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Design & Development Sigil

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Tue, 2009-10-13 10:15
#1
Kobold Avenger
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Design & Development Sigil

So one the WotC site they have an article about Sigil. It seems like they might plan to do more with Sigil in the future. Unlike such Design & Development interviews recently appearing on the WotC site, this one is with 2 designers who had more to do with Planescape as it's Michelle Carter and Bill Slavicsek they interview.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drdd/2009October

And it turns out that some of the material from the never printed PS product City of Doors made it into the 4e DMG2.

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Tue, 2009-10-13 19:19
#2
ripvanwormer
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

I would like to read this, but I'm not sure why they think Design & Development articles - which are, really, advertisements promoting the sales of an upcoming product - are things they should hide behind a paywall. They should make them as accessible as possible so that casual fans read them, get excited by the thing they're describing, and go out and buy the book.

Tue, 2009-10-13 20:37
#3
Kobold Avenger
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

I thought they were free, at least they used to be free, even when they started that whole pay scheme.

Tue, 2009-10-13 20:43
#4
ripvanwormer
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

It doesn't seem that they are now. At least, it's telling me I have to subscribe to read it.

Wed, 2009-10-14 10:02
#5
Kobold Avenger
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

Well I guess I'll have to provide a synopsis.

So basically it's about how they expanded on it's mention in DMG1 and some changes to Sigil to fit into the World Axis cosmology. The most significant being Gatetowns, which rather than being on the Outlands, exist on all planes around portals to Sigil. Most of the elements of Sigil's setting were kept the same, a 30 page summary of all of Sigil's residents from City of Doors was included, but cut down to a 2 additional pages for Sigil's chapter. The timeline incorporates everything that happened in 2e including Faction War, and the mention it's of an unspecified time after Faction War, and how it very well might be a shift from Factions to Guilds as the power structure of Sigil as Sigil is in a transitional period.

They also expressed that they want to revisit Sigil again, possibly some time after the Plane Below and the Plane Above are released. And they give a shout-out to Cook, McComb and Vallese.

Wed, 2009-10-14 17:46
#6
Hyena of Ice
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

Ugh. I can't say exactly as I'm looking forward to it. They've essentially taken the basic continuity of 1E-3E and completely changed it for 4E. The planar cosmology, the whole thing with the Primordials, etc. At this point you could probably provide power to the entire state of New York AND New Jersey with Gary Gygax's rotations.

Mon, 2009-10-19 22:05
#7
Idran
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

Hyena of Ice wrote:
Ugh. I can't say exactly as I'm looking forward to it. They've essentially taken the basic continuity of 1E-3E and completely changed it for 4E. The planar cosmology, the whole thing with the Primordials, etc. At this point you could probably provide power to the entire state of New York AND New Jersey with Gary Gygax's rotations.

Because that's who we should look to for greatness in Planescape. The guy whose names for the planes are in canon mocked in Planescape. Sticking out tongue

Tue, 2009-10-20 18:49
#8
ripvanwormer
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

It was light-hearted, winking mockery. I wouldn't assume Planescape saying "Concordant Opposition - what a mouthful!" means a lack of respect, considering the considerable creative debt Planescape owes the skeleton that Gygax created.

Mon, 2009-10-26 08:23
#9
Idran
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Re: Design & Development Sigil

ripvanwormer wrote:
It was light-hearted, winking mockery. I wouldn't assume Planescape saying "Concordant Opposition - what a mouthful!" means a lack of respect, considering the considerable creative debt Planescape owes the skeleton that Gygax created.

Oh, I wasn't trying to say it was mean-spirited, nor was I trying to be mean-spirited myself. Sorry if it came off that way. I was just poking a little fun myself at the "Gygax wouldn't want this" attitude I've been seeing a bunch of ever since he died. I definitely respect his work in both the game and the setting, I just don't think his design philosophies are the be-all and end-all of good RPG design.

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