I spoke with Kyle Brink, Executive Producer for D&D! We discussed the OGL, how the D&D Studio Works, what WotC has learned, and much more!
I decided to record this as an episode of Mastering Dungeons, the podcast I co-host with Shawn Merwin.
You can listen to the podcast episode on Podbean or on your favorite podcast device.
You can watch the interview on YouTube.
I want to thank Kyle for being willing to meet with folks like me, and to thank the D&D team for thinking of me. And, I truly want to thank everyone who has supported Mastering Dungeons and Success in RPGs, because without that support this could not have happened. Thank you!
I am going to take a few days to think through the interview. I feel that I now have a fairly solid impression of what took place regarding the OGL and why it took place. It is a fascinating story that is already one of the most significant events in our hobby’s history.
This was a great interview – thank you for taking the time to do it.
Probability should have called it a scoop as I think your were the first – get that breaking news title.
I noticed that the electrical crackling in your voice that has been in last few episodes is gone I assume you found the loose XLR cable or moved the item that was causing electrical interference. I keep thinking about pulling those episodes to see if I can digitally remove those (for fun) but I have been a bit busy of late.
Thinking about things that can really impact creators trying to make a living from RPG products I decided as a bit of fun ask ChatGPT to write the first chapter of the next Lazy Dungeon Master. It wasn’t as good as Mike but it wasn’t bad either. I also asked it to write an adventure and honestly it wasn’t a bad outline, and much bettter than I would do in 15 seconds
ChatGPT was quite good at writing a list of 10 good things that happen if you drink a magical potion and then 10 bad things that happened if you drank the potion. I think next time I have time I will try it for Lazy DM secrets and clues.
I should really try it for boxed text to get James Introcaso and James Haek going!
I think the strength of people will be the unique creativity component. ChatGPT much like how Fantasy Grounds will manage the calculations allowing story tellers to focus on the originality of contents and individualisation that matters to people.
This technology isn’t going to go away (unlike OGL changes) so the trick I guess is for creatives to learn what dimension is going to really make them stand out in the market. I think the best place to look is the fine art market where prices are bonkers. When you did in its all about marketable exclusivity – perhaps that is what podcasts and YouTube channels are marking the author and their identify desirable and unique amoung the crowd.
But will that be possible with ChatGPT writing scripts and a voice model and deep fake images creating people in the future?
A Brave New World – Alvin Toffler
Thanks! Three Black Halflings had the first interview, and I know Ginny Di recorded the same day I did. I really appreciate having the opportunity to compare interviews and try to piece together what took place.
My sound has improved. I had some problem with a filter that I was using, and I think still need to tweak it. There is a gate-type problem that I need to sit down and isolate. Time, always the enemy.
AI would be super-interesting to me if it were not for the corporate angle, which is always a race to the bottom. It is probably a tool that could help us create, but I find it depressing to even contemplate playing with the tools because I am probably making them better. And companies are already trying to use this to push prices they pay lower. Hmm.
The gate is probably your issue. Best avoided, but a livstream setting maybe okay but always go the most subtle mode to avoid clipping. In Hindenburg you can use magic levels to do the same thing without the clipping.
I sent you a course prize I won for this a while back so you could learn how to use that software fully. Also world radio day is coming up which is their one day a year at a discounted price.
Can’t do much about developments. Always look for the opportunities thethe car and combustion was once seen as an environmental saviour as it got all the horse poop and files off the street but I am sure the poop shovellers didn’t like it.
Maybe the tech will give you the time for those high value bits of creativity and innovation that really defines you? Lots on offer that I know.