The Other Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

The Other Realms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
enygmatic_me
01-21-07, 02:42 PM Kara-Tur and Al-Qadim, I love both of these settings and have been waiting for an update for them, well since before I was disappointed by the, in my opinion, half baked release of 3.0 Oriental Adventures. I even started a petition recently, found here (http://www.petitiononline.com/KTAQ3p5/petition.html), in hopes of drumming up interest and support of these seemingly forgotten classics. As this didn't catch on like the blazing wild fire of fan support I had hoped for it got me wondering.

Do so few remember/care about these old settings? I would hate to think the belief that D&D is a euro-centric game that has no place for the flavor of other lands is true. I guess I am here to ask all of you what you think. Is my dream of seeing an update to these settings fated to remain as such?

Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more.
MerrikCale
01-21-07, 03:12 PM well for Zakhara there is the online al-qadim game which keeps the setting alive.
fw190a8
01-21-07, 04:35 PM Personally Al-Qadim is my favourite setting, but perhaps the recent war in the middle east has something to do with the lack of demand for a Persian setting? As for Kara-Tur, the 3rd edition was pretty half-baked, but it is definitely better than never-baked.
Old Sage
01-21-07, 08:26 PM Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more.Given WotC's "Realms-centric" focus over the core publishing period of 3e FR, it seems unlikely that Kara-Tur, or any of the 2e campaign expansions, will feature prominently in the Realmslore.

For the most part, it seems like anything on Kara-Tur is being left to future DRAGON articles and the odd occasional references in sourcebooks and novel to carry forward any lore about Kara-Tur -- such as The Yellow Silk.

Elements of Kara-Tur received a 3e update back in Jan. 04, in DRAGON #315. And a couple of regions in Kara-Tur also received a brief nod in "The Horde" article of DRAGON #349 and its associated PDF supplement from paizo.com:- http://paizo.com/dragonissues/349/DR349_Supplement.pdf
Lord Karsus
01-22-07, 12:41 AM -TSR/WotC/Hasbro has once specific goal- to make money, and as much of it as possible. This is why there are a multitude of books about Waterdeep, or Cormyr. As long as the sell, and make them money, they'll keep on doing it.

-Now, the extra-Faerūnian settings (Kara-Tur, Zakhara and Maztica) did not sell very well. They failed to bring in the dough that TSR wanted them to bring in. So, WotC cut them. Odds are, there will never be a sourcebook dedicated to them, though I would definitley buy it, should it ever become a reality. There will always be references, since WotC can't make them completely disappear, but that's all. Unless, there is a massive Retcon. As I said in a different thread on the same subject:

"Kara-Tur? Maztica? Zakhara? What are you talking about!? Those places don't exist....Sir, come with us...:incog:"
bitter thorn
01-22-07, 01:11 AM Kara-Tur and Al-Qadim, I love both of these settings and have been waiting for an update for them, well since before I was disappointed by the, in my opinion, half baked release of 3.0 Oriental Adventures. I even started a petition recently, found here (http://www.petitiononline.com/KTAQ3p5/petition.html), in hopes of drumming up interest and support of these seemingly forgotten classics. As this didn't catch on like the blazing wild fire of fan support I had hoped for it got me wondering.

Do so few remember/care about these old settings? I would hate to think the belief that D&D is a euro-centric game that has no place for the flavor of other lands is true. I guess I am here to ask all of you what you think. Is my dream of seeing an update to these settings fated to remain as such?

Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more.

Frankly, I don't care for any component of a setting that is too much like some historical earth counterpart. Other than that, I'm fairly nuetral on the whole issue. If I felt the suppliment was well made with lots of lore, I would be as likely to purchase it as any other FR book.
_SIN_
01-23-07, 04:39 AM I don't like limits on where or how far my PC's can go. I agree, even if they released half-baked books, I'd buy them. Some info/lore is better than none at all!!
Lord Karsus
01-23-07, 10:39 AM I don't like limits on where or how far my PC's can go. I agree, even if they released half-baked books, I'd buy them. Some info/lore is better than none at all!!

-Well, that would be good and bad. On one hand, yeah, it is new stuff. But, on the other hand, if it's rushed, and poorly researched, and all of that, it has the potential to make things worse, you know?
_SIN_
01-23-07, 11:36 AM Agreed. It'd still get bought, whether I'd use it would depend entirely on the contents - much like any suppliment.
Lord Karsus
01-23-07, 02:16 PM -Same here, in all likelihood.
MarkusTay63
01-23-07, 02:46 PM Awww Jeeezz...

I really hope the WotC staff don't read this.

"Give us garbage and we will buy it anyway"

Bad enough they already believe that. :banghead:
_SIN_
01-24-07, 12:57 PM Awww Jeeezz...

I really hope the WotC staff don't read this.

