D&D should be for everyone.
I don't see anything about the proposed or past changes which runs against this. In fact, I can only see changes which further this.
But I'm also a huge Ravenloft fan. It was my first setting and the fourth D&D product I ever purchased. So Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft had to be for me and the Ravenloft fans, right? Nope. Also not for me. The ONE product that should have been as easy-like turned out to be the opposite of what I wanted.
Bro, stuff happens.
I mean, I know you don't like "get over it", but you think you're special?
You think you're unique?
You think it's personal?
Nah.
Every single long-running game series or IP or whatever that doesn't have a singular author does this sooner or later (and even some that do). You think I liked the second version of Dark Sun? Or the 4E version? No. You think I liked what they did to Planescape, first completely ruining it at the end of 2E by turning out all the factions, then ignoring it in 3.XE, then doubling down on the ridiculous changes in 4E? No. I guarantee I liked Planescape as much as you like Ravenloft. And they've ignored or debased it since like 1998.
Honestly, I don't even see how VRGtR is even "the opposite" of what you'd like, rather than say, 90 degrees off from what you'd like. To me it looks like retains about 75% of what was important to Ravenloft (on a variety of levels), adds a bunch of stuff which fits fine with that, and maybe changes or tweaks some stuff. I honestly don't think all the changes amount to even as much as killing off the Factions in Planescape. They certainly don't amount to more.
You think I liked the Star Wars prequels? Or the final sequel? Or Shadowrun after 3E? Or The World of Darkness Revised series? Or half the nWoD? Because I didn't. This stuff happens. You're the one who chooses whether you get over it or not. Half the time the stuff you didn't like gets changed back a decade or two later anyway, or is revived in some way. The oWoD outlived the nWoD, in the end, for example. I suspect the 2E Dark Sun may well outlive the 4E one. I'm hopeful the early 2E Sigil and Planescape will outlive the late 2E through 4E idiocy.
It feels like I should give myself the same courtesy and support.
But what, exactly, in your case, does that amount to?
Because it seems like you had a very specific unspoken ask: "Keep Ravenloft exactly as it was in 2E or very close to that"? Am I right? If not, perhaps you could explain exactly what's wrong with 5E RL so I can get it?
It seems like your entire reason for quitting D&D, and refusing to play 6E is because of a single 5E setting book? I mean, you do you, that's a legitimate reason. I don't disrespect it. If they bring out a Planescape book, and it's a total triple-down on the late 2E through 4E "three letter acronym" vision of Sigil, with no Factions or few and scattered, I honestly... well I probably wouldn't buy D&D books for a few years at the very least.
But you're characterising this as them abandoning an entire generation, and it seems like "They revised my favourite setting and now I'm done with them!", which is pretty different.
As an aside, the biggest Ravenloft fan in any of my groups is my brother, who has run and love RL since early 2E and the boxed set. And we have a couple of other big RL fans. All of them liked VGRtR. Two of them wished it was more in-depth, had more detail, maybe was a nice boxed set with some poster maps and stuff, but they liked the basic deal and felt it was one of the better versions of RL. They're all 40-ish.
We don't know what percentage of the current young fanbase will grow out of the game and view it as a fad or something they did as kids.
We don't, that's absolutely right.
But the basic math is very simple.
The more people who play it now, the more you are likely to retain.
Yeah, there might be nuance, but all the changes are aimed at increasing long-term retention of this massive new audience. People under 40 are 87% of D&D players now. People under 30 are the majority. The more of those who stay, the better.
I don't see any evidence that what WotC are driving for isn't "a healthy middle ground", I should note. I haven't seen that argued in any detail or with any specifics. I've played D&D since 1989, and to me, this is what a "healthy middle ground" looks like. Yeah, I do think the lack of height/weight and genericization of lifespan/aging are perhaps being a tad silly, but I understand the reasoning (and certainly making it so all humanoid races take about 18-20 years to reach adulthood is just very smart/wise because it avoids so much potential squick, c.f. the horror show that was Neelix's "girlfriend" in VOY).
