| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Faraer |
Posted - 18 Aug 2012 : 18:50:12
quote:
Originally posted by The Red Walker
quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
Lore support for multiple eras is on the table.
Questions?
What can we do to help ensure it's an actuality?
This I can answer in part. Keep doing what your doing now, just do more.
Well, then.
Honouring Ed's Realms: A Plea for Plurality
I look forward to the 'new' Realms the team come up with; I expect to buy much of it, enjoy it and find it useful. I'm glad most of all for Ed's sake that the last little blip is over.
But the very best possible post-fourteenth-century Realms lets down those who love the specific, detailed social, political and magical situation, with its thousands of characters, developed over forty years, and want to learn more about it; and those who'd be open to a new one with equal depth, which there just isn't time to re-produce; and those repelled, some past the point of no return, by the bad-taste-and-plausibility gap of things done to the world when its guardianship was less careful.
I've been struck again and again, reading various blogs and forum threads, how consistently the Old Grey Box is respected by a great many people who are indifferent or hostile to the Realms' later publishing history. It's often expressed more plainly and forcefully than at Candlekeep, where we've stuck with the setting while many others have given up, we're used to extracting value from products that aren't ideally what we'd want, and where certain points are so obvious it seems churlish to keep making them.
How Elminster's Forgotten Realms sells may tell much. However, that book's highlighting of Elminster may repel its core audience, and that's a bad sign among the positive, heartening signs now appearing. Another is the release this year of yet one more Undermountain product conceived as if the appeal of Undermountain is the name and most basic concept, rather than Ed's (and Steven's) execution of it, so that we've got sublevels and variants down the years but none of Ed's actual levels, already designed thirty years ago, since the first boxed set.
For myself, I think the mid-fourteenth-century Realms is by far the richest, most fruitful and dynamic one we have; it deserves most of all to have its potential fulfilled, with all the lore, stories, and adventures that got left behind as managers and editors moved through what sometimes seemed their series of inventive ways of doing anything but publish the setting they bought.
I see the worth of moving forward but doing it right, finding new surprising things, not 'stagnating', which enthuses the team and to many of us. But I must say my heart fell, watching the Gen Con presentation, when I saw the n+1th RSE pushed with no mention of the multi-era approach I'd hoped for since Erik Scott de Bie mooted the idea. The Realms' appeal is plural; that appeal-of-the-newest is not its only part, just as RSEs aren't, Drizzt isn't, the Heartlands and Ed Greenwood's literary voice aren't, and just as Del Rey and Dark Horse don't publish nothing but the latest post-Episode VI Star Wars novel timeline. So this is why I'd like to see the compromise of Realms sourcebooks covering multiple eras, for those of us who most love the original Realms, and so new people can find it too. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 31 Aug 2012 : 05:52:18
Realms of Boobs, Book I of the Realms of Humor series. Coming soon, its sequel Realms of Beard. |
| ErinMEvans |
Posted - 30 Aug 2012 : 23:34:17
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
How about bringing Liriel back, in a D&D-style adventure novel featuring all girls? Unfortunately, a lot of the ones I'd love to have seen in that are dead, but they're may be a few left to fill the ranks (like fox-at-twilight).
That could even be trilogy-worthy, if handled right. I'm thinking Elaine, Erin, and Erik on that one.
It could also be set in the 'day after' (1386 DR) era, which would open-up at least some of the characters for use (Not Shandril, sadly).
"Elminster's Angels"?
The line-up being Liriel Baenre (Starlight and Shadows, arcane), Hallivar (Brimstone Angels series, warrior), and Fox-at-Twilight (Shadowbane series, rogue)?
(Potential alternates/supporting characters would be Alias, Kyriani Agrivar, Storm Silverhand, and/or Arilyn Moonblade.)
I could so get on board with that idea. 
And no, no boob-mail, no +2 for boobs, none of that business. Twilight will gladly stab in a sensitive spot any such sexist NPC they meet.
Cheers
P.S. Maybe this deserves its own thread.
While it sounds liek Markustay is dreaming of a trilogy set in a time she has no place in, I am completely amused by the idea of those two long-lived elf ladies teamed with impatient, impulsive Havilar. Conflict ahoy. :p
|
| Markustay |
Posted - 30 Aug 2012 : 17:53:52
I was thinking more of an 'adventuring party', then a 'tale of three women'. Some characters could come and go out of the novels, but I think having an all-girl adventuring party would go a long way to bringing more females to FR and D&D.
