That's a good point... we DO try new things out in the Adventure Paths a lot... but that's not gonna address the concern of "how do the new generations of future RPG designers break into the industry and get noticed."
Yeah - RPG Superstar is your most obvious attempt to fill this niche. Of course, there are other avenues now - Open Design's way of working seems like an ideal entry point for someone serious about a career in the industry. Takes money and time, of course, but still - it's a pretty amazing mentoring opportunity.
Personally, I felt there was a lot wrong with 4th edition and it wasn't for me... But canceling the magazines is still a decision that makes me angry. On the other hand, without that happening, I see Paizo as remaining with them and producing 4th edition content, so...
Yeah, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to cancel those magazines after all? Who knew?
Not me!
I still remember the excitement of reading Ed Greenwood's "The Nine Hells" in the pages of DRAGON magazine long ago (I think it was in 1983); way before that, I recall reading "The Politics of Hell." I remember the fascination of reading Roger Moore's article about the Astral Plane (not to mention his various articles on the demi-human races). Those brief snippets were like getting a brief peek into the mysteries of the D&D universe.
I really miss both DRAGON and DUNGEON magazines, precisely because they granted readers a glimpse into niche topics. Fortunately, Kobold Quarterly does an awesome job of scratching this itch, even if not on a monthly basis.
Heck, I even miss all the wonderful advertisements in the pages of the two magazines...
Yeah, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to cancel those magazines after all? Who knew?
Almost everyone. ;)
Two mags named "Path" and "Finder" just don't have the same ring, do they?
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I'm not a huge fan of the concept that the 666 layers of the Abyss were "discovered/explored/cataloged" by the Fraternity of Order at all, in any event, because I think that VASTLY marginalizes and de-mystifies the Abyss. Some of those layers are hideously dangerous... some are so dangerous that people who blunder into them die or worse at once unless they're super high level.
I like this idea. Arduin Grimoire, way back in the day, had a list of demon realms that were, in some cases, wicked dangerous (blasted radioactive wasteland, an entire paradisial plane where everything, from animal to plant to bacteria to the air, water and soul, was corruptively toxic and corrosive, etc.).
Leaving hundreds of abyssal demiplanes available to be made into these sorts of horrific places (such as a 'Plane of Flesh,' that is all one pulsing organism, or Cyth-V'sug's realm, which is probably quite similar, one fungal organic blight) is a good idea. Lots of breathing room.
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Set,
Jacobs and I weren't talking about whether or not to leave available the abyssal demiplanes, we were mentioning that the given numbers of said demiplanes (66 = Lolth, 113 = Orcus, etc.) shouldn't be based on "when" the people of the Prime Material or Sigil learned of their existence.
I said it was stupid because Obox Ob is 663 and ain't no way we've found (or published) 663 layers and Jacobs said because it marginalizes the Abyss.