Is there anyone else who's really not digging the so-called "5 main factions" of the 5e Forgotten Realms?
I have a few gripes here. Feel free to chime in on any of them
Firstly, While I'm glad to see Wizards of the Coast didn't do away with the Lords Alliance, Harpers, Zhentarim, and even Emeral Enclave, I just don't get the Order of the Gauntlet. Is this supposed to be a amalgamation of all types of valorous and religious orders (in which there were many...in different cities and parts of the Realms) all now fused into one single order? Who runs it? Where is it based? How did this happen? I know the players guide says they're a new organization (which is fine, new organizations spring up all the time) but to suddenly make them on equal footing as some of the old timers like the Harpers and Zhentarim? Please!
Secondly, and this has to do with the idea of most of these factions previously being secret societies (not open factions ready to recruit people). Ok, so the Lords Alliance has always been the mainstream political and economic force along the Sword Coast, but even they used to be a secret cabal of lords and nobles from various cities along the Sword Coast (not always lawful good and beneolvent, depending on each Lords perogative) meeting in secret to discuss policy. Likewise the Harpers, even in the aftermath of 4e when numbers declined and they moved thier base to Everlund, have always met in secret, because they meddle in so many affairs across the Realms. Don't tell me that the Zhentarim, is in such disarray that they are openly recruiting new members?
And lastly, speaking about the Zhents. From what I've been reading is that the Cult of the Dragon (formerly a fringe group) is so damn powerful now in the Tyranny of Dragons plotline and such a threat, that the Zhentarim decided to ally themselves with the Harpers? The Lords Alliance? Ugh! Back in the days, maybe a few agents would secretly run with them as double agents, but this is ridiculous. I've seen this in HotDQ, the Corruption in Kryptgarden adventure, the online ToD comics, everywhere...!!
Wheres the betrayal? The esotericism? The drama??
Even Khleben Blackstaff broke away from the Harpers and formed the Moonstars in Waterdeep.
What happened to the Realms?!
...am I b!tching too much?
Back in the days this sort of post would have canon freaks up in arms about such a subject?
Now...?
No one cares?
I don't know if it's the case that nobody cares. Traffic here has been slow for years.
Me? I don't think we know enough yet to have a rational reason to object.
That is, just because things are different now doesn't mean we ought to automatically complain.
And whenever something new comes along there is an opportunity for more information to come later, and for fans to pose questions and give the game designers and freelancers who work on the Realms and follow the forums (these people exist, honest) something actionable; something they can take with them to their keyboards and develop when the next Realms project happens.
Griping usually results in hard, 180 degree changes. That pendulum ride isn't fun. Better, I think, to ask for more information, more details and more development.
I'm not sure Realms fans are even on the WOTC radar anymore.
I'm a total DnD newb so I don't really have an opinion on the matter 
I took what was published already though and adapted it for my own ideas - so I have my own version of what the 'Sundering' is and why it happened, taking into account 4e and all everything that came before.
Quite proud of myself, actually.
KlaudisRex wrote:
KlaudisRex wrote:
I know, I know...that was probably out of line here, and an apology is in order.
Im sorry Digital.
It's not your fault that the Realms news cycle is slow.
i'm just pissy here (yes, pissy)
For instance, I was reading the Rise of Tiamat adventure the other day, to incorporate ideas into my own Waterdeep adventure. And guess what??...I found out that Dagault Neverember, Open Lord of Waterdeep, is getting unseated by none other than Lady Laeral Silverhand (or is it Laeral Arunsun?) of the Seven Sisters! Now I personally like this "regime change" here and think Laeral would make a really fantastic Open Lord. Relations between them could make for a great little rivalry in future publications and such.
But what gets me upset, is that, had I not read this adventure, or skipped over it entirely, I would have NEVER known that all-of-a-sudden we have a new Open Lord! The mere fact that she's a woman (!) and may even be the first female Open Lord of Waterdeep should be enough to make people's heads turn (you hear this Hillary Clinton?! There's hope for you yet!)...perhaps even out-shining what her sister, Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon, did years ago in uniting the Luruar confederacy!
i don't know about you, but in my mind, Waterdeep isn't just some little dot on the map of the Sword Coast! It's a major metropolitan city! And, this "little" piece of information is pretty important...and shouldn't be stuck hidden somewhere in a chapter of an adventure that people may or may not read or use. Why isn't this being broadcasted on the Wizards homepage? Why hasn't Ed written an article about it? Why do I feel like I...little ol' me...a peon in the grand scheme of the Forgotten Realms...has inside information on politics in the most important city in all of Faerun?
Ugh!
KlaudisRex wrote:
Still is, in my not so humble opinion.
Realmslore has always been dispersed and spread out. The novels have done just the sort of "here's a new thing" you talk about the adventure doing, but a thousand times more often.
That, and as awesome as Waterdeep is, it's not the most important city in the Realms (personal tastes not withstanding of course; we gamers all have our favorite locations).
Realms designers down the passing years have played with population numbers, emphasizing and de-emphasizing other cities more than they perhaps should have.
I wager we will be surprised and a little delighted by the attention other cities in the Realms get, especially if those places alin a little closer to what Ed originally had in mind.
Mr_Miscellany wrote:
Don't leave! What you have to say is important.
Instead, come back at least once a week and post a new thread asking WotC for something you would like to see in the Realms in 5E.
