2010: Is it Dragonlance? (hint)

[Dausuul]

Another issue that is important to me, is that the old settings had very defined art/styles, which was vital for their "feel".

Well, there's a clue we could look for. If we hear that someone from WotC has been talking to Brom or Larry Elmore, we'll know which setting to expect.

(Actually, Brom would only narrow it down to Dark Sun or Planescape, since he established the visual styles of both. And Larry Elmore is all over the place in old-school D&D. But if it's between Dark Sun and Dragonlance, there you are.)

 

[Hjorimir]

The thinking seems to be thus:

1) The setting's all about the heroes and events in the novels, therefore my PCs and what they do will be irrelevant, and eventually overwhelmed by canon events taking place in those novels.
2) The original Dragonlance modules are a railroad, and are basically playing out the novels (nevermind that the modules predate the novels). See point 1.

I don't agree entirely, but that seems to be the concensus.

I think you're spot on with the general consensus, but I don't agree with it. The same thing can be said about Star Wars and SWSE has been a great success and can be quite fun to play.

Assuming DL is the next setting, I'm hoping they move the timeline forward to a point where the events of the Chronicles and Twins are distant memory (maybe even legend) and create a sandbox for new heroes. Maybe the novels alaready did this, but I never read anything past the first two series (which I loved).

 

[ki11erDM]

*filling out his Dragonlance form*
After reading more of this tread I still don’t think it is DL. It is too easy… The Rouse has you all hoodwinked. (If it is it damn well better be a reboot)

edit: And Cam's post below this one is an perfect example of why DL is not the next setting.

 

[Cam Banks]

I see a great deal of "I don't know what they did with DL in 3.5" or "I never read past the first novels" or "I have no idea what DL is other than what people tell me."

MWP's Dragonlance products can still be found, often cheap (since they're 3.5) and there's no shortage of access to Dragonlance novels in bookstores and online stores. Margaret and Tracy are completing the three-part Lost Chronicles series this year in time for the 25th Anniversary (which is 2009, believe it or not) and these "fill in the gaps" between the original trilogy. There are new and exciting novels set in the current era, after the War of Souls, and there's a "visit interesting periods of Dragonlance history" series called the Anvil of Time which I kicked off with The Sellsword.

Not to mention the outstanding and exhaustive Dragonlance fansite at Dragonlance Nexus: Unofficial Dragonlance Lexicon, News, Fan Art, Gaming Rules, and Product Information or the high-traffic forums at Dragonlance Forums.com - Community Message Boards of the Dragonlance Nexus.

If you want to explore the world more, or have any interest in it, or simply don't know what's been going on for the past quarter century, you could do much worse than check these things out.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Charwoman Gene]

(Actually, Brom would only narrow it down to Dark Sun or Planescape, since he established the visual styles of both.

Brom may have cone some work you remember for PS, but visual style was all Tony DiTerlizzi.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I've seen this sentiment over and over on this thread, and I have to ask if this is based on the original modules or not. For the critics who say it's a better novel world, have you given the 3.5 version a shot? Is it fear of messing with continuity that's holding some back?

I tried 3.5...I had the same problems as when I played in 2e...great world lots of fluff, fun ideas... kenders being played as kleptos, and when I dislike them in game I get called out by EVERY NPC becuse they are sooo cute...followed by tinkerer gnomes that make every other scean into jokes...

however we did use the mystic class for our other games

I've not found it hard to play at all. In fact, I find it more enjoyable to play than most worlds.

have you played ebberon...or Birthright if you go back enough...

Now I understand that DL isn't for everyone, but why is this such a strong sentiment?

again I like the world...just not for playing in...

1) The setting's all about the heroes and events in the novels, therefore my PCs and what they do will be irrelevant, and eventually overwhelmed by canon events taking place in those novels.

this seamed like a much smaller problem becuse unlike the realms there were only a few heros stated...so you could adventure int he aftermath

2) The original Dragonlance modules are a railroad, and are basically playing out the novels (nevermind that the modules predate the novels).

yes, I remember thinking I had no choice at the age of 13 playing these....and trust me all our games were on rails when we look back...but these still stood out...

I don't agree entirely, but that seems to be the concensus.

can we aleast get a concensus that the small races were destoryed by lack of an overall auther...(What I mean is in the novels the auther controls when something funny or endearing, or strange happens, so it never really messes witht he story...in a game ther are PCs and GMs and no one of them has that control)

 

[Jester David]

Looks like Dragonlance is a lock for the 2010 setting.
I had my money on Dark Sun as well, but it's not a total shocker. Dragonlance does have some solid support and a novel line that still sells well.


Dragonlance might be really, really tricky through. I can't see it doing well at all!

Mostly because which Dragonlance do you do?
Do you do the classic Dragonlance of the War of the Lance and the original novels? But that does tend to lock the future into what's already happened.
Or do you do the SAGA Dragonlance of the Dragon Overlords?
Or do you do the modern War of the Souls Dragonlance? But it's completely different from the classic novels new fans will likely start with?

Picking the classic seems the best way for new fans but alienates those who've been following the world for years. Picking the current incarnation or skipping ahead alienates the fans of the classic world and will cause cries of "FR nuking" from those unfamiliar with the recent changes.

There's also the big issue of MWP content (Margaret Weis Press, formerly Sovereign press).
They managed the 3e Dragonlance line with some of the best fluff the line has ever see (great, great books), but fairly terrible crunch. Average 3PP stuff.
Does the brand new official books acknowledge what has happened in that line (such as the death of the last Dragon Overlord)? Can they use the fluff from those books for shared continuity? Will the writers from that line have input in the new books or will it be generic WotC staff?

I envision the latter with Wizbro using in-house writers, which might annoy fans of the MWP line and its writers (who are quite active and popular in that community). I expect lots of new contradictions and breaks from canon.

 

[Caliber]

Looks like Dragonlance is a lock for the 2010 setting.

Did I miss something?

 

[Jack99]

Did I miss something?

It's called an opinion I think.

As I mentioned earlier, I think we are being played...

 

[Maggan]

I could be wrong, but I recall someone from Wizards mentioning it, a couple of years ago (here, I think). I may misremember, or it might have been that the collected settings didn't make any profit.

You might be thinking of this quote from Ryan Dancey:

We listened when customers told us that they didn't want the confusing, jargon filled world of Planescape

Taken from here:

Ryan Dancey on the Acquisition of TSR

/M