| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Magor |
Posted - 24 Apr 2015 : 14:07:50
Can anyone share his(/her) knowledge about 1E/2E material that was planned to be released at some time or even in the making but then finally was abandoned/not released? I'm interested in topics, names, authors, rumors, a story behind the cancellation and so on.
(Just to point this out clearly: not interested in anything 3E/4E) |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Firestorm |
Posted - 05 May 2015 : 20:40:10
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
FR 3E came out in 2001. It was being planned from 1998. The 1999 product schedule was already in place. Shanatar was put up for possible release in mid-2000. Steven Schend got shifted off the Realms. There was no one else interested in doing Arcane Age. Line ends. What other reason do you think makes more sense?
-- George Krashos
Gods, I wish they'd not shifted Steven away... The 3E era really, really needed a traffic cop... Of course, I'm also convinced that the removal of that position was deliberate, and that they specifically chose to pay less attention (if any at all) to prior continuity.
Same.
It kind of breaks my heart to see so many warcraft novels on the bookshelves selling in the place forgotten realms used to occupy.
A simple MMORPG based on a real time strategy game generated enough interest for them to have a bunch of books come out, while DnD continues to die before our eyes because most gamers interested in DnD shifted towards gaming in the past decade. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Apr 2015 : 14:41:55
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
FR 3E came out in 2001. It was being planned from 1998. The 1999 product schedule was already in place. Shanatar was put up for possible release in mid-2000. Steven Schend got shifted off the Realms. There was no one else interested in doing Arcane Age. Line ends. What other reason do you think makes more sense?
-- George Krashos
Gods, I wish they'd not shifted Steven away... The 3E era really, really needed a traffic cop... Of course, I'm also convinced that the removal of that position was deliberate, and that they specifically chose to pay less attention (if any at all) to prior continuity. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 26 Apr 2015 : 09:52:52
quote:
Originally posted by Magor
That's not much of an explanation, because it's true for most of the 2E stuff anyway. Considering that there were only but 4 items altogether - again only interested in rpg stuff here - in the arcane age product line it puzzles me how this was handled. Netheril and How the Mighty... came out both in 1996, Cormanthor and Fall of Myth Drannor in 1998. That'd be almost 5 years of 2E-time for producing arcane age material yet it didn't happen. I guess there must have been another reason behind this.
FR 3E came out in 2001. It was being planned from 1998. The 1999 product schedule was already in place. Shanatar was put up for possible release in mid-2000. Steven Schend got shifted off the Realms. There was no one else interested in doing Arcane Age. Line ends. What other reason do you think makes more sense?
-- George Krashos |
| Rymac |
Posted - 26 Apr 2015 : 06:08:33
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Several years back, WotC did a web article listing books of the Realms -- books that existed in the setting. Several Volo's Guides were on there, covering areas the real-world ones did not. As I recall, Steven Schend said that at least some of them were once planned, but then plans changed and we never got them.
Here's the list, in alphabetical order:
* Volo's Guide to All Things Magical -- (Rewrite with aid of Elminster)
Volo's Guide to the Bloodstone Lands -- unreleased
Volo's Guide to Calimport -- notes & old draft; all final drafts destroyed by pashas and Rundeen agents
Volo's Guide to Cormyr
Volo's Guide to the Dalelands
Volo’s Guide to the Lands of Intrigue -- (excerpts and partial draft of which released by Elminster to chroniclers as “Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate II”)
Volo's Guide to the Moonsea -- unreleased and suppressed by Zhentarim agents
Volo's Guide to the North
Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast
Volo's Guide to the Vast -- unreleased
Volo's Guide to Waterdeep
Volo's Guide to Westgate & the Dragon Coast -- unreleased
Reading that list reminds me of this quote by Kurt Vonnegut: “Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "It might have been.”
It's probably safe to say Westgate and the Dragon Coast, The Moonsea, and the Lands of Intrigue would have been among the next Volo's Guides. |
| Magor |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 22:14:17
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood
Slightly off-topic but not entirely, did "Volo's Guide to BG II" ever get a PDF release?
I do have an ocr one here, so I guess there is one. |
| deserk |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 21:43:51
I really would like a Dragon Coast book, as it's a real shame there's no sourcebook for that setting. Could've maybe included Cormyr and Sembia in that too. |
| Caladan Brood |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 21:35:10
Slightly off-topic but not entirely, did "Volo's Guide to BG II" ever get a PDF release? |
| Magor |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 19:28:27
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
The "Arcane Age" line ceased with the advent of 3E. As to why, I think with the new edition, they were looking to revisit parts of the Realms and provide a 3E rules framework to them.
