Read and weep GH fans....note underlined sentence.
Official word:
Posted by: "Daniel Bailey" uscgdanielbailey@yahoo.com uscgdanielbailey
Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:15 pm (PST)
A Year of Change: The RPGA in 2008
As most of you reading this know, Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition was
announced at Gen Con Indy on this past Thursday evening. This means
great things for the game, and with that, big changes for the RPGA
and its programs. Ever since "The Announcement", one of the hot
topics both at the convention and online has been "What does this
mean for the future?"
At our members' meeting this evening, Ian and I talked to the
assembled players, judges, and staff about the RPGA's future. Even
though many of you can't be with us, we felt it necessary to send out
the "official word" to you as soon as the meeting was concluded, so
you could have all the information in one place. Here we go!
Campaigns Concluding
Living Greyhawk has been the face of organized play for the 3rd
Edition D&D game. Tremendously successful, thousands participate
worldwide in the biggest shared-world D&D game anywhere. LG has been
around since the beginning of 3rd Edition, and it will last to the
end of the 3rd Edition product line. Starting with a two-round
special at D&D Experience 2008 (February 28 – March 2), the campaign
will begin its final story arc – a series of core adventures that
will build into the climactic two-round finale at Origins 2008. We're
pulling out all the stops in these final adventures – no major NPC is
off-limits, and you're really going to be a part of the most world-
affecting story arc we've ever done. We're getting some of the best
authors to ever write for Living Greyhawk to help with these
adventures – what the Circle has planned is nothing short of amazing.
While the campaign concludes at Origins next year, it is our
sincerest desire to provide you an epic conclusion to the campaign we
all love so much.
I know you want more specifics, now that the cat's out of the bag.
Regions will have up to 6 adventures next year – all of them will
premiere no later than June 30, 2008. Metaregions will have 4
adventures next year, with the same premiere deadline. All adventures
released in 2007 and 2008 will be playable until December 31, 2008.
We're also looking at increasing play opportunities for your
characters in 2008 so they have a better chance of reaching the goals
you've set for them. The two specials next year – the first and last
adventures in the final core story arc – will be available for all
conventions soon after they premiere at their respective shows. Many
more players will be able to enjoy all of the final adventures for
Living Greyhawk, as the specials come to their local shows.
More information on Living Greyhawk's conclusion will become
available in the next few weeks on the website.
Xen'drik Expeditions will also be concluding at Origins 2008. As the
D&D Campaigns programs use 2-year story arcs, the campaign pulls into
its last stop right on time. The Factionmasters have prepared a great
final story arc that really engages all of the factions into a final
two-round spectacular at Origins next year. Stormreach will never be
the same after it's over.
We also bid a fond farewell to Living Kingdoms of Kalamar in 2008. At
D&D Experience next year, LK will run its special finale adventures.
All other adventures will be playable through the RPGA until March
31, 2008.
So, with the existing campaigns ending, what will rise up to take
their place? Read on!
Campaigns Beginning
At D&D Experience 2008, you'll be able to get your first full-on play
of D&D 4th Edition in its final form. This will come in the form of
preview adventures for the next Living campaign – Living Forgotten
Realms! The most popular campaign setting for D&D finally gets its
turn as a regionalized Living campaign. If you like the system for
Living Greyhawk, you'll love what we have in store with Living
Forgotten Realms: more play opportunities for the average gamer,
fully supported online and offline play, and a greater shared-world
experience than we've ever done before with a Living campaign. Living
Forgotten Realms will be the first truly global Living campaign.
But we can't do it without your help! We're placing a call out for
administrators to help us on both a global and regional level.
Information on how you can help will be available in September on the
RPGA website. Global and regional administrators will get previews of
4th Edition material as they work to provide the most immersive game
experience you'll ever find in an organized play campaign.
D&D Experience 2008 is the place to be for exciting previews of the
new Living campaign; the campaign fully launches at Gen Con Indy 2008.
With Xen'drik Expeditions ending, a new D&D Campaigns program will
take its place. As it is scheduled to begin in late summer/fall 2008,
we can't yet announce what it will be, but it will improve upon the
success of Xen'drik. (Of course, we'll be looking for help with that
as well – once again, check on the website in a few weeks for more
info.)
More to Come!
As 2007 rolls on, we'll have a lot more to talk about regarding our
current programs, the upcoming programs mentioned above, and other
exciting new programs coming out in 2008 and beyond. There's still a
lot more information we want to get out to you, but we have to save
some of our goodies for a little later!
Thanks to everyone involved in the RPGA for making our organization
the success it is today. Stay with us, as it's going to get even
better.
Game On!
Ian Richards
Chris Tulach
as was emailed to me from James Dempsey, Ratik Triad POC
In another thread on the forums, Eric Mona said that he had very recent conversations on the subject of the GH license and that WotC showed absolutely no interest in putting on the market. I suspect that it'll be put out to pasture for good. Living Greyhawk shut down, the GHophiles at Paizo out of the loop, Castle Greyhawk gone from Oerth, GH no longer the 'core' world (hasn't been for a while, but especially won't be in 4th). Seems a pretty clear trend.
The grapevine has it that WotC plans on releasing a campaign setting book every year. 2008 is FR, 2009 is Eberron. After that, plans are vague, but they've hinted that Greyhawk might get its turn.
I wouldn't hold my breath, particularly because holding my breath until 2010 seems dangerous. But the chance is high enough that WotC employees have specifically mentioned it.
