New Changeling Speculation

Okay, it was announced at Gencon this past weekend, the next NWoD book will be Changeling.

Do we have any thoughts, opinions, speculations on what WW will do to this title?

What Kith will be kulled or combined?
What will they do with the arts and realms?

Thoughts?

I am hesitant and somewhat fearful of what they'll do. Changeling and Mage were my favorite games pre-Apocalypse. Hands down. So much so that (with the caveat that I wasn't in a gaming group at the time) I never even flipped through any of the new versions of the White Wolf line.

I did pick up that latest one where you play created creatures like golems and gargoyles, but I didn't actually buy it or read any of it. There's a full page ad in the back for the new Changeling, but it gives away nothing!

Well, I'm kind of excited. I haven't really got into the NWoD at all, but given that the OWoD Changeling pretty much got abandoned as a line, the fact that they're bringing it out at all, and the experience from the other lines in NWoD gives me some optimism that it could be really good.

Then again, it might suck.

Because the old game had a core, albeit small, following of devoted players, I hold out hope that WW will try hard to keep enough of the style/thematic elements of Changeling: the Dreaming to keep us/those players. What looks to be more likely, though, is that they are retooling Changeling to appeal squarely within the horror audience, which seems to alienate the original fans of Changeling (and for some reason, is much to the delight of people posting on the official WW boards.... why alienate another source of players/advocates/customers?).

Because it's White Wolf?

It will the "Horror" probably if the latest Fae item which I belive is Dark Ages Fae is any indication. Who knows maybe some of the Kith will be more like Changeling's. If you read up on some of them they are pretty scarey also.

I thoroughly loathed the thematic change in the NWoD version of Changeling. I will buy the new game, but I don't have high hopes.

(As for NWoD Mage; it has a better designed magic system, and a worse social structure. Actually, that's pretty much my take on the entire NWoD line....better system, worse setting.)