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As I look at the long (and growing) list of APs, Pathfinder modules, and Pathfinder Society Scenarios, I am coming to the conclusion that I may never get to all of them. The I read a post from someone who has an awesome idea for a homemade campaign and I am further saddened by the fact that if I focus on the published (excellent) material that I may never get the chance to "pathfinderize" my homemade campaign world that I have been working on and in since 2nd edition. I seldom ran published adventures or used a published setting before, but the Pathfinder/Golarion stuff makes me want to! And I haven't even gotten my group to do RotRL yet! How do we make the time to get through all the stuff we want to do, and still hold a job or go to school?
Well, you're wasting a third of your time sleeping. Put that time to better use.
When I was subscribed (Damn you economy! Damn you to hell!), I never intended to run the APs as is. I almost always used published material to mine ideas from.
Creative Director
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
Me too, I have stacks of Dungeon magazines, and even the few older AP's that I may never use, but I'm going to get every one. I just like reading them, having them, they inspire me and just the inspiration is entertainment value for me. I do things, write things, play with things and imagine things.
But maybe I'm just weird!
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
I'm right there with ya! I haven't even glanced at any of the AP material after CotCT, I'm still running RotRL, and now my to-read pile is newly boosted with PFS scenarios. I can't imagine subscribing to Game Mastery or Chronicles lines too!
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
Paizo certainly makes this strategy viable. I might actually get to all my APs as either a DM or player, but even if not I still have:
And that's not even going into the great artwork and fun adventure ideas I get flipping through any module.
But maybe I'm just weird!
You're not alone.
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
know the feeling
One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
I would say that 95% of the gaming materials I own (and boy do I have a lot) have never been used in and of themselves, but as brainfood and sources to steal ideas from.
Let me just say...most of the sourcebooks and such that I acquired over the years I've only just skimmed through or read specific bits that interested me (for D&D 2Ed, 3rd, 3.5 and many many many other systems).
But every Paizo book and module I've bought, I've read cover-to-cover...it is all just that good!
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I would say that 95% of the gaming materials I own (and boy do I have a lot) have never been used in and of themselves, but as brainfood and sources to steal ideas from.
I am sitting in the 95% not used directly, also. I have almost completed my collection of AP's, having joined right at the tail end of CotCT and slowly picked up the previous AP's. I am currently running RotR but I know that most of them I will never get to run. I have started creating my own high level variant of Second Darkness to be played as a continuation of RotR but that will be some time before it is finished. Though I have most of CotCT, all of Legacy of Fire, and will have all of Council of Thieves, I know I likely won't have the chance to DM them. I bought them just for the extras and to read. I am crazy excited about Kingmaker though, and if it meets expectations, I can all but guarantee I will run it.
Let me just say...most of the sourcebooks and such that I acquired over the years I've only just skimmed through or read specific bits that interested me (for D&D 2Ed, 3rd, 3.5 and many many many other systems).
I have purchased far too many books during the 1e/2e era, but there are some real gems in there that are easily usable today.
I'm right there with you too. I bought every Chronicle and Companion book at GenCon. I started my AP subscription with #25. Hopefully I can get through reading most of them before October hits! And so far my only regret is not getting on the bandwagon sooner so I could have gotten the pdfs for everything I bought :(
Still on RotRL and just starting Second Darkness on a different night. Have several Dungeon Mag scenerios I want to run... Many stand alone modules (Kobold King, etc)... Not to mention my own fantastic ideas and stories!
Uugghhh!! There's not enough time! Will someone please invent a time machine already?
And I feel you, CourtFool. I feel your pain. I was a Charter Subscriber... here from the beginning. But job loss and gasoline prices took away my proof of loyalty to the awesome Paizonians! (I'm still secretly hoping that when I restart my subscription I'll be able to get the title back. A pipe dream, I know. But a guy can dream can't he?)
