Out of curiousity...why do some people ignore non-FR mods\games?

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Based on comments I've seen about NWN mods and various other games, it seems like a lot of people won't play D&D games if it's not set in Forgotten Realms.

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. FR is cool, sure. But all the various realms sound cool to me. I first got into D&D games through Dragonlance, so switching to FR was kind of strange just because of the minor differences (no kender, slightly different rules for races and classes, etc.)

But really, it's all D&D, right?



-D

 

What about Planescape: Torment?

It's not FR, but there are still plenty of mods out there for it I'm pretty sure.

 

Because of a certain drow ranger.
Hint: starts with a D.

BTW isn't kender really just halfling?

 

Well, for one thing, there are more FR games than other settings, and they're typically better made (PS:T being a rather notable exception). But even PS:T doesn't have many mods, though; you could probably count the number on your fingers and toes. Personally, I too would like to see more Dragonlance games (I have over a hundred DL novels, and the setting makes for great stories), but the public at large likes FR better, so they make FR games.

The reason the public at large likes FR? Each setting has, for lack of a better word, a type. Dragonlance seems to be geared toward good stories and character interaction (though I may be a bit biased there, considering), Ravenloft toward horror fans, Dark Sun toward psionics, Starjammer toward sci-fi, etc. FR's type, however, is a bit more elusive; the main component is being very high-magic, which isn't really a theme. And while this could appeal most to munchkins, there's just enough of other themes that non-munchkins will have a decent time playing as well.

So it ends up making a better "general" setting than others, and then considering that the bigger gamemakers are looking for the biggest audience possible...well, you get a lot of good FR games from them, and then smaller (or start-up) companies try to make non-FR games and crap out because they don't have the resources to make a good one. That divide in quality begins to strengthen the preference, and create almost a brand loyalty.

What we need is more games like PS:T, that are very good (though not to the level of PS:T that people will be near *afraid* of modding it), but from other settings. Eventually, it could conceivably combat the public conception. What we'll get, however...probably just more FR.

...Oh, f- *casts Protection from Nakia*
Seriously, they're not at all the same. Kender have a boundless curiosity that sends them out into the world, along with having no fear. Halflings are mostly homebodies, who, while cheerful, aren't the damn-near-suicidal explorers that kender are. I could go on listing the differences for pages (and Nakia just might if she sees this ), but the important thing is that while kender do fill in as a sixth race in place of the missing halflings, they really aren't that much alike.

[ September 12, 2007, 23:04: Message edited by: Felinoid ]

 

I'd love more Greyhawk games. I love Greyhawk deities (maybe I'm just a sucker for Wee Jas). Strangely however I have no Greyhawk books. Eberon is too weird for my taste with the heavy amount of psonics (sp?) and the Warforged. Greyhawk, probably because it was the original D+D world (as I understand) has more of the traditional fantasy feel to it while Eberon and the Forgotten Realms feel more like variations on a theme.

However maybe ToEE was bad enough where there was no reason to add on to it. Can't say as I've never played it.

 

Seems to me like they should do the same on the PC as they do in PnP:

Create a base set of rules that support all the various settings (the idea behind d20 I believe). Then crank out mods in whatever setting they feel like, like all the various Eberron, d20 Modern, etc stuff. Each mod would have some special rules that apply, but that should be planned from the beginning.

Kind of a NWN but with everything you need to drop in a Dark Sun mod, or a Dragonlance mod, without having to wait on support.

I guess that's probably not where the money is though...

 

Back in the second edition days, I enjoyed Stone Prophet, set in the Ravenloft setting. I just coult never execute the ending right...

 

@IS: Eberron has no high amount of psionics. That's just a propaganda lie.

The only forces that majorly rely on psionics are the Kalashtar and the Quori, whose war is very exclusive and not very well known.