"Give us garbage and we will buy it anyway"

Bad enough they already believe that. :banghead:

Ever heard the term "Beggars can't be choosers"?....
Dark Wizard
01-26-07, 10:19 PM This is a market economy. We're consumers and you can bet your soul we have a right to choose. :P

Figure I would start connecting the Sub-setting threads. More Kara-Tur/Zakhara/other discussion happening here:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=774792

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
enygmatic_me 01-21-07, 02:42 PM	Kara-Tur and Al-Qadim, I love both of these settings and have been waiting for an update for them, well since before I was disappointed by the, in my opinion, half baked release of 3.0 Oriental Adventures. I even started a petition recently, found here (http://www.petitiononline.com/KTAQ3p5/petition.html), in hopes of drumming up interest and support of these seemingly forgotten classics. As this didn't catch on like the blazing wild fire of fan support I had hoped for it got me wondering. Do so few remember/care about these old settings? I would hate to think the belief that D&D is a euro-centric game that has no place for the flavor of other lands is true. I guess I am here to ask all of you what you think. Is my dream of seeing an update to these settings fated to remain as such? Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more.
MerrikCale 01-21-07, 03:12 PM	well for Zakhara there is the online al-qadim game which keeps the setting alive.
fw190a8 01-21-07, 04:35 PM	Personally Al-Qadim is my favourite setting, but perhaps the recent war in the middle east has something to do with the lack of demand for a Persian setting? As for Kara-Tur, the 3rd edition was pretty half-baked, but it is definitely better than never-baked.
Old Sage 01-21-07, 08:26 PM	Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more.Given WotC's "Realms-centric" focus over the core publishing period of 3e FR, it seems unlikely that Kara-Tur, or any of the 2e campaign expansions, will feature prominently in the Realmslore. For the most part, it seems like anything on Kara-Tur is being left to future DRAGON articles and the odd occasional references in sourcebooks and novel to carry forward any lore about Kara-Tur -- such as The Yellow Silk. Elements of Kara-Tur received a 3e update back in Jan. 04, in DRAGON #315. And a couple of regions in Kara-Tur also received a brief nod in "The Horde" article of DRAGON #349 and its associated PDF supplement from paizo.com:- http://paizo.com/dragonissues/349/DR349_Supplement.pdf
Lord Karsus 01-22-07, 12:41 AM	-TSR/WotC/Hasbro has once specific goal- to make money, and as much of it as possible. This is why there are a multitude of books about Waterdeep, or Cormyr. As long as the sell, and make them money, they'll keep on doing it. -Now, the extra-Faerūnian settings (Kara-Tur, Zakhara and Maztica) did not sell very well. They failed to bring in the dough that TSR wanted them to bring in. So, WotC cut them. Odds are, there will never be a sourcebook dedicated to them, though I would definitley buy it, should it ever become a reality. There will always be references, since WotC can't make them completely disappear, but that's all. Unless, there is a massive Retcon. As I said in a different thread on the same subject: "Kara-Tur? Maztica? Zakhara? What are you talking about!? Those places don't exist....Sir, come with us...:incog:"
bitter thorn 01-22-07, 01:11 AM	Kara-Tur and Al-Qadim, I love both of these settings and have been waiting for an update for them, well since before I was disappointed by the, in my opinion, half baked release of 3.0 Oriental Adventures. I even started a petition recently, found here (http://www.petitiononline.com/KTAQ3p5/petition.html), in hopes of drumming up interest and support of these seemingly forgotten classics. As this didn't catch on like the blazing wild fire of fan support I had hoped for it got me wondering. Do so few remember/care about these old settings? I would hate to think the belief that D&D is a euro-centric game that has no place for the flavor of other lands is true. I guess I am here to ask all of you what you think. Is my dream of seeing an update to these settings fated to remain as such? Also, for those of you that do still remember/appreciate these settings, do you know of any resources that may have put efforts into this area? I know that you can buy PDF's of the old source books and, if lucky, catch them for good prices on places like eBay. I guess I was just hoping for more. Frankly, I don't care for any component of a setting that is too much like some historical earth counterpart. Other than that, I'm fairly nuetral on the whole issue. If I felt the suppliment was well made with lots of lore, I would be as likely to purchase it as any other FR book.
_SIN_ 01-23-07, 04:39 AM	I don't like limits on where or how far my PC's can go. I agree, even if they released half-baked books, I'd buy them. Some info/lore is better than none at all!!
Lord Karsus 01-23-07, 10:39 AM	I don't like limits on where or how far my PC's can go. I agree, even if they released half-baked books, I'd buy them. Some info/lore is better than none at all!! -Well, that would be good and bad. On one hand, yeah, it is new stuff. But, on the other hand, if it's rushed, and poorly researched, and all of that, it has the potential to make things worse, you know?
_SIN_ 01-23-07, 11:36 AM	Agreed. It'd still get bought, whether I'd use it would depend entirely on the contents - much like any suppliment.
Lord Karsus 01-23-07, 02:16 PM	-Same here, in all likelihood.
MarkusTay63 01-23-07, 02:46 PM	Awww Jeeezz... I really hope the WotC staff don't read this. "Give us garbage and we will buy it anyway" Bad enough they already believe that. :banghead:
_SIN_ 01-24-07, 12:57 PM	Awww Jeeezz... I really hope the WotC staff don't read this. "Give us garbage and we will buy it anyway" Bad enough they already believe that. :banghead: Ever heard the term "Beggars can't be choosers"?....
Dark Wizard 01-26-07, 10:19 PM	This is a market economy. We're consumers and you can bet your soul we have a right to choose. :P Figure I would start connecting the Sub-setting threads. More Kara-Tur/Zakhara/other discussion happening here: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=774792