Danica (from the The Cleric Quintet) would be another excellent candidate. Storm and/or dove would be a no-brainer (although I think Storm might hog the spotlight, so maybe Dove... she'd wouldn't be a Chosen in 1386 DR). Perhaps throw in a 'bad girl' to round things out; not as a nemesis, but rather as a 'comrade-in-arms during these troubled times'. There's Ashemmi - an obvious choice - and there are a couple of others I can't think of the names for (or don't know the names). Wasn't there a halfway decent Red Wizard involved in the watercourse stuff? I don't want such a story to be composed of all 'goody-goodies' - lots of bad folk worshiped Mystra as well.
Hmmm... I wonder why I automatically assumed that such a group would be looking for what happened to Mystra? That might be the over-arching plot of such a series right there.
Elminster's daugher (Namra) would be another fine candidate (we need a thief for a well-rounded party).
quote:
Originally posted by Matt James
I vote that the James Brothers co-author their first Realms novel that paralells the Sundering plotline.
Thoughts?
Only if you guys adopt me. I'll legally change my last name to 'James'.  |
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 30 Aug 2012 : 17:41:45
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
How about bringing Liriel back, in a D&D-style adventure novel featuring all girls? Unfortunately, a lot of the ones I'd love to have seen in that are dead, but they're may be a few left to fill the ranks (like fox-at-twilight).
That could even be trilogy-worthy, if handled right. I'm thinking Elaine, Erin, and Erik on that one.
It could also be set in the 'day after' (1386 DR) era, which would open-up at least some of the characters for use (Not Shandril, sadly).
"Elminster's Angels"?
The line-up being Liriel Baenre (Starlight and Shadows, arcane), Hallivar (Brimstone Angels series, warrior), and Fox-at-Twilight (Shadowbane series, rogue)?
(Potential alternates/supporting characters would be Alias, Kyriani Agrivar, Storm Silverhand, and/or Arilyn Moonblade.)
I could so get on board with that idea.
And no, no boob-mail, no +2 for boobs, none of that business. Twilight will gladly stab in a sensitive spot any such sexist NPC they meet.
Cheers
P.S. Maybe this deserves its own thread. |
| The Red Walker |
Posted - 30 Aug 2012 : 15:28:43
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
How about bringing Liriel back, in a D&D-style adventure novel featuring all girls? Unfortunately, a lot of the ones I'd love to have seen in that are dead, but they're may be a few left to fill the ranks (like fox-at-twilight).
That could even be trilogy-worthy, if handled right. I'm thinking Elaine, Erin, and Erik on that one.
It could also be set in the 'day after' (1386 DR) era, which would open-up at least some of the characters for use (Not Shandril, sadly).
EDIT: I'm a huge proponent for an anthology connected to the sundering story-arc. now I'm thinking 2 anthologies - one just for 'the girls'.
(Realms of Boobmail...  sorry... just couldn't resist...)
EDIT2: And that joke just reminded me of Alias, who is an excellent candidate for such a novel/trilogy/anthology. Or maybe even one or two of her 'sisters'.
Ed could write the "anchor" story of +2 for Boobs?
And on a serious note, I really hope we see an anthology of two around The Sundering. If we going to focus on smaller characters, that is a no brainer. |
| Bakra |
Posted - 29 Aug 2012 : 21:52:58
quote:
Originally posted by Matt James
I vote that the James Brothers co-author their first Realms novel that paralells the Sundering plotline.
Thoughts?
You mean that you two haven't already done a short story covering the Sundering plotline??? |
| Matt James |
Posted - 29 Aug 2012 : 21:16:29
I vote that the James Brothers co-author their first Realms novel that paralells the Sundering plotline.
