I always find myself disappointed when a game or book from a major franchise has too much canon in it. Of course, the obvious offender here is Star Wars, but I feel Lord of the Rings isn't far behind.Greg Tito said:
Such care was taken to create an expansive universe (or galaxy, or continent) full of cultures and languages and histories that all go beyond the story and characters being presented. It's all those unexplored roads that make the universe feel huge and full of mystery. It feeds our curiosity, but only a snack.
But how large can the universe be when you keep running into the same five guys over and over? Hell, I don't see some of my own co-workers half as often as every Steve-iel the billionth elven ranger runs into Gandalf or Aragorn. (Or as often as every two-credit smuggler crosses paths with Han Solo)
I understand you want threads that tie you to the canon, or it might as well not be Lord of the Rings. I understand a certain amount of iconography is necessary to give it all the right feel. But I also feel that cramming in characters and references can become a crutch that leads to lazy writing. We think we're winking at the audience, saying, "See? Still Lord of the Rings in here," but really we just have our blinders on. And I think it shrinks the world of the source material a little every time.
