FR Timeline Advancement [Archive] - Wizards Community

FR Timeline Advancement [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Herr Doktor
10-25-03, 05:02 PM Rich,

I know a lot of people want to see the timeline updated as frequently as was mentioned in the FRCS. I also understand why this has not occured (the laying offs and what not).

May I suggest that someone create a running web article (like Ed Greenwood's Realmslore article) that is released every five months and updates the Forgotten Realms timeline by 2 months as per the original plans.

In theory this seems highly manageable (with the 5 months between each update). Do you see this as being possible? I think it's a great idea and if you could mention it to the right people perhaps it could actually happen? Those of you out there that'd be interested in seeing this done, let's hear ya!

The more support behind the idea the more likely they're going to be to actually consider it (I think).
Starfall
10-25-03, 05:14 PM Wow! Sounds like a good Idea to me! Doesn't seem like it'd be TOO hard to do either... but the reason they may not want to do that is because it would either A) Detract from book sales, or B) Give away the plot of the book. or C) Combo of the two.

(Wait... I understood that right, didn't I? They get the timelines from newly published novels? I heard that somewhere, please please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Kuje31
10-25-03, 05:23 PM Originally posted by Starfall
Wow! Sounds like a good Idea to me! Doesn't seem like it'd be TOO hard to do either... but the reason they may not want to do that is because it would either A) Detract from book sales, or B) Give away the plot of the book. or C) Combo of the two.

(Wait... I understood that right, didn't I? They get the timelines from newly published novels? I heard that somewhere, please please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Well since the novels are official, the last Sembia novel, Lord of Stormweather, updated the time line to 1373. The time line will also be updated in the sourcebooks with the release of the Players Guide.
Starfall
10-25-03, 05:25 PM Ok, good... Then I heard right. Whew. Now I feel complete again. :angel:
Garen Thal
10-25-03, 05:28 PM While I somewhat echo the sentiment of continual updates to the Realms, I think you're being a little unfair. FRCS doesn't say that the timeline will be updated every five months. It says:From this point forward, we expect to advance the world about two years per five years of game products and novels. In over words, for every five months that pass in the real world, we'll advance Faerūn by two months.All this means is that the "present" date for game supplements and novels can be expected to advance at a regular rate from the release of FRCS. The release date was June 2001, setting the game at Shieldmeet of 1372 DR. 30 months later, in December of 2003, we should expect current Realms products to take place around Midwinter of 1373 DR. Back in July, we were at the turn of the year from 1372 to 1373; Unapproachable East was the last game product to cover events only up to 1372, and later products should have us in 1373.

The only reasonable expectation we can have is that when a book is released, it fits where it is meant to in the timeline. Underdark should be current through the beginning of 1373. Player's Guide to Faerūn, a March release, should be set somewhere between Midwinter and the Spring Equinox.

Remember that the best a product can ever be is a "snapshot" of the Realms as they are at the time of its writing. It may detail the history, but it can't get into issues of the future until those events have happened. The major events are detailed in novels and game books, and while having a timeline that describes those events can be helpful, it's not really necessary to create one- or entirely possible to do so without providing as much detail as the books themselves.

"On my word as a sage nothing within these pages is false, but not all of it may prove to be true."
Reefy
10-25-03, 09:40 PM I'll stick my oar in and say I'm in favour.
Herr Doktor
10-28-03, 01:45 PM Rich Baker has responded with the following: I agree that that would be a pretty cool article, but here's what worries me from the creative side: the continuous creation of a large body of material that we would feel beholden to in future product. Unfortunately, there isn't really a central clearing house where we carefully inventory and inspect each bit of Realmslore before it gets published. No one person could possibly have the time to function as that hypothetical Realms Controller, even if I could persuade our business folks that such a job would be a good idea.

