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So although this has been talked about over and over, I really think that Paizo/The Society would benefit from having a subscription plan for us regular GM's and coordinators (the non-VL/VC ones).
1) For those coordinators, we will get the modules just like everyone else, and it would still be charged to our cards like all of the other subscriptions and put intno our downloads section just like all the other subscriptions.
2) The Society (Paizo) Would get their money for the season upfront. And if a person decided to cancel their subscription they could get a pro-rated amount back for the ones they didn't pay for. Or, if we do it like regular paizo subscriptions, we would only get charged when it drops into our box and we can opt out at any time.
3) It would be eaiser than for me having to wait until the end of the month (or in some cases the begining of the next one) to purchase the module. Subscribers would just get the notice that it's now available instead of waiting and having to check back 20 times to find out that it's been pushed back or whatever other printing hold-up may be.
4) TBH--VL/VC's get them for free on the day it's released (sometimes earlier from what I have heard). If we pay for the subscription, we can get the same time they do without having to come back to the site and sit and wait until it's finally available for purchase. Efficency all around!
5) We're always current as GM's :) That's always for the win right?
This is just my two cents. Take it as you will, imput always welcome so long as it's respectful. Thanks!
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VL/VC's get them for free on the day it's released (sometimes earlier from what I have heard).
I don't object to the subscription, but we don't get scenarios early. Since it is strictly a PDF, the schedule is such that the final version is not uploaded and made available until the actual release date. We get a notice in advance when the placeholder is created, but there is nothing there to download. Most of the time, scenarios are still making artwork/development passes right up to their release.
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VL/VC's get them for free on the day it's released (sometimes earlier from what I have heard).I don't object to the subscription, but we don't get scenarios early. Since it is strictly a PDF, the schedule is such that the final version is not uploaded and made available until the actual release date. We get a notice in advance when the placeholder is created, but there is nothing there to download. Most of the time, scenarios are still making artwork/development passes right up to their release.
I stand corrected then, as I am no Venture anything, it is just what I have heard. Which makes sense sense all Venture's are awesome. Especially in the Bay Area! (No I am not sucking up. BAPS VC's and VL's are crazy awesome in the good ways.)
Director of Brand Strategy
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x2 on a subscription plan for scenarios!
I'm buying 4+ scenarios a month. It'd be nice to get those scenarios for $3.39 a piece instead of the $3.99 list price.
Not too much to ask.
We already make next to no profit on these scenarios at their price point. They aren't intended to be big moneymakers anyway, as part of our organized play program. What they can't be, however, are products on which we lose money. And frankly, cutting the price would put us at risk of doing that. If you want to get Pathfinder Society PDFs at a discount, I suggest you subscribe to our Adventure Path line, as doing so will give you a 15% discount on everything you buy from paizo.com from then on (with a few exceptions as detailed in the Pathfinder Advantage fine print).
But as we've said before, there are currently no plans to introduce PDF-only subscriptions to paizo.com, which precludes Pathfinder Society subscriptions.
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Thanks for the response and yes, I see the nudge suggesting I join the Adventure Path Line every time I purchase a scenario from Paizo.
The $2.40 that I would save every month obviously isn't that big of a deal. I can abstain from buying a bagel once a month recoup my costs.
I also understand organized play isn't making huge profit off the GMs. I guess my hand in selling numerous core rule books and supplements to the players gave me an inflated sense of entitlement. I should not have added the "its not too much to ask" to my OP.
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If the cost of the scenario PDF is a significant chunk of your monthly outlay at Paizo, you could always try and find some way of passing the cost on to the players.
You'd probably have to give them something in return (apart from all the time you spend preparing the module and actually running it for them - that is, sadly, just taken for granted). How about letting players vote on which scenarios they'd like you to schedule next, but ask them for $1 per vote so you can actually buy a scenario if enough players ask for it?
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I can see the convenience of a Pathfinder Society Scenario subscription. It'd be really nice to just have them all already in my downloads every month. While I surely understand, "We don't want to do it that way, even at the same price," I'm finding it difficult to answer the question of why it would be detrimental.
Though... I honestly didn't know that about the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription! Heehee! Adventure Path Subscriber Discount Bonus +15, does not stack with other other Discount Bonuses.
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Chief Technical Officer
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I can see the convenience of a Pathfinder Society Scenario subscription. It'd be really nice to just have them all already in my downloads every month. While I surely understand, "We don't want to do it that way, even at the same price," I'm finding it difficult to answer the question of why it would be detrimental.
We have nothing in our order pipeline code that works that way. Our programmers would need to write a bunch of new code to do it, and any new code that involves the order pipeline has to be handled with extra rigorous planning and testing. And, of course, while they're doing that, there are other projects that they're not doing, and those may have higher potential value. Finally, any subscription offering increases the customer service workload a little, and we have to weigh that in, too.
Keep in mind that in the end, you'll still need to come to the site to download it, so the only thing you're really saving is the few extra clicks it takes you to check out with the product before you download it. We do appreciate the desire for that added convenience, but right now, it's kind of hard to justify the effort it would take to offer that convenience.
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I can see the convenience of a Pathfinder Society Scenario subscription. It'd be really nice to just have them all already in my downloads every month. While I surely understand, "We don't want to do it that way, even at the same price," I'm finding it difficult to answer the question of why it would be detrimental.We have nothing in our order pipeline code that works that way. Our programmers would need to write a bunch of new code to do it, and any new code that involves the order pipeline has to be handled with extra rigorous planning and testing. And, of course, while they're doing that, there are other projects that they're not doing, and those may have higher potential value. Finally, any subscription offering increases the customer service workload a little, and we have to weigh that in, too.
