D&D 5E The D&D Multiverse Part 2- The Remix Culture of the Gygaxian Multiverse

[TwoSix]

So if we accept that the "multiversal weirdness" of early D&D was part and parcel of the fantasy/sci-fi cutural zeitgeist of the '60s and '70s (which I totally accept), was the development of fantasy settings as contained, discrete entities (exemplified by the 2E era setting boom) also caused by a change in the fantasy/sci-fi zeitgeist in the '80s and '90s? If so, what would have been the primary drivers?

 

[Aldarc]

This is an interesting point (cue up the whole, "Monster movies reflect the cultural fears of the people at the time, and here's my examination of zombie movies ...").

I wonder about the specific ways in which D&D has changed over time, not just staying the same (in terms of D&Disms) but also reflecting the zeitgeist of the era; one thing I think is true is that there is certainly a lot more anime and cosplay within the groups that play D&D now than in time prior, and I'm curious what effect people think that has had on 5e.

In connection with this, I've been wondering how the change from D&D (and TTRPGs) as a Midwest thing to a fairly significant Pacific Northwest thing (e.g., WotC, Paizo, Green Ronin, Monte Cook Games, etc.) has also affected D&D and the wider TTRPG hobby.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

In connection with this, I've been wondering how the change from D&D (and TTRPGs) as a Midwest thing to a fairly significant Pacific Northwest thing (e.g., WotC, Paizo, Green Ronin, Monte Cook Games, etc.) has also affected D&D and the wider TTRPG hobby.

Interesting! Without having a particular factual basis to go on, my immediate reaction is twofold-

1. On one hand, I think it would have to have some impact. People write about what they know, and the change of focus from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest had to have an impact.

2. On the other hand, I also think that regionalism isn't nearly as important as it used to be in the United States. It's still there- but for various reasons, while regionalism persists, it isn't as much of a factor as it was in the 70s.

That's a verbose way of saying, "I don't know."

 

[Aldarc]

Interesting! Without having a particular factual basis to go on, my immediate reaction is twofold-

1. On one hand, I think it would have to have some impact. People write about what they know, and the change of focus from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest had to have an impact.

2. On the other hand, I also think that regionalism isn't nearly as important as it used to be in the United States. It's still there- but for various reasons, while regionalism persists, it isn't as much of a factor as it was in the 70s.

That's a verbose way of saying, "I don't know."

This is also where my thoughts are stuck. It's bound to have some impact culturally, but hypothesizing on those impacts also risks making insubstantial essentialist characterizations about cultural regions of the United States.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So if we accept that the "multiversal weirdness" of early D&D was part and parcel of the fantasy/sci-fi cutural zeitgeist of the '60s and '70s (which I totally accept), was the development of fantasy settings as contained, discrete entities (exemplified by the 2E era setting boom) also caused by a change in the fantasy/sci-fi zeitgeist in the '80s and '90s? If so, what would have been the primary drivers?

It's not so much "discrete entities" coming in, as "multiversal weirdness" falling out of fashion.

I already alluded to Star Wars being a big driving force behind Dragonlance, and later on how FR developed. The other big thing that was starting to have an influence 80s/90s where computer games.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In connection with this, I've been wondering how the change from D&D (and TTRPGs) as a Midwest thing to a fairly significant Pacific Northwest thing (e.g., WotC, Paizo, Green Ronin, Monte Cook Games, etc.) has also affected D&D and the wider TTRPG hobby.

If you want to talk about "regionalism", you should probably consider the cynicism and black humour coming in from the UK in the 70s/80s, exemplified by Warhammer, and Kaos Spikybitz.

 

[Maxperson]

I guess Hasbro wants to create a "metaverse" with all their franchises/IPs within it, including the D&D multiverse but here there is a serious challenge for the game designers.

Facebook beat them to it!

 

[FrogReaver]

I guess Hasbro wants to create a "metaverse" with all their franchises/IPs within it, including the D&D multiverse but here there is a serious challenge for the game designers.

I think in terms of pushing product lines into a metaverse it's good immediate marketing but may cause problems down the road. What if feelings and thoughts change and things in one popular product line start being viewed negatively. Having that product line tied to the others in a metaverse fashion may also drag those other products down to some degree. I'd say it's inevitable that this will happen at some point, especially with crossover content being prevalent.

 

[dragoner]

I've gotten to the point in life when I tell people that the upcoming campaign will have a lot of Burroughs in it.

They go in thinking, "Cool! John Carter!"

....but what I don't say is it isn't Edgar Rice .... It's William S.

Full of regret?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

D&D was designed for total creative freedom, but those potential crossovers may need special touch to avoid a feeling of "jumping the shark" effect. One of the options may be a mash-up version of the other franchise, and my suggestion is the fake-crossover, where one characters go to a fictional copy of the other world, something like that episode of Star Trek where Picard became Robin Hood by fault of a Q's "joke". The new Ravenloft allows dread domains with technology from digital age. This allows possible crossovers with horror franchises set in the modern day, for example "Army of Darkness". For the time being, we will not see characters with high-tech in D&D, because the firearms can break the power balance if DMs haven't enough experience in the tabletop.

In the past I suggested kidding cybertronians/transformers in Kaladesh, but now I say they are possible in the cyberpunk Kamiwaga.

Sometimes I though about a new Star Wars d20, but now my opinion is Disney will publish its own RPG with a version of the D616 system. Hasbro doesn't want to create its own space-opera franchise yet because good relations with Disney are too important and this doesn't want a new rival for Star Wars. If Hasbro lincences its franchises to Renegade Games Studio for TTRPG I doubt seriously about to publish adaptations of other videogames (Fortnite, Starcraft, Diablo, Warcraft, Overwatch).