Maps. Maps alone are often worth raiding adventures for. Hmm. If the Paizo folks actually published a list of unique maps in each adventure, that might be a big incentive. (That idea can probably go on the big Cool, Maybe Someday! heap of course. :) )
Maps and killer art! I love copying pictures out of pdfs and printing handouts, whether or not I'm using the book it came from. Maybe the GameMastery "Face" cards will eliminate some of that..
I'm a tad worried about the long term viability of the AP's as well. But as others have pointed out, there's plenty of other stuff offered in the issues besides the "adventure". Plenty of inspiration. And since we're still fleshing out this wonderful new world of Golarion, it's all must-have info for me.
And the art...holy crap, that's often worth the cover price alone. So I'm along for the ride until the end.
Well, you're wasting a third of your time sleeping. Put that time to better use.
That is where I get lucky. I haven't slept for 8 hours (non-alcohol induced) in over a decade. I typically do 4-6 hours a night and are better rested than all my co-workers.
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
Honestly this is why I am a big Paizo fan. Because I can buy stuff and even if I don't always use it, it is a good read. Paizo is one of the few companies that I feel make products like that.
One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
And I can attest that you are very successful on your crusade. I am really enjoying only reading the adventure long before running them.
One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
THIS: I am running a 4E campaign at the moment, but subscribe to the Pf range for the sheer joy of reading quality products. I read so few novels and histories now because there is such a plethora of good gaming books out there. This is exacerbated in my case because I have a PDF reader....
I will probably run a Pf campaign next, but probably not the APs. but I have brought them all just 'cos they are such a good read!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
But I'm probably not a good example to go by, since I buy adventures simply to look at and have lots that I haven't even read yet sitting on shelves at home and at work and in the trunk of my car...
+1 (I have my APs on DVD so I can read them at work)
I am already exhausted.
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I Think the APs will at some point get to the point of TOO MUCH. FOr me I have not even run 1 Yet, though I am still buying them, I don't think that will last forever.
I think a great way to solve this is to do 1 AP a year from level 1-20, 8 Adventures and 4 Supporting books for the APs. You can run the schedule something like this.
January: Support
February: AP
March: AP
April: Support
May: AP
June: AP
July: Support
August: AP
September: AP
October: Support
November: AP
December: AP
I Think the amount of people that complete the AP within 6 months is rare, I bet it is closer to a Year for the majority *No Proof*
From a purely practical perspective, I imagine Paizo will cut back when sales start dropping. As long as customers are buying product, I see no reason to produce less and every reason to produce more. Once you start to find equilibrium, then you can consider taking your foot off of the accelerator.
Not that I know jack about economics.
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CEO
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From a purely practical perspective, I imagine Paizo will cut back when sales start dropping. As long as customers are buying product, I see no reason to produce less and every reason to produce more. Once you start to find equilibrium, then you can consider taking your foot off of the accelerator.
Not that I know jack about economics.
Not bad economics for a CourtFool. :)
But you are correct, mostly. Product lines will indeed be produced until such a time as their sales make them not profitable for Paizo. Then we will have to change our business strategy or go out of business. That is the way companies get run. Consumers vote with their wallets. The good news for us is that, even though some people get burned out and drop out for a while, new folks are constantly coming in to the lines, so we have not only kept our numbers up, but they are growing.
The reason I said "mostly" above is your comment about having every reason to produce more. I took it that you meant more lines. I really think we are at our maximum output both from the point of our consumer's ability to buy it all, and our own ability to produce high quality product. I really don't see us adding any product lines and pretty much keeping to this level of product output until sales tell us to cut back or revamp our strategies. But more would be akin to publishing suicide. IMHO. :)
-Lisa
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All I can say is I love the fact that I have only read the AP's up through Legacy of Fire (I might be further ahead, except for this little book I just got called Pathfinder Core Rules). I love having a backlog, and may I say without being too indelicate that PF AP's make excellent bathroom reading. I will keep getting them until my wife makes me stop or Paizo stops printing them!