So, what this means is that I can't count on freelance game designer X (or heck, even myself) having access to or familiarity with this novel that was written 10 years ago, or that series of Poly articles, or something Ed told some folks at GenCon last year. In that climate, I'm very hesitant to encourage the generation of a brand-new mass of Realmslore someplace where I'm not going to see or review it before it becomes official. Much as I would like to oblige, I just don't want to do something like that until I think we can do it right.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Herr Doktor 10-25-03, 05:02 PM	Rich, I know a lot of people want to see the timeline updated as frequently as was mentioned in the FRCS. I also understand why this has not occured (the laying offs and what not). May I suggest that someone create a running web article (like Ed Greenwood's Realmslore article) that is released every five months and updates the Forgotten Realms timeline by 2 months as per the original plans. In theory this seems highly manageable (with the 5 months between each update). Do you see this as being possible? I think it's a great idea and if you could mention it to the right people perhaps it could actually happen? Those of you out there that'd be interested in seeing this done, let's hear ya! The more support behind the idea the more likely they're going to be to actually consider it (I think).
Starfall 10-25-03, 05:14 PM	Wow! Sounds like a good Idea to me! Doesn't seem like it'd be TOO hard to do either... but the reason they may not want to do that is because it would either A) Detract from book sales, or B) Give away the plot of the book. or C) Combo of the two. (Wait... I understood that right, didn't I? They get the timelines from newly published novels? I heard that somewhere, please please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Kuje31 10-25-03, 05:23 PM	Originally posted by Starfall Wow! Sounds like a good Idea to me! Doesn't seem like it'd be TOO hard to do either... but the reason they may not want to do that is because it would either A) Detract from book sales, or B) Give away the plot of the book. or C) Combo of the two. (Wait... I understood that right, didn't I? They get the timelines from newly published novels? I heard that somewhere, please please correct me if I'm wrong.) Well since the novels are official, the last Sembia novel, Lord of Stormweather, updated the time line to 1373. The time line will also be updated in the sourcebooks with the release of the Players Guide.
Starfall 10-25-03, 05:25 PM	Ok, good... Then I heard right. Whew. Now I feel complete again. :angel:
Garen Thal 10-25-03, 05:28 PM	While I somewhat echo the sentiment of continual updates to the Realms, I think you're being a little unfair. FRCS doesn't say that the timeline will be updated every five months. It says:From this point forward, we expect to advance the world about two years per five years of game products and novels. In over words, for every five months that pass in the real world, we'll advance Faerūn by two months.All this means is that the "present" date for game supplements and novels can be expected to advance at a regular rate from the release of FRCS. The release date was June 2001, setting the game at Shieldmeet of 1372 DR. 30 months later, in December of 2003, we should expect current Realms products to take place around Midwinter of 1373 DR. Back in July, we were at the turn of the year from 1372 to 1373; Unapproachable East was the last game product to cover events only up to 1372, and later products should have us in 1373. The only reasonable expectation we can have is that when a book is released, it fits where it is meant to in the timeline. Underdark should be current through the beginning of 1373. Player's Guide to Faerūn, a March release, should be set somewhere between Midwinter and the Spring Equinox. Remember that the best a product can ever be is a "snapshot" of the Realms as they are at the time of its writing. It may detail the history, but it can't get into issues of the future until those events have happened. The major events are detailed in novels and game books, and while having a timeline that describes those events can be helpful, it's not really necessary to create one- or entirely possible to do so without providing as much detail as the books themselves. "On my word as a sage nothing within these pages is false, but not all of it may prove to be true."
Reefy 10-25-03, 09:40 PM	I'll stick my oar in and say I'm in favour.
Herr Doktor 10-28-03, 01:45 PM	Rich Baker has responded with the following: I agree that that would be a pretty cool article, but here's what worries me from the creative side: the continuous creation of a large body of material that we would feel beholden to in future product. Unfortunately, there isn't really a central clearing house where we carefully inventory and inspect each bit of Realmslore before it gets published. No one person could possibly have the time to function as that hypothetical Realms Controller, even if I could persuade our business folks that such a job would be a good idea. So, what this means is that I can't count on freelance game designer X (or heck, even myself) having access to or familiarity with this novel that was written 10 years ago, or that series of Poly articles, or something Ed told some folks at GenCon last year. In that climate, I'm very hesitant to encourage the generation of a brand-new mass of Realmslore someplace where I'm not going to see or review it before it becomes official. Much as I would like to oblige, I just don't want to do something like that until I think we can do it right.