We All Won – The OGL Three Years Later

[bsss]

I am content that existing OGL 1.0a-licensed works and future derived works may continue. I believe they --- from third parties, anyway --- could have continued all along, even if WOTC "de-authorized" 1.0/1.0a, but it was an unsettled matter, admittedly. Meanwhile WOTC burned much goodwill. That's a warped form of winning, even if the hobby continues along despite it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

IMO, anyone who trust WoTC at this point in time, is setting themselves up to be screwed.

I don't even know where trust comes into it. I don't trust or mistrust any company, beyond what the law requires of them.

wotc makes a line of products. When I like one, I purchase it.

 

[Dire Bare]

That's .. kinda weird when my memories of the early emails was it was about offloading the production of loss-producing products onto third parties so WotC only had to produce the evergreens...

Multiple things can be true at the same time. A product can serve multiple purposes.

One of Dancy's motivations to create the OGL was to preserve D&D from future corporate decisions. But the WotC execs weren't going to give the okay for that reason! The OGL also served, as you point out, to offload products that are important to the overall health of the game, but not profitable in and of themselves for WotC to want to bother with. Another reason was to put D&D in the center of the entire industry ecosystem, which happened with the "D20 Boom".

 

[delericho]

Edit: on reflection, I can't see how this post can help the conversation. Apologies to anyone who read it in the interim. Fair to say this isn't a happy topic for me!

 

[Morrus]

That's .. kinda weird when my memories of the early emails was it was about offloading the production of loss-producing products onto third parties so WotC only had to produce the evergreens...

It had multiple goals, which is why he used the word “also”.

 

[Reynard]

I still don't understand, given the history of the game, how so many people have convinced themselves that 5E is the holy grail, forever edition and best possible version of D&D.

I like 5E (If I'm a little bored with it's dusty mid '10s design) but it certainly isn't the final form of D&D.

 

[cranberry]

I don't even know where trust comes into it. I don't trust or mistrust any company, beyond what the law requires of them.

wotc makes a line of products. When I like one, I purchase it.

By doing business with WotC—whether as a consumer, retailer, or third‑party publisher—you’re ultimately helping fund their future shenanigans and reinforcing the idea that their past behavior was acceptable.

I know that taking a single banana away from an 800‑pound gorilla won’t make a dent, but this is how I choose to vote with my dollars. Your mileage may vary.

And legal does not necessary equal ethical.

 

[cranberry]

I still don't understand, given the history of the game, how so many people have convinced themselves that 5E is the holy grail, forever edition and best possible version of D&D.

I like 5E (If I'm a little bored with it's dusty mid '10s design) but it certainly isn't the final form of D&D.

I don't know if 5E 2014 was the best ever, but imo, it was certainly better than 5E 2024.

 

[Reynard]

I don't know if 5E 2014 was the best ever, but imo, it was certainly better than 5E 2024.

I agree, but even without stirring the 2024 pot, the OP largely rests on the idea that 5E being in the CC means that D&D is forever. That only tracks if one assumes 5E is not just the best but the last version of D&D. That's silly, IMO.

 

[Koloth]

I agree, but even without stirring the 2024 pot, the OP largely rests on the idea that 5E being in the CC means that D&D is forever. That only tracks if one assumes 5E is not just the best but the last version of D&D. That's silly, IMO.

Nothing in the current CC/OGL/GSL prevents Hasbro from announcing the new D&D 6E will be closed source. No OGL or CC. All the current OGL/CC license means is that the current version of D&D 5x SRD is forever available for others to use.

Very possible that in a few years we are having a discussion much like the 'OGL being canceled V2' of three years ago when Hasbro announces D&D V6 (or whatever it gets called).

IMO - a 6E is almost assured at some point. The question is will Hasbro take the risk of making it closed source to maximize profits and control or put the 6E SRD out under CC or similar?