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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Aug 2013 : 12:52:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
OGB replica Circa 1489. Full of Ed of The Greenwood goodness!
For those that still have their OGB, how is it and its contents holding up?
Pretty much all the maps I have from my OGB sets have fallen apart, but the softcover books are still going strong, with no binding issues or other problems.
This includes one set that's had enough water and soda spilled on it to fill a small bucket.
My books (the second copies, due to the fire) show some wear, but are otherwise in good shape. I've got two sets of the maps, and at least one of them is pristine.
I bought my original OGB right before they announced the release of the 2E boxed set. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2013 : 13:44:17
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My books were all in excellent shape before the fire. Some of the maps had started to separate at the folds, but that's because I probably looked at those every single day.
I bought a new (unwrapped) copy of the 2e box at Gencon last year, and that one is perfect. 
I'm all for a box, but I think the necessary price-point would be off-putting to first time buyers, which is why I thought that should come later, after the initial release. Maybe with a more extensive 'director''s cut' of the CG (amongst other things).
I also think there should be a FREE gazeteer pdf - something along the lines of PF's initial Golarion Gazeteer, before they came out with their Inner sea Guide. It should be at least 15 pages of mouth-watering goodness (and want everyone to go out and buy the full version ASAP). This would be a synopsis-style presentation of the Forgotten Realms, with maybe an abbreviated timeline to show some of the major events that have transpired since 3e (bridging the gap of two editions into 5e). They could even split this up into 3-5 DDi articles (but FREE - that part is critical).
You want to catch a fish, you have to bait the hook.  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 15 Aug 2013 13:46:22 |
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xaeyruudh
Master of Realmslore
USA
1853 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2013 : 17:29:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
For those that still have their OGB, how is it and its contents holding up?
I've reinforced most/all of the maps with scotch tape, but other than some thumbtack holes they're in pretty decent shape considering that I bought the box when it first came out. The books show wear on the covers but the bindings are still strong.
The box itself... I'm not sure where it is, if I still have it. A couple of boxes got stepped on over the years (I had a tendency early on to spread things out over the floors for ready reference while writing/brainstorming; now I use tables and beds instead) and I think the OGB might have been one of the ones that got pretty beat up.
Actually the 2e setting box seems to be gone too. I've been keeping the 1e and 2e setting books together in the Ruins of Zhentil Keep box. 
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
You want to catch a fish, you have to bait the hook.
Regarding baiting the hook, I think the rules of a game system should be free, to make introducing new folks to the game and to role-playing in general as painless as possible. Revenue should come from setting books, related programs like the interactive atlas, novels, and various licensed stuff like movies, tv series, video games, art, music cds, and so forth. If it were up to me, D&D would be split into three different games, we'd have a lot more licensed merchandise, and the movies wouldn't have tanked. But I'm a noob and apparently WotC in its wisdom-obtained-from-years-of-doing-business disagrees. |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
Posted - 15 Aug 2013 : 23:17:11
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You've all posted a lot of good ideas. I'd simply like to add that I'd like to see a lot of electronic downloads to aid the DM. For instance, let's suppose the map folds out as maybe 4 panels by 2 panels. Make it so that you can download the individual panels. Then make an online map that gets updated as things change. Then make a version which actually shows the boundaries between the countries. Finally, give us a complete world map. You don't need to go into extreme detail on all the other continents, but at least name them all and give us a rough idea of its main features.
Some other ideas
1) Develop a font for each of the language alphabets and make it available for download and show an example of each in the book(yes, I do know where to find espruar, thorass and dethek).
2) Make black and white versions of the flags for the various major countries and heraldic crests of powerful noble families and groups and put them available for download.
3) Make an online "dictionary" of realmsian phrases and words similar to what was in Elminster's Forgotten Realms. Grow it with time.
