| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 15 Dec 2014 : 23:47:18
The title says it all.
Are you happy with another Earth Shattering Event that is supposed to fix the previous ESE?
In my opinion, it sounds very cheesy and I'm afraid it's not going to fix anything. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 18:50:17
I have it on good authority that the plot of Tyranny of the Dragon, aka Tiamat's imprisonment, was done just to create the module. There was no story or lead up to it. Just "bang" she's imprisoned.
Since that is the case, I wouldn't be hoping for much. |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 18:45:31
I realize this is unrealistic, but for every major event in the Realms, I think they should release it in multiple media, that way everyone would have have access to it. Markustay is right in that the Sundering was really only alluded to in the novels. I know WotC was planning to release it in multiple platforms, which one containing the effects the Sundering had on a particular area, but has the Sundering even been mentioned in the latest campaign books? Then again, they haven't released an FR specific one, have they? And this Tyranny of the Dragon thing that is going on...how many platforms was that released in? Was it anadventure, a video game, an article in Dragon magazine? I haven't seen any novels about it. My point is, WotC should find a way to involve all FR fans by having the events available to all of us, gamers and readers alike. Not all of us have access to everything they release. Some people game more, and some prefer the novels.
Like I said, I realize this approach may be unrealistic. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 18:34:14
quote:
Originally posted by Jeiroth
Someone already said it best. Lots of hype and nothing really to show for it.
THIS
Thus far, it just seems like another RSE 'non-event'.
Hopefully we will get more info moving forward, but as of right now, I don't really see anything to be happy or unhappy about. "Its this thing that was in novels, but not really, because it was just alluded to in the background". Kind of ambiguous, especially if no one is bothering to read novels anymore. It appears to be nothing more then a hand-wave for writers to 'bring back' whatever they want. Not that that is a bad thing of itself, but without a story behind it, its jarring. And you can't count the series as that story, because it wasn't. In fact... it wasn't even a series, really. |
| Jeiroth |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 17:50:49
Someone already said it best. Lots of hype and nothing really to show for it. |
| Marc |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 13:43:40
I like them involved if there's a chance that epic PC's could touch them, if it's true what Athar from Planescape believe. Untouchable cosmic forces should remain distant and mysterious.
Good part about the Avatar Crisis is that the gods were like every other mortal NPC. |
| Arcanus |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 13:32:47
I too enjoyed seeing the gods at work and involved with mortals. I guess that kinda hampers gamers though. A happy medium must be possible surely? |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 05:27:33
I like having the gods actively involved. But I agree there comes a point when it is too much. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 06 Jan 2015 : 01:59:02
quote:
Originally posted by Marc
Gods aren't that important for the game, ...
It's generally agreed by many that this was one of the main failings of the Avatar Crisis in the Realmslore. That it resulted in the overemphasis of the deities in the day-to-day running of the setting -- which persisted for quite some time and across multiple editions. |
| Marc |
Posted - 05 Jan 2015 : 21:34:00
Gods aren't that important for the game, I'd rather have the Sundering going back in time, before or during the Spellplague. |
| Gustaveren |
Posted - 02 Jan 2015 : 18:38:26
I have no idea what has happened with the sundering since it is several years ago i stopped buying FR novels since i realized it was extremely unlikely i would ever read any of those novels written post spellplague.
|
| Nicolai Withander |
Posted - 31 Dec 2014 : 11:47:14
quote:
Originally posted by Tanthalas
There isn't much about the post-Sundering era to have an opinion about.
The only thing I can say is that while I liked the individual Sundering novels, as a series, it really fell short on detailing the Sundering.
As for the changes we know about: I hate what was done to Myth Drannor and Shade, hate that Tymanther and Akanul are probably gone, like that several deities are being brought back and the rest I'm pretty neutral about.
Probably the thing that annoys me more about the Sundering though, is knowing that it was done mostly to try to appease people that can never really be appeased.
I dont think its in the spirit of WotC to produce lore related or for that matter, anywhere near the amount of products as for 3.x I think they would rather just make a new edition, than make The current deep. |
| Blueblade |
Posted - 31 Dec 2014 : 00:30:42
Ah, but that assumes elves WANTED to invent phasers and warp drives. I think they want to be left alone to renew the forests and enjoy living there.
BB |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 30 Dec 2014 : 19:27:44
Cormyr has shown some signs of small advancements both mundane and magic. Little mentions in certain of the post-Spellplague/pre-Sundering Elminster novels talk about screw top potion lids, intricate locks and so on.
