Mercurius
Legend
The Golarion thread got me thinking about campaign settings for D&D 5E. By way of full disclosure, I never use pre-published settings but I do buy them. I like to collect, brown, and idea-mine setting books, but love the process of world design and would never give that up.
Anyhow, I was thinking about what approach would be best for Wizards of the Coast with D&D 5E. It seems that their past as shown them at least a couple examples of what does not work. AD&D 2e and the 1990s saw a perhaps unparalleled era of creativity with regards to setting design, but this was also allegedly part of the reason that TSR went under. On the other hand, 4e saw relatively shallow treatments of classic settings, and for some reason a refusal to develop the new setting (Nentir Vale), even cancelling the Nentir Vale Gazetteer (although this was likely due to the fact that 4e was winding down at that point).
In another thread, I talked about what WotC could learn from Paizo, although it was specific to hardcover books - and the idea of quality over quantity; my recommendation being one great (and big) hardcover per quarter rather than a measly one every month. I think WotC can take something else from Paizo - which is the detailed development of a campaign setting in conjunction with adventure paths. Now it is my guess that Paizo makes more money on the APs than they do on the setting books, but I'd also guess that part of the reason for the success of the APs--and Pathfinder as a whole--is that they've created a living, breathing, and expanding world in Golarion.
I don't play Pathfinder, but I'd imagine that even if you run it in a homebrew, that the ongoing development of Golarion gives a nice feeling of community, like you're part of the "Pathfinder world" - not to mention supplements to draw ideas from. This is something that was lacking in 4e (although nicely done in 3e).
In truth, both of these lessons from Paizo have something in common: developing a healthy customer base by making quality products and focusing on long-term sustainability, rather than simply churning out product for the sake of selling as many units as possible.
As for specific ideas, I have a few that I'd like to throw out there.
So there you have it. I think the above offers a much more interesting approach to campaign settings, and has the benefit of being somewhat modular. In other words, if the Classic Worlds line isn't selling, it can be discontinued. If the a certain New Worlds book did very well, it can warrant a fuller treatment - a hardcover or box set - and if that does very well, a new line can be developed. Or not. But the point is, the above approach offers both depth (the core world) and diversity (classic and new worlds), and the flexibility to change directions if need be.
Make it so, Mearls.
Anyhow, I was thinking about what approach would be best for Wizards of the Coast with D&D 5E. It seems that their past as shown them at least a couple examples of what does not work. AD&D 2e and the 1990s saw a perhaps unparalleled era of creativity with regards to setting design, but this was also allegedly part of the reason that TSR went under. On the other hand, 4e saw relatively shallow treatments of classic settings, and for some reason a refusal to develop the new setting (Nentir Vale), even cancelling the Nentir Vale Gazetteer (although this was likely due to the fact that 4e was winding down at that point).
In another thread, I talked about what WotC could learn from Paizo, although it was specific to hardcover books - and the idea of quality over quantity; my recommendation being one great (and big) hardcover per quarter rather than a measly one every month. I think WotC can take something else from Paizo - which is the detailed development of a campaign setting in conjunction with adventure paths. Now it is my guess that Paizo makes more money on the APs than they do on the setting books, but I'd also guess that part of the reason for the success of the APs--and Pathfinder as a whole--is that they've created a living, breathing, and expanding world in Golarion.
I don't play Pathfinder, but I'd imagine that even if you run it in a homebrew, that the ongoing development of Golarion gives a nice feeling of community, like you're part of the "Pathfinder world" - not to mention supplements to draw ideas from. This is something that was lacking in 4e (although nicely done in 3e).
In truth, both of these lessons from Paizo have something in common: developing a healthy customer base by making quality products and focusing on long-term sustainability, rather than simply churning out product for the sake of selling as many units as possible.
As for specific ideas, I have a few that I'd like to throw out there.
- CORE WORLD OF D&D - Very simply, develop a world with ongoing support. This world will be the default setting for 5e, what most adventures are set in, and where iconic characters and gods are from. If you must use a tried and true world, go with the Forgotten Realms because you need something relatively "kitchen sink", and Greyhawk has a bit of a dated and overly Gygaxian vibe for the 21st century aesthetic, and Eberron is already too thematically specific with its steampunk vibe. I'd actually suggest that the core world be new, which would offer for new inspiration and not just re-invention of the wheel (we've already got two editions worth of extensive Realms books to draw from). Anyhow, the core world would probably start with a 64-page gazetteer, then a fuller treatment either in the form of a hardcover or box set, with ongoing 64-page books ala Golarion.
- CLASSIC WORLDS OF D&D - Don't forget about the other great worlds of D&D's legacy, but just don't put too much time into them. Once or twice a year come out with a deluxe box set featuring a classic world of D&D. If you go with a new core world, you could start with the Forgotten Realms, then Eberron, Greyhawk, Planescape, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Mystara, etc. These would be both functional but more so collector's items, and would be a way of giving a "shout out" to fans of these classic settings. Oh yeah, get the original designers in on them.
- NEW WORLDS OF D&D - Run a setting design competition ala Eberron, but rather than making it a one-shot, make it ongoing with rolling submissions. As with the Classic Worlds, publish one or two products per year in a relatively short format - a 64-page gazetteer of a new world. If one of these new worlds is enormously popular, it offers a new world to be developed, either in addition to the core world, or in place of it after the core world has been developed for a couple years. If not, well its only one product and it provides another way for fans to feel involved, and offers setting junkies like myself, and DMs in general, more worlds to enjoy and ideas to plunder.
So there you have it. I think the above offers a much more interesting approach to campaign settings, and has the benefit of being somewhat modular. In other words, if the Classic Worlds line isn't selling, it can be discontinued. If the a certain New Worlds book did very well, it can warrant a fuller treatment - a hardcover or box set - and if that does very well, a new line can be developed. Or not. But the point is, the above approach offers both depth (the core world) and diversity (classic and new worlds), and the flexibility to change directions if need be.
Make it so, Mearls.
