https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons
Making a new thread because this is a significant deviation. Wizards is backing down and it’s worth you reading it for yourself.
4 Likes
Will be interesting to see how many (if any) come back to “the fold.” Honestly, I’m thinking not many, other than maybe those who had 5E Kickstarters they had put on hold, and tough to say how many of those will actually move forward.
3 Likes
I have a coworker that I consider the typical investment level gamer who just clapped their hands, called it a win foreveryone, and went right back to brunch. I suspect the split of forgive/unforgive will tip in WotZs favor.
1 Like
I would think you are right about the “average” gamer, and I can’t say I never have been the average gamer, as I think my D&D collection would tell, but this whole fiasco left a bad taste in my mouth for D&D. Will it change? Maybe. I don’t know. And I think they scared off the absolute vast majority of 3rd party writers. On one level, it is a win in that they completely backtracked (for now), but as for the future, who knows?
We’ll see. I’ve already lost one valued creator who has said they will never do anything for 5e again. I suppose they may change their mind?
1 Like
The issue I see with this announcement is that it is presented as a 100% capitulation, but they still can’t resist putting in a poison pill. Leaving the OGL 1.0a license “untouched” means that it is just as bad as this whole drama exposed it to be. The word “Irrevocable” is still not in the OGL, so WOTC can STILL mess everything up for anyone using it on a future whim.
Admittedly, releasing the SRD 5.1 under Creative Commons was a shocker, however this is only great if you’re making material for 5E. Are they going to release the 3.0 & 3.5 D20 SRDs under the same license as well? There is FAR more material and entire other RPGs using those SRDs than the 5e SRD.
This is a huge move forward, but it’s not the total community win that they’re framing it as.
6 Likes
I do not need them.
3 Likes
Never have needed them.
2 Likes
Re: I do not need them
Okay…?
I fail to see how that contributes to discussion.
It’s akin to you having a GURPS discussion going and I show up and say “I don’t play or need GURPS.”
I get that you don’t buy their stuff. What compels you to bother looking at and replying to topics you don’t care about?
Some of us enjoy it and are having fun. Is that so bad? Can’t you just leave us to it and focus on what you enjoy?
I play a D&D variant, I do not need Lizards, frankly, none of us do. We have games, we play games. If not D&D then a dozen others. Lizards is not the only game in town by far. We don’t need them.
Now if you are one of those here with a gaming company or if you are a pro writer then Lizards is a concern. Still not something you need. Plenty of fish in the sea.
If they drive us off, the money dries up, simple equation. Ergo. I don’t need them. More so you don’t need them. They need us.
3 Likes
The general consensus I’m seeing from various OSR creators is that releasing the 5.1 under CC is actually better for them than the d20 SRD (which is what OSRIC, C&C, Lab Lord, etc originally used to recreate early edition rules). Now things like Armor Class, Hit Dice, Magic Missile and rust monster can be used and generally mean what they’re expected to mean, even when you futz around with the mechanics.
I still play D&D, as does Tesral, though we both play different unique and custom versions.
Expressing the opinion that WotC is not needed is valuable and contributing… and in no way detracts from anyone who wishes to use their preferred version of D&D.
We are talking about the company, not the game. More specifically the persons who are running said company and making stupid decisions (at least in my case).
Instead of your incorrect comparison of showing up to a discussion on GURPS and saying “we don’t play or need GURPS”… a better example would have been “showing up to a GURPS discussion and saying we don’t need SJG”.
Please note for the record that I am NOT of the opinion that we do not need SJG or GURPS. The above was only a hypothetical example. Furthermore, since we are bringing up GURPS, I should disclose that I am the Utah cell leader for SJG’s MIB organization.
3 Likes
This is not a win, this is a distraction. WizBro reset the discussion to square one so that the community would not impact their first weekend sales of the movie. The OGL 1.0a is not touched… for now. Anything less that an irrevocable OGL is a delaying tactic.
Having said that, the SRD getting expanded and existing under CC is a victory because WizBro can’t take that back.
3 Likes
I agree, not a win.
Gonna get a bit too personal for a hot minute here… I have realized I felt a huge sense of relief when WotC became the whipping post, because it gave me the golden opportunity to get my players away from 5e, which I do NOT have any fun running. Now that WotC caved, and my players have already forgiven them and went back to brunch, I feel like that opportunity have been robbed from me. This whole crap storm has been lose/lose/lose for me. Damn. 
3 Likes
Sorry to hear that.
I’ve come to the point I would whole heartedly trust a congresscritter before Lizbro.
1 Like
I feel that in my soul. I was happy about the news of Wotc backing down at first on behalf of OSR creators like Matt Finch, Chris Gonnerman, Dan Proctor, Gavin Norman, Jeff Talanian … but now most are changing their games anyway out of fear or principle. And they’re all doing it differently. The days of all these games and their material being cross compatible is nearing it’s end.
2 Likes
So sorry to hear that! I hope you’ll find a way! Ummm, suggest the next campaign be a genre that 5e, or at least D&D, doesn’t support?
1 Like
FFG Star Wars starts Wednesday 