D&D 5E Planescape shows up in the wild. Tease from Chris Perkins.

[LordEntrails]

From my perspective, in the vast majority of cases, it is. Depth means more of everything, good and bad, and ignoring the bad is a heck of a lot easier than manufacturing the good.

Then go have an AI create you 10,000 pages of 5E Planescape. Sure it will all be crap, but since you think quantity is required you can have all the quantity you want.

I much prefer quality and conciseness over quantity. I have no interest in depth of bad or flowery prose. A few bullet points and specific details is much better than walls of text.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Right. You're free not to like it. Unfortunately, you're on here saying things like his art is "a meaningless link to the past if his art is different (meaningless for any reason other than enticing veterans to buy something anyway)." As if there's no possible way that a new D&D fan could like his art. (If anything, a new D&D fan is very likely to like his art more than any of us old 'uns).

Anyhow, this is getting in to typical ENWorld territory where someone says "I don't like X" and another responds with "I do like X" and the first (or someone else) says "You're saying that I'm not allowed to not like X" and the other group responds with "YOU'RE saying that I'M not allowed to LIKE X!"

Everyone is allowed their opinions.

New fans may very well like his new art, that not relevant to my point, which is that the reason they chose him over someone else is because he worked on the old project, to the point where that art is strongly associated with the setting. He no longer makes that art, so now the reason to use him is that his name will increase sales.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Then go have an AI create you 10,000 pages of 5E Planescape. Sure it will all be crap, but since you think quantity is required you can have all the quantity you want.

I much prefer quality and conciseness over quantity. I have no interest in depth of bad or flowery prose. A few bullet points and specific details is much better than walls of text.

Better for you, you mean.

I see no proof of quality in WotC's recent work.

 

[Imaro]

Better for you, you mean.

I see no proof of quality in WotC's recent work.

Why even come to a thread about a new release then? You don't like the art, you're sure the quality will be horrible... well then why are you even involved in a conversation around it, it seems your mind is made up.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

New fans may very well like his new art, that not relevant to my point, which is that the reason they chose him over someone else is because he worked on the old project, to the point where that art is strongly associated with the setting. He no longer makes that art, so now the reason to use him is that his name will increase sales.

I mean, you're not wrong, but you're not really saying anything much at all.

Of course they hired him because he's the original artist. Which fans will enjoy, even if all they ever do is hear "WotC hired TD to do the Planescape art again. Good on them." without ever looking at the books.

When seeing it, Some old fans will say, "I don't like how his art has changed." Some will say, "I love how his art has changed." Some new fans will like it, some won't.

Where are we getting here? Not far.

(Though I WILL throw in that there IS another reason to use him that you're ignoring: Because they like his current art and think that others will too.)

 

[darjr]

Well if you like it and want more you should buy it. They came made more of a thing because it was a good seller. All the sword coast adventures and the Ravenloft stuff. For two examples.

 

[Xamnam]

He no longer makes that art, so now the reason to use him is that his name will increase sales.

That's a very strong statement. As a fan of that art, I absolutely see the modern stuff as clearly connected and a continuation, if albeit not straight duplication, of the older style. The reason I like it is because I see it as expansive on the original work, and that's a phenomenal and irreplicable reason to ask him specifically to do this. To say all that matters is his name is to do DiTerlizzi very short shrift, in my opinion.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

They're not going to follow it up with a giant product line, but there's reason to think that more Planescape-related material will be available in the future, when it fits into the schedule, and if there seems to be demand for it.

They're just not pumping out the books. That method led to TSR's ruin. It makes us impatient, I understand! I'm impatient for more myself. (I'd like Darksun, so...) But they'd destroy their momentum if they put out too much material too quickly. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Why even come to a thread about a new release then? You don't like the art, you're sure the quality will be horrible... well then why are you even involved in a conversation around it, it seems your mind is made up.

A comment was made about the art in the new product (which I can't help but hear a ton about, like everything WotC makes for D&D), and I have an opinion about that.

For the record, if the new product adds positively to a setting I care about and that means a lot to me, I wouldn't care about the art at all (I usually don't anyway, but the old Planescape work really spoke to me). For reasons mostly having to do with WotC's previous design work on settings, I have grave reservations that the new product will be worth the exorbitant price they're charging for it, but if I'm wrong I'm sure the voluminous coverage every new WotC D&D product gets will show me the error of my ways.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's a very strong statement. As a fan of that art, I absolutely see the modern stuff as clearly connected and a continuation, if albeit not straight duplication, of the older style. The reason I like it is because I see it as expansive on the original work, and that's a phenomenal and irreplicable reason to ask him specifically to do this. To say all that matters is his name is to do DiTerlizzi very short shrift, in my opinion.

I'm allowed to prefer his previous work, thank you. I'm also allowed to speculate on WotC's motivations.