These are all electronically releasable items that IF they were to get in the hands of someone who didn't buy the book wouldn't ruin things (whereas if someone were to get a PDF of the book they might not buy the book), yet doing so shows they're committed to try and make the realms gamer-friendly. At the same time, its also not something I necessarily want taking valuable book shelf space nor do I need them wasting the money to print it. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 16 Aug 2013 : 04:06:52
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quote:
Originally posted by sleyvas
3) Make an online "dictionary" of realmsian phrases and words similar to what was in Elminster's Forgotten Realms. Grow it with time.
You're on to something here.
Perhaps the Glossary of Words and Phrases found here at Candlekeep, as well as the Realms Lexicon at Loremaster.org and any other fan website that has properly sourced entries for words and phrases can be combined into one large fanwork, ala Grand History of the Realms, then submitted to WotC?
Call it the Grand Lexicon of the Realms or similar.
Man that would be awesome to see and have access to, especially if Ed was given the chance to flesh out some of the information on languages in the Realms.
He's indicated that his notes on languages in the Realms are fragmentary, so maybe this would be a good chance to start putting it all together.
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Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 17 Aug 2013 : 16:21:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
quote:
Originally posted by Brimstone
OGB replica Circa 1489. Full of Ed of The Greenwood goodness!
For those that still have their OGB, how is it and its contents holding up?
The box is a little worn -- especially in the corners, but for the most part, the actual books in the box are holding their age considerably well.
There's a little fading on some pages, and yellowing on the insides of the covers, but that's really all I can complain about. [It doesn't bother me too much, since I have a locked-away-in-storage sealed double copy I bought during the original release. And it's been that way since late 1987.  ] |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 17 Aug 2013 16:24:17 |
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Jeremy Grenemyer
Great Reader
USA
2717 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2013 : 18:40:06
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| I forgot to mention that I'd like a pronunciation guide as part of any 5E Realms campaign book. That was one of the best elements in the OGB and a real help to me as DM and Realms fan. |
Look for me and my content at EN World (user name: sanishiver). |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 23 Aug 2013 : 19:14:33
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Whatever Ed's vision of an OGB would be done with today's capabilites would be awesome.
but what ever form, I want more of Ed's doodles. |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 03:44:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
I forgot to mention that I'd like a pronunciation guide as part of any 5E Realms campaign book. That was one of the best elements in the OGB and a real help to me as DM and Realms fan.
Agreed.
The pronunciation guide has long been a fixture at my gaming table. In fact, the original OGB guide has been printed out and amended many times over the last 25+ years of the Realms published history. Nowadays, on my table, it's a regular feature on our gaming tablet device -- so much so, that I'm actually thinking of making a rather more convenient and search-able app for it. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Marc
Senior Scribe
657 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 07:28:22
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| bigger than Ptolus, at least 50 percent new material |
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Krafus
Learned Scribe
246 Posts |
Posted - 24 Aug 2013 : 13:45:38
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| I'm late in answering this, but I'd love to see a 5e version of the 3e FRCS, which is IMO one of the finest books ever published by WotC. One key point is the font - I'd want it to be as small as in the 3e FRCS so that the book could be crammed with great lore. |
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BARDOBARBAROS
Senior Scribe
Greece
581 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2013 : 08:14:11
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| Boxed Set: Grey Box replica, updated to 1489 DR |
BARDOBARBAROS DOES NOT KILL.
HE DECAPITATES!!!
"The city changes, but the fools within it remain always the same" (Edwin Odesseiron- Baldur's gate 2) |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2013 : 12:29:24
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What would I like... Ptolus style. What I believe is realistic, books, probably 2 of them.
Boxsets have proven to be too expensive in this day and age. Either the contents are sparse but exceptional for a low price or the contents are cheaply made and bountiful for low price. They can't release an expensive boxset because it would limited the number of people buying it, not to mention likely reduce the number bookstores purchase. |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2013 : 22:10:14
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I would be fine with the grey box but I voted (Boxed set: YOu tell content).
I liked the second edition FR, but I like alot of the cards that came with it (I cannot remember if it came with that set or just the supplement sets like RUins of Zhentil Keep).
