Christmas come early for the OSR?

Quote from: Microsoft Suits think this is good for them: on December 21, 2022, 02:45:34 PM
https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1410-ogls-srds-one-d-d
OGLs, SRDs, & One D&D
DND Beyond Staff
by DND Beyond Staff

D&D NEWS D&D BEYOND STUDIO BLOG

We love the interest and passion the community has for D&D. We love D&D, too. So, when we see the D&D community concerned by rumors and misunderstandings, we want to clear the air and share the facts with you, even if it's a bit earlier than our original plan. You all matter to us, and we want to provide transparency on how D&D will continue supporting third-party creators.

So, here are the facts:

1. Will One D&D include an SRD/be covered by an OGL?

Yes. First, we're designing One D&D with fifth edition backwards compatibility, so all existing creator content that is compatible with fifth edition will also be compatible with One D&D. Second, we will update the SRD for One D&D as we complete its development—development that is informed by the results of playtests that we're conducting with hundreds of thousands of D&D players now.

2. Will the OGL terms change?

Yes. We will release version 1.1 of the OGL in early 2023.

The OGL needs an update to ensure that it keeps doing what it was intended to do—allow the D&D community's independent creators to build and play and grow the game we all love—without allowing things like third-parties to mint D&D NFTs and large businesses to exploit our intellectual property.

So, what's changing?

First, we're making sure that OGL 1.1 is clear about what it covers and what it doesn't. OGL 1.1 makes clear it only covers material created for use in or as TTRPGs, and those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs). Other types of content, like videos and video games, are only possible through the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or a custom agreement with us. To clarify: Outside of printed media and static electronic files, the OGL doesn't cover it.

Will this affect the D&D content and services players use today? It shouldn't. The top VTT platforms already have custom agreements with Wizards to do what they do. D&D merchandise, like minis and novels, were never intended to be part of the OGL and OGL 1.1 won't change that. Creators wishing to leverage D&D for those forms of expression will need, as they always have needed, custom agreements between us.

Second, we're updating the OGL to offer different terms to creators who choose to make free, share-alike content and creators who want to sell their products.

What does this mean for you as a creator? If you're making share-alike content, very little is going to change from what you're already used to.

If you're making commercial content, relatively little is going to change for most creators. For most of you who are selling custom content, here are the new things you'll need to do:

Accept the license terms and let us know what you're offering for sale:

Report OGL-related revenue annually (if you make more than $50,000 in a year)
Include a Creator Product badge on your work

When we roll out OGL 1.1, we will also provide explanatory videos, FAQs, and a web portal for registration to make navigating these requirements as easy and intuitive as possible. We'll also have help available to creators to navigate the new process.

For the fewer than 20 creators worldwide who make more than $750,000 in income in a year, we will add a royalty starting in 2024. So, even for the creators making significant money selling D&D supplements and games, no royalties will be due for 2023 and all revenue below $750,000 in future years will be royalty-free.

Bottom line: The OGL is not going away. You will still be able to create new D&D content, publish it anywhere, and game with your friends and followers in all the ways that make this game and community so great. The thousands of creators publishing across Kickstarter, DMsGuild, and more are a critical part of the D&D experience, and we will continue to support and encourage them to do that through One D&D and beyond.

Share alike content? Haven't come across that bit of corporate speak before. Can anyone enlighten?

A royalty from big money OGL creators? LOL Wut!?

It seems that VTT 1.1 content will be exclusively on the OneVTT. Roll20 and others will be cutoff from porting over official DnDone content. But that was expected, and now basically confirmed.

I will speculate that in the not-a-new edition OneDnD that they will change/add some very specific game terminology/content of some kind that would make it difficult to use the previous 1.0a OGL to make content for DnDone.

So, on first glance...

Things are already looking up!


*EDIT*

On twitter, RPGSite member Alexander Macris points out something interesting:

Quote
Videos and video games are no longer covered under the OGL. In theory, WOTC is asserting that its copyright can block Actual Plays of its games, just as Nintendo has asserted. That's a big deal. It also puts at risk a lot of indie games.

