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<blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 7987268" data-attributes="member: 18">But the size of the area isn't really relevant, especially when the specific areas they've showcased have been much smaller than that. And they were already areas with more detail, because they're on the Sword Coast.I mean, I'll be honest, I think it weakens the FR as an IP, this approach, and I don't know if that's an accident, or actually part of corporate strategy here. I mean, I don't know of WotC own the fully rights to the FR and just are happy with Greenwood and others writing in it, or if Greenwood still owns it somehow and they have to give him a percentage, or even there's no cost, he could mess with the IP in some way, or even if he didn't, his inheritors or whoever could.This isn't some grand conspiracy theory, to be clear. It's perfectly sensible behaviour from a company. If WotC doesn't wholly-own a setting and all associated rights, it makes little sense to go &quot;all in&quot; on it, for example. I just don't know and can't seem to easily find out what the situation is here. Perhaps someone else does know?If WotC doesn't have totally unencumbered ownership of the FR, it would make sense to be looking at using it because its popular, but not investing in it too heavily as a really key thing. Keep it at the same sort of safe distance as Wildemount etc. If they do have unencumbered ownership, then I think maybe they're just messing up the strategy a bit with this. Given we're six years in and there's no real &quot;FR book&quot;, just piecemeal stuff, I think it's fair to presume it'll never happen, and the lack of resources means a 3PP one will never be of the same quality, even if its allowed (which I'm not sure an FRCS-type book would be). This would also explain why they were so keen on the Planescape settings which seem like they're largely a mediocre match for D&amp;D (not hopeless, but with very different concerns/interests, though perhaps Theros will change that), because they do wholly and unencumbered-ly own those.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ruin Explorer, post: 7987268, member: 18"] But the size of the area isn't really relevant, especially when the specific areas they've showcased have been much smaller than that. And they were already areas with more detail, because they're on the Sword Coast. I mean, I'll be honest, I think it weakens the FR as an IP, this approach, and I don't know if that's an accident, or actually part of corporate strategy here. I mean, I don't know of WotC own the fully rights to the FR and just are happy with Greenwood and others writing in it, or if Greenwood still owns it somehow and they have to give him a percentage, or even there's no cost, he could mess with the IP in some way, or even if he didn't, his inheritors or whoever could. This isn't some grand conspiracy theory, to be clear. It's perfectly sensible behaviour from a company. If WotC doesn't wholly-own a setting and all associated rights, it makes little sense to go "all in" on it, for example. I just don't know and can't seem to easily find out what the situation is here. Perhaps someone else does know? If WotC doesn't have totally unencumbered ownership of the FR, it would make sense to be looking at using it because its popular, but not investing in it too heavily as a really key thing. Keep it at the same sort of safe distance as Wildemount etc. If they do have unencumbered ownership, then I think maybe they're just messing up the strategy a bit with this. Given we're six years in and there's no real "FR book", just piecemeal stuff, I think it's fair to presume it'll never happen, and the lack of resources means a 3PP one will never be of the same quality, even if its allowed (which I'm not sure an FRCS-type book would be). This would also explain why they were so keen on the Planescape settings which seem like they're largely a mediocre match for D&D (not hopeless, but with very different concerns/interests, though perhaps Theros will change that), because they do wholly and unencumbered-ly own those. [/QUOTE]

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