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What's in a name?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
culture20
Apr 14, 2006 22:00:42 What’s in a name? That which we call Mystara, By any other name would smell as sweet.

With apologies to the Bard for the paraphrase, I'd like to discuss the name of our beloved campaign setting(s).
I started thinking about this when the new logo discussion started.
Other campaign settings are not named after their world (granted, the Mystara setting is really three settings, none named Mystara: Known World, Hollow World, Savage Coast).
I posit that use of the world's name as the setting name does little to describe the setting - to bring a cohesive whole - and dillutes its effect through over-use (imagine if DL were called "Krynn"). If you were to be charged with the task of renaming the Mystara setting, what would it be? [my idea's below, spoilered in case someone doesn't want it to color their thoughts]

Show
I'd name the entire setting "Hollow World" as it's the most unique feature of the world. The original HW setting would be renamed to "Inside the Hollow World"
#2
johnbiles
Apr 14, 2006 22:31:06
I posit that use of the world's name as the setting name does little to describe the setting - to bring a cohesive whole - and dillutes its effect through over-use (imagine if DL were called "Krynn"). If you were to be charged with the task of renaming the Mystara setting, what would it be? [my idea's below, spoilered in case someone doesn't want it to color their thoughts]

Mystara is the only one of TSR's game worlds named by the fans (as a result of a contest) instead of by the game designers, so I'm inclined to accept it as the overarching name.
#3
thorf
Apr 14, 2006 22:37:36 You bring up a good point. "Mystara" is a name that has been criticised in the past, especially since it was grafted on long after the setting had established a character of its own.

Personally, I think I would go back to just plain Known World - it was the original name of the setting after all. I know some people will disagree, since the phrase has recently taken on a more specific meaning, but originally it was the name for the entire world, even if that is quite a strange use of the phrase...

Another good one would be the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Setting, though it's a description or a subtitle rather than a name. Still, it would be nice to tie in the connection somehow.
#4
gawain_viii
Apr 14, 2006 22:55:16
Mystara is the only one of TSR's game worlds named by the fans (as a result of a contest) instead of by the game designers, so I'm inclined to accept it as the overarching name.

IIRC, the Name That World contest yielded no favorable results, so Bruce nixed the contest and arbitrarily assigned the name Mystara as a mixing of "Mystery" and "Star"... I'm not sure where I heard that factoid, but I belive it was on another thread of this board.

As for my choice: the name has already been ingrained into the seperate campaigns to change it--well, might as well create a brand new homebrew. Also, IIRC part of the "fansite" agreement (which is being discussed heavily on another thread) the Shawn and the Vaults cannot change any of the major elements of the campign (killing off major characters, significantly altering the flavor of the different regions, changing the name of the setting, etc.).

Roger
#5
Cthulhudrew
Apr 15, 2006 5:02:16
IIRC, the Name That World contest yielded no favorable results, so Bruce nixed the contest and arbitrarily assigned the name Mystara as a mixing of "Mystery" and "Star"... I'm not sure where I heard that factoid, but I belive it was on another thread of this board.

That's the way I remember it, too. I think he mentioned it when he was on the MML years ago.
#6
havard
Apr 15, 2006 6:06:20 The only reason I could see for renaming Mystara now, would be for marketing purposes. If Mystara was to be relaunched and people figured the name had too many negative connotations because of the whole AD&D line, a name like "The Known World" could work, especially to attract old fans, and I love how it plays upon "the Forgotten Realms".

Another name I thought about would be "World of the Princess Ark". This would work particularly well if the VotPA collection was ever published, and if Bruce's idea of Princess Ark Gazetteers was revived for the new setting, using Haldemar & crew as guides to the setting.

Still, Mystara is the name that the setting has carried for what, more than 10 years now, and I actually like it. Seeing Thorf's logo made me like it even more. The 2E logo never made the setting justice IMO. It always paled to the wonderful Gaz logo. Mystara is also the name that all of the fans have become used to through the mailinglist and this board, so why not keep it?

Ofcourse, I agree with Culture20 that the contents are far more important than the actual name.

