OGL 1.1 live chat with a lawyer at Roll for Crit.

[Dreamscape]

I would be surprised if they think anyone will sign up to the new OGL as-is. My guess is that this is all simply to drive 3PPs into bespoke agreements to produce things for WotC's new VTT while making all older OGL materials irrelevant. Even if all the indies abandon the OGL* WotC loses nothing (e.g. I doubt the OSR drives any uptake of official 5E material). My prdiction is still that the future of D&D is subscription-only digital.

* And I know I and many other tiny fish are already doing this, no matter how things turn out, because we're only in this for fun and uncertainty over litigation is no fun at all.

 

[Reynard]

Oh I think WotC will relent, I think OGL 1.1 is already dead, it was supposed to be released today & wasn't so it was on shaky legs already and this leak and the ENORMEOUS backlash was the finishing move that killed OGL 1.1.

Even with refusing to move forward with OGL 1.1, which I believe they won't now, this did so much damage to WotC's reputation that somebody's going to get deep crap for this.

The "ENORMOUS" backlash is kind of only happening in echo chambers. Most of the D&D fans alive today were born after the OGL was created and probably couldn't tell you what it is. In addition, there is a strong current of WotC support on this on reddit, which skews younger.

 

[jerryrice4949]

do you think the few of us here represent the fan base over all?

I bet more then 3/4 of people have not heard of this yet and of them half of them wouldn't care.

You are correct. Average fans have no idea. At least not yet. Look at D&Ds Facebook page and not a single person mentioned it until I did.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I agree. I think OGL 1.1 is dead. OneD&D might also be dead with this leak.
Seriously, I think the fanbase has turned against WotC so quickly and extremely that I think this is going to tumble stock prices. I think people might lose their jobs.
They might seriously backtrack the whole project.

I think that given this this wasn't even released officially when it was supposed to be released, maybe WotC had already changed it's mind on it, in which case the real purpose of leaking this could be to get some else higher up the food chain fired, say WotC President Cynthia Williams or even Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks.

Also who would have access to this document in order to be able to leak it? Certainly not anybody on the D&D Design Team, this is not their sphere, it's legals department, which means either a lawyer did this, doubtful or more likely a rival executive did, which means Hasbro is in a civil war and someone's taking a shot at Hasbro/WotC leadership. Maybe multiple someones even.

This is Disney like behind the scenes infighting.

 

[jerryrice4949]

I think that given this this wasn't even released officially when it was supposed to be released, maybe WotC had already changed it's mind on it, in which case the real purpose of leaking this could be to get some else higher up the food chain fired, say WotC President Cynthia Williams or even Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks.

Also who would have access to this document in order to be able to leak it? Certainly not anybody on the D&D Design Team, this is not their sphere, it's legals department, which means either a lawyer did this, doubtful or more likely a rival executive did, which means Hasbro is in a civil war and someone's taking a shot at Hasbro/WotC leadership. Maybe multiple someones even.

This is Disney like behind the scenes infighting.

Most likely the leak was external.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Most likely the leak was external.

You mean like Kickstarter leaked this? They were quick to confirm it.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Most likely the leak was external.

I mean, that's what Linda Codega from io9 implied so yeah that is more likely.

 

[Reynard]

Lol. People are already claiming "victory."

I think that if you think this is anything other than a done deal, you are going to be very disappointed. Don't overestimate the "power" of a dying vestige of the fanbase to change anything.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

What about songs, plays, and pantomimes?

You know, the important stuff.

I'm more worried about the thousands of unemployed dancers that will fill the streets if 1.1 goes through.

 

[Branduil]

The "ENORMOUS" backlash is kind of only happening in echo chambers. Most of the D&D fans alive today were born after the OGL was created and probably couldn't tell you what it is. In addition, there is a strong current of WotC support on this on reddit, which skews younger.

There are multiple D&D-related subreddits. I haven't seen any kind of support for this at all on any I've checked.