This is not intended as a rant, but the start of a conversation.
I have been playing D&D since the red box set. I have the first printing versions of 1E AD&D books. I started in FR when it first came out, and followed through all the editions.
When 1E went to 2E, then to 3E, there were minimal changes to the world. Yes, the maps changed, but so did maps of the real world over time as information and drawing techniques changed. I could live with those. Politically, there were changes in individuals, but not borders or populations because the timeline did not shift much.
Then 4E came, jumped the timeline forward over 100 years, and made massive changes. Whether you liked that or not, that's what WoTC did. There were huge nation changes, land masses submerging, mountain ranges obliterated, gaping maws opening into the underdark, cities ruinef, and large regions depopulated. This is canon (like it or not).
Then there was the Second Sundering to "correct" the map to 3.5E. I personally think that was ham-handed, but again, it is canon, so I deal with it.
What I want to talk about here is that all the regions that vanished in 4E, all those that were depopulated, are back with all their peoples without explanation. The Second Sundering brought back land, but the people miraculously reappeared.
Let's look at Luiren. It was completely under the ocean for more than a century. Any soil would be heavily salted, and covered in sand and other ocean deposits. It popped out of the ocean over a few hours. It had to have reefs and lots of mud. But the official 5e map has cities and forests. How is that? In the real world, even intentionally planting trees, it takes decades to grow a forest. How is salty, sandy soil going to grow full forests in less than 10 years? And where did all the people come from? Ok, maybe there were a few islands left inhabited that didn't show on maps. But to have cities within 10 years seems a massive break in reality.
Now let's look at the Sword Coast. In 4E the Wood of Sharp Teeth and Snakewood had expanded into 1 continuous forest, pretty much covering The Greenfields of old. Considering the depopulation of this region, it makes sense the forests would expand. But presto! Even with Elturel losing thousands in it's visit to hell, the forests have been chopped down to their old size. Armies of bulldozers must have appeared between 1486 (end of 4E) and 1489 (start of 5E) to achieve that land clearing.
I accept that different Hasbro leaders have different goals, and areas were destroyed in 4E that angered people, so they wish to fix that. I completely understand the reason that 5E is "restoring" the past. But it seems ridiculous that over a century has passed and _nothing_ has changed.
Look at all the changes in the real world in the last century. Why can't 5E encompass any changes (that were canon) while maintaining parts of the past? Just think of the adventures in helping Luiren be repopulated! Protecting lumberjacks in the Werewoods! Visiting Nathlan and the Shou peoples on a pillar city! Shoring up the once again seaside cliffs of Candlekeep! Helping Cormyr claim and restore the ruins of Starmantle to prevent Shadovar-freed Sembia from doing the same!
Instead, none of these are possible. You pull a Rip von Winkle, falling asleep in 1384 and waking up in 1492 with nothing to show for the lost tine except for the different names of rulers. Otherwise, and all is the same.
This is not intended as a rant, but the start of a conversation.
I have been playing D&D since the red box set. I have the first printing versions of 1E AD&D books. I started in FR when it first came out, and followed through all the editions.
When 1E went to 2E, then to 3E, there were minimal changes to the world. Yes, the maps changed, but so did maps of the real world over time as information and drawing techniques changed. I could live with those. Politically, there were changes in individuals, but not borders or populations because the timeline did not shift much.
Then 4E came, jumped the timeline forward over 100 years, and made massive changes. Whether you liked that or not, that's what WoTC did. There were huge nation changes, land masses submerging, mountain ranges obliterated, gaping maws opening into the underdark, cities ruinef, and large regions depopulated. This is canon (like it or not).
Then there was the Second Sundering to "correct" the map to 3.5E. I personally think that was ham-handed, but again, it is canon, so I deal with it.
What I want to talk about here is that all the regions that vanished in 4E, all those that were depopulated, are back with all their peoples without explanation. The Second Sundering brought back land, but the people miraculously reappeared.
Let's look at Luiren. It was completely under the ocean for more than a century. Any soil would be heavily salted, and covered in sand and other ocean deposits. It popped out of the ocean over a few hours. It had to have reefs and lots of mud. But the official 5e map has cities and forests. How is that? In the real world, even intentionally planting trees, it takes decades to grow a forest. How is salty, sandy soil going to grow full forests in less than 10 years? And where did all the people come from? Ok, maybe there were a few islands left inhabited that didn't show on maps. But to have cities within 10 years seems a massive break in reality.
Now let's look at the Sword Coast. In 4E the Wood of Sharp Teeth and Snakewood had expanded into 1 continuous forest, pretty much covering The Greenfields of old. Considering the depopulation of this region, it makes sense the forests would expand. But presto! Even with Elturel losing thousands in it's visit to hell, the forests have been chopped down to their old size. Armies of bulldozers must have appeared between 1486 (end of 4E) and 1489 (start of 5E) to achieve that land clearing.
I accept that different Hasbro leaders have different goals, and areas were destroyed in 4E that angered people, so they wish to fix that. I completely understand the reason that 5E is "restoring" the past. But it seems ridiculous that over a century has passed and _nothing_ has changed.
Look at all the changes in the real world in the last century. Why can't 5E encompass any changes (that were canon) while maintaining parts of the past? Just think of the adventures in helping Luiren be repopulated! Protecting lumberjacks in the Werewoods! Visiting Nathlan and the Shou peoples on a pillar city! Shoring up the once again seaside cliffs of Candlekeep! Helping Cormyr claim and restore the ruins of Starmantle to prevent Shadovar-freed Sembia from doing the same!
Instead, none of these are possible. You pull a Rip von Winkle, falling asleep in 1384 and waking up in 1492 with nothing to show for the lost tine except for the different names of rulers. Otherwise, and all is the same.
I'm assuming that most people care more about getting their pre-4e lore back than how fast trees grow.