3 ms·

> bedrocks of our culture D&D does indeed predate me, but there's nothing stopping me from inhabiting their world. I don't think they understand the extent to

by RajT88 4y ago

> bedrocks of our culture D&D does indeed predate me, but there's nothing stopping me from inhabiting their world. I don't think they understand the extent to which moves like this harm their fanbase. Paying fans! They will soon find out. What I am certain of is is that the D&D phenomenon will outlive WotC. It's a movement, an ethos, and gross mismanagement will not kill it.

chii 4y ago
> D&D phenomenon will outlive WotC ... gross mismanagement will not kill it. while community driven projects _could_ live, it would be under constant legal threat, which prevents it from growing independently of WotC. Esp. if there's an aspect of commercialization in there. This means that any project would seek first to cooperate with WotC, which means they get a control, and may be commercial benefit.
- crooked-v 4y ago
  There are plenty of D&D-adjacent works that exist with no legal dependency on WotC, which rely on how game mechanics (as distinct from the specific expression of them) can't be copyrighted.
- Kostchei 4y ago
  Honestly, as a 30+ year DM who has played every edition from 1st to cap (except 4th- only made it to 6th), what people play at their table is wildly different from group to group. I don't know many experienced DMs who don't do a huge amount of homebrew. And there is no legal threat to 95% of homebrew, never will be. Why? Because I just do what I want with their IP (Wotc) and it never reaches further than my players. Most people do not publish to the world, they present to their players. Very few folks make an official doc, get it printed, add their own mechanics, build a world atlas etc. It will stop things like the "wheel of time" (books not tv) adaption, the reasonably widely available dark sun fan made version, "one night strahd" etc. Now that is a shame. But. 50% + of it was drek. And half of what was good rode rough-shod over other folks ideas, vision and IP and made money for the writers for it. If you are re-doing elric's world in 5th ed, you owe a bit to Michael Moorcock (which is ironic as he dis-owns it as pulp and beneath him), and owe a bit to wizards-o-t-c because you are probably re-skinning their hard work. What is more disappointing is that Wotc is actively trying to model their monetization of DnD in the future on mobile gaming and free-to-play computer games.. I kid you not. Luckily there are basic, adnd 1st ed, 2nd, 3rd, 3.5 and 5th ed to choose form for cool playable systems, and that's if you want to stick to "original" dnd. So 6th ed, with whatever horrible monetization they formulate may well just rot in it's own lonely purgatory with it's older brother 4th edition. (which, to be fair has a couple of cool things but overall was a failure, IMO) *edited, spelling
Justsignedup 4y ago
Pathfinder is a perfect alternative. All it'll take is for Critical Roll to just change to pathfinder.
- Semaphor 4y ago
  The issue would be, that they could not release new material without adhering to the new license. PF 1&2 both use OGL SRD.
  - Justsignedup 4y ago
    I mean they can just say make a fork of the license and say that this is the enshrined version of OGL SRD we're using. They have the power. But yeah your point is valid.
- trynewideas 4y ago
  Hasbro can do whatever they want to the OGL, or throw it completely away, and still just give CRP an actual license (which Hasbro's already done by directly publishing CRP-setting products). I mean, there's a fucking Critical Role CLUE.
danjac 4y ago
"Gross mismanagement" and "D&D" are kind of synonyms: from Gygax' losing control to the incompetent Blume brothers (whose genius business decisions included trying to raise a 19th century shipwreck), to the takeover by Buck Rogers heiress/grifter Lorraine Williams. Thankfully the game has so far successfully rolled all its Bad Management Saving Throws.

by RajT88 4y ago

chii 4y ago

> D&D phenomenon will outlive WotC ... gross mismanagement will not kill it. while community driven projects _could_ live, it would be under constant legal threat, which prevents it from growing independently of WotC. Esp. if there's an aspect of commercialization in there. This means that any project would seek first to cooperate with WotC, which means they get a control, and may be commercial benefit.

crooked-v 4y ago
There are plenty of D&D-adjacent works that exist with no legal dependency on WotC, which rely on how game mechanics (as distinct from the specific expression of them) can't be copyrighted.
Kostchei 4y ago
Honestly, as a 30+ year DM who has played every edition from 1st to cap (except 4th- only made it to 6th), what people play at their table is wildly different from group to group. I don't know many experienced DMs who don't do a huge amount of homebrew. And there is no legal threat to 95% of homebrew, never will be. Why? Because I just do what I want with their IP (Wotc) and it never reaches further than my players. Most people do not publish to the world, they present to their players. Very few folks make an official doc, get it printed, add their own mechanics, build a world atlas etc. It will stop things like the "wheel of time" (books not tv) adaption, the reasonably widely available dark sun fan made version, "one night strahd" etc. Now that is a shame. But. 50% + of it was drek. And half of what was good rode rough-shod over other folks ideas, vision and IP and made money for the writers for it. If you are re-doing elric's world in 5th ed, you owe a bit to Michael Moorcock (which is ironic as he dis-owns it as pulp and beneath him), and owe a bit to wizards-o-t-c because you are probably re-skinning their hard work. What is more disappointing is that Wotc is actively trying to model their monetization of DnD in the future on mobile gaming and free-to-play computer games.. I kid you not. Luckily there are basic, adnd 1st ed, 2nd, 3rd, 3.5 and 5th ed to choose form for cool playable systems, and that's if you want to stick to "original" dnd. So 6th ed, with whatever horrible monetization they formulate may well just rot in it's own lonely purgatory with it's older brother 4th edition. (which, to be fair has a couple of cool things but overall was a failure, IMO) *edited, spelling

Justsignedup 4y ago

Pathfinder is a perfect alternative. All it'll take is for Critical Roll to just change to pathfinder.

Semaphor 4y ago
The issue would be, that they could not release new material without adhering to the new license. PF 1&2 both use OGL SRD.
- Justsignedup 4y ago
  I mean they can just say make a fork of the license and say that this is the enshrined version of OGL SRD we're using. They have the power. But yeah your point is valid.
trynewideas 4y ago
Hasbro can do whatever they want to the OGL, or throw it completely away, and still just give CRP an actual license (which Hasbro's already done by directly publishing CRP-setting products). I mean, there's a fucking Critical Role CLUE.

danjac 4y ago

"Gross mismanagement" and "D&D" are kind of synonyms: from Gygax' losing control to the incompetent Blume brothers (whose genius business decisions included trying to raise a 19th century shipwreck), to the takeover by Buck Rogers heiress/grifter Lorraine Williams. Thankfully the game has so far successfully rolled all its Bad Management Saving Throws.