D&D Idea - Wartorn

I'm certain that someone else has had this idea and run campaigns in it, but I think it would be interesting to play in a world that lost its climatic, end-of-the-world battle. Final Fantasy VI has that as a major plot point--the heroes battle the big bad and lose, picking up the pieces and saving the world on a second try. In a D&D variation, the primary "good" races are the ones living in isolated regions while orcs, goblins, and dragons dominate the world.

More than just reversing the roles of the races, this could lead to some completely different types of societies and social dynamics. It could be run from a hopeful angle as humans, elves, and dwarves band together to try and reclaim the world one piece at a time. It could also be quite dark as the "good" races are trying to survive in a nightmarish world.

I started a campaign like this a very long time ago in a world where the waters were poisonous and the land toxic. I believe the story started with a village's purifying crystals being stolen from them and their land beginning to die out. However, I found it a bit too depressing to be a place that I would want to spend hours imagining.

Still, it would be an interesting twist and would certainly give the characters a greater sense of purpose as they slowly saved the world.