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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Glyfair" data-source="post: 3773735" data-attributes="member: 53">They have pretty much been written into a corner.  It's been established that if you want to change magic drastically then you have to do something to the Mystara or the Weave, which each affect each other.Given the two choices, I think the choice between the two was quite easy for WotC.  The Realms has had products published for 20 years now, and very consistently.  They are running out of new ground to cover that is attractive to new players in the game.The second part is the most important.  In various discussions FR fans have commented that  certain areas haven't been touched and need fleshing out.  However, most of the things I've seen listed aren't things they are going to get people into the Realms.  YThe years the Realms have behind them have reached the point where that time is a blessing and a curse.  They have a strong fan base (more than Greyhawk's by some reports), but they have a reputation.  Ask your typical non-FR D&D fan about FR and they'll talk about god-like NPCs running around, huge amounts of history that has to be absorbed to understand the setting, and that to get the full understanding of the setting you need to read the novels.What WotC needed to do was find a way to break with that in such a way that it's interesting enough to draw in new fans and those who avoided the setting before, but keep enough that most of the hardcore fans are intrigued and want to buy into the changes (at least enough to try them).  I think this fits the bill in the sort of thing they needed to do.Chris Pramas mentioned that he was afraid 4E would be a "3.75" edition.  A few changes to the system that were just there to make the new edition necessary.  He felt that would be a big mistake.  When he found out at GenCon that 4E was going to be a major break he was in favor of that.  He felt that was the proper way to do a new edition.  Perhaps the same thing applies to FR.  A half-hearted "same old, same old" plot to introduce FR to 4E would have not been the right way to go.  They needed something that would shake things up, make things exciting, and make the new FR books something people would talk about.Is this the exact right ground between the two?  I can't pretend to know that.  Only the future will tell.  It's a tough line to walk, but the effect can't be judged until it's done.</blockquote>

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