The Realms is not and never has been static. It advances, gets blown up, and proceeds anew. |
| Mirtek |
Posted - 30 Dec 2014 : 13:24:32
quote:
Originally posted by SaMoCon
100 years is too great a period of time for things to not have changed - weapons, armors, fighting styles, tactics, fabrication methods, resources, alloys, working methods, trades, commerce, economies, philosophies, political movements, and religions.
By that argument the FR should be be a spacefaring sci-fi-setting like Warhammer 40k, given that FR history has some 20,000-years on our own civilization timeline.
The 100 years from 4e are a drop in the ocean compared to the 20 millenium the lazy elves had to invent phasers and warp drives already |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 30 Dec 2014 : 03:54:00
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
Only when they get their stuff together and decide to release said Realmslore...
it's in the novels--or at least the ones I have read. |
| SaMoCon |
Posted - 30 Dec 2014 : 02:49:30
Am I happy with the Sundering? Do I like this new roll-out regarding the FRCS in an advanced timeline? The 4e march of a century changed names, moved national boundaries, and altered political structures but what really changed? In 100 years there were no new innovations, no embrace of technologies, no realizations of the world order, and no movement to understand the universe. "Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss." What does the 5e version provide with this, I believe the colloquialism is, Realms Shaking Event? Swapping some places around. ... I am sure there is a lot of color text to go with that but, in the end, the core rule books really decide what happens and that dictation is that the FRCS is to remain a Realms spanning dark ages fantasy feudalism.
For those of us that have played in the Realms from that first box set in 1987 we had a Realms with many things afoot in 1350s DR, advancing to the 1360s in the 2nd Ed, and 1370's in 3/3.5. It is plausible that armored people swinging weapons and launching missiles are using the same craft styles and technologies across that period of time. 100 years is too great a period of time for things to not have changed - weapons, armors, fighting styles, tactics, fabrication methods, resources, alloys, working methods, trades, commerce, economies, philosophies, political movements, and religions. And I'm not just talking about a Dark Age but one that did not have the collapse of social order, the destruction of all libraries, and a pittance of learned men who avoided the mass killings by invading barbarians because the Realms experienced the exact opposite with more than half of its most intelligent and learned surviving the events.
The Forgotten Realms has enough fractured lore and holes in its reasoning that I don't need more added to the mix while losing the things I had already found worthwhile or fixed to my liking. I am not paying money to play the "fixed" version of someone's screw-up of a product that doesn't address my concerns but blithely continues with the IMO worst aspects.
Well, that's my long-winded way of saying "no." |
| Irennan |
Posted - 28 Dec 2014 : 20:08:44
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
We've been told it's the RSE to end all RSE's, but so far it doesn't feel like that.
I'm reading "The Herald" right now so maybe my view will change.
What I do like about the Sundering is the Realmslore to be had.
Only when they get their stuff together and decide to release said realmslore...
|
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 28 Dec 2014 : 19:56:03
We've been told it's the RSE to end all RSE's, but so far it doesn't feel like that.
I'm reading "The Herald" right now so maybe my view will change.
What I do like about the Sundering is the Realmslore to be had. |
| Drustan Dwnhaedan |
Posted - 25 Dec 2014 : 00:04:33
I was really disappointed, after all the hype surrounding the Sundering event. But I'm still willing to wait and see what WOTC does next. (Although I seriously doubt I'll like it.) |
| charger_ss24 |
Posted - 24 Dec 2014 : 17:18:04
While most of the books were good, the series itself was an utter disappointment to me. Especially when the Cycle of Night trilogy was axed to fit The Godborn into the series. |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 22 Dec 2014 : 00:37:17
quote:
Originally posted by hobbitfan
My problem with the Sundering are mostly due to the disconnect between what the WOTC hype machine promised and then what they actually did in the novels.
That and there has been zero follow-up after it.
Agreed. |
| hobbitfan |
Posted - 22 Dec 2014 : 00:35:36
My problem with the Sundering are mostly due to the disconnect between what the WOTC hype machine promised and then what they actually did in the novels.
