Dungeons and Dragons just released a new-fangled draft for its Open Game License for One D&D. The OGL 1.2 draft was unconfined as a part of Dungeons and Dragons’ response to the argument surrounding the future of third-party creators in the famed TTRPG.
Newly, Dungeons and Dragons opened a dialogue with players who were disappointed over leaked documentation representing Wizards of the Coast was implementing draconian variations to the OGL. It apologized for the overreach and outlined the conduct it hoped to do better by its players.
Now, Wizards of the Coast has unconfined the official documentation for the OGL’s next draft. Notably, Dungeons and Dragons are entirely licensing all the game’s mechanics to players for content formation through Creative Commons. It uninvolved license-back ownership, royalties, and revenue reportage requirements found in the leaked D&D OGL 1.1, but reserves the true to revoke the license if people create harmful, prejudiced, or offensive content.
The OGL also nowadays covers virtual tabletop content as well. Virtual maps, character sheets, and mechanics are endangered by this new agreement. However, it gives the impression this protection does not range to replicating things not found within the game itself. Examples of forbidden happiness include creating animamissilesor spells like magic missiles or making custom demonstrations using Dungeons and Dragons’ specific depictions of ogres like an owlbear.
This level of transparency looks to be an improvement from the last couple of weeks and displays Wizards of the Coast is willing to eavesdrop on players. Many consider a license through Creative Commons using the best possible outcome given the circumstances. This OGL current is clearly labeled as unfinished, and Dungeons and Dragons players are fortified to provide feedback via a survey being made accessible soon. This survey will be open till February 3, after which Dungeons and Dragons will revise and republish a new-fangled draft and continue the process till it is satisfied.
That said, players still have concerns over the new Dungeons besides Dragons OGL draft. While a clear upgrading from early drafts, players are suspicious of certain aspects of the license, such by way of the ability to revoke it for offensive content–an instruction that could theoretically be used to police any content Wizards of the Coast doesn’t like. The VTT piece seems to be especially restrictive, and many think Wizards of the Coast is trying to corner the market for Dungeons besides Dragons’ own in-development VTT customer in the future.
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