
Hero
Keeping playing D&D but not spending any money on wotc products probably sends a stronger message than abandoning D&D completely. wotc will see that the game is still popular but earnings are still going down.
Vaalingrade
Legend
I have to imagine WotC has a freaking team plying the CR folks with the sweetest of sweetheart deals plus promising to bear their children to sign the OGL.
That or drunkenly berating them with 'I created you, therefor I will always be bigger than you' corpo rambling.
It's kind of amazing that Logal Paul is only the second biggest career sundering blunder of this week.
That or drunkenly berating them with 'I created you, therefor I will always be bigger than you' corpo rambling.
It's kind of amazing that Logal Paul is only the second biggest career sundering blunder of this week.
Lakesidefantasy
Hero
I can't wait to see a dramatic movie about this some day.
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