Thoughts? |
| Eilserus |
Posted - 29 Aug 2012 : 20:27:51
One thing I'd like to see return to the Realms if we're going old school grey boxed set is the return of how to pronounce names: Myth Drannor [Myth-DRANN-or] etc. I always liked that included, because certain names can be tricky to say right. Granted I think this all depends on page counts of various books and falls into more of a would be nice to see but not entirely essential. |
| Hoondatha |
Posted - 29 Aug 2012 : 01:27:59
Same here, Markus. Though I wonder whether your five are the same as my five. (and of course all of it is contingent on them making me actually want to read them. So I guess I could say there are only five that I would consider reading). And I kept holding my breath during the keynote for them to announce EC, and it never happened. Big sigh. |
| Mournblade |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 22:52:04
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Nah, it isn't awkward. Heck, it is a fairly common superstition that 7 is a lucky number (at least in my country).
I studied for a semester in Sienna Italy. Though I am a molecular biologist I was there to study history. I wish I remembered ANY of the italian I picked up. It is a shame I lost it.
It was an English program so I had to attend Italian classes as I studied the history. One of the best experiences of my life. I tried to keep up but I sadly lost the language.
|
| Markustay |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 22:23:44
quote:
Originally posted by Mournblade
<snip>(Not that I am advocating anyone get replaced).
I would. There are only five I plan to read.
Not having Elaine around for 5e is big mistake, IMHO. I can understand why she would be leery (after all, they nuked every place she ever wrote about), but she is one of the few authors I think can write seamlessly beside Ed Greenwood. |
| Irennan |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 21:37:06
Nah, it isn't awkward. Heck, it is a fairly common superstition that 7 is a lucky number (at least in my country). |
| Mournblade |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 20:56:26
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
How about bringing Liriel back, in a D&D-style adventure novel featuring all girls? Unfortunately, a lot of the ones I'd love to have seen in that are dead, but they're may be a few left to fill the ranks (like fox-at-twilight).
That could even be trilogy-worthy, if handled right. I'm thinking Elaine, Erin, and Erik on that one.
It could also be set in the 'day after' (1386 DR) era, which would open-up at least some of the characters for use (Not Shandril, sadly).
EDIT: I'm a huge proponent for an anthology connected to the sundering story-arc. now I'm thinking 2 anthologies - one just for 'the girls'.
(Realms of Boobmail... sorry... just couldn't resist...)
EDIT2: And that joke just reminded me of Alias, who is an excellent candidate for such a novel/trilogy/anthology. Or maybe even one or two of her 'sisters'.
The one thing the realms needs more of is LIRIEL BAENRAE. The ONLY bad news so far about the Sundering is that Elaine Cunningham is not one of the authors (Not that I am advocating anyone get replaced). I wish they could add just one more...
But a septad is so awkward...
|
| Markustay |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 20:13:47
How about bringing Liriel back, in a D&D-style adventure novel featuring all girls? Unfortunately, a lot of the ones I'd love to have seen in that are dead, but they're may be a few left to fill the ranks (like fox-at-twilight).
That could even be trilogy-worthy, if handled right. I'm thinking Elaine, Erin, and Erik on that one.
It could also be set in the 'day after' (1386 DR) era, which would open-up at least some of the characters for use (Not Shandril, sadly).
EDIT: I'm a huge proponent for an anthology connected to the sundering story-arc. now I'm thinking 2 anthologies - one just for 'the girls'.
(Realms of Boobmail... sorry... just couldn't resist...)
EDIT2: And that joke just reminded me of Alias, who is an excellent candidate for such a novel/trilogy/anthology. Or maybe even one or two of her 'sisters'. |
| Alystra Illianniis |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 01:30:25
*raises hand* Ooh! Me!
Anywho, I like MT's ideas, Paizo seems to be handling things very well in that department, and I would also love to see WotC do something like their map-packs, too. I sometimes visit their site just to check out the latest oens. Maps of the Realms, whether of small towns, adventure sites, or even building interiors, wou;d all be great. Who wouldn't love to see the layout of Candlekeep's library and catacombs in a map-pack? Or some region like a sea elven domain in the Sea of Fallen Stars, or a dwarven ruin under the Great Rift? |
| Irennan |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 01:23:20
I would definitely like to know how Liriel is faring... |
| The Hidden Lord |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 01:10:22
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
We have, at this time, no official announcements of products. You can be sure there will be some, but we don't know what they are yet. Those decisions are still being made.
So this is the time to advocate for what you want! WotC is listening.
Cheers
Anyone else down for more Liriel? |
| Eilserus |
Posted - 28 Aug 2012 : 00:42:09
quote:
Originally posted by Mournblade
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
That's a good idea, Brix. I'd love to see something like that implemented as well.