Håvard

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 culture20 Apr 14, 2006 22:00:42	What’s in a name? That which we call Mystara, By any other name would smell as sweet. With apologies to the Bard for the paraphrase, I'd like to discuss the name of our beloved campaign setting(s). I started thinking about this when the new logo discussion started. Other campaign settings are not named after their world (granted, the Mystara setting is really three settings, none named Mystara: Known World, Hollow World, Savage Coast). I posit that use of the world's name as the setting name does little to describe the setting - to bring a cohesive whole - and dillutes its effect through over-use (imagine if DL were called "Krynn"). If you were to be charged with the task of renaming the Mystara setting, what would it be? [my idea's below, spoilered in case someone doesn't want it to color their thoughts] Show I'd name the entire setting "Hollow World" as it's the most unique feature of the world. The original HW setting would be renamed to "Inside the Hollow World"
#2 johnbiles Apr 14, 2006 22:31:06	I posit that use of the world's name as the setting name does little to describe the setting - to bring a cohesive whole - and dillutes its effect through over-use (imagine if DL were called "Krynn"). If you were to be charged with the task of renaming the Mystara setting, what would it be? [my idea's below, spoilered in case someone doesn't want it to color their thoughts] Mystara is the only one of TSR's game worlds named by the fans (as a result of a contest) instead of by the game designers, so I'm inclined to accept it as the overarching name.
#3 thorf Apr 14, 2006 22:37:36	You bring up a good point. "Mystara" is a name that has been criticised in the past, especially since it was grafted on long after the setting had established a character of its own. Personally, I think I would go back to just plain Known World - it was the original name of the setting after all. I know some people will disagree, since the phrase has recently taken on a more specific meaning, but originally it was the name for the entire world, even if that is quite a strange use of the phrase... Another good one would be the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Setting, though it's a description or a subtitle rather than a name. Still, it would be nice to tie in the connection somehow.
#4 gawain_viii Apr 14, 2006 22:55:16	Mystara is the only one of TSR's game worlds named by the fans (as a result of a contest) instead of by the game designers, so I'm inclined to accept it as the overarching name. IIRC, the Name That World contest yielded no favorable results, so Bruce nixed the contest and arbitrarily assigned the name Mystara as a mixing of "Mystery" and "Star"... I'm not sure where I heard that factoid, but I belive it was on another thread of this board. As for my choice: the name has already been ingrained into the seperate campaigns to change it--well, might as well create a brand new homebrew. Also, IIRC part of the "fansite" agreement (which is being discussed heavily on another thread) the Shawn and the Vaults cannot change any of the major elements of the campign (killing off major characters, significantly altering the flavor of the different regions, changing the name of the setting, etc.). Roger
#5 Cthulhudrew Apr 15, 2006 5:02:16	IIRC, the Name That World contest yielded no favorable results, so Bruce nixed the contest and arbitrarily assigned the name Mystara as a mixing of "Mystery" and "Star"... I'm not sure where I heard that factoid, but I belive it was on another thread of this board. That's the way I remember it, too. I think he mentioned it when he was on the MML years ago.
#6 havard Apr 15, 2006 6:06:20	The only reason I could see for renaming Mystara now, would be for marketing purposes. If Mystara was to be relaunched and people figured the name had too many negative connotations because of the whole AD&D line, a name like "The Known World" could work, especially to attract old fans, and I love how it plays upon "the Forgotten Realms". Another name I thought about would be "World of the Princess Ark". This would work particularly well if the VotPA collection was ever published, and if Bruce's idea of Princess Ark Gazetteers was revived for the new setting, using Haldemar & crew as guides to the setting. Still, Mystara is the name that the setting has carried for what, more than 10 years now, and I actually like it. Seeing Thorf's logo made me like it even more. The 2E logo never made the setting justice IMO. It always paled to the wonderful Gaz logo. Mystara is also the name that all of the fans have become used to through the mailinglist and this board, so why not keep it? Ofcourse, I agree with Culture20 that the contents are far more important than the actual name. Håvard