D&D 5E The case for (and against) a new Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book

[Xenonnonex]

Wrong on both counts: Out of the Abyss is firmly in the Sword Coast region, though, under the Silver Marches.

Wrong on the count that it came out in 2015? It did.
Wrong on the count that it was not a dedicated campaign setting? It is an adventure book with some sites detailed but it did not detail as much of the Underdark as the 3e Underdark book did.

Wrong on the count that it does not really involve the Sword Coast proper? It does not.

 

[Parmandur]

That’s fine. I just prefer the setting books where only a small fraction of the page count is a module I’m not going to run, as opposed to the setting books where a large fraction of the page count is a module I’m not going to run.

Takes all kinds.

 

[Parmandur]

Wrong on the count that it came out in 2015? It did.
Wrong on the count that it was not a dedicated campaign setting? It is an adventure book with some sites detailed but it did not detail as much of the Underdark as the 3e Underdark book did.

Wrong on the count that it does not really involve the Sword Coast proper? It does not.

Wrong on the count that Tomb of Annihilation isn't a Chult Setting book, and wrong on the count that Out of the Abyss isn't a Setting book for the Underdark region below the Silver March (which is part of the Savage Frontier of the Sword Coast, yes).

They might not be as detailed as you may want from that sort of Setting product, but they are what they are.

 

[Xenonnonex]

Wrong on the count that Tomb of Annihilation isn't a Chult Setting book, and wrong on the count that Out of the Abyss isn't a Setting book for the Underdark region below the Silver March (which is part of the Savage Frontier of the Sword Coast, yes).

They might not be as detailed as you may want from that sort of Setting product, but they are what they are.

No. They are however not dedicated campaign setting books. They have sites and races touched upon but they do not even approach the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide to the amount and breadth of information.
The amount of detail may serve the purposes of an adventure book. The amount of detail included has limited applications to telling stories outside of that adventure.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Considered by which many? The 3e FRCS certainly is a great book. It is however utterly laughable and ridiculous to claim it is considered by many to be the best campaign book ever published. Especially since many consider the 2e FRCS to be better than it and the 3e FRCS merely reproduces whole portions of previous text.

Holds up hand.

I consider it to be the best D&D book ever created.

 

[Coroc]

Mearls hasn't left the company, he got a promotion and works in a different studio (the D&D Franchise Studio, as opposed to the TTRPG Studio).

I don't think the new TTRPG leadership does reduce Greyhawk's odds: the Executive Producer Ray Winninger actually used to write Greyhawk material back in the day (alright, one that Greyhawk fans hate with a passion, but it's something).

I love Greyhawk, I like much of the FR stuff, but not all (my pref. is the grey box). But I do not think that personal preferences of wizards management individuals will determine which setting material gets published.
I think that is more dependent on market analysis and what might sell best instead, and maybe Hasbro has also a saying in that. They will neither view it from a grognards nor from a new players viewpoint, but rather check what is best for the overall brand e.g. like crossover with MtG, other products like films, toys (Miniatures), eventually CRPGs etc.

 

[Jester David]

I think the biggest reason is that we already got one, that pretty much contained as much setting information as the Ravnica and Eberron books and only lacked an adventure and monsters away from matching their page count.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

That’s fine. I just prefer the setting books where only a small fraction of the page count is a module I’m not going to run, as opposed to the setting books where a large fraction of the page count is a module I’m not going to run.

As someone who isn't interested in either setting nor adventure path books....

You MIGHT want to give the Tomb a fair shot. The sandboxy nature of the adventure path means that book can best be described as "The 50 most interesting locations in Chult" with the adventure described as "get lost in the hexcrawl on your way to blindly explore these 50 places which are barely connected to each other by a wispy easily ignored plot.

I'd recommend it if someone just wanted a Chult setting book, even if it's not billed as such.

I wouldn't say the same about the Abyss.

 

[Xenonnonex]

Holds up hand.

I consider it to be the best D&D book ever created.

Lands of Intrigue and the Planescape box sets counts as this for me.

 

[Xenonnonex]

The exact magnitude of the book’s greatness is irrelevant to the larger point of the thread. That’s why you’re coming across as needlessly combative.

The point of the thread wasn’t the 3e book, which seems to also be the point you’re missing. The objection is to you quibbling over minutiae, not your opinion.

The conceit of the point presented is a rather meaningless one. And specifically contingent to the 3e book itself. But of course it is your choice to freely ignore the point and argue otherwise.
If a so called "best" supplement already exists there is no reason for another product of that nature to exist if the quality cannot be matched.
As demonstrably evidenced quality is really subjective.