Give us the grey box minimum, but those 'encounter cards' from Horde, Zhentil Keep, and Myth Drannor were great.
Maybe a Planescape like set with full cards of the FR secret societies. i.e. Red Wizards, Harpers, Lord's Alliance, Knights of the Shield. |
A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 00:36:07
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I voted for Box Set: You tell us contents
First, I agree with Irennan and ksu_bond on the idea of two products, one individual book and a "deluxe" boxed set of some sort. I think only releasing as a boxed set will cut into new players, people coming back to the Realms after a hiatus, and those with smaller gaming budgets. At the same time, there is a lot of energy mounting in response to the promising news rolling in about 5e and The Sundering and I think that there are a lot of people who would shell out a lot of money for a deluxe or limited edition product.
What I'd like to see in the Campaign Guide and Player's Guide (as stand-alone books):
-Hardcover. I also like for the bindings of the books to look good next to each other on my shelf. 3e did a good job with this. 2e less so. That doesn't mean they have to be the same, but a theme or some pre-thought out "look" when they're all next to each other is nice.
-Good art. I disagree with xaeyruudh on this one. I certainly think that if there is art that it should be good art, researched and true to the setting. I enjoy seeing renditions of what people thing particular characters, monsters, classes, races, flora, fauna, etc., etc. look like. Also, as a cosplayer, it gives me all sorts of ideas about future projects. (Every year at GenCon Paizo does a costume contest and most of the costumes people choose are drawn from their core rulebook.) This is another level of engagement for a lot of people.
-No spells or feats. It is annoying for me to look from book to book to find those, and there are always more somewhere else. Unique classes and/or realms specific flavor in the Players Guide, not the Campaign Guide.
-No maps. At least the pull-out kind. I know a lot of people are clamoring for maps, but I hate maps stuck in the backs of books that you have to pull out by perforation. It messes with the way the book lays and so half the time I don't pull them out, which makes them useless for me. This doesn't mean that I don't like maps. I love them. I have the four-piece 3e maps hanging artfully framed in my basement (which I can then use my dry erase marker on however I please). What I think would be ideal would be, as someone suggested earlier, a map pack. This map pack would have fold out maps and access to an online atlas. The book would have a page in the front that is an overall map of the realms and then each regional section would have a zoomed in look. A number of 3e books did this. This way people have a visual of the geography, but it's part of the flow of the book, not some giant thing stuck in the back. Those who have a particular interest in maps can buy the larger, more detailed versions (from which the book maps are taken) as an add-on.
-No CDs. This is 2013. Almost everyone has the internet. And by almost everyone, I mean I've traveled in the developing world and those who can afford game books can afford to get on the internet to download supplemental materials. Disks are annoying. Just put it on the internet. I am very supportive of online resources for the new setting/edition. I think this can be done in a few ways. Making all books/materials available as pdfs for $10 (or thereabouts); creating online resources that people can access no matter if they've purchased the product or not (basic stuff like character sheets, world lingo lists, the atlas, etc.); others that are accessible only to people who have purchased the product (this is where you can put things like NPC stat blocks for those people that want them!); and lastly extra stuff you can only access by subscription (like their current system). Errata should be free online to all. This should be easily managed by people signing up for accounts on the wizards website - Paizo has managed to do it.
What I'd like to see for a boxed set:
-Released the same time as the single Campaign Guide and Player's Guide. I want a boxed set, as do a number of people. I don't want a box set that contains the Campaign Guide I already own. Releasing them at the same time means that people who want the boxed set aren't faced with that dilemma. I'm willing to shell out $100+ for a boxed set, but not after I already paid $30-$50 for the Campaign Guide by itself.
