Would Darksun have been a better 1st release for 4e?

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I would have gone for Scarred Lands, myself.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

I would point out that Eberron only escaped the timeline movement handed to the Realms because of all the venom FR incurred and the outcry on the Eberron boards.

 

[Shemeska]

With Slavicsek on staff having originally worked on the 2e version, DS would have been better served as a setting (versus what happened with FR) had it been the first one released. However it's far too niche of a product to be put out there as an edition's first big setting release.

Honestly they would have been served best by releasing PoLand as a setting unto itself right off the bat rather than inserting it bit by bit into and on top of other settings when those settings were being released. It would have given 4e something new and distinct, and would probably have ticked off less fans of various settings who might not have cared for the mishmash of pre-existing flavor and tropes from those settings and PoL stuff that they got.

 

[drothgery]

I would point out that Eberron only escaped the timeline movement handed to the Realms because of all the venom FR incurred and the outcry on the Eberron boards.

It was only going to be two years. No Khorvaire-shattering events were ever planned.

 

[True_Blue]

I really like the Dark Sun books, so much that I am constantly rereading them over and over. I just started a new DS campaign also.

I just assume that Dark Sun is so good because they already had practice with the other worlds. I like what they did with Eberron, and enjoy the setting for my other campaign. I dont really see any difference between 3.5 Eberron and 4e Eberron, which is good in my opinion. I am not a fan of FR 4e, but its not something I get worked up over. I just dont personally like it, but would still play in it. So when it came to Dark Sun, I figured they learned a lot by creating the other two settings for 4e, and thats why Dark Sun came out so well. I admit this may not be the case, and Dark Sun may have been just as good being the first setting, but I think it helped personally.

 

[Dark Mistress]

Not really, while it fits the points of light concept well. It strays to far from traditional fantasy. I think Greyhawk or a new setting would have been there best bet.

 

[Mournblade94]

Yes Dark Sun would have caused too much confusion.

I initially suggested it because I know of many realms fans that may have dealt with what they did not like about 4e if they did not in addition feel the realms were destroyed for the rules set.

 

[billd91]

I think Dark Sun would have been a terrible first setting release for 4e. Had it gone hand in hand with the core rules, 4e would have been saddled with the impression it was "that post apocalyptic fantasy game" rather than the more general fantasy D&D purports to be.

That said, I think an argument could be made that 4e could have done well with an Oriental Adventures/wuxia setting as its first release and first flavor and then broadened that into a more traditional D&D setting or flavor. Wuxia is a genre I think 4e fits far better than it fits traditional swords and sorcery or epic fantasy.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Yes Dark Sun would have caused too much confusion.

I initially suggested it because I know of many realms fans that may have dealt with what they did not like about 4e if they did not in addition feel the realms were destroyed for the rules set.

So why not Eberron? That would have worked far better than the Realms.

 

[Mournblade94]

So why not Eberron? That would have worked far better than the Realms.

Actually I know very little of Eberron, but it probably would have been a better 1st release than FR.