D&D 5E Everyone happy the starter set will be based in the Realms?

[Jester David]

It's easy enough to change the setting of the adventures.
Having a set setting helps from an art standpoint, as WotC can just refer to the art guides for different cultures and locations, so artists aren't reinventing a culture every time. WotC just needs to refer to a Cormyrian or a Thayan or someone from Chult.

The Realms is a nice well established setting, so it works as a diverse setting for adventure. Greyhawk is more of a blank slate, and Dragonlance has problems, and most of the rest are just not standard fantasy settings.

 

[Agamon]

Really? You never played any RPGs at all before you began DMing?


Well you are the second person I've ever known of you started DMing without ever having played. By the of chance, did you start in '74 too?

Ooh, ooh! I'm #3!

I didn't start until '81 though. I was only 1 in '74.

 

[fjw70]

I don't really care. I will probably run it in my own setting (which is based on the Nentir Vale) anyway. I have already introduced Neverwinter in that setting.

 

[Henry]

In my opinion the "best" version of the Realms is whatever someone else likes and I never have to play in.




I hate the Realms. I'm a Mystara (no Hollow Earth or Moon nonsense though) and have been since I picked up my first setting guide The Grand Duchy of Karameikos oh so long ago.

*raises hand*

Make me number 4 on your list. A lot of us Moldvay basic players started from scratch buying the box, soaking up the material like sponges, and running some very crappy games until we got the ropes. In fact, I was a Mystara player before it was Mystara, for the VERY same situation you said doesn't matter - the "known world" was the setting for Basic and Expert sets, which included the Tanegioth archipelago, the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, etc. they included a Known World map in the blue book (i think) and module X1 which tied directly into that setting. So yeah, what is used as an example for beginners does matter IMO.

As for the Forgotten Realms, I like it just for the fact that I'll get to see what they're doing to smooth out the rough edges that IMO got put on with that cataclysm and 100-year fast forward from 4e which really turned me off.

 

[evileeyore]

Ooh, ooh! I'm #3!

I didn't start until '81 though. I was only 1 in '74.

I came out when oD&D did... oD&D was born in late March of '74 right?

 

[MerricB]

Although I am a huge fan of Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms makes a lot more sense to place the starter adventure, along with all of Organised Play. Greyhawk just doesn't have the continuity a setting really needs - it's spent too long being neglected. As a result, it's a great setting for my homebrew games (and I really hope Mike Mearls releases a 576 CY Greyhawk Campaign Setting as he's sort of mentioned he might), but there is far more of a shared experience with the Realms.

Cheers!

 

[evileeyore]

*raises hand*

Make me number 4 on your list.

Yes, well I rather expect the old guard DMs to largely be made up of your kind (the "learned to roleplay and DM at the same time").


My point however still stands. These days newbs are far less likely to be inducted into roleplaying by a other newbs. Specially with so many CRPGs being most kids 'gateway drugs'.

 

[SkidAce]

*raises hand*

Make me number 4 on your list. A lot of us Moldvay basic players started from scratch buying the box, soaking up the material like sponges, and running some very crappy games until we got the ropes. In fact, I was a Mystara player before it was Mystara, for the VERY same situation you said doesn't matter - the "known world" was the setting for Basic and Expert sets, which included the Tanegioth archipelago, the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, etc. they included a Known World map in the blue book (i think) and module X1 which tied directly into that setting. So yeah, what is used as an example for beginners does matter IMO.

#5.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Answered NO, I understand why they did it, the Realms are known and by now a large percentage of gamers have the material in some edition but I am not a fan.

Oh, I was DMing for 4 years before I ever played in a game as a character.

 

[Henry]

Yes, well I rather expect the old guard DMs to largely be made up of your kind (the "learned to roleplay and DM at the same time").


My point however still stands. These days newbs are far less likely to be inducted into roleplaying by a other newbs. Specially with so many CRPGs being most kids 'gateway drugs'.

True, but because of those very same computer games, new players are more likely to take what's at face value than go to the trouble of something new, if they have no dislike of the material.