WotC's Chris Perkins Talks Realms & Sundering

Den of Geek has a lengthy interview with Chris Perkins about the Forgotten Realms and The Sundering. He also very briefly touches on other settings, indicating that WotC hopes that other worlds will be covered in the future if the right story comes along. On past controversial changes to settings, he says "Our guiding principle is to embrace the past and not pass judgment or rewrite history. We’d rather let the fans tell us what they like about the Realms and focus on those elements going forward." (thanks to MerricB for the scoop!)

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I'm no business man, but I fail to see the wisdom in polluting a well-known and consolidated brand with stuff that has nothing to do with it. What WotC is doing to the Realms is the equivalent of taking what is good about G.I. Joe and using it in the next Transformers movie.

 

[Raistrox]

So with his comments that they don't want to undo a moment that may be a fan's favorite and just move forward, and his past comments that "there's only one good story to tell in Dragonlance, the War of the Lance", would they move forward in Dragonlance with the setting the way it has been portrayed in recent years? Or will they forgot he made this comment here and reboot the WotL? Should be interesting to see... I, for one, hope they don't reboot and continue forward. Or at least if they're going to go back and revisit the WotL, that they don't erase what has come since. Many people like the current situation, myself included.

 

[HobbitFan]

I'm still confused by the Sundering..why do a big event to fix the Realms and then not provide any details about it beyond the sketchy details in the novels?

Bob Salvatore and Ed Greenwood have said that it's exciting writing for the realms again and they are reminded of the Realm's early days in the 80s. They said it's an exciting time to be a realms fan.
I don't see what we're supposed to be excited about. They haven't told us what happened, what's going on or even what the current state of the Realms is.

 

[Derren]

I'm still confused by the Sundering..why do a big event to fix the Realms and then not provide any details about it beyond the sketchy details in the novels?

To sell more novels with sketchy details in it.

 

[HobbitFan]

I'm glad they realize they messed up and lost the fans' faith in their stewardship of the Realms.
What are they doing to restore our confidence?

If they want us to tell them what we like about the Realms and then they focus on that...how is that supposed to work? How are they going to elicit our feedback?

They need to start talking to the community about what they'd like to do and their plans.

 

[Barachiel]

That interview was...boring and did not say anything we didn't already know months ago. For most of it all I kept reading about was Drizz't. As if he represented the entire setting. Then it was the extremely vague answers, but no examples were given of what they were trying to get at was given.

 

[JeffB]

Yup.

Hes talking alot, but not saying much.

 

[Mirtek]

To sell more novels with sketchy details in it.

If that at least would be what they're doing, but they are giving us neither novels nor game supplements. 4 novels a year, if we're lucky, that's the current FR novel release schedule!

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

I'm no business man, but I fail to see the wisdom in polluting a well-known and consolidated brand with stuff that has nothing to do with it. What WotC is doing to the Realms is the equivalent of taking what is good about G.I. Joe and using it in the next Transformers movie.

I agree with you completely.

Tyranny of Dragons doesn't make a lot of sense in the Realms as it is completely predicated upon that retcon that Tiamat had been imprisoned. However, the story would have worked perfectly in Eberron as it matches up nicely with their lore surrounding Tiamat in Dragons of Eberron.

Anyway, as a longtime Realms fan I have the Realms I want and all the material I could possibly ever need so this is where I part ways with WotC and continue with my own Realms.

 

[Shemeska]

Tyranny of Dragons doesn't make a lot of sense in the Realms as it is completely predicated upon that retcon that Tiamat had been imprisoned.

Very true, since Tiamat has never been imprisoned in the Realms (or if you assume FR is back within the Great Wheel, Tiamat was never imprisoned there either). Kobold Press was asked about this rather large continuity gaff and stated that they were aware of it not conforming to prior material, but that they were given that detail by WotC and were in no position to question.

Honstly I'd like to know if it was an intentional change (and if so why), or if it was just a mistake. If it was the latter here are a number of people exceedingly well versed in FR history that WotC would do well to consult such as Boyd, Brian James, Schend, or Krashos, and other folks likewise well versed in planar lore to avoid potential missteps.