Jester David
Hero
Maybe. They might be able to swap the percentage of Greyhawk and the Realms.
But if the numbers are accurate a shockingly low percentage play Eberron and Dark Sun, which did receive support in 3e and/or 4e, unlike Greyhawk.
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D&D 5E Settings played in D&D: cause or effect?
- Thread starter Morrus
- Start date
But if the numbers are accurate a shockingly low percentage play Eberron and Dark Sun, which did receive support in 3e and/or 4e, unlike Greyhawk.
Corpsetaker
First Post
The only way to get any type of real information is if they created equal amounts of product for three worlds and see what sells the best.
Hriston
Dungeon Master of Middle-earth
This makes me wonder why they don't produce more setting-neutral material for the majority of players who play in a home-brew setting. It's probably a big turn-off to these players that only products with large story-arcs that would be disruptive to a home-brew world are available, not to mention having to change names and other elements that would tie the adventure to a particular canned setting. I'm sure a lot of these players would like to occasionally plop down an isolated adventure into their home-brew to save on prep-time. I had no idea there were so many more home-brew games than games that use a published setting.
I assumed the number Chris were using were from before the 5e releases and not after 12-15 months of realms stuff.
It is interesting that I am recently interested in the realms for the first time in my gaming life (started in '82) but I won't be running the 5e AP for now. I will be using older realms materials.
It is interesting that I am recently interested in the realms for the first time in my gaming life (started in '82) but I won't be running the 5e AP for now. I will be using older realms materials.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I assume there is a significant portion of home brewers who buy any setting stuff that looks cool to do that work, and when added to the realms number it is huge...
The problem is a few of those realms have serious changes to the game to make possible. I for one loved Dark Sun in 2ED. However i stopped playing before 3.5ED for a long time. I recently picked it back up and getting full swing into it. I think as time goes on some more games will be based upon those other places. I think most games are partial homebrew anyways with house rules and such.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
Of course.
The argument, for years now, has been: we have so much for the realms, so we do stuff for the realms.
I guess in their defense, they do have all that data we don't. From that they conclude that a big dark sun push, for example just would not have the same impact. (In the past polls here have shown a lot of planescape love and strong support for greyhawk. I don't know that counts for much).
More importantly, out of all there more mainstream fantasy settings, there decision to focus on the realms seems strongly self perpetuating. There can only be one, and they have picked it.
On the other hand, its not like they have actually bet that much on the realms. There is no actual full blown campaign setting for it. No regular online support. Not nearly as much as people act like.
They just aren't releasing stuff for anything else.
The argument, for years now, has been: we have so much for the realms, so we do stuff for the realms.
I guess in their defense, they do have all that data we don't. From that they conclude that a big dark sun push, for example just would not have the same impact. (In the past polls here have shown a lot of planescape love and strong support for greyhawk. I don't know that counts for much).
More importantly, out of all there more mainstream fantasy settings, there decision to focus on the realms seems strongly self perpetuating. There can only be one, and they have picked it.
On the other hand, its not like they have actually bet that much on the realms. There is no actual full blown campaign setting for it. No regular online support. Not nearly as much as people act like.
They just aren't releasing stuff for anything else.
hawkeyefan
Legend
I think it's likely a little of both. I would imagine that newer players...those having started in 5E...are playing in the Realms because it's the default option, and they may not know about the other settings.
For older players, I imagine it has a lot to do with the amount of material they've produced for the Realms, and the level of detail of that material. Dozens of not hundreds of novels, material from all 5 editions. There's also a lot of variety to be had in the material...the regions and storylines are pretty varied.
While I wouldn't mind seeing some material for the other settings, I would expect them to be very cautious about how they do so. If the data they have indicated that the audience for Mystara material is small, then they're better off not risking that.
Those that are that determined to play in Mystara can adapt the FR stuff they do produce. The fact that the majority of players homebrew seems to imply that folks are not averse to repurposing the published material.
For older players, I imagine it has a lot to do with the amount of material they've produced for the Realms, and the level of detail of that material. Dozens of not hundreds of novels, material from all 5 editions. There's also a lot of variety to be had in the material...the regions and storylines are pretty varied.
While I wouldn't mind seeing some material for the other settings, I would expect them to be very cautious about how they do so. If the data they have indicated that the audience for Mystara material is small, then they're better off not risking that.