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As I look at the long (and growing) list of APs, Pathfinder modules, and Pathfinder Society Scenarios, I am coming to the conclusion that I may never get to all of them. The I read a post from someone who has an awesome idea for a homemade campaign and I am further saddened by the fact that if I focus on the published (excellent) material that I may never get the chance to "pathfinderize" my homemade campaign world that I have been working on and in since 2nd edition. I seldom ran published adventures or used a published setting before, but the Pathfinder/Golarion stuff makes me want to! And I haven't even gotten my group to do RotRL yet! How do we make the time to get through all the stuff we want to do, and still hold a job or go to school?
Do what I do. I have read just about all the AP's, All the modules, and then I do what ever DM's does.
Use the published stuff for ideas. Maps, Monsters, story arcs, magic items, etc.
i still read over old Dungoens and 1st / 2nd mods for ideas.
Its all usefull.
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One of my (many) crusades is to try to encourage and support the idea that simply and only reading an adventure for entertainment is enough to get your money's worth out of it. You don't have to run EVERYTHING.
I'd like to point out that if I didn't have things to read and take my mind off of work, I'd be crazy and probably not happily engaged right now. Honestly, the fiancé already deals with enough of me talking about Pathfinder, imagine if I didn't have an outlet for it another hour a day?
i still read over old Dungoens and 1st / 2nd mods for ideas.
Its all usefull.
Another really good point. Some of my friends are long-term DMs with a big list of adventures that they might use someday. Having the stockpile is very helpful for them.
I really think we are at our maximum output both from the point of our consumer's ability to buy it all, and our own ability to produce high quality product.
So it seems you have found homeostasis. Either that, or you (Paizo as a whole) do not wish to grow any larger despite evidence the consumer base would support more lines.
Please do not read any kind of jibe in that. There is nothing wrong with being smaller. Smaller is more focused and agile.
Things seem really good for Paizo right now. I see no reason to fix that which is not broke.
Now if you were to publish some APs for non-Fantasy genres…
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This is all great stuff, but I wasn't really looking to debate the economic of large vs. small scale publishing or whether or not the APs should stop or slow down production. Maybe I was hoping someone knew of a way to clone our groups and/or ourselves (maybe I could play and GM)so that we could have enough time to play all the excellent stuff that is already out there, keep up with new stuff being published, and return to a beloved and long suffering campaign world that I spent years working on, through several groups, editions, and failed cartography attempts.
Well, you're wasting a third of your time sleeping. Put that time to better use.That is where I get lucky. I haven't slept for 8 hours (non-alcohol induced) in over a decade. I typically do 4-6 hours a night and are better rested than all my co-workers.
Because they joined my WAR ON SLEEP!
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This is all great stuff, but I wasn't really looking to debate the economic of large vs. small scale publishing or whether or not the APs should stop or slow down production. Maybe I was hoping someone knew of a way to clone our groups and/or ourselves (maybe I could play and GM)so that we could have enough time to play all the excellent stuff that is already out there, keep up with new stuff being published, and return to a beloved and long suffering campaign world that I spent years working on, through several groups, editions, and failed cartography attempts.
Cloning always goes terribly, terribly wrong. You may want to consider time travel instead. Of course, that has its own drawbacks.
I understand exactly what you are saying. Fortunately, all of the Pathfinder books have been engaging reads, so I feel like I get my money's worth.
Cloning always goes terribly, terribly wrong.
I have found that cloning always goes terribly, terribly right. Which is what I want.
You may want to consider time travel instead.
Sure, go ahead! Become your own grandfather. You'll end up owing yourself a fortune in birthday and Christmas presents.
What about Naruto style clones... split it into multiple selves read/run/game to your hearts content... and then recombine to gather all that gaming goodness under one brainpan!
Brilliant!
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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What about Naruto style clones... split it into multiple selves read/run/game to your hearts content... and then recombine to gather all that gaming goodness under one brainpan!
Brilliant!
Madrox the Multiple Man had that schtick down before Naruto was in diapers. :)