How Detailed Would Your Ideal Published Campaign Setting Be?

[Bishop Odo]

I like to see a product that simply does what I can not. I’d like to see, lots of maps, topographical maps also, art, and more art, even landscapes and villages, weather patterns, different languages with vocabulary even common sayings to add spice to world, and real medieval demographics.

There are a lots of good Worlds out there, Harnworld, Shadow World, MERP, old school ICE stuff, but WOTC could bring the 3.5 system and all there resources and do a great job. I also like to see a cohesive world done with strategic or epic gaming in mind, something more like a Birthright, with a time line that changes, nobles die, and events happen. Think of a monthly column and time line with updating world events posted on the WOTC website.

I can roll up characters, or even buy a book with them, but good art, let’s say stick figures don’t always cut it, is somthing i'd buy.

 

[isoChron]

Lots of maps, and npc's as "Name, race, gender, profession (w/o level) and perhaps some rough descriptions (age, hair, clothing ...)".

No NPC stat blocks, please.

Economics, ethnics, politics, religion, landscape, nature, typical weather, local characteristics: YES, PLEASE !

FRCS is quite good but the NPC Stat blocks are less than useful. And more maps, city maps !

 

[Shadeydm]

Much less than the Forgotten Realms but a little bit more than the original Greyhawk boxed set.

 

[kensanata]

I voted for more character stats and more maps, but really I just want more maps. I can fire up NPC Generator 2 in a second for any NPCs, so that's not a problem. But maps... The Kitsunemori setting for example has one regional map, and one very simple temple map. What I would have expected would be: A big Japanese castle, a small Japanese castle, the house of a noble including tea house, lake, gardens, a merchant's house, a small village, a city. No need to provide descriptions with. But enough to give me a head start.

As for the text itself: More is not better. Ideally, everything that is not part of an adventure hook should go. That's how I see it. Every paragraph should be relevant and either explain factions that players can join, artifacts players can find, enemies the players can fight, intrigues that players can be involved in, and so on. Useful fluff.

 

[GlassJaw]

As for the text itself: More is not better. Ideally, everything that is not part of an adventure hook should go. That's how I see it. Every paragraph should be relevant and either explain factions that players can join, artifacts players can find, enemies the players can fight, intrigues that players can be involved in, and so on. Useful fluff.

+1

Long-winded histories are useless to me. Give me a few pages and a timeline and I'm good to go. If you can't sum up how your world got to its current state in a 4-6 pages, you've lost me. I don't need the Silmarillion. Any history should definitely come with a timeline. Like maps, a timeline is a quick way to deliver a lot of info on your setting.