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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Desdichado" data-source="post: 1815495" data-attributes="member: 2205">I think a good setting features a number of elements.  A good setting might even not feature an element or two from this list, but if not, then it better be damn good in the other elements to make up for it.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A good setting tends to feature some kind of hook, twist, or some other way in which it stands out from the crowd.  These hooks can be subtle or not-- here's a just a few examples:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Eberron has the pulp*noir feel in terms of politics, magical "technology", society, etc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Iron Kingdoms has a strong steampunk vibe going through it; it's darker than standard D&D as well.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dark Sun -- the whole "against the environment" bleakness of the setting is quite different.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dragonlance -- had a strong, built-in conflict -- the return of the dragons, and the previous loss of clerical magic.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Closely tied to theme/twist is a sense of focus.  A good campaign suggests adventures, and usually of a certain type.  Campaigns like FR that lack focus also tend to be fairly bland, and DMs have to put a fair amount of work to give their actual game focus.  Similarly, the focus needs to suggest adventure and conflict, or what's the point?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Campaigns need to make sense.  I can naturally suspend some disbelief, since I like playing fantasy RPGs and whatnot, that by default feature some kind of magic.  However, the "classic" D&D settings make no sense, and therefore tend to turn me off right away.  Greyhawk exists for little more reason than to serve as a vagueish backdrop for dungeon adventures.  FR is no more than a mishmash of transparently renamed earth cultures existing next to each other with a modern-liberal society and a bunch of high level characters and challenges that apparently do little more than wait for PCs to get to high enough level to interact with.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Novels aren't bad per se, as if done well they can help flesh out the setting, provide a good example of the kinds of themes and tone and sample campaigns that could be run in the setting.  I'm quite looking forward to the Eberron novels, for instance.  However, TSR/WotC has dropped the ball on novel usage twice -- and for pretty much the same reasons.  In both DL and FR, the novels became the most important thing going on in the setting.  The authors couldn't resist making the novels too epic, which made it difficult to account for the novels and the PC's adventures.  And both also "blew up" the setting, so to speak, within the novels, which means the game material had to change substantially.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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