Ramblings

I sit here as the rain patters down outside, listening to the gurgling of the drain that is rather inconveniently located about four feet to my right, on the other side of the wall next to where I sleep. It's been gurgling a lot this summer, as it did the last. Woodlice, spiders and other insects--indeed, arachnids--have infested my humble abode recently, seeking shelter from the unseasonal--or is that seasonal?--weather. My eyes track a lone woodlouse as it makes its hesitant way across my carpet. It is in no rush, perhaps sensing my apathy; indeed, my right hand rests lethargically on a glass of wine as my left prods away at the keyboard, and it is obvious that the threat of being scooped up and flushed to a watery grave to join its brethren is, this night, minimal.

Which makes me want to dislodge myself from my position of comfort and flush it down the crapper anyway, if only to prove a point. Alas, I won't, and said woodlouse can saviour this small victory as I reflect on my benevolence and the warm glow it radiates through my being. I've always believed that if I were a millionaire blessed with the lifespan of an elf, I'd take up philanthropy.

But enough of that. It's September 6th and Mysteries of Westgate still hasn't been released. I'm pretty sure it's close now, and I mean real close if not really close. It's now being tested for patch 1.14 compliance, as far as I'm aware. Will it be released this month? Perhaps, but my best guess would be next month. It's coming along, which is the important thing.

Has anyone got their hands on the new Forgotten Realms campaign setting? That's a rhetorical question. Of course you have. What are your thoughts on it? My own... well, the Realms' vast depth of history and lore was what made it great. Yes, it was a massive Frakenstein of cultures and borrowed ideas cobbled together, but that was its greatest strength: whatever story you wanted to tell, whatever theme or setting you needed, it could be found in one corner or another of the Realms. I guess I don't see the sense in sacrificing a lot of loyal fans by destroying that richness for the potential gains of bringing new fans in.

You know, perhaps the reason the Realms was so successful was because 25 years ago, it had a lot less competition. It could get away with being largely generic high fantasy and grew from the efforts of hundreds of designers and writers until it became something truly worthwhile. Will this new, slimmed-down Realms thrive in the same way, with Azeroth filling a similar niche but in a far more convenient and accessible medium and with hordes of lesser pretenders battling for some of the market share? I guess we'll see.