Small products for $10 print, $3 digital would be pretty rock.
Cheers
WOTC should really take notes from PAIZO's Golarion products on this. They manage to make cheap sourcebooks LOADED with information. Maybe they need to move from the massive regional books, and put out a new city or small region everymonth.
Menzoberranzan is a great model to follow. I am so happy with the quality of that book.
Totally agree with this. I absolutely love pathfinder's adventure paths they have. Great adventures and maps, bestiaries of new monsters seen in the adventure, sometimes a backdrop type article detailing out a city or new area. One of the other things I love is how they make up simple rules for like Kingmaker and running and building your own country or the Shackles & Skulls with simple rules for piracy.
If there's one thing for the Realms I would love to see, is a quality adventure path like Paizo produces, released every month. Imagine two entire campaigns per year. You could have one in Amn or Sembia that is merchant centric, another in the Dales or the Moonsea. How bout the North and a frontier type line? Red wizards of Thay anyone? etc etc.
Pathfinder's adventure path is their flagship product. And why? Because it sells and they're of excellent quality. I really hope wizards looks into their own line of adventure path products, because if done correctly could be down right epic. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 27 Aug 2012 : 19:15:48
As I said, a basic rule-of-thumb should be $1 per ten pages of content, but no single thing should ever be more then 50 pages or so (you NEVER want your customers to have actually weigh their purchasing decisions - they need to take that right out of the equation). 'Bigger' books should be broken down into bite-sized chunks.
This means that the 32 page supplement on Phlan should cost $3, just as Erik says. Major areas of interest (and perhaps compilations) should still be in a print format. I have found, in my own case, that when I download PDFs, a lot of times I will go out and buy a hard copy of the ones I really like. This gives us a 'sample before you buy' paradigm, which works very well in this day and age. |
| Mournblade |
Posted - 27 Aug 2012 : 19:13:48
quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
That's a good idea, Brix. I'd love to see something like that implemented as well.
Small products for $10 print, $3 digital would be pretty rock.
Cheers
WOTC should really take notes from PAIZO's Golarion products on this. They manage to make cheap sourcebooks LOADED with information. Maybe they need to move from the massive regional books, and put out a new city or small region everymonth.
Menzoberranzan is a great model to follow. I am so happy with the quality of that book.
|
| Erik Scott de Bie |
Posted - 27 Aug 2012 : 18:50:40
That's a good idea, Brix. I'd love to see something like that implemented as well.
Small products for $10 print, $3 digital would be pretty rock.
Cheers |
| Brix |
Posted - 27 Aug 2012 : 18:33:14
I'd prefer even smaller breakdowns.
For example a sourcebook that deals with the city of Phlan. 32 Pages for less than 10$ |
| see |
Posted - 25 Aug 2012 : 23:02:47
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I believe that Torg had some success doing something similar with the Possibility Wars.
No, it didn't. The Infiniverse didn't work, and was abandoned after a year or so.
I'm getting amazingly depressed. "Duplicating for the Realms with the Spellplague what Traveller did with the Virus didn't work any better the second time around, but we've learned from that. So now we're going to do for the Realms that which didn't work with Torg the first time around."
I'm not saying it can't succeed; maybe Torg was a failure of execution, not concept. But if WotC is going to retry 20-year-old ideas on the Realms, I wish it would retry ones that worked the first time. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 01:15:38
Realms of Many Worlds
This is a great time to put back the element of travel between worlds that was left out of Realms books for reasons such as the 1980s media scare (and deference to Planescape?). We know that many high-level characters worldwalk, that cross-world intrigues and the struggle to control gates have much secret effect in Faerūn, that it's an important enough part of Ed's premise to have given the setting its name. Not so much links between D&D campaign settings as with a larger literary multiverse -- for me at least, a connection with, say, Nehwon or Morris's Wood Between the Worlds (and there are many public-domain possibilities) opens up imaginative vistas and makes the Realms seem less cramped and self-defined. Zelazny was a big influence here of course, and my own image of it is also shaped by C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine books. This could easily be seeded in subtly at first, then perhaps developed later with the mysterious power groups, planar nexuses, and all. |
| Portella |
Posted - 23 Aug 2012 : 01:04:12
Indeed I have cash give me a reason to throw it at you again wizards of the coast!!! waking first
( ^ ^ , )
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| Markustay |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 21:21:22
Thanks guys. I have only taken this particular stance since I've become aware of how much Realmlore we never see, just because they don't have a medium in which to present it profitably. While most folks will think long and hard about shelling out $30 for something, no-one (these days) bats an eye at downloading 30 $1 dollar things.
