Re: Official vs Fan Material

From: Mark Galeotti <hia15_at_-s4hwzZ7Ds7ddIljzo58JRK-QbPDAA_6NR0uC1KMCjTMpgWVr2P8HTC1eakvP9mWqBv4HA>
Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2006 22:08:12 -0000


> So this indicates that when Greg is developing new Gloranthan
> material, he might contradict what has been previously released as a
> Fan contribution, wheras with official material...
>
> um, yes, remind me again what the difference is!

Point taken, but it is as much of anything else about where the bar is set. Let me lay out my own philosophy. Fan material may and will be ignored or contradicted freely -- but not willfully. Where there are good fan ideas and official material can be either incorporate it or else be written in such a way as not directly to contradict it, then that should be done. On the other hand, I have no problem with seeing such material ignored if it seems appropriate.

Now, official material can be contradicted too, but this is a last resort; if someone, for example, came up with a really stonking idea to write a book about, say, adventures in Safelster, which required ignoring a few existing lines here and there, then so be it. Larger scale changes like, say, changing an Orlanthi sun god, well that's probably another matter...

A final point to make is that we are, in many ways, in the post-Greg era. I hope he will continue to write and I know he is working with others on various Gloranthan projects, but the days of his control over even official canon are over. Indeed, Mongoose are pretty much free to do what they want. I can't believe they would, but if they didn't mind Greg being pissed off at them, they could say that Second Age Dragon Pass is a quiet bucolic land populated by halflings before Gandalf the Godlearner came calling.

This means that it is a great time to be writing. Sure, many don't care about being 'canonical' and others don't have the time to write a whole book. But if anyone out there does harbour any such ambitions, or even feels that they could contribute to or pull together a large work, then this is the time to be staking out your little piece of the lozenge...

All the best

Mark            

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