Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 guest1475710316 Nov 28, 2010 20:42:53	The original D&D was based on fantasy worlds that readers loved and wanted to be a part of. D&D allowed that. Because the game was based on the books the worlds were impervious to the desires of childish players who were bent on power and the integrity of the game was secure because no matter how stupid the players got, the world stayed the same (much like reality!) Now it seems to be the other way around. Our worlds are subject to the whims of the players who, for the lack of more creative ideas, need to make changes to the world to satisfy their own feelings of inadequecy. The players want more power, blood, and giant battles and so the publisher is making the writers provide it. The players are making the books into crap (if you are offended consider the number of new readers coming in and how many pick up book 2 after book one.) and the worlds are crumbling. New d20 systems arrise to make good books into psuedo D&D because we can't abide the constant flux that our favorite worlds are in. Don't drive us away my Wizards of the Coast friends. Let some good writers write and publish their stuff, give us source books and manuals suited to their worlds, and set back and watch it blossom.
#2 18DELTA Nov 28, 2010 21:51:41	Ok...
#3 Diffan Nov 28, 2010 22:26:40	*sigh* another one. Way to be vague. Mind letting us in on how, exactly, players are making these sweeping changes to the campaign settings? Last time I checked, that fell on the authors to create the stories, not some random X,Y, or Z player. Or better yet, let us know what book series your offended by so that we can actually debate or converse on the specifics at hand instead of grand, arm-sweeping posts.
#4 markustay63 Nov 28, 2010 22:39:18	The setting hasn't been changed by the whims of stupid players and readers - I'm not even sure if I understand how you mean that. The setting(s) have been... ummmm... 'vague-ified'(?!) to allow DMs to more-easily adapt generic 4e material to their settings-of-choice. Weather that is a good thing or bad thing is a matter of preference (I see pluses and minuses both, myself), but whats done is done, and its better if we just move forward and try to make it work for us. It is just a game, after all.
#5 guest1475710316 Nov 29, 2010 8:29:44	The writers will admit freely in interviews that the company tells them what to write. The company, in turn, decides what ought to be written based on what will sell to the target audience. The target audience is the largest percentage of new players: kids. That is not in its self bad, except that teen taste in literature is far from the quality that it will develope into when they have grown in wisdom and experience.
#6 Jorunhast Nov 29, 2010 8:58:48	The writers will admit freely in interviews that the company tells them what to write. The company, in turn, decides what ought to be written based on what will sell to the target audience. The target audience is the largest percentage of new players: kids. That is not in its self bad, except that teen taste in literature is far from the quality that it will develope into when they have grown in wisdom and experience. Are you saying that the novels in 1st and 2nd edition were more adult-oriented, rather than late-teen-oriented? If so, I'm not really buying that argument.  Take Azure Bonds, for example: the protagonists were named "Alias" and "Dragonbait"... the story was fun and often tongue-in-cheek, definitely aimed at teens.   Frankly, I don't think any of the early novels fall into the category of something like Lord of the Rings or Le Morte d'Arthur and they weren't really meant to be like them.
#7 Mr_Miscellany Nov 29, 2010 12:00:53	The setting hasn't been changed by the whims of stupid players and readers - C'mon, y'all know that argument may only be used to denigrate people for causing the release of the 4E Realms.  :p How dare someone use it to insult the entire D&D fan base! ;) On a more serious note: I think it's a backwards argument to claim it is the fans that are responsible for dumbing down D&D products. Wizards of the Coast has shown they like to keep their products simple and streamlined in order to appeal to as many fans (i.e, customers) as possible. If it keeps people playing and makes for fun gaming, that's a product that sells. This may not bode well in the opinion of some of us D&D fans who like our D&D fun to be a little more involved and complicated, but that doesn't mean people (of all ages) who prefer a simpler game are responsible for doing something "bad". Remember: D&D is run by a company looking to make money. That's not bad or evil, it's just business.