No book is perfect, they all will have their flaws but this raises the bar to a whole new level. It's like they have been listening to every complaint and complement players have made around the gaming tables about 3.5 and put forth a fix. That and make it backward compatible and you have one sure fire must have game system. They pump up the races and classes to hold their own against the ones in complete and race books by WOTC. Give everything a little more flexibility so you can push toward that character sweet spot without leaving thew core books. The only bad thing is Paizo will have to keep up with itself. After all who can compete with them in quality of material? Not WOTC that's for sure.

I downloaded this some time ago, but I've recently had the opportunity to actually playtest the rules, and I remain thoroughly pleased. The races and classes are more balanced, I love what they've done with Domain powers, have no complaints about the skill streamlining, and thus far, don't see any major compatibility issues with 3.5 products. 1st level characters are more powerful than they were in 3.5, but that isn't a huge compatibility issue. The group I'm in is playing a 3.5 adventure with the Pathfinder rules, and it seems like only minor tweaks are needed.

I can't wait for the Beta.

I don't understand why some people aren't liking this. This fixes so many of the problems in 3.5, and it's still an alpha! Imagining what even the Beta will be like makes my teeth tingle. I'd better not try and imagine the full version, because at this point my head might explode. I tried to give 4e a chance, hell, I must have given it 8, but I just can't live with how many things are wrong with it (won't go into that here). Love, love, LOVE what you guys have done here, and hopefully my gaming group will be adopting this VERY soon.

THANK YOU PAIZO

To me this is the "real" D&D 4th edition. By the official 4th edition I am already annoyed with the excerpts.
Pathfinder adds and expands instead of going retro. Where WoC does go back to 1st edition xp systems and try to avoid compatability with the 3.5 by random changes to the system, Pathfinder does work with the old flair and just streamlines in some parts while not cutting anything out.

WoC will surely lose customers but now these customers have a place to turn to.

Having just recently come out from under a rock [I have been playing ADnD for over 20 years now], only last year finding out about 3.5, and have now checked out 4th. Paizo's take on the 3.5 ruleset has the flavor of DnD that my group and I are looking for. Terrible job, guys and gals at Paizo. I can't wait to see the beta and the hard cover final of the Pathfinder system.

On rpg.net:

PATHFINDER RPG ALPHA RELEASE 3

Striving to be the 3.x heir in the wake of Dungeons & Dragons 4E, the third alpha release of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game still looks more like a collection of houserules than a coalescing ruleset.

I like the rules changes and think that it's more balanced, but not completely so. It still needs some more work, and it's good that Paizo is allowing fans to give feedback before the final release rather than just releasing a new ruleset every year or two. Although people complain about characters being too powerful, it appears that they level up more slowly due to the different xp per level table. I like it and hope it improves even more before the final.

I'll make this simple. I SO looked forward to 4e. It is SUCH a disappointment. We've extensively play tested it.. it's terribly broken. Thank you Paizo. Your product is almost everything that I hoped 4E would be. Thank you for restoring my hope for a bright RPG future! Your alpha has me so excited, I just can't wait to see it in the final hardbook version! After thirty years of play, I must sadly leave DnD.. Pathfinder is like a lifeline.. Thanks again!

Hats off to Paizo for having guts to pick up the 3ed where WotC abandoned it. The changes look good so far, and it seems that the design team correctly identified the major issues with 3ed mechanics.

The open playtest idea is excellent, for the first time in D&D history the players have a real chance to influence the game design and let the designers know what the problems are.

There is still a lot to do, I'm eagerly awaiting revised combat rules and hoping for a lot of improvement in speeding up the game and making it easier to learn WHILE at same time maintaining backwards compatibility.

I'm not giving out 5 stars yet, because that will come when the full game arrives, hopefully being what Rules Compendium from WotC isn't - a comprehensive, all-in-one resource of rules for my favourite game system.

Oh, and why there is no pink sidebar on the cover, with bright green letters exclaiming "NOW WITH ADDED MONTE !!!" ? :)

Arbitrary rules changes? Check.

Annoying new skill system? Check.

Overpowering character classes? Check.

So far, I am not impressed by Pathfinder's attempt at a new edition. THIS IS _NOT_ D&D. Alpha still possesses many of the flaws 3.5 had internalized and refused to let go. Melee classes are still total crap, especially the barbarian, with a 'point system' for their powers, and the paladin, who barely got changed into something playable.

Paizo's new edition has been a disappointment to me, although there is still hope in the future with beta, I would bet that Pathfinder is on a collision course with failure.