D&D 4E WotC's 4E Setting approach - was it a mistake?

[I'm A Banana]

I say this as a fan of settings:

It's a really solid plan.

Give me the basics I need to play in the setting, and get out of my way! I do not need endless attempts at definition! I just need a solid grounding.

That said, I think the Campaign Guides so far have been a little on the weak side. I don't feel like I'm having a different play experience, I feel like I'm having the same experience, with perhaps a slightly different color (purple or chrome or orange) laid over the top. I want a meaty experience that takes me out of my comfort zone and puts me into a new world, not, "It's standard D&D but now with MORE SAND!"

I think that's something they've gotta feel out though. It's hard to present a world in a digest that works as a good introduction starting from 0. They're getting better each time.

 

[Renshai]

I really dislike the current model of setting releases. I don't have the time to do any heavy fleshing out of areas, I barely set aside enough time for adventure prep, I don't have any to spend on detailing regions and towns. From what I've seen all publishers have gone this way. WFRP3 is a perfect example. A setting as rich as the Old World only ranked a very short description in the back of the core rulebook and following releases have only touched on the region they chose for their adventures.

As a DM with little spare time, I need super focus and detail for areas where I can set my adventures. That said, I would support the overview model IF they details a region a month in Dragon through DDI. I know they've offered some support for FR in this regard and that is a step in the right direction. I also like the way WotC has treated Nentir Vale, focusing greatly on detailing this area and slowly expanding outward.

 

[badmojojojo]

Making it a very good decision. Especially if the books are good to begin with (FR arguably isn't, but Eberron and Dark Sun are fantastic).

Right there with you man. LOVE Eberron & DS, FR just feels meh IMO.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

There is almost zero reason expanded setting-specific information, adventures, and short-form fiction should be published in a hard copy book.

The whole, entire, complete reason Dungeon and Dragon were created is to publish this stuff in a format that is quicker to react to player feedback, cheaper to publish, and more profitable to sell. This is made only more true with Dungeon and Dragon now being completely digital, where word and page counts only matter if they are tightly edited to be easy to read and understand, not to save costs on paper, ink, and shipping weight.

Also note: expanded setting-specific information, adventures, and short-form fiction do not spring fully-formed from a magic computer. They come from people dedicated to the hobby who sell their work to WotC, a third-party publisher, or self-publish. If the demand for this stuff is not being met, there is a business opportunity for enterprising individuals.

I do think the "three book model" needs to be revamped, but not by publishing more books.

The core setting book should be a boxed set for the DM. Similar to the forthcoming DM kit, it should contain the setting book in the new Essentials digest format, dungeon tiles, tokens for new monsters introduced, and an adventure. A player book is released separately with new player options and fluff. Another adventure is published that month in Dungeon, and additional player options and fiction are published that month in Dragon.

All easy to say from my comfy armchair.

 

[Alphastream]

My point was that most of the Dark Sun stuff that had been printed 20 years ago are no longer in print, or nowhere near as accessible to new players because of availability or price. So they needed more stuff in the current Dragon and Dungeons to make up for the lesser amount of material that new Dark Sun players could acquire compared to the breadth of material that new Eberron players can get.

If someone still owns all their Dark Sun stuff from 2E... then yeah, he's all set. But the new Dark Sun players won't be able to get all that (at least not as easily or as cheaply as the new Eberron players can get all the Eberron 3E material.)

Name a Dark Sun 2E adventure or sourcebook that you can't find on E-Bay for a reasonable price. There probably is one, but that's out of a ton of products. Even with increased pricing due to the excitement of the re-release, the prices on old Dark Sun stuff (aside from minis... *sniff*) are very reasonable. In most cases, they are below what you would pay for a 4E version. And you don't need a 4E version.

There are so many setting resources out there, that you really can convert things easily. You can even go cross-setting to pick up things like personalities of NPCs, maps of dungeons, ideas for hooks, etc. There is just so much out there today. And WotC clearly believes that they were losing money on the approach of going deep for a setting. I think the posts here support that. Many people just won't buy deep and that kills profits.