D&D 5E How should 5th edition introduce the remaining classic settings?

[Dire Bare]

I would like to see what folks could do on DMsGuild with some of the settings not likely to see new versions anytime soon. Being one of those kids that was introduced by way of BECMI, I would love to see community efforts on Mystara.

I also want them to open up Gamma World, too, but that's never going to happen. As someone that worked on a version of Gamma World, I would LOVE to get my hands on it as a DMsGuild creator.

Never say never . . . they certainly could and might, someday . . . but, yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Tricky part is for Gamma World, Star Frontiers, and other "sister" games to D&D . . . do they open up the rules content for those games? Or just the setting material? They might not want alternate rules systems on the DM's Guild, and might feel that allowing Gamma World setting material but only using D&D 5E rules might not work well.

 

[The Glen]

Also are they going to 3rd party them? Top Secret was just updated by another company so that's always a possibility.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The kickstarter or other crowdfunding plataforms are for "little fish". WotC is too big and rich for this.

We aren't talking about crunch, neither about remakes, but how to continue the old lines, and this needs a lot of time and work. Do you remember Dragonlance 5th Age? They can't allow themself a "jumping the shark".

* Red Steel/Savage Coast, a spin-off of Mystara could be a good way to test firearms or even a softer/lighter version of superpowers. The Hollow World is right to sell stories about "Hyrboria Age + prehistoric beasts".

I wonder about a possible fake crossover of Mystara with fantasy version of Capcom characters. I would be a beat'tem +ARPG videogame but with lots of different PCs.

* Gamma World is perfect to test the middle step between medieval fantasy and d20 Future. There are firearms but many times the PCs will would rather to fight with melee weapons to save ammo. And it is perfect for fake crossovers with other Hasbro franchises, for example M.A.S.K. There is a open door for a reboot of Gamma World but we will have to await a lot. At least I hope to be unlocked in the DM Guild.

* The challenge is to get a new generation of fandom. Older fans can spend more money but usually they are too busy to play.

 

[Dire Bare]

The kickstarter or other crowdfunding plataforms are for "little fish". WotC is too big and rich for this.

Nope. A common misconception, but completely untrue. Companies big and small use Kickstarter correctly and effectively. Projects that are good for crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) are products that would be difficult to make in a traditional manner, regardless of the size of the company making them.

For WotC to publish a big campaign book for Greyhawk (or any of their classic settings), it would be unclear how many fans would actually purchase such a book. Printing it the traditional way would be a huge risk. Using Kickstarter, they can raise marketing awareness and gauge consumer interest . . . . if not enough fans want to buy the book, the Kickstarter fails and nobody is out money.

 

[Dire Bare]

Also are they going to 3rd party them? Top Secret was just updated by another company so that's always a possibility.

Top Secret is being remade? Is it with a license partnering with WotC . . . . or did WotC let the trademarks to lapse due to indifference, like they did with "TSR" a while back?

 

[atanakar]

Nope. A common misconception, but completely untrue. Companies big and small use Kickstarter correctly and effectively. Projects that are good for crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) are products that would be difficult to make in a traditional manner, regardless of the size of the company making them.

For WotC to publish a big campaign book for Greyhawk (or any of their classic settings), it would be unclear how many fans would actually purchase such a book. Printing it the traditional way would be a huge risk. Using Kickstarter, they can raise marketing awareness and gauge consumer interest . . . . if not enough fans want to buy the book, the Kickstarter fails and nobody is out money.

WoTC actually has a small in-house team. Even if they out source setting books to a third party, they still need to review everything. There is so much they can do in a year. I believe they are already doing as much as they can. Kickstarters would mean even more work for a small team.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Battle royale. Last setting standing gets a setting book.

 

[The Glen]

Top Secret is being remade? Is it with a license partnering with WotC . . . . or did WotC let the trademarks to lapse due to indifference, like they did with "TSR" a while back?

Top Secret NWO was kickstarted by TSRGames back in 2017. I don't know the copyright details but Merle Rasmussen was the author, the original author for 1st edition.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The current strategy by WotC isn't selling higher number of titles, but trying to hook, atract highest number of new players, and the new generations are different, they like different cartoons or videogames. Have you noticed the differences between the new versions and the old cartoons from the 80's? If you want to revive old franchises you can't use the same way.

I also miss those iconic characters, but we have to await. Dark Sun and Ravenloft will come back. Maybe also Kara-Tur, but they have to choose the changes on the lore to adapt the new ideas about "crunch" (for example the possible return of the martial adept classes).

But FR the metaplot of the rest of settings are practically frozen and Hasbro with its scripters from Enternaiment One is going to choose how the stories will continue. This means risks for things worse than the spellplague or the 5th Age in Dragonlance.

 

[The Glen]

The best way I've pitched old settings to new players is comparing them to films or shows. Fury Road? Dark Sun. Witcher? Mystara. First five seasons of Game of Thrones? Greyhawk.

Though I don't try to fit 5th edition classes and races into older settings if they don't fit. Makes the settings stand out more than the kitchen sink realms. Plus many of the settings the lack of classes and races are deliberate so no need to change them.