D&D 4E 4e Setting Search?

[Vradna]

Did a quick search through the forums to see if this had been asked; I couldn't, so apologies if that has been around the buoy before.

Will there be a setting search for 4th Edition?

Just curious.

 

[Alikar]

I believe that WoTC will work on another setting search when they need it. Looking at Ebberon we can clearly see WoTC desired such a setting when interest in their own settings was wanning and third party material was on the rise. Another thing to consider is that WoTC (I believe) has stated that they want to release a campaign setting every year. With about 4 major settings I can see them releasing, that means in about 4 years time they will begin looking for another setting. The best thing is that in my opinion the next campaign search will be even larger next time, especially after people have seen the support behind the previous search.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Don't forget that when WotC acquired Eberron, they also purchased the two runners-up. So between those two mystery settings, Eberron, FR, the plethora of old settings that could potentially be revived in the short-term*, and the fact that I'm sure most of the folks at WotC have their own campaign setting ideas, I doubt they'll feel the need to do a new setting search any time soon.

*Such as for a single year, if the "one campaign setting/year" holds true. I don't think it's been officially confirmed, though, so we shouldn't make assumptions.

 

[Green Knight]

Personally, I'd prefer that they remake older settings, rather then start churning out new settings. I want to see Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Birthright get made before they put out anything new. Ravenloft, especially (My personal preference, of course, but as far as I'm concerned, my personal preference is the only one that counts ). If it were up to me, the order would be as follows...

- Forgotten Realms
- Ravenloft
- Eberron
- Greyhawk
- Planescape
- Birthright
- Dark Sun

 

[MightyTev]

Maybe the third setting will be Planescape, and will feature sourcebooks for Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc. They could bring out one hardcover with limited information about each setting, then expand upon each one with smaller books similar to the Living Greyhawk Gazeteer.

 

[lrsach01]

Personally, I'd prefer that they remake older settings, rather then start churning out new settings. I want to see Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Planescape, Dark Sun, and Birthright get made before they put out anything new. Ravenloft, especially (My personal preference, of course, but as far as I'm concerned, my personal preference is the only one that counts ). If it were up to me, the order would be as follows...

- Forgotten Realms
- Ravenloft
- Eberron
- Greyhawk
- Planescape
- Birthright
- Dark Sun

Don't forget Dragonlance. Although, with the high quality stuff from MWP, I can see DL coming much later....but before Planescape.

 

[Jer]

Don't forget that when WotC acquired Eberron, they also purchased the two runners-up.

Did they acquire both runners-up? I thought they got the winner and one runner-up - Eberron and whatever setting Rich Burlew submitted. Was there a third one too, and who's was it?

*Such as for a single year, if the "one campaign setting/year" holds true. I don't think it's been officially confirmed, though, so we shouldn't make assumptions.

Yeah, I haven't seen that confirmed either. As much as I'd like it to be true, I suspect it's a bit of "wishful thinking" on some of our parts. I really would like to see some of the older campaign settings get some love, but I also know that the economics of campaign settings are a bit wonky AND that managing fan expectations for a campaign setting line of books can be tough.

Although, I wonder how successful White Wolf's "limited run" games have been. That could be a model for a "campaign setting per year" that would be sustainable, and not cause Wizards to fall into the out of control setting trap that TSR fell into in the 90s. Limit the support for a setting to 5-6 books, release those all over a 6-12 month span, then start up the next campaign setting. It could work, especially for settings with smaller but rabid fanbases. (And it might even get some folks who don't want to commit to a new CS to pick up the books if they know that there are only going to be 5 or 6 books total).

 

[Green Knight]

Don't forget Dragonlance. Although, with the high quality stuff from MWP, I can see DL coming much later....but before Planescape.

I didn't forget Dragonlance. Though is it still being published by Sovereign Press, or did WoTC yank that licence the way they yanked Ravenloft away from White Wolf?

(And it might even get some folks who don't want to commit to a new CS to pick up the books if they know that there are only going to be 5 or 6 books total).

That's a good idea. While I'd love to see a Ravenloft line as expansive as Forgotten Realms, I'd be more then happy to have half-a-dozen books or so, especially if a couple of them are in the 320 page range. I'd be glad to drop $40 a few 320 page Ravenloft books. Even better, make a $50 400 page Campaign Setting book. That would be utterly amazing.

 

[Umbran]

Personally, I'd prefer that they remake older settings, rather then start churning out new settings.

We now get into the argument also often seen in the movie business - to make a new movie, or to make a sequel/remake of an old work?

I'm a homebrewer, myself. I've never seen a published setting that does enough of what I want to take them whole. If I use them at all, it is a mine for different ideas. And for that purpose, rehashing old settings does very little for me.

I don't know if they'll need another setting search or not to accomplish it, but I'm not terribly interested in a a remake.

 

[Jer]

I didn't forget Dragonlance. Though is it still being published by Sovereign Press, or did WoTC yank that licence the way they yanked Ravenloft away from White Wolf?

Wizards had an announcement a little while back that they'd come to an agreement with Sovereign Press over the DL publication, so it looks Sovereign still has the license.

That's a good idea. While I'd love to see a Ravenloft line as expansive as Forgotten Realms, I'd be more then happy to have half-a-dozen books or so, especially if a couple of them are in the 320 page range. I'd be glad to drop $40 a few 320 page Ravenloft books. Even better, make a $50 400 page Campaign Setting book. That would be utterly amazing.

For purely personal financial reasons, I'd really like to keep the campaign setting books at the $40 price range - $50 just gets too hard for me to justify purchasing (though there might be one or two settings that I'd break that rule for - Planescape is one). I'd rather see them include whatever extra 80 pages would be in the campaign setting in a Player's Guide to ... book, or in some other book in the 5-6 limited run.

The one problem I have is that I'm not sure what all you'd want to put in a "limited run" of books for a campaign setting - it certainly wouldn't be enough books to do a set of detailed "regional sourcebooks" as has been done in the past. The Eberron model might be a pretty good one to look at, since I think the two "Secrets of" books hit the right mix of "useful at the table" and "worldbuilding" to work out allright (the "Explorer's Handbook" also almost hits this mix - but Secrets of Xendrick does it a bit better). I also really like the Eberron Player's book - it's a bit encyclopedic, but it's a nice way to get players up to speed with the world.

I'd also hope (again for purely personal, selfish, time-related reasons) that there could be at least one "Campaign Adventure" or "Adventure Path" book in the mix - something that makes it easy for me to build a mini-campaign for my players in the setting without having to either come up with my own adventures or hammering in adventures from other settings to get something I can run for a few months. That would definitely increase the utility of a Campaign Setting line to me.