howandwhy99 said:
Play: OD&D with Diaglo, Forgotten Realms (or better yet Greyhawk) with Olgar, Plus some other homebrew campaigns I hear about on these boards.
Like howandwhy99, I am privileged to be tolerated as a player by both dialo and Olgar Shiverstone. This has led me to the conclusion that it is the DM, and the players, that make the game. The setting is secondary.
I like 3.5 far better than I do OD&D, and indeed never even considered playing in an OD&D campaign until I saw diaglo's enthusiasm. I knew that he would pour his heart and soul into the game, and that regardless of the rules and setting it would be fun. I was right.
Similarly, while I resect the detail and many aspects of the Forgotten Realms, it is far from my favorite setting. But FR a la Olgar is a great game. Both diaglo and Olgar love what they are doing, and are dedicated and well-prepared. Neither comes anywhere close to railroading, but instead give the players freedom to do as they please. Many sessions I am surprised to hear afterwards that the DM had no idea of the directions we would take. I certainly can't tell during the game.
Sorry, I'm rambling and getting off topic.
Play: Any setting that is loved by a DM who puts in the time to know the setting and prepare, as the DM will make the game great.
Run: I'm getting to know Oathbound, and am excited about what I see so far. Same goes for Eberron. With both settings I am far from being the knowledgeable, well-prepared DM that I know makes for a good game, but hopefully I will get there eventually. I better, because I plan to send my own players to Oathbound soon.