-Not the same design as the OGB. It fits nicely on the shelf, but it is beaten up beyond recognition at this point. I also don't like that you have to pull it off the shelf and then lay it down to open it and pull out the book you may need. I prefer hardback CG's, and that's difficult to do with that sort of box. I liked the format of the re-release of the Dungeons and Dragons PHB, MM, and DMG. This is an open-sided box that the hardcover books slide in and out of with relative ease, but still groups them together as a unit. The way I would envision this is it would be a large box, maybe even wooden like those awesome Sundering exclusives people got at GenCon for doing the All-Access weekend. Inside you would find some special dice (nice idea Jeremy!), DM screen, whatever other "happy meal" type things they might want to include (which I enjoy, even if other people throw them out, heh), and the open-side box like the 3.5 re-release. In that box, which would be sized to sit on a shelf, you would find the Campaign Guide, Player's Guide, and a third "book" that, when opened, has pockets containing any number of hand-outs, fold-out maps, NPC cards, etc. When on the shelf it looks like a book like the other two, but when pulled out it contains all of those really fun miscellaneous things that we all enjoy. |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
Edited by - Emma Drake on 27 Aug 2013 00:41:16 |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 00:43:09
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| As a question on the side - does D&D have subscriptions available like Paizo? My game has been running in the Pathfinder rule system and so I subscribe to the core RPG line. I love that I get the free pdf's. Now that things are moving and shaking with the realms again, I'd be interested in doing that for D&D. Does such a thing exist where if you subscribe to their books you get pdf's for free? Because if not, I'd like to add that to my above comment. Because it should! |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
Edited by - Emma Drake on 27 Aug 2013 00:45:04 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 16:07:04
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While I would love to see a boxed set, that might be difficult for stores to leave open so that potential buyers can look through it.
I want to offer the caveat here that these books need to be appealing to gamers AND to those who never touch a set of dice in their lives. I want readers of the Realms to feel just as welcome and included in these books, and be able to learn an astounding amount of information on their favorite regions (especially, see #3) or just the Realms in general.
My route if I were in charge would be:
1) Release a hardcover FRCG (320 pages seems like a good number) that tells you how to run THE REALMS: the look and feel, general history, magic, gods, natural laws, politics, economics, a few famous dungeons, and a "starter region" (I'd recommend something like Daggerdale or Longsaddle or something like that, which has small but thought-inspiring passages about Waterdeep, Luskan, the Spine of the World, and Silver Marches--things that make you want to go there next). A little bit like the 4e FRCG in that sense, but more detailed and engaging and iconic, and NOT a travelogue. That's what the regional books are for (see #3 below).
2) Release either a hardcover or (probably) softcover FRPG, something fairly brief (100ish pages) and inexpensive and packed full of detail (a Realms map, backgrounds, character flavor--like a guidebook as to what it's like to be a Realms adventurer), a book that EVERY Realms player can use 100%. The map is MAJORLY important here--I want every gamer in America and beyond to have one of these maps, and I want it to be the kind of map that sparks imagination and yearning to hit the road and explore these places. The cost for this book should ideally be under $20, or even something like $15.95. Get as many people playing in the setting as possible.
Those are your initial (month-0) releases, and you follow that up every month or two with:
3) A regional guidebook book (200ish pages) that coaches you on playing campaigns in a region (Shadowdale, Baldur's Gate, Waterdeep, Cormyr, Silver Marches, to name five to start off with), somewhat like the way Pathfinder does it. This book needs to be both player and DM friendly, packed full of cool details players can incorporate into their characters, and loaded with campaign hooks for the DM to use. The last quarter of the book could be an adventure path about the length and scope of a D&D Encounters season, just to get a campaign started in that area, and written in such a way that players can read it and still enjoy the adventure.
4) Interspersed with these books are additional lore books about particular races (elves/drow/other fey, dwarves/gnomes/halflings, planetouched: tieflings/aasimar/genasi), "Pages from the Mages" books about Faerunian magic, books about Realms gods and their servants, etc.
5) Publish more novels. There should be at least a novel a month. Possibly as many as 15-18 a year.
