I'm aware of those changes, but they're incomplete. I've heard them saying that the novels and other stuff are only a narrow part of the whole event (they described it to something akin to a snapshot of small regions during the WW2). The changes in the lands/pantheons and so on described in the books that we have now are only a fraction of what the Sundering is supposed to be. It also makes sense, since they have repeatedly hyped the Sundering as the RSE to end them all and change the world forever and ever and to restore the old feel and so on. Besides, with all the new stuff that Ed has been working on and lore being written on supposedly gone elements, you'd expect way more changes and more returning faces than FR 4.1e (and what would the point of a 4.1e FR be anyway? Besides selling novels ofc, but they could have come up with a RSE that is unrelated to the whole ''bring back the old Realms'' matter, like the Sundering was).
The organized play also refers to the 3e FRCS AFAIK.
Yes. Here's what we know about the Sundering:
Old gods return: A number of old gods are reborn or recreated. Mostly due to the reforging of the Tablet of Fate.
The merging caused by the Spellplague reverses: All countries replaced are returned to their pre-spellplague geography and names
The Weave returns: Spellcasting works like it did pre-4e.
The Spellplague is completely healed: No more pockets of Spellplague. Spellscars disappear and Spellplagued creatures vanish
The planes change: Some of the planes are now more distant and hard to get to. The Shadowfell in particular.
Netheril is defeated: Elminister destroyed them and they are cut off from reinforcements from the Shadowfell.
Other than that, we really haven't been given any more information about the changes. Even in the overview panels they gave at conventions. I really don't think there is that much more to it. The novels are a narrow part of the event. But the impression I got from that statement was that although one of the novels tells about one country's geography slowly changing back to what it was pre-spellplague that it is only a small part of it because land all over the world changed...but the novel doesn't say that.
I assume there are some things we don't REALLY know about what has changed and we will have to wait for a FRCS for that information. Questions like: Other than Bhaal and Mystra returning, which other gods return? While the countries were in the world of Abeir, how did they change? Did the Simbul return?
But as for why they'd use the FR 4.1e...It's simple really. Not every change made in 4e was bad. Also, all of it is official history and is written in the novels at this point, so we need to use that as a jumping point. Only 10 years have passed since the 4e book, so there hasn't been much time for a lot of change.
I suspect most of what Ed is writing has to do with the questions I asked above. How do countries stuck in Abeir for 100 years look now that they've returned? WHY did the gods return precisely? Which gods? How do the countries around the world react to the new world order where Dragonborn, Tieflings, and Genasi are plentiful but the Dragonborn and Genasi seats of power suddenly vanish off the face of the planet? I assume Neverwinter might be partially rebuilt over the last 10 years, but still isn't the power it used to be.
Though, I don't expect any HUGE surprises when a FRCS eventually comes out. Keeping the Realms a fairly bland fantasy world is good for business because it means they can continue to set adventure paths there without DMs needing to know too many quirks of the Realms.
