I think ttrpgs in general are too centralized around a few big companies and associated games and this strangles the potential of the games themselves. Unfortunately, a key part of this is that ttrpgs require a lot more investment than other kinds of games like board games and even most kinds of video games. The only video game genre I can think of that requires a similar level of investment are mmorpgs. In general, gamers are just unwilling to try new games because of prior investment in whatever is their current favorite and intimidation by the perceived amount of investment required for a new game.

Subscription service to play VTT D&D as a global recession goes into overdrive? Sounds brilliant!!

The freemium model might work though.

Quote from: World_Warrior on November 17, 2022, 09:57:35 AM
Tim will tell.

He shall! For Tim is an enchanter!

Quote from: Spinachcat on November 19, 2022, 02:54:28 AM
Subscription service to play VTT D&D as a global recession goes into overdrive? Sounds brilliant!!

It feels like a literal rince and repeat of 4E which got launched just as the crash of 2008 was getting underway. I've gotta get my interior art done and figure out how to code the system into Foundry (way better than Roll20) ASAP. This is just begging for an non-woke low-cost of entry modern mechanics alternative (because the OSR is not the solution to everything for everyone).

This also presumes WotC has hired programmers worth a damn.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 19, 2022, 11:56:40 AM
This also presumes WotC has hired programmers worth a damn.

Well, if it's anything like the quality for 4E, they're hosed.

Someone or someones can have a comfortable niche in the "not-a-trainwreck" modern mechanics fantasy rpg area if they're willing to have offbrand Tieflings, Dragonborn, Warlocks, etc. in their material instead of just the Tolkein expies and core four classes.

Seems that the actual rumor was about the SRD:

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dungeons-dragons-open-game-license-srd-one-dnd/

Quote"The YouTuber Indestructoboy claimed that Wizards of the Coast would not create a new System Reference Document for One D&D, the codename for the upcoming new edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKBD8hhNYg

This would prevent publishers from making material specifically for One D&D, although they could still use the existing 5th Edition System Reference Document to publish material 5E material that could be "backwards compatible" with One D&D. While not creating a new System Reference Document for One D&D wouldn't snuff out third-party material, it would certainly discourage publishing or force publishers to turn to the DMs Guild, a digital marketplace that uses a separate license in exchange for Wizards of the Coast and DriveThruRPG (the manager of the DMs Guild) taking a 50% cut. We'll note that Wizards of the Coast previously turned away from the Open Game License for the release of 4th Edition D&D, with a more restrictive Game System License used instead.

ComicBook.com reached out to Wizards of the Coast about whether they planned to update the Open Game License and System Reference Document. Wizards of the Coast responded with the following statement: "We will continue to support the thousands of creators making third-party D&D content with the release of One D&D in 2024. While it is certain our Open Game License (OGL) will continue to evolve, just as it has  since its inception, we're too early in the development of One D&D to give more specifics on the OGL or System Reference Document (SRD) at this time."

WotC cannot undo the existing 5.1 5e OGL. All they can really do is not update it, which will make it harder for people to make D&Done compatible content independent of the new OneSRD.

Depending on how tight WotC is with their SRD for D&Done will be the kicker...

Will they only allow 3pp to use the SRD if they can make content for the one VTT?

That is the big question.

Quote from: Chris24601 on November 19, 2022, 02:59:16 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 19, 2022, 11:56:40 AM
This also presumes WotC has hired programmers worth a damn.

Well, if it's anything like the quality for 4E, they're hosed.
...

Wotc/Hasbro has hired people with a solid track record of success in digital gaming.

I think many are underestimating how serious WotC is about making the one VTT successful for them.

.

.

Quote from: Jaeger on November 22, 2022, 06:29:51 PM

Quote from: Chris24601 on November 19, 2022, 02:59:16 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 19, 2022, 11:56:40 AM
This also presumes WotC has hired programmers worth a damn.

Well, if it's anything like the quality for 4E, they're hosed.
...

Wotc/Hasbro has hired people with a solid track record of success in digital gaming.

I think many are underestimating how serious WotC is about making the one VTT successful for them.

I'm sure they're all very diverse and inclusive. But who specifically did they grab?

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 24, 2022, 03:06:04 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on November 22, 2022, 06:29:51 PM
...

Wotc/Hasbro has hired people with a solid track record of success in digital gaming.

I think many are underestimating how serious WotC is about making the one VTT successful for them.

I'm sure they're all very diverse and inclusive. But who specifically did they grab?

This is how serious WotC is about this: Rays replacement pick wasn't very diverse or inclusive at all.

Covered a bit in an earlier thread here:
https://www.therpgsite.com/pen-paper-roleplaying-games-rpgs-discussion/ray-winninger-done-at-wotc-more-digital-dudes-coming-in/msg1233263/#msg1233263

This is the guy: Kyle Brink  Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons
Click the first link  - for whatever reason I cannot directly link to his linkedin CV:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Kyle+Brink+new+head+of+D%26D&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS753US753&oq=Kyle+Brink+new+head+of+D%26D&aqs=chrome..69i57.4896j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Want a tell that this guy is serious about delivering results?
His hasn't posted on twitter since he got the job, and you have to go back to posts from 2017 to figure out that he is a democrat.
https://twitter.com/KyleBrink

His whole life is essentially digital gaming. Tim Fields, WotC's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Gaming. Is of a similar background. With an emphasis on the monetization of mobile games.