Those that are that determined to play in Mystara can adapt the FR stuff they do produce. The fact that the majority of players homebrew seems to imply that folks are not averse to repurposing the published material.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
FR and Greyhawk have the big advantage of being generic enough that just about anyone can shoehorn their own setting into them without too much trouble. (then again, so is Mystara/Known World; odd that more people don't use these)
Dark Sun, Planescape, Eberron, Ravenloft and a bunch of others are more specialized and thus will mostly attract only those who are interested in their particular genre. Also, it's much more possible to chuck a genre campaign into a generic setting (e.g. a gothic horror campaign in the FR) than to take a genre setting and try to make it something it isn't. All told, no big surprises here.
Even though they're more work, homebrews are attractive mostly because a) DMs can put their own ideas into practice and b) using one kicks established-setting canon lawyers to the curb.
For my own part my big campaigns have been in order: full homebrew, FR-based homebrew, and full homebrew.
Lan-"are homebrew campaigns the D&D equivalent of moonshine?"-efan
Dark Sun, Planescape, Eberron, Ravenloft and a bunch of others are more specialized and thus will mostly attract only those who are interested in their particular genre. Also, it's much more possible to chuck a genre campaign into a generic setting (e.g. a gothic horror campaign in the FR) than to take a genre setting and try to make it something it isn't. All told, no big surprises here.
Even though they're more work, homebrews are attractive mostly because a) DMs can put their own ideas into practice and b) using one kicks established-setting canon lawyers to the curb.
For my own part my big campaigns have been in order: full homebrew, FR-based homebrew, and full homebrew.
Lan-"are homebrew campaigns the D&D equivalent of moonshine?"-efan
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
I am so freaking tired of FR. I've been playing in it on and off since the late '80s. Even back then it was too complex for me to know all of the parts without reading all of the novels and such. Trying to play a bard without putting in homework to read bunches of novels of wildly varying quality, ugh.
And the NPCs. Oh my god. Super powerful with divine backing that are willing to not do somethign so the players can adventure.
I've never RUN the Realms because I can't run a world that the players know significantly more about than I do. "Oh, that sigil means that the Red Wizards are involved, and since we're near myth drannor obviously they are looking for elven 10th level magic." "Umm, no, I just made up a sigil." or "Oh, we're near Waterdeep, have our characters heard rumors about the well in the inn or other means to travel to Undermountain or Skullport?" "Whoswhat to where?"
It's been patched and plastered so many times to make it Fresh(tm) and New(tm).
I actively dislike the FR. Seeing FR on a product is a turn off. (Luckily, 5e is such a great edition it doesn't dilute that.)
Try producing another setting early in release cycle for three editions of D&D and then compare the numbers. Because as Morris says, they are assuming correlation is causality and people are playing FR because they prefer it, and not even evaluating that only having one officially supported campaign may make have something to do with why it was picked.
Actually, I've got a possible test. Let's ask a bunch of Pathfinder players if they run in the Forgotten Realms. There is plenty of 3.x FR material that's easily compatible, and I'd hazard to say that many pathfinder players are either former D&D players or have played games that former D&D players have run. If FR is actually a popular setting, I would expect that we would see a significant number of PF players who have kept it.
And the NPCs. Oh my god. Super powerful with divine backing that are willing to not do somethign so the players can adventure.
I've never RUN the Realms because I can't run a world that the players know significantly more about than I do. "Oh, that sigil means that the Red Wizards are involved, and since we're near myth drannor obviously they are looking for elven 10th level magic." "Umm, no, I just made up a sigil." or "Oh, we're near Waterdeep, have our characters heard rumors about the well in the inn or other means to travel to Undermountain or Skullport?" "Whoswhat to where?"
It's been patched and plastered so many times to make it Fresh(tm) and New(tm).
I actively dislike the FR. Seeing FR on a product is a turn off. (Luckily, 5e is such a great edition it doesn't dilute that.)
Try producing another setting early in release cycle for three editions of D&D and then compare the numbers. Because as Morris says, they are assuming correlation is causality and people are playing FR because they prefer it, and not even evaluating that only having one officially supported campaign may make have something to do with why it was picked.
Actually, I've got a possible test. Let's ask a bunch of Pathfinder players if they run in the Forgotten Realms. There is plenty of 3.x FR material that's easily compatible, and I'd hazard to say that many pathfinder players are either former D&D players or have played games that former D&D players have run. If FR is actually a popular setting, I would expect that we would see a significant number of PF players who have kept it.
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