Medriev's page

Whilst the news there is a portal is welcome (if announced in a somewhat obscure way) the fact that subscription PFS downloads that people have paid for are still not being added to accounts automatically despite this problem existing for several months is worrying to say the least.

I cancelled my Paizo subscriptions in the autumn due to issues with severely delayed shipping but have now re-subscribed to just about everything. I am now already worried that this was a mistake. The PFS issue is one thing but I am also concerned at the wider CS backlog and the fact that there is no post announcing the scheduling for March releases.

I remain hopeful that things are ok but they don't look good right now.

It looks like I can order the November books I want in the UK and have them shipped on the 28th for free with a 1-2 day delivery window. They are also cheaper than on the Paizo site so this has become a no-brainer for me. I'm not abandoning Pathfinder but subscription is no longer worth the money.

FWIW am still in the same boat as others (awaiting shipping on release day) and reconsidering whether subscribing is the right option. I'm also an international customer so the early access to PDFs is a big benefit of subscribing as physical books take up to a month (and sometimes more) to arrive and shipping costs are high.

I have made the same points to customer service as others have made here ie. communication has been poor this month and some of the key benefits of subscribing for me are not being delivered upon.

I do think that subscribers deserve something a bit better given the predictable income we deliver to the company but I've been saying that for some time and usually get shot down when I do say it so won't go any further here.

Best of luck everyone. Hope PDFs (at least) arrive soon for those still waiting.

Coming to this discussion somewhat late and, for reasons I'll explain a bit more below always a bit nervous of posting these days.

That said, on UK / European subscriptions, I am in the UK and have been a subscriber on and off (mostly on) since Dragon and Dungeon days. I could count on one hand the shipping issues I've had in those two decades and the free PDF (which I would buy anyway even if I got physical books elsewhere) pretty much offsets shipping costs. The Large South American River Company can rarely get Paizo products to me as quickly as Paizo can so even when I cancel my subs to see if the other option is better it never is.

On the forums, I have experienced harassment and made Paizo seniors (all the way to the top of the company) aware of the individuals involved but nothing was ever tackled. This is disappointing and frankly has put me off engaging with the community even in the limited way I have time to do so I post rarely now. And yet, here I am (mostly just lurking and reading), because they do produce games I love and I am keen to continue to support them and occasionally throw in my views when I feel comfortable doing that.

Want to add this subscription but have everything up to Impossible lands. Any chance it could be updated to offer Firebrands as the starting book please?

Thanks

Any news on UK fulfilment? Last from Paizo was two weeks ago and we don't seem to be any further forward.

Could we get an update on this please? Announcement above is two weeks old now and we seem to be no further forward on UK fulfilment.

Medriev wrote:

Thanks for the feedback on how I share my opinion. Feedback is important and always useful. No doubt you'll extend the same courtesy to others in the thread including the sarcastic post I was responding to. Thanks again

All you're doing now is arguing with people. You're not the only person who hasn't gotten their shipping notice.

So I thank someone for their feedback and get criticised for that too? You really can't win around here can you.

Your opinion is quite valid. The way you share it needs some work. I'm pissed that it isn't a 1e love fest, but I will take my 1e book and pretend the 2e parts are a misprint. We are all a bit upset about something and as long as we are all equally frustrated, I can live with the imperfections in both product and process.

Thanks for the feedback on how I share my opinion. Feedback is important and always useful. No doubt you'll extend the same courtesy to others in the thread including the sarcastic post I was responding to. Thanks again

Medriev wrote:

I spent hard earned money backing this project

So did every other backer

Medriev wrote:

there are always people who pile in to tell them why their opinion isn't valid.

No, there's people rebutting your opinion.

Why should you be allowed to post unopposed? That's basically your complaint here.

People disagreeing with you isn't automatically a personal attack against you.

My complaint is not that I should post without people replying or debating the points I am making and it's disingenuous to suggest that. Your use of the word unopposed is interesting as it suggests the need to "oppose" my personal views about the service I am receiving for money I paid out. That's probably where the problem lies. This isn't a confrontation with the community, I am simply trying to find answers to something that Paizo is conspicuously silent on.

I am happy to have a constructive debate but people don't engage with the content of posts that complain, but instead just offer explanations of why I shouldn't feel how I feel or indeed share it here (which I only did reluctantly due to a lack of communication from Paizo). This is why I stopped engaging with this "community" last year (and flagged a number of posts that amounted to bullying to Paizo that they did absolutely nothing about) and why I already regret engaging with it again now.