For example, I would like to see at least one monstrous nation comprised of Hobgoblins put somewhere in the Realms. Hlundadim (spelling?) and the Goblin Marches come to mind as pieces of history and location to put such an empire in.
Give Cormyr a new source for a headache to replace Thultanthar and the diminished Shadovar.
EDIT: perhaps the Hobgoblins unite under Bane's banner and March on Darkhold. I would be happy to read a novel where evil humans battle evil humanoids for dominance over Darkhold. WotC could run publish adventures around this idea and let DMs pick which side to run. The results can help decide who wins the place, and what the name of the proto nation will be.
This might help you out bro: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=7#464818
I'm aware that they are allowing some organized play results to influence the direction of the Realms as a whole. . . but I do agree it would be nice to have some sort of ground zero point to start from. I take a look at some of Ed's comments from time to time, what the NDA wall permits, and picked up the Sundering novels. I really would like to see some official word coming down, even something as simple as "nothing to add—yet". Radio silence is disconcerting. There seemed to be a lot of energy (mostly from the authors) buzzing around where FR was headed when 5E was launching. Now, there's just the usual energy from Ed—which is a constant—and an occasional shrug from Salvatore.
As an aside, I will say I enjoy the adventure path style offerings so far, but they're a poor substitute to any sort of comprehensive Realms update. I desperately want the actively supported version of the Realms to become something I want to be a part of again, but the silence is killing me here.
KlaudisRex wrote:
re: Zhents
The Shadowvar took them down hard over 3.5e/4e transition, for trespassing in Anauroch. Shade Enclave itself blasted Zhentil Keep into ruin with arch-magic. They ARE in bad shape, compared to what had been achieved before, and might well take in a glut of newbies just to fill job slots, while striving to winnow out the dross and promote the survivors.
BRJN wrote:
KlaudisRex wrote:
BRJN wrote:
KlaudisRex wrote:
[spoilers for those who've not finished the Sundering series]
KlaudisRex wrote:
BRJN wrote:
KlaudisRex wrote:
KlaudisRex wrote:
Mr_Miscellany wrote:
Right now people who have bought into 5E have the core rulebooks and they're looking for adventures to play. Tyranny, etc., are those adventures.
While I am no fan of hardback adventures and the stupidly high price point, I can see the use and utility in pointing gamers to the Realms.
That, and WotC's focus is selling core rulebooks and keeping the attention of people who like the new system. Giving them adventures to play in after the release of the core rules is exactly what WotC should be doing.
After all, it's what they did with 3E and I can tell you from experience that this is what kept my interest in D&D until the 3E FRCS was published.
Though the use and activity on the internet has grown, I don't think the negative comments are indicative of people's opinions as a whole. Also, I see no merit in complaining about Realmslore found in the adventures: you can't have an adventure without up to date information. Griping about this info not being in a CS book first is to ignore where we're at right now: there's no CS, the core rulebooks have just been released and anything in terms of new information is going to be piecemeal until we start seeing unified sources of information.
FWIW, I posted the link because I knew it would drive you batty, not because it was glorious news worth celebrating. 
Stuff like that Chris Perkins interview is frustrating. Why is it every time they are asked a direct question they always give vague answers?
KlaudisRex wrote:
I rezzed an old campaign I created years ago that was set in Nesme...my Nesme. Ten years ago my Nesme was run by the Church of Waukeen after the non-religious First SPeaker was murdered. I then did whatever I wished to the town and the region and did not care too much about canon. This was after years of being a novel reader and a hoarder of 2e Realms books. I realized my players did not know or care about the Realms as I did so following canon would only hold me back.
Current campaign: Nesme one hundred years or so after my last campaign. What the players did during their adventures mattered. Nesme was now a very rich city due to a seemingly neverending supply of an ore called chardalyn(sp?). I won't go into the big story but I wanted to use the blue dragon clan in the Nether mountains, some hobgoblin goodness that was in Red Hand of Doom, and the new Cult of the Dragon (which I like alot) and mesh them together as major threat to the city. I bought Hoard to give me ideas I could steal and tactics I could use. It is helping me keep my game on track. I will probably pick up the other two adventures for the same deal.
I also picked up the Ten-Towns adventure to run for my twin boys. The campaign material is pretty cool, the adventure is so so.
I am going to retool the Zhents and make them less "mwahaha!" evil and more Game of Thrones villains. I will do away with the Bane worship since that never really helped them as a people and kick Manshoon out. I think the Beholders that worked with Manshoon will finally make their play and use the Zhents as their agents around the world. Less keystone cops nonsense and more of a economic, communist, powerhouse. Fzoul can resettle in Darkhold, and Manshoon can find a floating city to go bother random blah blah blah. Actually I might have Manshoon leave the Zhents and go run Sembia after the Shades leave after the Sundering.
After the drow stuff with the Neverending Darkness I will still keep Many Arrows stable and somewhat civilized. I will use what is going on in the novels as a guidline but not follow it as canon. Nesme will be the main target overall for the drow and Silverymoon will fall to the dark elf and orc horde. Everlund will be backed by the "Hell Lands" (Hellgate Keep) who are in league with the Cult of the Dragon. Will Nesme accept the help of a corrupt Everlund so they can drive the drow back into the Underdark? Where are the dwarf lords during all of this? What will my players do? They don't read the novels so it is all good.