The problem with the new Forgotten Realms, from a design standpoint, is that they should have made a new campaign setting, rather than upset the Realms so badly that they ended up alienating (probably more than) 50% of Realms fans.
A spellplague may be an interesting idea, but the FR is an old setting with a thousand stories set in it. Turning it upside down like that was about as clever as introducing the Sith Empire in Middle-Earth would be.
The 1000 Gods may have caused some "bloating", but when it's kind of the selling point of your setting, you shouldn't change it overnight.
And of course, the changes are so drastic, that it's not easy to love them all. I appreciated a few and hated others.
And then they did things like calling high elves "eladrin" and similar "design choices" that I am not sure anyone can like. I cringe a lot reading the Forggoten Realms wiki these days.
Back to lurking for me (ETA on the new computer: 2-3 weeks :roll: )