Why is Eberron being pushed so hard?

[Incenjucar]

The sad thing is that TSR/WotC has NEVER done a classic fantasy setting.

After pushing FR for many years -- an "over-the-top-with-uber-magic-and-everything-you-could-ever-want-except-coherence" setting if ever there was one -- they decide to go ONE STEP FURTHER.

I would be delighted if WotC took a risk, and tried a "classic fantasy setting" for once!

Agreed. This is what I've been waiting for for quite awhile. If D&D actually did classic fantasy for the first time in its existance, it would be worth buying. But I'm not sure WotC is capable of that, considering their tendancies for tentacles and machines rather than hedge wizards and mystery.

I'm still waiting for a psuedonatural warforged.

 

[Nisarg]

That wouldn't be a risk... it'd be suicide. Nobody would buy it.

Really? Because Midnight seems to be doing quite well.

Nisarg

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Really? Because Midnight seems to be doing quite well.

Nisarg

By the scale of a largish 3rd party company?

Or by the scale of the industry's 800 pound gorilla?


Even with the weight of WotC's marketing and market penetration, would Midnight have enough legs to support the widespread media blitz that's desired?

I think Midnight is a great setting, but I think it's also far too focused to support year after year of novels, video games, game supplements, miniatures, MMORGS and so on and so forth.

Plus, I don't think it's theme is broad enough to attract the numbers of players/readers/collectors that WotC needs from their new, heavily pushed setting.

Patrick Y.

 

[s/LaSH]

Something to consider about my Johnny Playstation argument:

Is it necessary to produce a dumbed-down product for JP? Perhaps I should have suggested the name Norton Vidia instead, as MMOs are primarily a PC phenomenon. Anyway, either for JP or NV, there are things that Simon Tabletop just doesn't consider. Things like overrunning aesthetic principles in scene design for regions, or linguistic variation (place a pimp, a priest, a policeman, a mayor, and an ex-con in a room; ask them to, in their own words, request that you travel over the hill for Farmer Robert's estate and wipe out the orcs there for a reward; what would they say today? What would they say five hundred years ago? If your answer to the latter question is substantially less varied than those to the former question, you have discovered why modern language stylings could be considered important to cultural diversification in a fictional work) are things that are important. But when this filters back to Simon Tabletop, it's an improvement. In a way, JP and NV have required a better experience, and ST has reaped colateral benefits.

On the other hand, it might be stoopid and less developed than another setting. But I doubt it.

I always thought that the MTG world was called Dominiara?

Dominia and Dominaria (sp?) are two different but related things. One (Dominia, I think - not sure) is a world. The other is a multiverse, supplementing Dominia (?) with Phyrexia, Rath, and a bunch of other worlds that came since I stopped playing. There are plenty of worlds out there, and planewalkers tend to visit them all in the process of gathering power. And cool monsters to summon.

It's a needless complication in my book.

 

[Belegbeth]

...
I think Midnight is a great setting, but I think it's also far too focused to support year after year of novels, video games, game supplements, miniatures, MMORGS and so on and so forth.

Plus, I don't think it's theme is broad enough to attract the numbers of players/readers/collectors that WotC needs from their new, heavily pushed setting.
.

I agree. Midnight is a great setting. But is a great setting in the same way that Lagavulin is a great single-malt whisky -- only those with a "refined taste" will enjoy it.

But that doesn't mean that a "classic fantasy" world could not be created that would appeal to a large audience. IIRC those LotR films seemed to do okay at the box office. Mongoose's Conan game is doing well (despite the non-editing involved).

As for MMORPGs -- well, I think those have built-in limitations. It simply does not make sense to have 1000's of Gandalfs running around, camping for monsters, etc.

 

[Belegbeth]

... Anyway, either for JP or NV, there are things that Simon Tabletop just doesn't consider. Things like overrunning aesthetic principles in scene design for regions, or linguistic variation (place a pimp, a priest, a policeman, a mayor, and an ex-con in a room; ask them to, in their own words, request that you travel over the hill for Farmer Robert's estate and wipe out the orcs there for a reward; what would they say today? What would they say five hundred years ago? If your answer to the latter question is substantially less varied than those to the former question, you have discovered why modern language stylings could be considered important to cultural diversification in a fictional work) are things that are important. But when this filters back to Simon Tabletop, it's an improvement. In a way, JP and NV have required a better experience, and ST has reaped colateral benefits.
...

What precisely is your point here?

(This might be a vice of my profession as an analytic philosopher, but if I cannot restate any paragraph as a single proposition with a truth-value, I am hopelessly lost.)

 

[Rauol_Duke]

This might be a vice of my profession as an analytic philosopher...

Just out of curiousity, how much does that pay?

 

[schnee]

If D&D actually did classic fantasy for the first time in its existance, it would be worth buying.

Is Vance not classical fantasy? Did I miss a memo?

IIRC those LotR films seemed to do okay at the box office. Mongoose's Conan game is doing well

Hence, the LOTR role playing game I saw at my FLGS. Do you think a WOTC 'generi-' oops, 'classic' setting could really compete with LOTR at this point? Do you think kids getting Greek myths and King Arthur shoved down their throat at school will turn around and go back there for fun? I seriously, seriously doubt it. Not when they can choose things like Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft.

'Classic' fantasy is for history buffs and sophisticates... it's almost a dry academic pursuit at that point. I look at the Eberron CS and see a wild riot of energy, liveliness and vitality. A library or a rock concert? I know which one I want to go to for enrichment, and which one I want to go to for fun. Games are fun. Games are escape.

 

[Nisarg]

'Classic' fantasy is for history buffs and sophisticates... it's almost a dry academic pursuit at that point. I look at the Eberron CS and see a wild riot of energy, liveliness and vitality. A library or a rock concert? I know which one I want to go to for enrichment, and which one I want to go to for fun. Games are fun. Games are escape.

well, while its obviously not to my liking, i have to admit that the more I think about it, the more I realize that a "lite D&D" rules-set combined with the Eberron setting could be a magic formula for getting 14 year olds into the hobby.

After all, RIFTS was hugely appealing to young teens in its prime. Eberron is the new RIFTS.

Nisarg

 

[Ranger REG]

well, while its obviously not to my liking, i have to admit that the more I think about it, the more I realize that a "lite D&D" rules-set combined with the Eberron setting could be a magic formula for getting 14 year olds into the hobby.

Ding!

Give this gamer a booby prize!

Sorry, no booby. You'd settle for a Yoda pez dispenser?

After all, RIFTS was hugely appealing to young teens in its prime. Eberron is the new RIFTS.

Shhh! Are you crazy! Never EVER give lawsuit-happy Kevin Sembieda more legal ammo.