Maybe it is just me, but besides one event that took place a couple of years ago I have been unable to do -anything- what so ever to affect the gameworld.
I mean really, it has even gone to the point where even if I don't do something things will happen anyway. So now playing is more like getting told, oh you know this thing will happen in the future, you don't have to do anything it will happen no matter what.
What would help so much is what has already been mentioned before - decouple NWN and the MMO. Let someone else (or someones else, to avoid overload) handle NWN operations and a slightly divergent lore here while Ed handles the official lore for the MMO. Even if DMs couldn't make huge calls on their own, having someone ready for questions just for NWN would speed up the turn-around, at least, so people wouldn't wait ages for answers. It would at least feel like we were able to get something done in our plans for making impact on the world.
And I think that's where a lot of the problem comes from today - established lore and the bottleneck for answers. With established lore now, and all the work that has gone into writing it to establish a foundation for the MMO, more and more things aren't allowed to change. DMs are afraid to make calls because they may overstep some line and have to go back and correct (retcon) their quests, and that doesn't make anyone happy in the end. So more and more of everything gets shoveled to Ed for answers, and that just makes a bigger and bigger backlog that makes things feel even worse.
I actually feel bad for up-and-coming characters because it seems like they will never have the opportunities to do something as big as Jennara did.
During Jennara's work for Rohden, I had contact all the time. If a week went by without an answer, something was very wrong. Now we have fewer players and longer waits. That is broken.
Months is too long.
I'm really trying not to be negative because I really do love this world, but you've just helped make my point. So much goes by you, Ed, that it just comes and goes to be forgotten. That's not working. Someone else needs to take charge of a lot of it.
I don't think I was being unfair. If you say, essentially, "Something's on the way; keep an eye out;" why is it my (or anyone else's) responsibility to remind you? If there is too much to do and remember, share some responsibility. No one will think less of you.
And that link is not what I have been waiting seven months to hear about, though I have heard that isn't necessarily a blockage on your part. It does involve a lack of time and focus on NWN, though.
... they would not have nearly the same insight into the way they intend Layo to develop, nor the extensive knowledge of the universe. They have been here from the beginning and most of anyone else, would simply be short sighted in their interpretation. They also know how they wish this world we have to meld with the new world coming.