We Still Need ORC

[Parmandur]

You and I are very much on the same page. I've been arguing for awhile that WotC's way out of this mess was to see that DDB is where to create their walled garden. This is enhanced by what they just did in making 5e the permanent OS for fantasy RPG gaming, which will naturally funnel people towards DDB. Opening up DDB to 3PP through a licensing agreement gives them what they really wanted without all the kerfuffle.

I think folks just want to feel that Hasbro/WotC lost. That's not what happened. A faction within Hasbro/WotC lost, but that's not the same thing. At all. A different Hasbro/WotC faction won, and in doing so may have secured D&D's hegemony.

Following @RyanD original gameplan and vision. This was a big win for longterm corporate self-interest.

 

[SoonRaccoon]

What you haven't gamed out here is that...WotC or Hasbro can never again build an internal business case for going against the OGL, ever, under any administration.

But only as long as 5e is their cash cow. I don't think this means that WotC is firmly pro-open-gaming. They have conceded that they will never be able to achieve whatever goals they had with 5e. We should probably assume that their goals have not changed, but they now know they need a different strategy to get there. If they're able to capture a sizable portion of the market with whatever comes next, that is when they'll be in a position to try this again. Fortunately, that probably gives us a lot of runway until that happens.

 

[Reynard]

But only as long as 5e is their cash cow. I don't think this means that WotC is firmly pro-open-gaming. They have conceded that they will never be able to achieve whatever goals they had with 5e. We should probably assume that their goals have not changed, but they now know they need a different strategy to get there. If they're able to capture a sizable portion of the market with whatever comes next, that is when they'll be in a position to try this again. Fortunately, that probably gives us a lot of runway until that happens.

I would not be surprised to see 6E accelerated and it to come with a seriously restrictive license AND a willingness by WotC to go after anyone trying to create unlicensed compatible material.

 

[Parmandur]

But only as long as 5e is their cash cow. I don't think this means that WotC is firmly pro-open-gaming. They have conceded that they will never be able to achieve whatever goals they had with 5e. We should probably assume that their goals have not changed, but they now know they need a different strategy to get there. If they're able to capture a sizable portion of the market with whatever comes next, that is when they'll be in a position to try this again. Fortunately, that probably gives us a lot of runway until that happens.

Well, it further incentivizes them to make OneD&D the actual 5E Pathfinder: the light update that incorporates popular changes without invalidating older material. So that nobody can compete on that score.

Their real money was always going to be merchandising and services like Beyond. Doubt that will change.

 

[Parmandur]

I would not be surprised to see 6E accelerated and it to come with a seriously restrictive license AND a willingness by WotC to go after anyone trying to create unlicensed compatible material.

Quite the opposite: they've empowered anyone who wants to make a clone of the most popular version of D&D if WotC tries another 4E manuever.

 

[Maxperson]

Don't look at a5esrd.com whatever you do! It's top secret!

I totally did not look. Like really. I didn't see all that awesome stuff that's there, but is top secret.

 

[Clint_L]

I would not be surprised to see 6E accelerated and it to come with a seriously restrictive license AND a willingness by WotC to go after anyone trying to create unlicensed compatible material.

That is the opposite of their strategy. They have made it plain that they are not abandoning 5e. To the contrary, OneD&D is 5e. 5e on digital steroids, with DDB offering amazing convenience to keep bringing in the masses.

They've basically just made it incredibly clear that they are sticking with 5e. Forever.

 

[Reynard]

That is the opposite of their strategy. They have made it plain that they are not abandoning 5e. To the contrary, OneD&D is 5e. 5e on digital steroids, with DDB offering amazing convenience to keep bringing in the masses.

They've basically just made it incredibly clear that they are sticking with 5e. Forever.

I'm not sure where you are getting that. It seems counterintuitive given their stated goals of controlling what is D&D in public perception, as well as controlling the VTT space. Putting the 5E SRD up on CC basically destroyed their ability to control anything about 5E.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm not sure where you are getting that. It seems counterintuitive given their stated goals of controlling what is D&D in public perception, as well as controlling the VTT space. Putting the 5E SRD up on CC basically destroyed their ability to control anything about 5E.

Exactly, and by extension, their ability to control anything about D&D aside from what they put out of their studio and creative trademark material. They have to compete with their past selves and other companies supporting 5E. This cements the evergreen status of 5E as the RPG benchmark.

Honestly, the VTT thing was dumb...because yeah, pouring millions of dollars into an Unreal Engine VTT will probably out-compete older style VTT without shenanigans.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm not sure where you are getting that. It seems counterintuitive given their stated goals of controlling what is D&D in public perception, as well as controlling the VTT space. Putting the 5E SRD up on CC basically destroyed their ability to control anything about 5E.

I'm getting it from their announcement of OneD&D where they state that they are sticking with 5e. And they gave up control of the 5e chassis, but they did not give up control of Dungeons and Dragons. That's what I've been arguing for awhile - 5e shouldn't be what matters to them, it's just the OS. D&D is the brand and they have not only retained control of it, they have now solidified its position at the epicentre of 5e (which they are soon not going to call 5e anymore, they will just call "D&D," again per their OneD&D announcement). And in DnDBeyond they have the means to make sure that everyone wants to play ball with them, because they have a vast, secure marketplace.

They can use DDB to incentivize 3PP, to monetize players, and to make sure their brand remains clean of all those nasty NFTs and such. The "Dancey" faction won the battle.