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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mach2.5" data-source="post: 1337306" data-attributes="member: 12834">I loved the fact that, in the innitial box set, you had absolutley no idea if this was a simple post apocalyptic setting; a normal fantasy setting that has been decimated. And what was presented before you? A world where most of the common fantasy cliche's were turned on their heads. Yet you still assumed that the Athas of yesterday wore a face similar to Toril, or Krynn, or Oerth. Then came some of the revelations through the Prism Pentad, 2nd boxed set and such. While I wasn't very pleased with some of them, the revelations stayed very true to the original idea of twisting around what you expect. Learning that Athas never looked like a typical fantasy setting was just the kind of twist that fit well in the setting. Learning that the least likely race, most primitive, were once the masters of the world itself was certainly fitting as well. DS at least retained the ability throughout its incarnations to never give you just what you expected. I still think that Borys should have survived the Pentad (and maybe Andropoinis since his city in his absence seems to be the least interesting of the lot). And lets not even start an unending series of sighs and rolled eyes over the surfing druids . . . but all in all, I think many of the changes made through the original and second releases were at least done in a way that preserves both flavor and theme. I really don't see the setting as being 'nerfed'. In fact, if run as written, things got a heck of a lot rougher on adventuring parties in the second release. At least in the original, the cities were all reletively stable places. Now, one is in complete anarchic civil war, one is closed off, and another faces economic ruin. Granted, two cities (Gulg & Nibenay) appear to be cooperating more like friendly partners, how long did you seriously expect that to last before the designers went and set the cities on eachother tooth and nail? The loss of the Dragon's status as the ultimate-mega-untouchable-villain was being replaced easily enough by a more 3 dimensional and rounded Dregoth (much cooler IMO than Borys was).As for the upcomming articles and the Athas.org situation, what do you expect? Do you really think that a magazine is going to print a bunch of articles that a prospective buyer could more easily download off the internet for free and still turn around and buy the magazine? I know if I was the editor, I sure as heck wouldn't expect to sell a bunch of issues that month. Personally, I like the fact that the magazines are giving extended treatment to the setting. I'll judge the articles when I see them (not all-together pleased with the defiling article, but that seemed geared more for a general audience to incorporate into their home game rather than a DS conversion of defiling). I know that David Noonan is an avid DS fan, so I'm sure that if nothing else, he'll give it his best.Anyhow, its good to see there's still a decent following for the setting. Or at least people who remember the setting with some aspect of fondness.</blockquote>

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