But read his full spiel - He has some really good points:

https://twitter.com/archon/status/1605664204505042945

The news has gone from good to great!

I do not at first glance, see anything stated there that threatens the future of the print media and PDF file OSR?

Quote from: Jam The MF on December 21, 2022, 05:22:24 PM
I do not at first glance, see anything stated the that threatens the future of the print media and PDF file OSR?

WotC can do nothing about previous versions of the OGL. The OSR isn't threatened in any way.

This is all about tightening the noose around DnDone and the OneVTT...

Share alike means the created content shares the same restrictions, or lack of, as the original content.

So if I created a Creative Commons product and requested attribution, share alike content you created would also ask for attribution.

Quote from: Jaeger on December 21, 2022, 05:12:06 PMFirst, we're making sure that OGL 1.1 is clear about what it covers and what it doesn't. OGL 1.1 makes clear it only covers material created for use in or as TTRPGs, and those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs). Other types of content, like videos and video games, are only possible through the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or a custom agreement with us.

Does this limitation to static electronic files mean that the OGL will no longer cover adventure files made for VTTs? Including Roll20?

Quote from: hedgehobbit on December 21, 2022, 06:35:32 PM
...
Does this limitation to static electronic files mean that the OGL will no longer cover adventure files made for VTTs? Including Roll20?

I believe that the intent is so that all DnDone 1.1 OGL VTT content is only available Exclusively on the OneVTT.

I don't think that they care about legacy 1.0a OGL VTT stuff. They are assuming a lot of people will just move to the new hotness.

Quote from: hedgehobbit on December 21, 2022, 06:35:32 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on December 21, 2022, 05:12:06 PMFirst, we're making sure that OGL 1.1 is clear about what it covers and what it doesn't. OGL 1.1 makes clear it only covers material created for use in or as TTRPGs, and those materials are only ever permitted as printed media or static electronic files (like epubs and PDFs). Other types of content, like videos and video games, are only possible through the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy or a custom agreement with us.

Does this limitation to static electronic files mean that the OGL will no longer cover adventure files made for VTTs? Including Roll20?

Probably.

However, the existence of OGL 1.1 doesn't actually cancel OGL 1.0 which exists in perpetuity. Any 5e VTT material can continue to be made under it.

The only thing this will do is gate the new D&Done content so no one else can use it without WotC having a say/cut. The sharealike is their way of ensuring nothing added to a product that includes 1.0 material can be used as an end around the 1.1 license.

Basically, they know the 4E GSL blew up in their faces, but they still want it and are hoping that calling it OGL 1.1 will fool enough people (including getting other non-5e systems on the OGL to use the 1.1 because they don't realize they don't have to switch).

Corpos gonna corpo.

I'm glad I jumped ship before this. Now it is OSR all the way!

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-proposed-ogl-11-is-not-open-license.html

Quote from: Chris24601 on December 21, 2022, 06:58:00 PM
However, the existence of OGL 1.1 doesn't actually cancel OGL 1.0 which exists in perpetuity. Any 5e VTT material can continue to be made under it.

The only thing this will do is gate the new D&Done content so no one else can use it without WotC having a say/cut. The sharealike is their way of ensuring nothing added to a product that includes 1.0 material can be used as an end around the 1.1 license.

Right. All the existing OGL 1.0 material is still legal, and people can continue to develop and release stuff under the OGL 1.0.

Any restrictions will only apply to new D&Done material that is released under the OGL 1.1. Assuming that the report is accurate, they're not trying to have any say/cut over tabletop RPG publications -- but they are trying to cut off electronic/VTT use of the new D&DOne material.

This is pretty amazing to me. They seem determined to tank the goodwill they had developed with 5e.

I would guess most publishers will stick with the 1.0 OGL and the 5e SRD rather than abide by these rules on reporting income etc.