I also don't want to see 'real' (printed) sourcebooks go away - I love those. The reality is that only certain subject-material sells well enough for that format. The downloadable mini-supplements (or even short stories/articles) are good for the something-to-read-at-lunch crowd, and would appeal to the mainstream, while at the same time deliver us much of the Realmslore we never get to see.
@Portella - this is mostly my own suggestion; more of an amalgam of several ideas I heard bandied-about at Gencon. I am just trying to nail-down the needs of both WotC with the wants of the fans, and what I know from my own business experience would possibly work, utilizing today's technology to the best advantage. I am not saying "it was all my idea" - its more of a boiled-down version of what guys like Eric Boyd, James Wyatt, and Ed Greenwood were all tossing around. The pot is still being stirred, and the soup is far from done.
I have mentioned elsewhere that the gist of what I think will be happening over the next year or so is that they will be testing out several different marketing schemes, and will go with whichever ones work. This makes perfect sense - the need for 'focus groups' is no longer necessary for marketing thanks to the internet. They should be able to ascertain precisely what works and what doesn't. If my idea doesn't hold water, thats fine - they will know before they commit to it fully. This is precisely how things should work in a business (not "we are going to do everything our way, and the fans just have to learn to accept it" - that didn't work out so well for them).
In the end, two years from now, we may have something none of us are even thinking about right now. A lot can happen in that time, and technology is always changing. Paizo has learned how to adapt and grow, and this is precisely what we need moving forward. |
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 20:35:42
MarkusTay's outline about a suitable sales model on the internet is spot on and supported by previous examples in other sites and industries. It's how iTunes does it with MP3s and now videos, it's how Amazon does it with eBooks, it's how apps are sold.
More importantly, it's how Paizo is starting to do things with their short story ebooks. Most of their supplements are also smaller books, 30-60 page softcovers (and in PDF). These usually cover a single kingdom. A comparable scale for the Realms would be a 60 page book on Rashemen and not a 190 page Unapproachable East.
The Pathfinder 3pp (3rd party publishers) have eagerly embraced this model. They break up a large project (an entire psionics system, a megadungeon, a bestiary) into smaller chucks. Customers buy the pieces they like, some to try it out, some to grab a specific bit. For the fans of the entire thing, if the product line is successful enough, they do a compilation PDF. Really successful products get a print run.
Many bundle the PDF with a purchase of the print book, usually for only a dollar or two more. Giving people every reason to buy the books rather than obtain them via other means.
Paizo and Pathfinder 3pp books (and PDFs) are also available at more retails than just Paizo.com. Some buyers have accounts set up at other sites like RPGNow/DriveThruRPG. They prefer those sites and the recommendations put up based on their past browsing history or similar buyer history might help make the sale.
WotC should look into getting their digital material out to as many channels as possible while developing their own DDI offerings and their own WotC web Store.
|
| Portella |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:49:16
Markustay indeed our ideas are a good starting point for discussion it is really important to create a strategy that is build for the current market and future buyers. The world is changing constantly tomorrow who knows what will happen. But we need to prepare with as much analysis as possible, to point at least. Ultimately customers decide and if majority wants the things you have put forward they will happen. |
| Uzzy |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:22:57
I particularly agree with Markustay's idea regarding selling PDF's. Paying a reasonably small amount for a detailed and targeted article would be very nice and appealing to me. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 18:17:08
And it has the possibility of netting more income for everyone concerned over time.
Suppose they did a sourcebook called 'The Lesser-Known realms' (A self-sabotaging title if I ever heard one), and it included all those corners of Faerūn that die-hard fans want to know more about (Shaareach, Sossal, etc). How well would a hardbound book like that sell to the general public? If they charged $30-35 for it, they would probably not make enough from sales to cover their efforts. Now take the same book and break it down and sell it as 20-30 page 'articles', selling at a dollar (99¢) each. Who wouldn't download that? Its a no-brainer. Even if you don't like what you read, what have you wasted? A buck? Who cares? THATS how you make money on the internet. A million 99¢ sales are worth far more then thousand $35 sales. People don't even think about a dollar - its 'pocket change'. And who is going to take the time to find a pirated copy of something for 99¢? Only someone who would have never paid for it in the first place.
