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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 1769756" data-attributes="member: 172">And yet: guess what sorts of d20 settings are the best selling ones? And likewise, ask Chris Pramas sometime about how well a "really different" setting sells compared to settings that use familiar tropes. People SAY they want something different, but their money says something else.Of course, this could be the "D&D popularity effect" in miniature. People often complain about D&D's popularity, but once you bring discussions of what else to play to the table, nobody can agree, so they end up playing D&D. Likewise it seems with settings -- all too often, people SAY they want something different, but fail to agree in what way, so end up playing the same old thing.Finally (I almost feel like starting a new thread on the subject of rebellions against D&D tropes I am sick of): About elves. About the time settings and games started coming out that used "no elves" as a selling point, I made the decision to not only keep elves in my game, but embrace them.In retrospect, that was the smartest campaign decision I ever made.Why is simple: players dig elves. For every one player who can't stand elves, I know 5 that lap them up. If the players like something, why scrap it? It would be like a restaraunt manager taking his most popular menu item off his menu because someone who wants Hummus complains loudly he doesn't like hamburgers.</blockquote>