Now of course the proof will be in the pudding. But WotC's plans for D&Done and their VTT should not be lightly dismissed either...

Quote from: Jaeger on November 25, 2022, 05:07:12 PM
His hasn't posted on twitter since he got the job, and you have to go back to posts from 2017 to figure out that he is a democrat.
https://twitter.com/KyleBrink

29 Jan 2017 he retweeted agreeing with Paul Joseph Watson. Based! 

Quote from: Jaeger on November 25, 2022, 05:07:12 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 24, 2022, 03:06:04 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on November 22, 2022, 06:29:51 PM
...

Wotc/Hasbro has hired people with a solid track record of success in digital gaming.

I think many are underestimating how serious WotC is about making the one VTT successful for them.

I'm sure they're all very diverse and inclusive. But who specifically did they grab?

This is how serious WotC is about this: Rays replacement pick wasn't very diverse or inclusive at all.

Covered a bit in an earlier thread here:
https://www.therpgsite.com/pen-paper-roleplaying-games-rpgs-discussion/ray-winninger-done-at-wotc-more-digital-dudes-coming-in/msg1233263/#msg1233263

This is the guy: Kyle Brink  Executive Producer, Dungeons & Dragons
Click the first link  - for whatever reason I cannot directly link to his linkedin CV:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Kyle+Brink+new+head+of+D%26D&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS753US753&oq=Kyle+Brink+new+head+of+D%26D&aqs=chrome..69i57.4896j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Want a tell that this guy is serious about delivering results?
His hasn't posted on twitter since he got the job, and you have to go back to posts from 2017 to figure out that he is a democrat.
https://twitter.com/KyleBrink

His whole life is essentially digital gaming. Tim Fields, WotC's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Gaming. Is of a similar background. With an emphasis on the monetization of mobile games.

Now of course the proof will be in the pudding. But WotC's plans for D&Done and their VTT should not be lightly dismissed either...

Well, I did ask and you delivered. Let's go down his gaming CV, earliest to latest:

Spectrum Holobyte (1991-1994)
Microprose (1994-2000)
EA (2000-2005)
Cryptic Studios (2006-2007)
Activision (2007-2008)
Sega Studios (2008-2010)
OnLive (2010, six months)
iWin (2011, eight months)
Viggle Rewards (2011-2016)
ArenaNet and NCSoft (2018-2021)

Some of this looks good, and some of it makes my eyebrows rise. If all they're looking for is monetization, I'd say they have their guy. I'm just not sold it'll be worth a damn.

Quote from: S'mon on November 25, 2022, 06:53:33 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on November 25, 2022, 05:07:12 PM
His hasn't posted on twitter since he got the job, and you have to go back to posts from 2017 to figure out that he is a democrat.
https://twitter.com/KyleBrink

29 Jan 2017 he retweeted agreeing with Paul Joseph Watson. Based! 

LOL... For sure!

I'm saving his Paul Joseph Watson retweet for posterity... Having proof that the current head of D&D agreed with a "racist right-wing conspiracy theorist" should be entertaining to show the WotC twitterati next time they throw a hissy fit about something!

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 25, 2022, 07:05:51 PM
...
Some of this looks good, and some of it makes my eyebrows rise. If all they're looking for is monetization, I'd say they have their guy. I'm just not sold it'll be worth a damn.

And we have a winner!

All WotC cares about is making One D&D so that it feeds into the OneVTT ecosystem, so that they can monetize the player base with microtransactions, and cash fat checks.

WotC has not cared about D&D as part of the wider RPG hobby for some time now. D&D and MtG are cash cow IP's that will be exploited and leveraged to the hilt for maximum profit quarter to quarter.

It is going to be wonderful...

Quote from: Jaeger on November 25, 2022, 09:26:48 PM
All WotC cares about is making One D&D so that it feeds into the OneVTT ecosystem, so that they can monetize the player base with microtransactions, and cash fat checks.

WotC has not cared about D&D as part of the wider RPG hobby for some time now. D&D and MtG are cash cow IP's that will be exploited and leveraged to the hilt for maximum profit quarter to quarter.

I don't disagree - but what is the expectation here? That they should be making games out of the goodness of their hearts for the good of the wider RPG hobby?

A company of any size bigger than a handful of people isn't making RPGs out of the goodness of their hearts. They're doing it to make money.

What I would hope is they put out a product good enough that consumers are willing to pay good money for it. Usually though not always, better products make more money.

Quote from: Jaeger on November 22, 2022, 06:29:51 PM
WotC cannot undo the existing 5.1 5e OGL. All they can really do is not update it, which will make it harder for people to make D&Done compatible content independent of the new OneSRD.

Actually the OGL states that they can revoke your use of the OGL.
I think they would have a hard time pulling it off. But the clause exists to allow them to pull some stunt.