The Realms WILL Be Updated!

WotC's Chris Perkins and Mike Mearls both mentioned the possibility of Forgotten Realms updates on Twitter today. A chap called Montgomery Headstrom tweeted at both of them - to Perkins he said "I don't understand why you guys did the Sundering if you weren't going to update the Realms. Can you clarify that for me?" and the Mearls he said "if WOTC isn't interested in updating the realms would corporate allow kickstarter drive to let Ed Greenwood do it?" Both replied to his his comments, confirming that they do, in fact, intend to update the Realms. Thanks to Adrian for the scoop.

Montgomery: if WOTC isn't interested in updating the realms would corporate allow kickstarter drive to let Ed Greenwood do it?
Mike Mearls: who sez we aren't interested in updating it?

Montgomery: I don't understand why you guys did the Sundering if you weren't going to update the Realms. Can you clarify that for me?
Chris Perkins: The Sundering allowed us to bring back things that the setting had lost over the years. We ARE updating the Realms.

 

[Selvarin]

I think the main point was to write a d@mn good book, if they do it at all. And their design team is smaller than it used to be, so they have to pick their projects carefully. So I hope they indeed have a book in the works. The novels only go so far with 'updating' the Realms, and I'm a bit done with Drizzt and the gang.

 

[YourSwordIsMine]

Do we really need anything more than the 1e Grey Box of Forgotten Realms?

Back before the metaplots, and the novels, and the changes of three editions...

Back when it was still a good setting.

 

[Queer Venger]

The FRCG for 3rd edition is one of the best resources all in one book. Any mechanics can easily be ignored because they are situated all in one area. The old grey box is good but the campaign guide is top notch. The map is brilliant and the descriptions of the various areas are fantastic.

While I love the grey box, the 3e CG is my default 5e setting book. It is incredibly comprehensive, and Im tooling around with adapting the regional character feats to 5e. The map is pretty awesome (Im thinking of laminating it). Its sturdy, well made (mine is slightly used and still holding up great for being published in 2001).

 

[Harry Dresden]

I think the main point was to write a d@mn good book, if they do it at all. And their design team is smaller than it used to be, so they have to pick their projects carefully. So I hope they indeed have a book in the works. The novels only go so far with 'updating' the Realms, and I'm a bit done with Drizzt and the gang.

Their current team doesn't need to be involved in the creation of a FRCG. All you need to do is hire Ed Greenwood, Eric Boyd, and Steven Schend to do the book and it being a "damn good" book wouldn't even be a question.

 

[Mistwell]

Ah, good eyes. You caught me using inflammatory rhetoric, and poorly. I was trying to offset the unsubstantiated all-caps "WILL" in the article title. My apologies, it will happen again.



This is rank supposition, and...



...this is just sloppy.

Wizards considers the products they have already published, are currently publishing, and will continue to publish for the next couple of years the "update" to the Realms. None of these have been, are, or will be a campaign setting guide. This is clear as day from the message they've been communicating for more than 12 months, and is reinforced by these tweets. You may continue to delude yourself if you wish -- I will be here every step of the way in a selfless attempt to minimize your ultimate disapppointment.

There is no need to thank me -- I do what I do for the personal satisfaction.

I am not deluding myself and have never said or implied there will be a campaign setting book. What they have said, and what I believe, is the format will be different from campaign setting books, of a type we have likely not seen before. But, that doesn't make it not a very usable, good update to the setting. The idea that the only good update would be in the format of a campaign setting book seems closed minded and unimaginative to me.

And they shouldn't talk about it much, because fans like yourself, who admit to intentionally use inflammatory rhetoric to try and combat any enthusiasm for what WOTC is doing and spin things in the most negative way they can think of in the moment as a form of sport or misplaced righteous indignation, is a good reason to simply not say much of anything.

 

[Umbran]

And they shouldn't talk about it much, because fans like yourself...

Please don't make it personal.

As soon as the discussion becomes personal, egos are involved, and that's a great way to get sides to dig in and never move or agree on anything - the discussion tends to cease being a discussion, and turns into two sides grandstanding about how they are Right and the other is Wrong.

 

[Selvarin]

That would be a great idea. I've seen where they (WotC) has contracted out in order to get products handled, nonetheless they seem disinclined to do so for anything more than adventures at this point. They're keeping core settings, etc., tight and in-house.

It's like with FR novels. I'd love to see Elaine Cunningham do another Realms novel or two. But short of the End of Days I don't see it happening. Between the excesses of bygone years and the bang-up that was 4E...they're keeping their focus rather narrow.

Kinda sucks. But I can understand it.

 

[Mistwell]

The Rules are well-known. If you want to discuss moderation, take it to PM or e-mail. Not in-thread please and thank you. ~Umbran

 

[DMZ2112]

I am not deluding myself and have never said or implied there will be a campaign setting book. What they have said, and what I believe, is the format will be different from campaign setting books, of a type we have likely not seen before. But, that doesn't make it not a very usable, good update to the setting. The idea that the only good update would be in the format of a campaign setting book seems closed minded and unimaginative to me.

And they shouldn't talk about it much, because fans like yourself, who admit to intentionally use inflammatory rhetoric to try and combat any enthusiasm for what WOTC is doing and spin things in the most negative way they can think of in the moment as a form of sport or misplaced righteous indignation, is a good reason to simply not say much of anything.

We are actually totally in agreement, Mistwell; I'm not sure why you felt the need to say I was parsing Wizards' statements horribly.

You have me totally misread -- I think it's /great/ that there won't be an FRCS5. I'm ready for a new approach. I could not be more enthusiastic if you used an electric cattle prod.

My beef, like yours, is with people who cannot see that another approach could ever be appropriate or successful.

 

[HobbitFan]

I think alot of people would be excited about a new approach if WOTC could be clear on what that means.