The strength of the Realms is its lore, but its lore needs to be presented in such a way that it is a boon to the player/reader, not a hindrance. Ed Greenwood needs to write (and I've told him this idea on more than one occasion) an introduction to the FRCG that says "This is your world. What is presented in these pages is a vision of a world seen darkly through a looking glass. Any of these details could be wrong or misunderstood, and it is up to you to breathe life into them. Use these pages or contradict them, but make the setting your own. You are the voice of your Realms. Do as you must. Now go forth and slay dragons." Or something like that.
In terms of digital support, WotC might borrow a technique from the video game industry and offer buyers of a book a single-use code to download digital content: web enhancements to the setting book or a regional guide, a free trial subscription to DDI with each FRPG, etc. This I see as much more efficient and broadly appealing than a CD.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 16:49:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
In terms of digital support, WotC might borrow a technique from the video game industry and offer buyers of a book a single-use code to download digital content: web enhancements to the setting book or a regional guide, a free trial subscription to DDI with each FRPG, etc. This I see as much more efficient and broadly appealing than a CD.
Cheers
I was thinking the same thing about the single-use code and trial subscriptions to DDI. No cd's! |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 17:19:08
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I like the subscription idea that Paizo uses: if you have a subscription, when the book ships, you get the pdf for free.
Their publishing model could work for the Realms, too: the campaign setting book in hardcover, and periodic releases of books concerning regions, groups, races, etc. Maybe not monthly, like Paizo, but at least a 64-page every other month. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 17:26:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I like the subscription idea that Paizo uses: if you have a subscription, when the book ships, you get the pdf for free.
Their publishing model could work for the Realms, too: the campaign setting book in hardcover, and periodic releases of books concerning regions, groups, races, etc. Maybe not monthly, like Paizo, but at least a 64-page every other month.
+1 for subscriptions with pdf's. I love my books on the shelves in my basement, but having those pdf's on my harddrive makes gaming/game prep on the road a possibility.
I would also love such a regional book release plan. Love. (Love.) |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 03:49:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I like the subscription idea that Paizo uses: if you have a subscription, when the book ships, you get the pdf for free.
Their publishing model could work for the Realms, too: the campaign setting book in hardcover, and periodic releases of books concerning regions, groups, races, etc. Maybe not monthly, like Paizo, but at least a 64-page every other month.
I doubt it would happen, but even if Wizards still decide to publish continuous Realms content for 5e via the DDI, having a three-month printed bundle [collecting a quarterly amount of DDI-released content for the Realms] for those with subscriptions would also be kind of neat.
But, as I said, that would likely never happen. Printing and publishing costs alone would probably be pretty awkward, I'd imagine. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 04:05:04
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Well, Paizo is doing quite well. They put out -- in addition to the monthly Adventure Path modules, which contain fiction and lore in addition to the adventure -- 32 and 64 page softcover supplements several times a year.
Just think how much Realmslore we could get if WotC did that? Eight or nine softcovers a year is not that ambitious a publishing schedule, and they know we Realms junkies would snap that stuff up. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 04:11:58
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| I really think that if Paizo can do it, D&D/Forgotten Realms can. And should. |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
Edited by - Emma Drake on 28 Aug 2013 04:12:15 |
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The Red Walker
Great Reader
USA
3563 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 04:27:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Erik Scott de Bie
5) Publish more novels. There should be at least a novel a month. Possibly as many as 15-18 a year.
The strength of the Realms is its lore, but its lore needs to be presented in such a way that it is a boon to the player/reader, not a hindrance. Ed Greenwood needs to write (and I've told him this idea on more than one occasion) an introduction to the FRCG that says "This is your world. What is presented in these pages is a vision of a world seen darkly through a looking glass. Any of these details could be wrong or misunderstood, and it is up to you to breathe life into them. Use these pages or contradict them, but make the setting your own. You are the voice of your Realms. Do as you must. Now go forth and slay dragons." Or something like that.
