Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="an_idol_mind" data-source="post: 3764003" data-attributes="member: 43749">This is what I think might be the problem if they reboot the Realms. Despite the fact that I don't like a lot of what the Realms has to offer, I've long been of the mind that changing it to a grittier setting would not be the best way to go. The Realms has been D&D's most popular setting for close to a generation now. The reason it's popular is because of the many fans of what the Realms are now and have been during most of its lifespan -- a huge, detailed, wondrous world with high magic, meddling gods, and crazy old wizards who could accidentally level a continent if they don't take their medication. Changing it to fit the model presented by Salvatore would be stripping a lot of what the Realms is to those fans.Sure, they might pull in a boatload of new fans to cover the potential fans they lose. History, however, suggests that they won't. Not too many settings have survived such a drastic change. Greyhawk floundered for years after the Greyhawk Wars before finally being put down. Mystara went through major upheaval during Wrath of the Immortals, was effectively rebooted to appeal to non-Mystara fans, and failed after a decade of success. Dark Sun lost a lot of its fans through the reboot introduced by the Prism Pentad and the revised boxed set. Not too many settings survive the reboot button well.The one thing I think a rebooted Realms will have going for it is that Ed Greenwood and R.A. Salvatore will probably continue to write for it. Driz'zt will still sell books, and Greenwood's work as the setting's creator will probably help draw in older fans. Still, tearing up the Realms and starting over would be a very dangerous path to walk at best. I think WotC would be better served to let the Realms be the Realms, and craft a new setting if they really want to highlight their new campaign model.</blockquote>

Verification