What would you like to see happen with FR?

[Mercutio01]

Because things have changed. If I want to use things I remember from past editions but conflict with the current fluff, I will have to work them into the current timeline and deal with any repercussions. For example, any gods that don't exist in the 4e Realms would bring with them a large number of connected deities and worshipers. Some of those are likely to conflict with others in the 4e fluff.

*Most* of the fluff I remember or can read from older books would probably be consistent after a simple copy-paste into the current timeline, but I'd have to work through it to determine which. That's too much work for minor gains, compared to just using the old version.

So the real complaint is not that your knowledge is useless, but that it takes work to "fix" the setting to your preferences.

It would be less work to port stuff backwards, no?

In some respects, I agree that it takes too much work to change settings, but even with that in mind, it's less than making your own settings. Frankly, I find that I have more ideas for settings (both creating and changing) than ideas to use existing settings as written. The latter bores me. I don't want to play in someone else's world. I want to play in my world.

Anyway, sorry for the derail. Like I said, I voted for "I don't care because I develop my FR differently anyway." I don't run stock standard creations of any established setting because that both bores me and hems me in with required canon that gods forbid I break. I think that was one of the things about Eberron that drove me to it more than even liking the setting itself--the implicit and explicit instructions to do whatever you want with it.

 

[Hassassin]

So the real complaint is not that your knowledge is useless, but that it takes work to "fix" the setting to your preferences.

Not so much fix it to my preferences as use all the available sources.

A book I can use as is with all the ones on my bookshelf is much more valuable than one that I have to either use by itself or tweak heavily into working with the others.

It would be less work to port stuff backwards, no?

Probably, yeah. I'm currently sort of considering the 4e Realms as describing one possible future for my campaign.

 

[Mercutio01]

Not so much fix it to my preferences as use all the available sources.

A book I can use as is with all the ones on my bookshelf is much more valuable than one that I have to either use by itself or tweak heavily into working with the others.

To a large extent, that's what happens with every edition update. Dragonlance, in particular, was more more susceptible to this than FR, although I can see how the Time of Troubles and Spellplague stick out. Talk about feeling hemmed in by canon--Dragonlance did it for me back in the day. I should take a second look at it now that I have a different perspective than I did back in the early 90s.

 

[Kingreaper]

Sure, but the point of this thread is what they should do in 5e. They can continue with just the spellplague. That doesn't mean you can't play how you like, but in that case they won't sell it to me or, I suspect, a lot of other people who disliked SP.

Personally, I don't mind setting changing events unless they throw a lot of fluff out of the setting. Time of Troubles pushed the timeline forward ten years. That's a long time, but it still allows you to use most fluff as is. The over 100 years of 3e->4e meant most NPCs are dead, and much of other fluff no longer applies to campaigns.

They can continue writing for the pre-plague world WITHOUT retconning the spellplague.

There's 100 years there to work with.

Janaxstrus is asking for it to be retconned.

 

[Janaxstrus]

They can continue writing for the pre-plague world WITHOUT retconning the spellplague.

There's 100 years there to work with.

Janaxstrus is asking for it to be retconned.

Yes I am. I make no bones about it either. It was, in my opinion, the worst thing I've ever seen done to a setting where the majority of their best selling novels came from.

I think you'll find that some of the authors that have to write in the new world feel the same.

 

[exile]

I would prefer to see the Realms retired.

 

[Feeroper]

I have loved the Realms since 2e, I loved it in 3e and I love it in 4e. It's a very dynamic setting and it feels like it progresses. I know I'm a minority with that viewpoint, but I thought the SP was a great idea, and I think it opened up alot of opportunity for FR players. 100 years is alot of time to fill in, and then you have the post 100 year period to explore. It really mixed things up and transitioned some things into the FR history books. That just added to the experience for me. It feels like a growing world where you can make a difference.

 

[Siberys]

I'd prefer they moved the focus off of it; I don't particularly care for the setting, honestly, and all it does for me is push back the interesting setting material for a year or more. I mean, it's cool if someone else likes it, but I'd like some of the setting love spread around.

Ever since DS fever waned, all we've gotten is "Neverwinter! Lords of Waterdeep! Menzoberranzan! Ed Greenwood's!" There was even "Cormyr month" in Dragon, which was nigh-on useless to me. I want a break!

 

[Janaxstrus]

I'd prefer they moved the focus off of it; I don't particularly care for the setting, honestly, and all it does for me is push back the interesting setting material for a year or more. I mean, it's cool if someone else likes it, but I'd like some of the setting love spread around.

Ever since DS fever waned, all we've gotten is "Neverwinter! Lords of Waterdeep! Menzoberranzan! Ed Greenwood's!" There was even "Cormyr month" in Dragon, which was nigh-on useless to me. I want a break!

This is how I feel about Eberron and robots being forced down my throat in the tail end of 3.5

 

[Siberys]

Come, now; All I want is a mixture of setting materials, not the setting-hegemony we've seen for the last year or so.

[As an aside, sentient golem != robot, and while Eberron material was being published regularly, there /wasn't/ a dearth of FR material, FWIW.]