It takes the thought out of buying decisions, which is what they need right now. The biggest anti-argument I am hearing right now is that "the new books will contain a lot of information I may not be interested in". Who the hell would use that argument for something they downloaded for a buck? The internet takes 'impulse buying' to whole 'nother level.
And if these 'mini books' are written by guys like George Krashos, Erik Boyd, Steven Schend, Ed Greenwood, etc - who's not going to like them regardless?
And they don't all have to be small books either - I'm thinking of a $1 per ten pages paradigm, roughly (depending upon author, artwork, maps, etc). There should be a top-end though, otherwise books should be broken up into smaller bites (bytes?) Its easier to sell someone three $9.99 dowloads over a couple months then one $30 Netbook (because as gamers, we balk at not having physical tomes in our hands for that kind of money). A well-written 30-page module or mini-sourcebook for around $2.99 sounds about right to me.
I also wouldn't make it part of the DDi. I am not sure what should be done with the DDi, but the "you must pay for everything whether you use it or not" system isn't the best model for the internet. They are still thinking the DDi is the old Dungeon and Dragon magazines, which they are not, and never will be. There is different mindset with those - you have a piece of physical property that you can put on a shelf forever, that you can always go back to for something useful or just for the sheer joy of nostalgia. The DDi is an 'internet thing', and falls under the category of 'instant gratification'. That means people want every last bit of it to be useful all the time. The magazine model simply does not work.
My suggestion would be to make the DDi FREE, and they could put all those web-goodies we talked about (novel maps, indexes, glossaries, etc, etc) in that, along with a few free articles (disguised advertisements for upcoming releases). That should be their showcase, and it should be FREE. They need a forum where casual parties can learn about D&D and The Realms, without having to fork over cash first. You want to get someone hooked on crack, you give them a piece for free first. Nobody gets hooked on anything until someone gives them some first. YES, and I just compared The Forgotten Realms to crack, because it is an addiction (one that causes mental duress over time, rather physical problems). Maybe a pleasant addiction, but an addiction none the less.
Then, within that framework, sell the 'extra tidbits' for $1-3 dollars. The 'expanded version' of the lore. I think that might work moving forward, and its pure win for everyone, and especially us fans. This system works for many of the Free apps (like facebook games and Diablo) - you give them the basics, and if they want the uber-kewl extras they got to fork-over real money. FB & Zynga didn't become a multi-billion dollar industry by doing things wrong. Even disney has learned to use this (in their own games, like Wizards 101 - you have to use real money to buy certain in-game items). Disney doesn't often make mistakes - WotC needs to understand how the internet works, and use it to their advantage. Unfortunately for many of us, the days of $40 hardbound books is a thing of the past - they just don't sell well. We need to embrace the new technologies moving forward, and I see WotC doing just that on many other platforms.
I'm one of the oldest die-hard grognards here, but even a grognard has to recognize that "the times, they are a'changing". You either grow with them, or get left behind.
One last thing: My 'small stories' comment seems to have been taken a certain way, and fortunately both Richard Byers and Erik DeBie were here to extrapolate on/correct that. I do not mean stories about a single character doing a single thing in some obscure village - that is actually best served in anthologies (and I love those kinds of Realms stories). Novels should be a tad bit grander. All I meant was that the world isn't changed dramatically on a large scale by things that happen. Even a war between two 'big players' (like Sembia and Cormyr) would remain focused on a small part of the Realms. So by 'small' I mean non-RSE, not insignificant. You can still tell a very grand tale and leave the realms intact.
Also, moving forward (and judging by how the Sundering event is being handled), anything 'major' gets discussed by MANY people, and not just the ones writing it. This communal group-decision making is necessary to the Realms, and I am so glad to see that they are not writing in a vacuum, like certain FR novels (and series) were done in the past. Apparently our desire for a 'CORE" group has not fallen on deaf ears, and lots and lots of people we trust are now involved in crafting the setting we all hold so dear. |
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