Bedrockgames
I post in the voice of Christopher Walken
Part of the problem is that you can't dismiss canonical sources simply because you don't like them when discussing elements of the setting. For example, I can draw a hard line between the Star Wars Original Trilogy (which I adore), the Prequels (which my opinion is more nuanced on) and the Sequels (which I have grown to loathe) but when discussing Star Wars lore, I have to begrudgingly accept that all Nine films are cannon. I don't simply dismiss Luke's characterization in The Last Jedi didn't happen, even if I desperately wished it hadn't.
I think this is wrong. This isn't religion. This is media and entertainment. You absolutely can dismiss luke's characterization in Last Jedi. You don't have to accept canon just because Disney or the fan community says so. Especially when those characterizations are so different. You have to acknowledge last Jedi existed, but you can have a conversation where you are not defending a later characterization of the character, while defending an earlier one. I mean people talk about the original trilogy in isolation all the time. It is really common for IP to get ruined over time by sprawling canon. I think you can take something that is almost perfect, like the original trilogy, and ruin it by putting out tons of novels, a prequel trilogy, sequels, etc. From very early on in this thread I was clear the only thing I was defending was the early books in the Ravenloft line, because those are the only ones I am willing to defend. The quality dipped tremendously. Even in the presentation the books started to look terrible. I remember getting the sense at a certain point that the line had started to chase after WW fans, and it was around that point, and around the point that you lost the classic ravenloft presentation, that I grew increasingly disappointed with the content. I was especially disappointed with how WW handled it during the d20 era of Ravenloft (and the less said about Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for 3E the better). I don't see why I should have to embrace all of the Ravenloft line, when I am defending the part of it I think was worthy of defending. Here is how I break it down:
The original module is a classic and important, but also different from what Ravenloft ultimately became: it is a significant and great module in its own right, regardless of what one things of later Ravenloft books.
The Black Boxed set was exceptional. I don't think any setting book or boxed set has had the impact on me this had. I've started the reasons but to reiterate some of them: the tone, the guiding vision, the engaging way it is written, the setting content, the fact that I can add to this setting because it leaves enough open spaces for it. This to me is about as perfect as a setting book can get
The supplements and modules: there are some standouts, some hits and misses, but the line declines over time. The major standouts are certain Van Richten books: Guide to Lycanthropes, Created, Ancient Dead, etc. And some of the key modules. For me the big one is Feast of Goblyns, but there were others like Castles Forlorn. Once you start getting into things like Grim Harvest, I really wasn't in sync with the material.
DoD: This is classic. It isn't my cup of tea, but like RoT it had a clear vision of what it wanted to do, that resonated with many gamers. I appreciate having all the information there at my finger tips, but ultimately I find I prefer working off the black box.