It's a very odd announcement. All stick and no carrot? Normally corporations lead with the hype and bury the bad news in the small print. There is no reason at all to sign up to 1.1 based on their statement. One can only hope (for their sake) that there is some seriously good stuff buried in the new SRD, otherwise this whole thing will be stillborn. Perhaps restricting the DTRPG community programme to the new licence, but that would mean pulling ALL of the existing material on the platform (unless completely re-written for 1.1).

Quote from: Jaeger on December 21, 2022, 05:25:40 PM
WotC can do nothing about previous versions of the OGL. The OSR isn't threatened in any way.

Not legally, but they can make threatening noises and try to intimidate people.

"D&D merchandise, like minis and novels, were never intended to be part of the OGL and OGL 1.1 won't change that. Creators wishing to leverage D&D for those forms of expression will need, as they always have needed, custom agreements between us"

The OGL 1.0 of course has no such restriction, you can make what you want. The 3e SRD includes descriptive text eg Black dragon are sometimes known as skull dragons because of their skeletal faces. Adding to the skeletal impression is the gradual deterioration of the hide around the base of the horn and the cheekbones. This deterioration increases with age and does not harm the dragon. On hatching, a black dragon's scales are thin, small, and glossy. As the dragon ages, they become larger, thicker, and duller, helping it camouflage itself in swamps and marshes. https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.htm#blackDragon - AFAICS there's nothing in the OGL 1.0 stopping you making a miniature or videogame using this description.

Quote from: Vile Traveller on December 22, 2022, 07:19:19 AM
It's a very odd announcement. All stick and no carrot? Normally corporations lead with the hype and bury the bad news in the small print. There is no reason at all to sign up to 1.1 based on their statement. One can only hope (for their sake) that there is some seriously good stuff buried in the new SRD, otherwise this whole thing will be stillborn. Perhaps restricting the DTRPG community programme to the new licence, but that would mean pulling ALL of the existing material on the platform (unless completely re-written for 1.1).

My hunch is that they're trying to pull one over on the less informed that updating to the latest license will be mandatory.

Too many developers from Micro- "you WILL update and restart your PC now" -soft will have that effect I suspect. The idea that someone could continue to use Win7/OGL1.0a and there's nothing they can do to stop them likely makes them seethe; particularly given that the extant 3.x and 5e SRDs actually give 3rd parties all they actually need to make their own options independent of whatever shovelware their new mechanics will turn out to be.

One observation I do have is that, based on their past claims of "backwards compatibility" when pushing a new system (promised it with 3-4 and 4-5... never delivered), I fully expect the 6e material to be incompatible in practice to a degree that the only way to produce material for 6e will be to use their not-an-OGL GSL 1.1.

Of particular note, it will be harder to make a straight 5e retroclone as many of the desirable subclasses and options never got put into the 5e SRD (whereas pretty much everything from the 3.5 PHB/DMG/MM, Psionics, Deities & Demigods and Unearthed Arcana was in its SRD), just a bare minimum needed for 3rd party content.

Nor do they have distributable digital versions of the full 5e core rules. Basically, once they stop selling physical copies, 5e will become harder and harder to find legitimately... by design. The new fake OGL is just another tool in trying to reclaim what the original OGL "stole" from them.*

* my observation is that, without the OGL allowing for the wave of third-party support, including other competitors sidelining their own systems to make it, that D&D never would have reclaimed its "most popular RPG" crown to the degree it did in the first place.

This seems amazingly stupid even for WotC.

It definitely puts games like Solasta: Crown of the Magister under the hammer, if I'm reading it right. Hell, it could even touch off a legal spat between WotC and Critical Role depending on interpretation and if WotC gets too pushy.

Funny Macris mentions Nintendo, because this looks like RCA suing Nintendo over Donkey Kong all over again.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on December 22, 2022, 09:24:10 AM
This seems amazingly stupid, even for WotC.

Microsoft Executives Gaining Control of D&D, was always going to lead to this.