NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="AmerginLiath" data-source="post: 6307419" data-attributes="member: 777">Something that I thought of reading the L&L that I haven't seen commented on is how the original issue on the release of original 3e-compliant product -- where initial rules were often wrong in various products -- would be compounded by the existence of the various playtest documents in the case of 5e and its staggered release if an OGL came out alongside the PHB. Imagine if third parties started designing monsters or adventures based off what they had seen in earlier iterations, not realizing that the MM & DMG would upend key parts of that math based on critiques and flaws found in those same early iterations (we've already heard, for example, that monster hit points have changed across the board from even the last playtest in the final product). Combined with the very real issue that Mearls speaks of *playing* the final game (including likely variations & modules that players will use) the way that players will and that WotC's designers have before designing a full product, lest one hit that problem often faced in early 3e products of some authors making effectively 2e products with d20 numbers and nothing feeling right in the system.I think that Mearls taking the time out to describe the timeline, and specifically to discuss the idea of an OGL and the plans to integrate third-party and fan desires to design for the system, both is a great sign and is another responsible measure for the brand. With the full product rolling out over August-November, having a November/December announcement of initiatives that will begin in the first part of 2015 isn't the waiting game that we currently imagine that it is, having been so steeped in the process of 5e over the playtests and release news. It's better for WotC and third-parties alike that any OGL-style release is as fully compatible in rules and style as possible (think of how DRAGON and DUNGEON material operates) so as to maximize the chances of new players and DMs using it (rather than seeing it as a knockoff of the brand), so I feel that this is a good plan as far as we've been told -- and being told this much at this point is another sign of the current team's level of respect for the fan community as more than just a source of money.</blockquote>

Verification