There is debate and then there is essentially telling someone their opinion is irrelevant which is what generally happens here. Once again, I wonder why I bother trying to raise things here.

In case any other UK backers are interested, I've had this from Spiral Galaxy Games (Paizo's UK fulfillment partner):

"Kingmaker is onboarding right now with all data and stock still arriving on site. Its been a little slow on information this one so we didn't want to post up until we were certain everything was in place. That said I expect this to be moving in the near future."

Obviously, would have been nice to get this update from Paizo given than it confirms that shipping is not yet underway for UK backers but an update is an update.

My bud, when the shipping date was pushed to September back earlier this year, there was an uproar from people, despite it being communicated over six months in advance. If they changed the target date again at the last minute you don't think there would have been more of an uproar? How very optimistic of you.

Thanks. Would be grateful if you could dial back the sarcasm if you don't mind.

I spent hard earned money backing this project and I'm entitled to offer an opinion after waiting patiently for three years and more about how distribution should have been handled. I rarely frequent these boards any more because if anyone raises a word of dissent there are always people who pile in to tell them why their opinion isn't valid. This "community" needs to do better and be more respectful of those who are not happy with the service they are getting.

I was basically bullied out of this "community" a year or so ago for raising issues about bad customer service. It won't happen again.

And I'll wait patiently for those who inevitably pile in and tell me that "this is the internet" and I should live with it.

Okay but it they did that, you'd have just as many backers complaining about yet another delay to their products that, as you pointed out, they've been waiting for three years for. It's a no-win situation, and considering Paizo is based in the US, of course, that's who gets prioritized. You might not think it's fair, but it is what it is.

Not if they managed expectations on shipping dates and only sent shipping confirmations to US backers once they knew they were going to ship to RoW backers as well at the same time. The publicised shipping window is September and so if Paizo set a date later in the month and honoured it for everyone then no one would be complaining. The issue seems to be that they have begun shipping for US customers before international partners are ready. Setting a realistic timeline that works for everyone seems like fairly basic project management and customer relationship management to me.

And I would add that it is demonstrably unfair, not just something I think, but appreciate I'm in a minority as complaining about Paizo isn't popular here (as I've found out before) so guess I'll shut up and go back to waiting.

Medriev wrote:

Must say that it's disappointing that Paizo shipping for US customers doesn't seem to have been synchronised with overseas partners. Can't see why Paizo should be "asking for updates" from partners when US customers seem to be receiving physical books already. Given they are shipping from partners fairly local to international customers, someone should have coordinated so that backers all receive physical products at about the same time (or at least they ship at the same time). Think it's a public holiday in the US today so don't expect any updates until tomorrow but we really should be told when the products we've paid for are shipping.

Pretty much every crowdfunded campaign I have been backed or followed that has or is shipping products in the last couple of years has abandoned any attempt to coordinate shipments internationally. The current state of shipping is too unpredictable to allow for it. The once or twice it was suggested, most backers told creators not to even try.

As someone stuck in Australia, where I will likely be one of the last to receive physical goods, I choose to savor what other share when they receive theirs. I live vicariously through their joy.

Thanks. Appreciate the insights on other campaigns.

Doesn't really seem too tricky to me, though, in that you wait until all your fulfillment partners have confirmed they have all the products they need to ship and then agree with them when you will all commence shipping. Any other solution prioritises the continental US which is hardly fair to backers elsewhere whose money is just as good as everyone else's. I don't think a level playing field is too much to ask for, given the significant amount of my money Paizo has had for more than 3 years, nor is it frankly too difficult to achieve.

Must say that it's disappointing that Paizo shipping for US customers doesn't seem to have been synchronised with overseas partners. Can't see why Paizo should be "asking for updates" from partners when US customers seem to be receiving physical books already. Given they are shipping from partners fairly local to international customers, someone should have coordinated so that backers all receive physical products at about the same time (or at least they ship at the same time). Think it's a public holiday in the US today so don't expect any updates until tomorrow but we really should be told when the products we've paid for are shipping.

Have you checked your spam? The email did not come from the standard Paizo email, but from news@email.paizo.com

Yep. Checked all folders.

Customer service have now sorted super quickly and it does include all PDFs and not just those in my order so pleased with that.