That and there has been zero follow-up after it.
|
| Xnella Moonblade-Thann |
Posted - 21 Dec 2014 : 17:18:07
I'll do what I've always done: Take the edition I like best, parts from other editions I like best, throw it into my cauldron, sprinkle in a little fan-made lore, a dash of self-made lore, stir it all together, and voila! I have the Realms the way I want to see it! |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 21 Dec 2014 : 12:46:00
I just want the good old Realms back. |
| CorellonsDevout |
Posted - 21 Dec 2014 : 02:24:38
Mixed feelings. I'm glad the Realms is steering away from 4e, but there was a lot of hype and not a whole lot of delivery, IMO.
One of the issues I have is that the events of the Sundering were delivered in mixed media (novels, computer games, comics, etc). I understand why WotC did this, and it's cool that it expanded across multiple platforms, but it also made it more difficult to keep up. But, I guess this isn't limited to the Sundering alone. When lore is only released in a certain format, it makes it more difficult to keep up.
But I was a little disappointed in the delivery. There was a lot of promise in the interviews with the authors and James Wyatt, and I felt it wasn't as exciting as they made it out to be. That said, it wasn't terrible, either. |
| Eilserus |
Posted - 18 Dec 2014 : 02:29:08
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
I think WotC are satisfied with the revenue being generated by the loosely connected adventures they are churning out and setting in the Realms. The added bonus of course is linking it with the organised play, getting some synergy there, and connecting with the gaming fanbase. I've looked at every single adventure so far and the FR content is cursory and basic. It doesn't draw me in or excite me - especially given some of the stuff I've seen Eric come up with in the last couple of months - and so I've passed every time. Given I don't actually game, adventures have never excited me that much anyway. I keep hoping that an FR sourcebook of substance will be announced, but I expect that is unlikely on the model WotC are following. That's why I keep making up my own realmslore. Someone has to; WotC stopped years ago.
-- George Krashos
Where you say the FR content is cursory and basic, I think you nailed it George. If they want to evoke the original Realms feel and excite folks, things need to be kicked up a few notches.
With their stance on bringing back the "magic", it is strange that they would put out products that don't pull us in. Hopefully, the process will be refined going forward. |
| Tarlyn |
Posted - 18 Dec 2014 : 02:27:30
The Sundering event itself was pretty lackluster, however the new era post the sundering is great. I know that my play group has started purchasing and reading novels again and are very interested to see what the Realms look like from a mortal's point of view.
I am really enjoying the freedom that the sundering brings to running a game. Knowing that all of the deities and organizations that made the Realms appealing are back is good enough. I don't need WotC to try and provide one monolithic explanation of how FR got back all of its neat iconic stuff. I don't think any one explanation would work for everyone and allowing each group of FR fans to answer the question of how you justify the transition between 1-3e, 4e and 5e works great. I have been having more fun DMing FR in 5e than I have had in years.
I am looking forward to seeing a 5e sourcebook that hopefully provides a baseline state of the Realms post the Sundering. However, I don't need explanations for the 100 year gap, or the mysterious of the Sundering. I just want to see the Realms developing again from a healthy starting point. I am okay with filling in details when they are important for a novel or adventure, but I don't think there is anything to be gained by trying to justify every returned deity, country and group.
|
| BEAST |
Posted - 18 Dec 2014 : 01:21:55
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Suffice it to say I haven't seen anything that has made me embrace the Sundering any more then most of us embraced the spellplague. Its just another big buzzword slapped onto a non-event, IMO. I have VERY high hopes for The Realms moving forward, but thus far I have yet to see anything that jumps out and grabs me (which is precisely what they will need, if they want FR to be back in the RPG limelight). That doesn't mean there won't be - it just means I haven't seen it yet.
Sounds a lot like "comprehensive immigration reform" to me...  |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 17 Dec 2014 : 16:26:31
Three cheers for Eric and George.
I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming work on the North and hope like hell that poor decisions are not made by executives that edit it out of all usefulness or consign it to the literary graveyard |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 17 Dec 2014 : 16:19:03
I think WotC are satisfied with the revenue being generated by the loosely connected adventures they are churning out and setting in the Realms. The added bonus of course is linking it with the organised play, getting some synergy there, and connecting with the gaming fanbase. I've looked at every single adventure so far and the FR content is cursory and basic. It doesn't draw me in or excite me - especially given some of the stuff I've seen Eric come up with in the last couple of months - and so I've passed every time. Given I don't actually game, adventures have never excited me that much anyway. I keep hoping that an FR sourcebook of substance will be announced, but I expect that is unlikely on the model WotC are following. That's why I keep making up my own realmslore. Someone has to; WotC stopped years ago.
-- George Krashos |
