Less is More? Less books per setting equal more enjoyment?

[Dannyalcatraz]

For me, its another one of those "it depends" questions.

HERO, my favorite system, has a core book that is really all you need...and then has sourcebooks that set up campaign worlds and toolbooks that let you round things out. And all you really need is the first book.

OTOH, as I look at my bookshelves of RPGs, I have all of the 3.XEd FR material...and a goodly portion of all the other books for various campaigns.

Heck, I've got 6'+ of RIFTS material (that's about creativity, not mechanical quality).

Sometimes, all you need is a nicely detailed campaign setting. Sometimes, the added books really do add something to the game.

And I think the deciding factor is quality. A lot of mediocre supplements does me little good, and I'm less likely to buy subsequent stuff that relates to it. A few great products has a coat-tail effect- I'll buy the top-notch stuff, and buy the other stuff on the strength of those superlative ones...to a point.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'd like more, but it could be generic.

I'd like more cults/cabals/organizations, in more detail. Organizations and plots for my PCs to oppose or team up with.

I'd like more on the deities (though I have plenty now, I'd like more if I didn't have it and was a new DM).

I'd like more on how the plot of the world could move forward. It could even be options, so there is no one canon for the game world, but something about moving the world forward. I don't want to have to think of all the wars that might be happening, and how the world changes(d).

But, I'm not sure I need this, and I'm not sure how much I need it to run the world. I think I more read it for enjoyment. I have to think about this more, especially the last one.

I think books like Warrens of the Ratmen (right title) form Scarred Lands are perfect. Details a setting in a world, provides some adventures, some new monsters....good stuff, that can be specific or adapted.

 

[Glyfair]

I would prefer a bit more than what the current 2 and out gives (I don't really consider the 3rd book to really be part of the set give it is just an adventure).

Indeed, given the policy that the adventure should be generic enough to fit into any world, the adventures don't really have a strong connections to the worlds as it stands. "Two and out" seems to cover it.

Fortunately, we will have DDI support for the campaigns (at least until we have enough campaign worlds that it becomes a problem to have support every month). Some campaigns will get RPGA support as well. Still, the RPGA gave Eberron the big blow-off for 4E.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Does having less books per setting make for a more enjoyable setting?

I don't think so. Settings can be suggested with one or two suplements, or developed in exacting detail, and still be good (or bad). It's a matter of taste if you prefer to come up with your own setting, flesh out a published one that intentionally leaves room for that sort of thing, or work within a very detailed setting, perhaps even with it's own ongoing plot line that your PCs interact with, but don't materially alter.

Where less can be more is on the rules side. Some systems can suffer from a surfiet of mechanics. If the developer can flesh out a setting in detail without needing to introduce new rules, it works fine. If the core mechanics are limitted enough that adding detail means adding rules, it can be a problem.

 

[karlindel]

I think it depends on the setting and how much other support the setting will receive. Additional support via DDI can make up for a lack of other supplements. There's also a question of people's tastes. Most people would love to see lots of support for their favorite setting, but don't care about others.

Personally, I think that the old policy was too much, but the current policy is too little. A single Player's Guide for a setting is enough for me, but I would like to see an additional one or two campaign guide type books, and more setting specific published adventures. I would like to see more depth to the settings than a single book can provide, but I don't want to see every inch of the worlds mapped out like FR was. I'm not a fan of generic adventures that I have to heavily tune to fit the world, because I usually also need to change it to fit the party, so additional setting specific adventures (with web supplements with guidelines for running them in other settings) would be something I would probably buy.