Are you excited about the Forgotten Realms setting changes?

[Ripzerai]

First off, the negative posts are way more fun to read than the positive ones. I think the reason is that personal opinions are boring, but when people angrily dis WotC I can bask in the schadenfreude.

I am sympathetic toward the long-time fans who feel like their favorite world's been trashed. I feel like people who aren't long-time fans weighing in gives something of a carpetbagger impression, like giving the local Baptist church a say in how Yom Kippur will be observed this year.

As for me, I voted "Who the hell is Drizzt?" I know damn well who he is (I read the novels in high school), but I like to pretend I don't.

 

[Faraer]

I am sympathetic toward the long-time fans who feel like their favorite world's been trashed.

Thank you. I'm sympathetic towards the people who are more enthusiastic than I am, but some of their posts are pretty callous about what's being lost, like the selfish calls for Dragon not to feature setting-specific articles or for Polyhedron to be removed from Dungeon.

 

[La Bete]

First off, the negative posts are way more fun to read than the positive ones. I think the reason is that personal opinions are boring, but when people angrily dis WotC I can bask in the schadenfreude.

I know it isn't in the spirit of things to enjoy it, but I must admit to feeling the same way* - it makes me want to lay all the hate and venom in a line and pull out a fifty-pound note.

I voted like the realms, like the changes. Fundamentally in the unlikely event the FR 4e stuff sucks, I'll pull out the 3e gear. But just reading therecent articles has had the idea gland pumping.

(* Please god, let them do a 4e Dark Sun or Planescape. The nerd rage will be enough to shift the earth in it's orbit.)

 

[Ruin Explorer]

(* Please god, let them do a 4e Dark Sun or Planescape. The nerd rage will be enough to shift the earth in it's orbit.)

I suspect pathetic nerd-gratitude would severely diminish the quality and quantity of nerd-rage associated with a "straight" 4E DS or PS. However, if they re-wrote it in a way that really just pee'd all over the entire concept and feel of the original, well, then we'd seem some sparks fly.

 

[EATherrian]

I didn't vote because my choice wasn't obvious. I like what I'm seeing in general, but I'll wait until I can read the product to decide. I've been a fan of the Realms since the Grey Box, but haven't run a game there since they took back Sembia from player control and all of my hard-work was gone. Not really gone, but you get the picture. The weight of the canon is something all older settings have to deal with, and we'll see how WoTC does here.

 

[La Bete]

I suspect pathetic nerd-gratitude would severely diminish the quality and quantity of nerd-rage associated with a "straight" 4E DS or PS. However, if they re-wrote it in a way that really just pee'd all over the entire concept and feel of the original, well, then we'd seem some sparks fly.

Honestly? One mans "straight" would be another mans "rainbow". Whatever they did, there would be a loud faction wailing and gnashing their teeth.

 

[WhatGravitas]

I disliked the Realms as a campaign setting before, now I like it much more. Part of FR's charm was its genericness, or rather being a generic high fantasy world with a long history. However, it became cluttered with many stuff, not all of it was great.

The "new" realms maintain the draw of a rich and deep history (heck, basically all books before became are exceedingly good history supplement!), but the specifics are blank enough to give me, as a DM, these blanks.

Note, I do not need blanks because I fear contradicting material, no blanks are mysteries. These blank parts are often "Here are Dragons!", they make me more imaginative. And with all FR stuff of before, my mind is sent into speculation mode - "what happened to...?"

So many hooks and creative blank spaces are now in the Realms!

After all, that's what I want from a campaign setting: Enough backdrop so I don't have to work on worldbuilding, but enough blanks to send my mind speculating - to get my brain into creative mode. And new FR seems to fill that niche for me, at least high fantasy-wise.

And that's good, because I was lacking a good high fantasy backdrop with the mentioned features. Greyhawk is nice... but I cannot get over some names and similar silliness, Eberron is not high fantasy, and the rest is usually not very generic as well.

As a backdrop for stories, the old FR were a notch better... but if I want a compelling world, I'd rather delve deeper into real history, Tolkien or other worldbuilders.

Cheers, LT.

 

[vulcan_idic]

I'm a fan of the changes and the original. I will play in both - more places, ways and ideas to play in is never teh problem - the reverse however is bad. In short - I don't care too much about the "sandbox" I'm playing in as long a I'm getting to play. As far as making "changes" I just see it as an expansion to the playground - I can play in the old playground *and* the new - what's not to like?!!

 

[Darth Cyric]

Do you want to elaborate on that statement because I don't have Cloak and Dagger 2e product?

In a nutshell, because it would take a small novel:

- Glossing over the consequences of the Harper Schism.

- Resurrecting Bane was just flat out lame. And I do NOT want to see anyone using the Tyrantfire as an excuse.

- Turning what would've been an intriguing subplot involving the "young officer" Scyllua into a chick FR version of Anakin Skywalker's fall.

- Disposing of Orgauth so conveniently. Gheh. Even leaving a whole bunch of plotholes between C&D and the 3e FR in its explanation.

Just a few. Like I said, I could write a book on how 3e screwed up Cloak and Dagger if I felt inclined to.

 

[TerraDave]

Ah yes, the Realms...


A setting so nice

They nuked it twice