D&D 5E (2024) What Is 2026's Big Adventure

[Nicholas Reed]

Because the well contains good ideas. And they have to go somewhere for them. It’s not like any of those old settings are remembered fondly, because you can’t remember things from before you were born.

I think you're really underestimating how many new and younger D&D fans dig into the games past via wikis and what not. The biggest lore lovers I know all started in 5E. Most everyone who started in 3E or earlier I know don't actually seem to know or care about things like lore and settings.

 

[Reynard]

Because the well contains good ideas. And they have to go somewhere for them. It’s not like any of those old settings are remembered fondly, because you can’t remember things from before you were born.

I'd wuld argue, but the fact is that WotC seems so averse to something new that it is as good an explanation as any (and still a terrible explanation).

If it were up to me, I would just release all the 2E settings to the DMsGuild and let the oldies play with them. Then I would hire some people born in this century and get THEM to innovate for me.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Then I would hire some people born in this century and get THEM to innovate for me

This is going to be written by people born this century. You may have noticed WotC have been busy hiring them lately. And they are going to innovate an apocalyptic setting where natural resources have been depleted by human carelessness.

 

[Reynard]

This is going to be written by people born this century. You may have noticed WotC have been busy hiring them lately. And they are going to innovate an apocalyptic setting where natural resources have been depleted by human carelessness.

Whatever this is is not going to be written by these new hires. This book is probably near complete, and is very likely the last hurrah for C&P.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

For my part, I am guessing Dark Sun as a slip case setting adventure combo.

I think that after the relatively poor reception on the previous slipcases, they are MUCH more likely to go for the FR two-book style release.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The trouble with the slipcase approach is they are expensive to manufacture, expensive to buy, and have less actual content. Poor value all round.

 

[Reynard]

I think that after the relatively poor reception on the previous slipcases, they are MUCH more likely to go for the FR two-book style release.

Out of curiosity, since you own a store, how did the sell? Were the significantly less viable than other formats?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Whatever this is is not going to be written by these new hires. This book is probably near complete, and is very likely the last hurrah for C&P.

Work didn’t start until after they left* - you can tell by the timing of the psionics UA. Which is a reason it’s unlikely to be the Beadle & Grimm product - the timing is off. It’s unlikely DS will be finished before Q4, and the B&G thing looks like Q3.

The Thay thing was probably the last thing CP was working on, until he was pulled away when it was all hands on deck to get the core rules finished.


*They are the ones who came close to destroying Athas all together.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Because the well contains good ideas. And they have to go somewhere for them. It’s not like any of those old settings are remembered fondly, because you can’t remember things from before you were born.

You're missing a level of how nostalgia works. You're missing that those that weren't born have heard those that were there wax nostalgically for it, and assume based on hearsay that it must have been interesting, and are curious to find out.

You're right that it doesn't have to actually resemble what was it was really like (though it still ought to be a good take, otherwise social media will colour the perspective new player's opinion of it, when they hear, again, second-hand, that it's "Not My Darksun!11!!!1!!" (From someone who also probably wasn't born and didn't ever play it).

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Out of curiosity, since you own a store, how did the sell? Were the significantly less viable than other formats?

I'm at home and would have to go to the store (I will later today) to give you actual numbers, but from what I gather, they sold "fine". Which is to say - we would expect the format to sell less, so we ordered less, and we were right. We move through them here-and-there, but not at the rate of the other books. I'm happy to have them, and I don't think we've ever been out of stock, so I'm not saying that we cause them to sell less (by keeping them OoS), which can happen when a retailer is dubious about a product. But they sold fine. Around expectations. Which are slightly lowered. Does that make sense?