Jeff, thank you for listening, and thank you for prioritizing this message to come before the long awaited playtests. That's an act of good faith that I appreciate. I also appreciate you taking the time to address specific allegations in a way that gives a clear path forward and clear actions. This is the statement I think many of us were hoping for last week, and I'm happy we're getting it now.

Agree entirely with Cori Marie on this. Pleased this statement has been prioritised on the Monday morning after a hectic Gen Con weekend and above the Playtest announcement. Also agree that this is the statement I (and many others) had hoped to see last week. Definitely a positive step here setting out some concrete actions.

Jester David sums up my thoughts on the reddit poster pretty much perfectly.

Agreed. Too neat to be a genuine whistleblower and says more or less nothing other than keep buying our stuff.

But I mean, given your personal feelings here, would a bland corporate dismissal satisfy you?

It wouldn't at this point. The time for bland corporate denials is some hours past, particularly on the eve of the showcase gaming convention of the year. I am also not optimistic we will get a clarification from Paizo on any of this soon but, as others have noted above, we have only heard one side of the story so before I made my own personal decision on subscriptions I wanted to give the company all the opportunities I could to respond to what are pretty devastating accusations.

In case relevant / of interest, the first post I put on this thread talking about cancelling was purely a reaction to Sara Marie and Diego losing their jobs. I had not, at that point, read the Price thread. Firing good people is reason enough for me to cancel unless Paizo can explain that. The other accusations (if true) not only make me feel terrible for the people who had to suffer this terrible treatment but also make me feel duped by a company I have been loyal to for two decades. A company that pretends to be ethical and isn't is, in my eyes, probably worse than one that doesn't even bother to pretend.

Medriev wrote:

The deafening silence from Paizo seems pretty telling to me. I've tweeted the company, Erik Mona and Jason Bulmahn (Jeff Alvarez is not on Twitter) seeking clarification. I'll give them until tomorrow to offer some explanation and if it's not forthcoming I'll be cancelling.

And incidentally, this is not a decision I make lightly. I have been a subscriber since Dungeon and Dragon days but I will not support them any longer unless they can offer some sort of plausible explanation for both what has happened in the CS Team and the accusations made in the Price thread.

I hate to say this, but even if Jessica made up 100% of her allegations and there was definite proof of it, you still wouldn't be seeing an individual response from Jason or Erik. This sort of thing is much too sticky to not go through PR and probably an attorney.

I may be incorrect, it's true, but to my eyes you set an impossible ultimatum.

Maybe, maybe not. But given this is now 24 hours plus old and there isn't even a bland "nothing to see here" denial on this site is pretty telling to me. If everything is false then I'd expect a quick denial. Delay suggests, as you say, lawyers getting involved and some sort of PR response being crafted. That leads me to believe that not everything is 100% untrue.

Mergy wrote:

Don't worry, you've made it crystal clear that if something doesn't affect you personally, you prefer to not give thought or energy to the issue.

If it makes you feel better to be so utterly impotent in life that you have to engage in hashtag activism on a corporate message board, then I'm happy to be the strawman you need. It costs me nothing to be the object of your ire.

Meanwhile, I got what I wanted. I have a shelf full of books, and they don't disappear out of my hands just because you guys cancelled Paizo.

An interesting stance from someone who was suggesting they might cancel a week ago due to increased shipping costs but as I said above, each to their own.

If shipping costs and not the ethical treatment of staff is the hill you want to die on then you do you.

I'm not going anywhere. When the last Starfinder book is released, I'll be the last box they send out.

Maybe it's because I have a family and my own life, so I'm not here to get immersed in corporate drama (I have my own office job, why would I want to get involved in company gossip when I'm not even getting paid for it?).

I thought Sara was a hard worker, and working under the circumstances of the past year and a half would be hard for anyone in her position. At the same time if Paizo doesn't ship its stuff, it dies. I don't think the PDF's keep the lights on around here (because piracy, thanks "loyal" customers). I don't envy anybody who has to make decisions in that kind of environment.

But I don't know what's going on and the only people talking are ex-employees with an axe to grind and a SUPER ex employee who acts like the crazy ex-girlfriend from Hell when it comes to every job she's ever held.

All I want is my books & PDF.

Of course everyone should make their own decisions but FWIW I have a family and my own life so please don't assume that people posting things about this issue don't. Thanks

The deafening silence from Paizo seems pretty telling to me. I've tweeted the company, Erik Mona and Jason Bulmahn (Jeff Alvarez is not on Twitter) seeking clarification. I'll give them until tomorrow to offer some explanation and if it's not forthcoming I'll be cancelling.

