Wait a second--I wasn't talking sales, I was talking success. That's something completely different.
Sprig, gaming fiction is a different market than the fantasy market. People reading those stories want different things. Something that makes good gaming fiction can make a terrible mainstream fantasy.
In addition, how many copies have the Lodoss war novels sold? Do you have hard figures? Because I can guarantee that Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind BLOW AWAY Lodoss. They may sell well in Japan, but Japan is a much smaller book market than America.
I think it's very arrogant to say no "good" fantasy could ever come of it. Good is subjective. Yes you get paid to write, but good to most people (that aren't snobs) is anything that sells well.
Again, I think if you released the Lodoss War books over here, I think they'd tank big time. My opinion, but it's a very informed opinion. I know the market better than you do.
The only people that would read something from 50 years ago are students (becsaue their teachers are making them) or hard core fans. I think that's a horrible way to judge quality, especially for entertainment which changes so fast.
I think Sprig has a very good point here. Entertainment does change fast, which is why Terry Brooks sold so well in the 70's, but similar books now (without his name attached) tank.
However, none of this gets at the real point I was trying to make. I've seen A LOT of people try to turn their campaigns into books, and they generally fail worse than if they'd tried to do something from scratch. I FAILED when I tried to do it. The reasons relate to the ones I talked about in the lower portion of my column.
RPG campaigns have too much baggage, and are too unwieldy. Characters that would be considered 'cliche' in fiction are actually quite fun to play in a RPG. I do it all the time. Part of the experience, especially D&D, is to play that noble paladin or drunken dwarf.
Here's the thing: What's good in an RPG game doesn't make for what's good (or what sells) in mainstream fantasy. A lot of people don't understand this. Hence my argument.
(By the way--I think your defenses of your points have been very good so far, Sprig.)