LG was always going to have a cut off point. It was always a matter of when and not if (and it was always very likely that 4e would be that when).
Reflecting on LG's legacy, it has to be said it's a mixed bag. But as someone who was involved heavily, no one's going to fall off their chair if I offer the opinion that on balance LG's legacy is a positive one.
The negatives have been much chewed over here and many places elsewise. The not-always-joined-up thinking with regards to regional and core plots. The tendency for regional plots to be oversensational and Oerthshattering (how many regional rulers died in the last 6 years? I myself am responsible for one plus the destruction of a regional capital). The corrosive effect of the Splatbooks and general PCcentricism on regional development etcetcetc...
The positives are that if anyone does ever pick up GH again as a going concern, the IP issues for most, if not all, of the LG material is such a minefield that no one in their right mind will ever touch it. It's legal plutonium. So those 7 years of LG canon will be exactly like Pam's dream in Dallas (which most folk on here should be more than old enough to remember; you young 'uns - go Google it).
The other major positive is that LG got thousands of people to play in the World of Greyhawk for 7 years at a time when it would have got diddly squat exposure otherwise. That's a whole new generation of D&D players who wouldn't have known anything about Greyhawk aside from a few OOP PDFs and Rob Vest's Wiki (plug! plug!).
We also got the LGG, which production values aside, was a pretty nifty summation of GH canon between one set of covers and a good entry level book for newbies. And the early PaizoHawk articles (before the Adventure Paths), which almost certainly wouldn't have seen press if they hadn't had the LG stamp on them.
So LG was by no means perfect, but I think the World of Greyhawk would be a lot worse off without it.
Well I'm including LG history in my campaign if I can actually work out what it is... My only regret is the death of Countess Bellissica. I rather liked her. Who else died? Skotti died and came back. Owen died and came back. Belissica died. Belissica's sucessor also died. Anyone else?
What frustrates me most is WotC's callous handling of it all (Greyhawk wise).
Maybe its just me, but I feel a certain amount of a lack of respect for the 1st/2nd D&D generation gamers.
Are they waiting for Gygax to enter Valhalla, before they re-introduce (if at all) Greyhawk again? so they don't have to worry about Royalties?
This period, if significant enough, could cause a Generation gap in Greyhawk and loss of interest as its not "officially" supported, further give enough of a time gap for WotC to intro there "own" self percieved GH material (....yes, speculative, but not unforeseen).
Leaving us hard cores to carry the Greyhawk banner. It just saddens me greatly to see game I adore and have grown up with, with Greyhawk being the one true testimate of its "core" world.... the first.
Maybe I'm not articulating this properly, but because its of an older generation's appeal, its not the now and is... passe'? history.
I'll try and remain skeptical about the direction WotC is going with all of this, but continuously I'm becoming dis-heartened and disappointed.
I feel like I'm apart of a "dying breed".... the last few of the Greyhawk Clan....slowly being sterialized.
Cheerz
AncientGamer aka BusterBudd
I hope I'll find a good group of "older generation" gamers in London, UK. _________________ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTb1Gpa-N7U&feature=related">
I just got back from Gencon where one of the seminars I attended was the RPGA Members Meeting where they addressed the fate of Living Greyhawk.
The attendees were NOT at all happy Living GH was being shelved. It helped not a bit when the Living Realms was announced as its replacement as the premier 4E "living" campaign. There was no enthusiasm, and more than a little hostility (some people shouted at the podium, a number got up and walked out etc.).
One person asked why Living GH was shelved. The answer given was threefold -
1) As 4E is not compatible with 3E, it is not possible to just continue Living GH. No reasonable conversion is possible between editions. So Living GH had to be concluded.
2) As no conversion between 3E and 4E is possible, the living campaign must be restarted. Rather than start over again with GH, the decision was made to start fresh with the Realms, which as a fully supported setting has more bells and whistles that can be tied into the RPGA's Living Realms.
3) The Realms was declared much more popular than GH. THis comment drew hoots of scorn from the assembly btw.
Those were the reasons given. Andy Collins, one of the 4e honchos was present during all of this. Throughout the discussion of GH, he looked sour. When he was specifically offered the microphone to address the assembly protesting that GH and not the Realms should be the new living campaign, despite the above points, he pointedly refused the microphone. He did address other issues.
It was pretty wild for an RPGA meeting, most of which are usually just Wotc love-ins. This was no love-in. _________________ GVD
I feel like I'm apart of a "dying breed".... the last few of the Greyhawk Clan....slowly being sterialized.
You're not alone, sirrah.
I've been running my personal Greyhawk campaign since 1981. That's 26+ years and counting (although I'll admit to a few years hiatus now and then). "My" Greyhawk isn't strictly canon but it's as close as I can make it. One of the reasons I've stuck with the setting for so long was Gygax's well-rounded vision of a fully realized world.
I've never liked any other setting. Realms. Eberron. Whatever. They're all second-best IMNSHO.
I've been "hardcore" Greyhawk since before a lot of gamers were born and am proud to be a part of a "dying breed" no matter what any revenue-hungry slugs at companies like WotC might think. Unless I step in front of a bus tomorrow, I'm predicting I'll still be running my Greyhawk campaign for another 26+ years, long after companies like WotC have folded and disappeared into obscurity.
Gee, could I have made my opinion clear enough? _________________ Catapultem habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam. (Translation: I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.)
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