And incidentally, this is not a decision I make lightly. I have been a subscriber since Dungeon and Dragon days but I will not support them any longer unless they can offer some sort of plausible explanation for both what has happened in the CS Team and the accusations made in the Price thread.

Saw Sara Marie's tweet yesterday and was gutted. Always been excellent in CS and super visible and present on these forums even when she's had to deliver difficult messages.

Found out from here that Diego has gone as well which is also a blow. He has also been outstanding.

Whilst the line from Paizo will probably be that it is an internal matter that they won't discuss publicly, I would certainly like to have some clarity about what has happened here. One of the reasons I have subscribed to Paizo products for so many years is that the company has always seemed to be morally and ethically centred and an organisation that places the wellbeing and good treatment of its people at the heart of everything they do. I am now wondering whether that continues to be the case and as a result I am thinking about whether continuing my subscriptions is the right thing to do. I will not patronise companies that are not ethically sound, particularly companies that mislead as to their ethical position.

I would welcome clarification from someone senior in Paizo as to what has happened here as soon as possible.

And of course, I wish Sara Marie and Diego every success for the future. I am sure they will thrive in whatever they do.

Just got my pdf. Holy crap it's worth it just for the art, but I didnt expect this level of flavor for pretty much every race that comes into play.

Only skimmed so far but agree with this. The art is amazing as is the flavour for the races. From what I've seen this book is outstanding. A real masterpiece

So, delays are always disappointing but none of this is Paizo's fault and I'm taking a couple of massive positives from this.

Firstly, Galaxy Exploration Guide is coming early so I get something in May.

And secondly, June's shipment for me will have five AP volumes in it (including the whole Fists of the Ruby Pheonix AP!) and Malevolence and the Mwangi Expanse book. I am going to enjoy that when it arrives.

Keep powering through this Paizo. Looking forward to my next two shipments whenever they land.

Hm. I wonder what percent, historically, of subscribers' orders have been shipped after the street date. Ten? One? One tenth? I suspect it's closer to the last than the first. At some point as the percentage gets larger I would think that keeping the customers happy overrides concern about people gaming the system to get free pdfs and then cancelling their orders. Still, that's up to Paizo, both as to where the line is, and as to whether there's a line at all.

It's happened to me three or four times in the last two years and seems to be an issue that is becoming more common pre-Covid. I love this company and want to keep throwing my money at them to keep producing awesome stuff but I need it to make economic sense to me too. Just allow subscribers access to PDFs on street date at the very latest (and charge my card for my order if that's what's needed).

Grace needs to extend both ways. I appreciate the work that CS and the Warehouse are doing but there should be something, in this case, to get pdf's a bit earlier to subscribers.

Grace builds upon and perfects nature :)

I agree with this. The benefits of subscribing for me are finely balanced given how much I end up paying in shipping to get books sent to the UK. My hard copies are now taking 6 weeks minimum to arrive so the benefits of subscribing are massively diminished if I could just buy the hard copy books separately from UK online retailers and the PDFs from Paizo and get everything earlier than if I had subscribed. Not added up whether the cost works out yet but pretty sure the figures are close.

We should get access to PDFs on street date or we are essentially providing Paizo with a guaranteed income stream for no actual benefit to ourselves.

Superb. No other words.

I wouldn't hold anything against them if they delay this product.

I wouldn't hold it against them either but I do trust Paizo and the authors they employ to deliver a sensitive product that takes account of real world issues as best it can in a fictional fantasy setting. I would also have serious concerns about the financial impact on the company of cancelling / postponing six months of the flagship line so early in the 2E product cycle and in what are already challenging economic times.

I hope this AP is successful and that, where there are issues, they can be addressed by GMs at their tables.

As a UK resident who (shamefully) knew nothing of Juneteenth until a couple of weeks ago, this blog is great to see. Many thanks for educating me further and, as Mark has said, happy Juneteenth to all who celebrate it.

Sad news but certainly the right decision in the circumstances. Hope you all stay safe in these difficult days.

Just to add I would be more than happy to be charged for subscription orders in usual time frames and wait for shipment when the warehouse is back up and running. Appreciate Erik's post earlier that this is a decision for later but just wanted to put that out here.

This also seems like the right time to round out my PFS Scenario collection. Think I'm missing a couple of seasons.