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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silverblade The Ench" data-source="post: 4446350" data-attributes="member: 19083">Keefe,well, by "lowest common denominator", I reffer ot the fact that that the music and film industry is in deep kak. One has seen catastrophic falls in sales, yet still tries to blame anything other than the fact they have backed/wanted cheap pap, rather than pay and support quality. So music scene has imploded, with more folk looking for artists in non-traditional way (I don'tmean illegla stuff, I mean, rather than buy the over priced bloat CDs, they go to concerts, buy individual tracks direct form musuician's own sites).Then, for film, since the corporate "bean counters" have total sway, they only back "Known successful material", this means we are getting a huge load of rubbish re-makes and sequels.We may lambast the old studios for abusing the stars, but at least many of them loved making great pictures.For the FRCG book, I refference that entire sad debacle, because it seems ot me, that FR4 th ed, has come foorm the same stable of outlook: "Keep it simple, keep it cheap!"To paraphrase a cheap conjuror <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />The art work is fine. Some of the concepts are fine, but over all, it's a cheap, lousy, tasteless "self-service meal".It doesn't stick to my ribs. it doesn't make me go "WOW, that's cool!" it doesn't make me think, it's simple stuff, but with no connection.There's no unity, it's a fractured mess. it doesn't stir me at ALL <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />Shroomy,Well, I don't read as much of the Realms books as I want ot, so you maybe right.Problem is, for every FR book I enjoy, there's at least another I throw at a wall, scream about WTH I wasted money on it and why a perfectly good tree was wasted on that, rather than more useful toilet paper...ya know? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />I think the epitomy of lousy D&D books was back in the TSR era, when they did some murder msyteries...ah yes, the smithy take sout his trusty 40lb hammer to fight...oh really? Ever used a sledgehammer when working metal? They generally weight about 10lbs or 20lbs for ones for wall smashing or post driving, *not* 40lbs. Only one man I knew could swing a 56lb "Bushing" hammer one handed, and certainly NOT in a fight (and he was the strongest person I've ever met, bushing hammers were not used in normal work, hence their weight, was for a specific job).in other words: writers should actually check what they are talking about <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />um, applies to me too, I guess <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />The timeline of Khelben's death seems ot be the very end year of the original Realms? 1374.Damn, I liked Khelben, ever since I played Eye of the Beholder 2, i had a soft spot for him <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />And the ridiculously stupid way they erased Halaster in "Return to Undemrountain" PO'd me off no end <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />I don't care much about stats for NPCs, nice if they do 'em, not a biggie to argue about, but to casually erase them...at least, Halaster's death was utterly cheap.No Halaster, no Undermountain, simple as that.I don't usually like dungeon crawls, but I adored Undermountain...and they ganked that mad old bugger who made it so "fun". <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />El Mahdi,*doffs hat and bows with a theatrical flourish* <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></blockquote>

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