That's not much of an explanation, because it's true for most of the 2E stuff anyway. Considering that there were only but 4 items altogether - again only interested in rpg stuff here - in the arcane age product line it puzzles me how this was handled. Netheril and How the Mighty... came out both in 1996, Cormanthor and Fall of Myth Drannor in 1998. That'd be almost 5 years of 2E-time for producing arcane age material yet it didn't happen. I guess there must have been another reason behind this. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 16:56:31
quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
I still have a few of those Dragonlance comics. I wonder if they are worth anything?
Likely not. I replaced almost the entire run of DC/TSR comics for like $50, after I lost my originals in the fire. So that was Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and Spelljammer. Since it was in lots, that was less than a dollar per issue. Plus, I see the two FR titles sold on eBay quite frequently, rarely for more than a couple bucks an issue. |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 15:42:21
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
The next product in the Arcane Age line was likely going to be "Shanatar" or "Telantiwar". I know what Steven Schend planned for 3E but none of that came to fruition as he was moved to the Alternity line and Rich Baker took over the Realms.
-- George Krashos
I am absolutely dying for more Arcane Age stuff. I still hug my Cormanthyr book tightly to my chest ever so often. |
| Shadowsoul |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 15:39:34
I still have a few of those Dragonlance comics. I wonder if they are worth anything? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 14:35:03
quote:
Originally posted by Magor
Wooly, were there any particular Volo's Guides, well let's say in discussion?
Several years back, WotC did a web article listing books of the Realms -- books that existed in the setting. Several Volo's Guides were on there, covering areas the real-world ones did not. As I recall, Steven Schend said that at least some of them were once planned, but then plans changed and we never got them.
Here's the list, in alphabetical order:
* Volo's Guide to All Things Magical -- (Rewrite with aid of Elminster)
Volo's Guide to the Bloodstone Lands -- unreleased
Volo's Guide to Calimport -- notes & old draft; all final drafts destroyed by pashas and Rundeen agents
Volo's Guide to Cormyr
Volo's Guide to the Dalelands
Volo’s Guide to the Lands of Intrigue -- (excerpts and partial draft of which released by Elminster to chroniclers as “Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate II”)
Volo's Guide to the Moonsea -- unreleased and suppressed by Zhentarim agents
Volo's Guide to the North
Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast
Volo's Guide to the Vast -- unreleased
Volo's Guide to Waterdeep
Volo's Guide to Westgate & the Dragon Coast -- unreleased
|
| George Krashos |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 14:05:06
The "Arcane Age" line ceased with the advent of 3E. As to why, I think with the new edition, they were looking to revisit parts of the Realms and provide a 3E rules framework to them. By the time they did that to places like Waterdeep, the Shining South, the Underdark, the Unapproachable East, etc. it was time for 4E and the great 100 year jump.
-- George Krashos |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 08:05:03
And there's Jakandor novel, ready but unpublished  (they managed to release game material just at the last moment).
quote:
Originally posted by Magor
what Border Kingdom articles are you referring to (something out from Dragon mag or Polyhedron)?
The Border Kingdoms Archive |
| Magor |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 07:26:22
Wooly, were there any particular Volo's Guides, well let's say in discussion? Also: what Border Kingdom articles are you referring to (something out from Dragon mag or Polyhedron)?
George, 'Shanatar' as in 'Deep Shanatar'? Do you know of the reason Arcane Age was dropped? By the way, I always felt that more information about the dwarven culture, especially the kingdoms, was needed. |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 25 Apr 2015 : 00:37:53
The next product in the Arcane Age line was likely going to be "Shanatar" or "Telantiwar". I know what Steven Schend planned for 3E but none of that came to fruition as he was moved to the Alternity line and Rich Baker took over the Realms.
-- George Krashos |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 24 Apr 2015 : 18:48:05
I think there were plans for move Volo's Guides, but those never happened.
And the promised Phlan web enhancement never materialized, either... Nor did we ever get the rest of many bits of Edlore, like the Border Kingdoms articles or the more recent Forging the Realms.
I would have liked to have seen the DC/TSR comics go longer, too. Spelljammer, in particular, was starting to get really interesting, but then abruptly ended. |
| Magor |
Posted - 24 Apr 2015 : 18:39:34
I was more interested in rpg-stuff, not novels. Should have said so. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 24 Apr 2015 : 15:21:48
Some cancelled novels are Reclamation, Pride of the Lion, Neverwinter Nights, Rise of the Blade, and The Shores of Dusk. I think only the last two on the list are 2E though. |