In terms of digital support, WotC might borrow a technique from the video game industry and offer buyers of a book a single-use code to download digital content: web enhancements to the setting book or a regional guide, a free trial subscription to DDI with each FRPG, etc. This I see as much more efficient and broadly appealing than a CD.
Cheers
Couldn't agree more. I would like to see 1 paperback novel every 4 weeks and a hardcover every quarter. (This should be easy isn't Bob doing two novels per year for his new contract? So those two plus one from Ed and we're almost there.)
and i have long advocated a free download for every book purchase. |
A little nonsense now and then, relished by the wisest men - Willy Wonka
"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -
John F. Kennedy, speech in Dublin, Ireland, June 28, 1963
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Edited by - The Red Walker on 28 Aug 2013 04:28:43 |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 05:05:56
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The trouble with more novels is the need for more editors. WOTC would need to put some actual support in their book department, which they've systematically been pruning for a long time. But I think they could, should, and NEED TO for the setting to succeed on the new edition.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 05:19:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Well, Paizo is doing quite well. They put out -- in addition to the monthly Adventure Path modules, which contain fiction and lore in addition to the adventure -- 32 and 64 page softcover supplements several times a year.
Just think how much Realmslore we could get if WotC did that? Eight or nine softcovers a year is not that ambitious a publishing schedule, and they know we Realms junkies would snap that stuff up.
I don't think Wizards would jump right into such a publishing schedule to begin with. Especially not until they start seeing some consumer numbers for the support of the 5e product line. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Emma Drake
Learned Scribe
USA
206 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 16:25:56
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Well, Paizo is doing quite well. They put out -- in addition to the monthly Adventure Path modules, which contain fiction and lore in addition to the adventure -- 32 and 64 page softcover supplements several times a year.
Just think how much Realmslore we could get if WotC did that? Eight or nine softcovers a year is not that ambitious a publishing schedule, and they know we Realms junkies would snap that stuff up.
I don't think Wizards would jump right into such a publishing schedule to begin with. Especially not until they start seeing some consumer numbers for the support of the 5e product line.
I agree! But just because they don't start with that, doesn't mean it shouldn't be the goal or is impossible. The energy is up now - produce a really amazing CG and PHB and it will stay up or even increase. Then start doing quarterly releases. Then, if things are good, every other month. |
"I am always here, all about you. You are never truly alone. I flow wherever life flows, wherever winds blow and water runs and the sun and moon chase each other, for there is magic in all things."
- Mystra (Ed Greenwood, Silverfall) |
Edited by - Emma Drake on 28 Aug 2013 16:33:39 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 19:06:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Emma Drake
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Well, Paizo is doing quite well. They put out -- in addition to the monthly Adventure Path modules, which contain fiction and lore in addition to the adventure -- 32 and 64 page softcover supplements several times a year.
Just think how much Realmslore we could get if WotC did that? Eight or nine softcovers a year is not that ambitious a publishing schedule, and they know we Realms junkies would snap that stuff up.
I don't think Wizards would jump right into such a publishing schedule to begin with. Especially not until they start seeing some consumer numbers for the support of the 5e product line.
I agree! But just because they don't start with that, doesn't mean it shouldn't be the goal or is impossible. The energy is up now - produce a really amazing CG and PHB and it will stay up or even increase. Then start doing quarterly releases. Then, if things are good, every other month.
I could go for a 64 or 96 page supplement, quarterly, though every other month is better. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Cards77
Senior Scribe
USA
745 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 23:41:55
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| I like the parchment style paper that the 1st edition boxed set was printed on. Very classy look and feel, that really sets it apart from other settings and books. Also the use of the stone carved runic art is another set-apart classy touch. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2013 : 00:15:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Cards77
I like the parchment style paper that the 1st edition boxed set was printed on. Very classy look and feel, that really sets it apart from other settings and books. Also the use of the stone carved runic art is another set-apart classy touch.
I loved the old stonework logo!  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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What form should the 5E Realms Campaign Book take?
