Is Eberron a dead world yet?

[w_earle_wheeler]

Yet another in a long line of "my local gaming store / my local group / me personally doesn't like / play / sell / use setting X, therefor setting X is dead / dying / a waste of WotC's resources / part of a big conspiracy to destroy D&D".

Move along... nothing to see here.

No one in this thread had claimed that "since my personal X feels X, then setting X is X."

At least, not prior to your reply. Would you like to be more specific?

 

[teitan]

The 4e speculation has been going on since essentially the day 3.5 was released and has yet to produce a single tangible result; in short - it's entirely irrelevant.

Eberron was built from the ground up with the 3e ruleset in mind, so I'm not sure 4e would serve it well - but I think it more likely that 4e will be shaped by Eberron than the inverse. All indicators I see seem to be positive, from the number of books in the line to the (antecdotal) local buzz.

About the only thing Eberron is missing so far is a hit video game; Wizards has tied the setting to a (poor, or at least very odd) MMORPG and a (poor, or at least very odd) RTS, neither of which were very successful. Considering the demographic they seem to hope Eberron will appeal to, they really ought to invest the money to get a quality console-style RPG set in the world, even if that means contracting with an overseas development team.

Man, the 4e threads started before 3.5, even before the announcement of 3.5 that's how old it's gotten.

As far as a video game with Eberron in mind, I think most video game fans would yawn and say "been there, done that" and pass on it. I like Eberron mind you and I know how unique it really is but the visuals etc. could easily be interpretted as "Final Fantasy". Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale succeeded because they were traditional fantasy and nobody was doing traditional fantasy at that time or at this time. They looked close enough to Diablo to warrant a look and traditional enough in their imagery to appeal.

 

[Kaodi]

What exactly is it that defines a console RPG vs. a computer RPG, and why would one wish for a console over a computer, quality being equal?

I'm still hoping for a real Eberron CRPG. Hopefully the next people with the license will try to do wonky plot things instead of wonky mechanical things. Wonky plot things have half a chance of working.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

What exactly is it that defines a console RPG vs. a computer RPG, and why would one wish for a console over a computer, quality being equal?

I'm still hoping for a real Eberron CRPG. Hopefully the next people with the license will try to do wonky plot things instead of wonky mechanical things. Wonky plot things have half a chance of working.

Eberron has a "frozen" plot, however. Any CRPG would have to keep their plot close to earth rather than blow up the setting.

 

[Kaodi]

Books aren't cannon, computer games don't have to be either. That being said, I am not a big fan of melodangerous plots. You can have epic plots with world spanning consequences (think ripples instead of waves) without really blowing things out of the water.

I would really like any computer game to stick to ONE continent however. Either go Khorvaire, or if they're brave, and wonky, make the first 3e/v3.5 game to use the psionics rules and go Sarlonan. You could do some really neat stuff with dreams in a game...

 

[mhacdebhandia]

I don't see any reason to believe that Eberron is doing poorly.

In fact, Wizards of the Coast is taking chances with the setting - the Inquisitives series of Eberron novels coming out this year seems more grounded in film noir and detective novels than in standard D&D fantasy.

 

[Kaodi]

I am certainly looking forward to reading some of the Inquisitives novels. I was just thinking that that might be an interesting thing to try with an RPG. Instead of fighting a bunch of forgettable enemies, just keep the memorable ones, and get the rest of your experience from interacting with the world. A film noir Eberron RPG. That would freakin' rock.

 

[Kaodi]

Put it in Korth, where the martial law of the Code of Kaius would give it a real " tough love " kind of feel. Make the head of the Ministry of the Dead a major villain, uncovering his experiments to create greater karrnathi undead. Blood of Vol cultists aboud, and Deneith mercenaries and Rekkenmark members make for great factions. And you have plenty of dwarves, too. Aurum members would be perfect noir villains as well. The journal would be set up more like a fact book, with places for goals, important information, clues, rumours and random knowledge. Combat would be straight out of the book, turn-based, but since there would be fewer fights, the ones there are would be tough, with little ways to prepare to increase your chances, or tip the odds in your favour. The environment would be a bigger factor than in more hack n' slash combat like Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2. Archvillains put the " d " back in " evil " .

 

[Waldorf]

Eberron was DOA

 

[Mouseferatu]

Eberron was DOA

Well, at least it took 59 posts for the inevitable useless anti-Eberron threadcrap.