Would the iconic settings of Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms have any legs as the default setting for 5E? My feeling is no.  I loved GH in 1E and 2E and even liked the 3E treatment but its day is done.   FR has been more heavily supported and popular for ages but again, I think it might struggle to recover from the spell plague.  So should 5E be completely setting neutral (sounds pretty bland) or would it be best served by coming with a totally kick arse new setting that isn't too heavily mired in the rules?

I thought they already said FR was going to be the default setting... could be wrong though.

They said that Forgotten Realms would be the default setting, with the implication that you could pick any era.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;503359They said that Forgotten Realms would be the default setting, with the implication that you could pick any era.

Damn, wouldn't be my choice but picking the era would help a little.  Interesting.  It was their most popular setting ever but still, it smacks a little of conservatism.

Quote from: Fiasco;503363Damn, wouldn't be my choice but picking the era would help a little.  Interesting.  It was their most popular setting ever but still, it smacks a little of conservatism.

It's clear they're off the "let's break this in NEW AND EXCITING WAYS" treadmill and they're looking at what sold, and sold really really well plus what's capturing the gamers who have left them or who didn't move up to 3e, and aiming at that.

I prefer Greyhawk and find FR to be anathema but it's just simple dollars here.

Besides, if I like 5e enough to play its not as though I can't "make it Greyhawk".

Quote from: thedungeondelver;503376I prefer Greyhawk and find FR to be anathema but it's just simple dollars here.

Really? I mean, I understand the feeling for most of the setting's run, but you feel that way about the original Grey Box too?
I like it a lot, personally.

Quote from: Benoist;503379Really? I mean, I understand the feeling for most of the setting's run, but you feel that way about the original Grey Box too?
I like it a lot, personally.

FR was a big step towards Story Railroad (a trip that Dragonlance began at the same time), and the host of Mary Sue characters Greenwood put in it left me absolutely flat.  I mean, weren't there modules where Elminster would literally just show up and save the characters' asses?  And it was recommended?

Quote from: thedungeondelver;503376It's clear they're off the "let's break this in NEW AND EXCITING WAYS" treadmill and they're looking at what sold, and sold really really well plus what's capturing the gamers who have left them or who didn't move up to 3e, and aiming at that.

I prefer Greyhawk and find FR to be anathema but it's just simple dollars here.

Besides, if I like 5e enough to play its not as though I can't "make it Greyhawk".

Oh I agree that FR makes complete sense. I just hope they don't end up completely second guessing themselves and refusing to introduce any innovation.  

I could do without that prick Elminster, however.

"pick your own era" FR sourcebook should be interesting.  then again, it'll mean multiple stat blocks for drizzt and elminster :rolleyes: :banghead:

a 5e mystara book would be neat, tho

Quote from: beeber;503385"pick your own era" FR sourcebook should be interesting.  then again, it'll mean multiple stat blocks for drizzt and elminster :rolleyes: :banghead:

a 5e mystara book would be neat, tho

I loved Karameikos.

I'm happy with FR being the basic setting, as let's face it - it was the "face" of DnD for quite a while now, especially in CRPGs.

Quote from: thedungeondelver;503382FR was a big step towards Story Railroad (a trip that Dragonlance began at the same time), and the host of Mary Sue characters Greenwood put in it left me absolutely flat.  I mean, weren't there modules where Elminster would literally just show up and save the characters' asses?  And it was recommended?

Absolutely, hence my understanding your feeling on the question. But the original Grey Box is more of a blank slate. It's a good setting, really. It's afterwards with the modules and add-ons that it became completely stupid. And don't get me started on the Times of Troubles, Spellplague and reboots.

Quote from: Benoist;503392Absolutely, hence my understanding your feeling on the question. But the original Grey Box is more of a blank slate. It's a good setting, really. It's afterwards with the modules and add-ons that it became completely stupid. And don't get me started on the Times of Troubles, Spellplague and reboots.

Spellplague I'd agree, ToT not that much. Still though, the original fluff on the Dead Three was not too great to begin with.

I mean come on, a BOWLING GAME?

Quote from: Benoist;503392Absolutely, hence my understanding your feeling on the question. But the original Grey Box is more of a blank slate. It's a good setting, really. It's afterwards with the modules and add-ons that it became completely stupid. And don't get me started on the Times of Troubles, Spellplague and reboots.

The grey box was great.  I followed FR up to the time of troubles and that was it. Haven't looked at or purchased anything since.

my take as noted before woudl be a default setting of FR that was the basic vanilla setting.
Tie the rule expansions to other setting so Grey hawk might be an advanced magic setting for example.

I woudl go on to leveage the suces sof the MTG block rotation model to have a new settign each year that had mechanical changes (but was compatible with the whole) so new races or classes for example woudl be tied to new settings.
The living FR equivalent woudl carry on down teh basic content only path with new living settigns on a rolling annual model with new rules tied to that setting.

Standard play groups coudl just grab stuff from anywhere and mix and max as you like.

I might well leverage the art and work done for Mtg blocks which also have their own settings as a context for an inspiration of the annual D&D setting. So looking at MtG specifically you just finished a Mirrodin block where the settign was theMirrodin and the game play was about an invasion of the pheryxians. So you have cat warriors, elephant men, living machines, fallen elves the idea of a massive forest called the tangle full of poisonous beasts etc.
You can tie that to a D&D setting that uses a bunch of new mechanisms etc. and delivers the 'treadmill' of stuff. But this time you can totlaly miss out a whole setting or just ignore the lot.
Back in the DDI skills, feats, classes, spells, monsters etc are tied to a setting so if a DM says I am playign a Mirrodin game everyone knows what is in and what is out.

The fact that these settings are already designed for MtG means that a lot of the up front design work is done for you and you have a feel and a some economies of scale and cross referencing of the player base.

For those that don't want to use the settings you can issue occassional summary books gathering rules across settings by theme but also they are already in the DDI. Also of course you can play in the generic FR setting with just he base game.