DM Jeff's page

I ran screaming to Pathfinder to recapture the feel of what DnD is to me. I'm entrenched in it thanks to the fantastic Paizo staff and that's not going to change, but it will be nice to also support a healthy DnD as well again.

I wish them well.

I really didn't think they could deliver on making it like all D&D editions, but I see people in this thread identifying bits of AD&D, 3e, and 4e. And I think it's got quite a few things from the RUles Cyclopedia, so there's some BD&D in there too. Kudos on that WotC.

I've debated going back to an older edition myself. But I realized it won't help - the majority of the problem isn't what edition of the rules you are using, or what materials you are using in a particular edition, its a problem with the players themselves.

Its the players not respecting the DM, not the system disrespecting the DM.
Its the players debating rules, not the system debating the rules.

Fix the players, fix the problem.

.

Star Wars

Lack of spare time and imagination + laziness = premade modules and APs are cool.

Firefly (2002)

No, please.

Renting information is a stinky concept. I don't do that. If they want my money, they need to release products I want, not expect me to keep paying every month for content they may add. And character builder, monster builder? If those processes are so complex I need computers to do them, count me out. If the books are so heavily errataed that they aren't usable in themselves anymore, count me out.

Yeah, I am conservative about these things. They had a big idea during design of 4th, namely that it should be financed through monthly fees. What should people pay (WoW style) every month for? Uhhhh, well, maybe we could make the magazines subscription only?

Blah.

I didn't

I won't

It's not worth it to me.

Use online services for online products (character builders and such). Don't make me rent information.

May all the great RPG games be successful, and may all the junk games fade into oblivion.

Alright Guys and Girls, we all have our views and a lot of them are polarised.

However can we all agree on one thing -

Pazio , TSR (and then WOTC), GDW, Chaosium, SJG, etc. etc. - have all helped create this hobby, our hobby. Some have fallen into the darkness, but their memories remain.

They have given us wonderful adventures, great memories and hopefully new friends.

And for that I will be always thankful.

4th brought new members into our world, some stayed some left, (and they may even have moved on to Pathfinder).

I hope 5th does well. I hope that all the other RPG companies do well, (roll on Pazio’s 50th birthday!)

We need them all , for the future and for the gamers that will come after us, and may they continue to have as much fun.

So yes have your views and keep them civil, and if someone plays a game from another company, well just be glad that he/she is a fellow gamer, (and ask them to take part in your next Pathfinder game!).

The Adventure Path product is one of our flagship lines. What does that mean? Among other things... it means that it makes us a HECK of a lot of money. Furthermore, it's the reason why Paizo exists today as a game company at all and not just, say, a game-focused web store. When we lost the license for Dragon and Dungeon, it was pretty much the success (and subscription and sales income) of Pathfinder that kept things afloat long enough for us to not only get Golarion off the ground... but to get the Pathfinder RPG off the ground. Furhtermore... back when we started Shackled City, Dungeon magazine was in dire condition—it was hemorrhaging subscribers and we were trying all sorts of things to get folks to keep subscribing and to even BUILD the subscriptions. Folks will doubtless remember numerous "stunts" we pulled with Dungeon back around issues 92–100—some of the bigger ones included bundling Polyhedron with the magazine, putting "subscriber only" content into the magazine, and going monthly with the magazine. Starting a series of linked adventures was one of those "stunts."

I've probably worked on Adventure Paths longer than anyone else in the industry today—I was brought on by Chris early on to write the second installment of Shackled City, and by the time the third installment was being published I'd been hired as an assistant editor for Dungeon. I've been working on Adventure Paths ever since, and during that time I've seen them work magic. They're the reason Dungeon not only kept going, but saw a dramatic INCREASE in subscription numbers. They win awards. And as mentioned above, they're the reason Paizo exists today.

During the last 10 years or so of Adventure Paths, we have indeed listened to feedback and tried new things with them. With each AP, I like to think we get a little closer to perfection... but I also believe that the "perfect" AP is a moving target you can never quite reach. So we DO keep making changes to the format... but those changes are, nowadays, relatively small. Things like adding an NPC index and magic item appendix like we did with Jade Regent.

And the idea that we don't take risks or try out strange adventures in an AP is, frankly, ridiculous. We've published adventures where the heroes have to star in a play, where they have to take part in a trial, where they wash ashore on a hostile island with very few resources, where they have to disguise themselves as drow and invade an evil society, where they get to use wishes over and over and over, where they lead armies, where the villains were deep into the "vile darkness territory," and where they need to build and run their own kingdoms. And we'll keep testing boundaries and limits with the APs. Coming up we've got things like naval battles, adventures that start the PCs out with NO equipment, true sequals to previous APs, and plenty more "risks and innovations" planned for the future for APs that I'm not yet at liberty to speak about.

Honestly, if I had to pick one thing that WON'T be going away from Paizo's book lines, that would be the Adventure Path line. As long as Paizo's around, our Adventure Paths will be around.

And to speak directly to the recent announcement from WotC... I personally think it would be the HEIGHT of foolishness for us to abandon the product line that's kept us afloat, helped define the company, and remains the flagship line at any time... but especially as a knee-jerk reaction to ANY announcement from ANY company.

I'm always eager to hear suggestions on how to change or add to or enhance the AP (with the caveat that I've seen a LOT of things tried with them over the past decade, and many suggestions aren't as viable as some folks think they might be)... but ending the line? Not gonna happen.

I, Alexander Kilcoyne, solemnly pledge to pretty much ignore this sub-forum and continue to live and let live, letting PF, 4E and 5E players enjoy their game without telling them they are having fun wrong.

I would like to see a lot of the ideas they put into Star Wars SAGA edition. I was very excited about 4e after grabbing SAGA. Nice half-way house between 3e and 4e - would have rocked :(

You know what, I don't think any good can come of discussing this on our site. Really rather not have the schadenfreude, snark, point-and-laugh, misinformed speculation, snide comments, veiled insults, flags or the rest of it. If you want to talk about this, do it somewhere else.