Jeff Vogel on the Upcoming OGL Changes

With Spiderweb Software gearing up for a new remaster of some description, Jeff Vogel, the mastermind behind the venerable indie studio, is once again active on his blog. Which brings us to this here extensive post with a veteran developer’s perspective on the recent OGL debacle.

And even though Spiderweb Software will in no way be affected by the upcoming OGL changes on account of having never used it in the first place, the post does manage to bring some clarity to the situation and remind us that things that seem too good to be true usually are.

Here’s an excerpt:

What have we learned?

The Open Gaming License was a Good Thing. Once.

When I first heard of the Open Gaming License, I couldn’t believe something so cool could exist. (Apparently, it couldn’t.)

It’s a great idea, because it’s good for everyone.

It helped WotC by turning the rules for D&D into the default thing everyone learns. It makes D&D into Windows 10. It created many independent developers who make content to make D&D more fun and interesting. I can’t say this is why D&D shot up in popularity over the last few years, but it sure didn’t hurt.

It was great for game creators who had a great idea but didn’t want to do all the grinding work of designing and testing their own ruleset. I mean, I can do this because it’s my full-time gig and I enjoy it and am decent at it. However, this isn’t in the skill set of a lot of smart people.

(The license has also been used to make computer games. The legality of this has some questions, but the games in question, like this one, have not gotten super-sued.)

Finally, it’s great for players because a lot of cool products have been made using this license over the years. Products that don’t require learning a ton of new rules to enjoy them. A healthy industry with easy to access games is good for all of us.

Anyway, that’s all gone now lol.