In the past WoTC has handled perceived game problems well. Dual-classing was always an awkward game mechanic, IMO. Did I Dual too soon? Too late? And you can't go back from Dualing. So WoTC brought in "A La Carte" multi-classing, essentially rendering dual-classing pointless. WoTC did the same with magic system, they brought in the Sorcerer class and made magic 'somewhat' innate, but they did leave in the 'resting to recharge' mechanic.
Does anyone here know why Eberron and the old Dragonlance worlds were put on different planets and/or planes? There were vast unexplored areas of Toril were these settings could have been put. Does WoTC have a vision, a direction they want to go with D&D? If so, would someone on this board tell me what it is?
I agree with your points about the vastness of unexplored Fearun and the lost potential, but the new direction Wizards have taken is slightly more "gamey" and oriented at getting new people interested. The decesions made (pruning the god lists, obliterating certain nations) were rather brunt and have offended more than the staff bargained for but they were all deliberately made. The depth of old is returning piecemally, as its made in the form of Dragon articles and the new novel lines. Some of which have been very well recieved.
I think if one gives the new realms a chance its possible you might embrace it for its potential to tailor the realms into the place you want. Toril still has Anchorome, Osse and Katashaka to eplore but they haven't been detailed at all, just as in previous editions. The general idea of a multiverse has been maintaned, but certain elements have been merged; spelljamming like travel now replaces the old travel on the astral and the afterlife is more mysterious.
But if you like what you had with 3.5 FR, why change? I still prefer it vastly, so I still play it over any other campagins that could be ran.
They wanted to make the Realms new again. Part of it is that they needed to get rid of some of the Realms powerhouses loke Haluraa, so that the Shades would stand a chance, I think they also wanted to get rid of areas overly influenced by real world history, like Mulhurand and Maztica.
They also had some new...concepts of 4th ed to put into it...like Dragonborn...4th ed Gensia...etc.
They also had some interesting concepts that they had for a orginal campaign setting but either did not have faith that it would sell on it's own or did not have a full world to go with these concepts.
So they sorta had destroy it to rebuild it with these new things.
Please note I say that without it being good or bad. Just adding to the facts. Do I get a cookie too?
Also as a side note I believe the first sundering was created to explain the second one...it used to be Abier-Toril was just a name and Abier was never a separate world. So the real question is they felt the need to Sunder the FR twice all of a sudden?
Well I dont know when it was decided Abier was a seperate world, this might of been something that was on the back burner for awhile. I do know that Abier wasnt used by Ed, it was just Toril, but somebody, I think it was Jeff Grubb?, added in the Abeir part just so that Abeir-Toril would be the first entry in the Realms Cyclopedia. I actually kinda like the Idea of Toril being cloned into 2 different worlds, one for the gods, and one for the Primordials. It really makes the Realms more unique compared to the PoL setting, and any other setting really, and it gives DMs a whole nother sandbox to play with.
Halruaa I thought were isolationists....
They were to a degree, but they still had agents throught out the Realms making sure that powerful magical artifacts didnt fall into the "wrong hands". Didnt you ever read the comic book!?