Keep in mind that in the end, you'll still need to come to the site to download it, so the only thing you're really saving is the few extra clicks it takes you to check out with the product before you download it. We do appreciate the desire for that added convenience, but right now, it's kind of hard to justify the effort it would take to offer that convenience.
With all my recent interest in the limitations of your current IT staff and resources regarding things that need or would need backend support, I'm surprised I didn't make the connection here, too.
I know your IT team is at capacity (and how!) as far as workload, and I don't assume and didn't mean to suggest that they're not. And I appreciate all the work they're doing that I don't see 'cause if they weren't there, Paizo as we know it and my favorite RPG system would be very, very different and probably almost unheard-of.
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Chief Technical Officer
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With all my recent interest in the limitations of your current IT staff and resources regarding things that need or would need backend support, I'm surprised I didn't make the connection here, too.
No worries... it's completely not obvious. I chatted with Gary for a bit to work out the scale of it again, which is something we do periodically—as other projects get done, they might make related projects easier. And that's kind of the case here—it's too much work to justify right now, but there is something in the pipeline that would potentially make this easier. (Not to say it'll be a slam-dunk then, but we will at least revisit it!)
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Rather than a subuscription, have you thought about making full-season compilations? I can't really see that as being too costly or time-consuming, you just open up Acrobat, combine all the scenario PDFs, maybe slap a new "Season X: Complete" cover on it, and call it good.
And lose the "oh, I'll just wait for the compilation" customers who, by the time that the compilation is out, might have changed their plans already or forgot about the whole thing altogether.
Since I'm an AP subscriber it seems I can get this at a 15% discount.
Am i reading this correctly?
You can buy PFS scenarios at a 15% discount with the Pathfinder Advantage discount, yes.
Rather than a subuscription, have you thought about making full-season compilations? I can't really see that as being too costly or time-consuming, you just open up Acrobat, combine all the scenario PDFs, maybe slap a new "Season X: Complete" cover on it, and call it good.And lose the "oh, I'll just wait for the compilation" customers who, by the time that the compilation is out, might have changed their plans already or forgot about the whole thing altogether.
For those of us like me who wanted to "catch up", it would have been really nice not to have to go through and add each scenario manually from a whole season. Even a single zip file that contains all 26 scenarios with no discount for the bulk purchase.
26 scenarios @ $3.99 each = $103.74
1 "Season 2 bundle", including each of scenario 2-01 through 2-26 = $103.74
Rather than a subuscription, have you thought about making full-season compilations? I can't really see that as being too costly or time-consuming, you just open up Acrobat, combine all the scenario PDFs, maybe slap a new "Season X: Complete" cover on it, and call it good.And lose the "oh, I'll just wait for the compilation" customers who, by the time that the compilation is out, might have changed their plans already or forgot about the whole thing altogether.For those of us like me who wanted to "catch up", it would have been really nice not to have to go through and add each scenario manually from a whole season. Even a single zip file that contains all 26 scenarios with no discount for the bulk purchase.
26 scenarios @ $3.99 each = $103.74
1 "Season 2 bundle", including each of scenario 2-01 through 2-26 = $103.74
I'd like to see this too.
They might need to make the compilations more expensive (rather than equal) to the price of buying them all individually, in order to avoid the problem gorbacz brought up.
I chatted with Gary for a bit to work out the scale of it again, which is something we do periodically—as other projects get done, they might make related projects easier. And that's kind of the case here—it's too much work to justify right now, but there is something in the pipeline that would potentially make this easier. (Not to say it'll be a slam-dunk then, but we will at least revisit it!)
Great news(no matter how qualified).
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Keep in mind that in the end, you'll still need to come to the site to download it, so the only thing you're really saving is the few extra clicks it takes you to check out with the product before you download it.
For me, the difficult part is remembering that this months' scenarios should be out. Do you send emails when they become available?
-Skeld
Keep in mind that in the end, you'll still need to come to the site to download it, so the only thing you're really saving is the few extra clicks it takes you to check out with the product before you download it.For me, the difficult part is remembering that this months' scenarios should be out. Do you send emails when they become available?
-Skeld
They're generally mentioned in the weekly marketing email when they come out. It used to be the last Wednesday of every month, but starting in September it's going to be the first week of every month IIRC.
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Chief Technical Officer
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For me, the difficult part is remembering that this months' scenarios should be out. Do you send emails when they become available?
Well, when we release the new ones, we're *supposed to* send an email out to anybody who has purchased any scenario in the past year (and who has their Privacy Settings set to allow Paizo to send marketing information about Paizo products, services or events)... but it turns out that hasn't happened in a while. We'll resume those mailings after we release the next batch.
For those of us like me who wanted to "catch up", it would have been really nice not to have to go through and add each scenario manually from a whole season.So that would potentially save you 25 mouse clicks?
-Skeld
Yes. And more than that, because there's the page navigation, too.
Regardless, it's just good business sense to make purchasing as easy as possible on the consumer. There's a reason why stores don't use shelves that are fifteen feet high to stock their items on sale.
If it's trouble and hard to code, then I understand that. If there's no time because they're busy with other things, then I understand that, too. But there's no harm in asking, or pointing out that it would have made my purchase easier.
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Chief Technical Officer
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...there's the page navigation, too.
From the overview page, you can click all of the "add to cart" buttons without navigating away from the page until you're ready to check out.
If it's trouble and hard to code, then I understand that. If there's no time because they're busy with other things, then I understand that, too. But there's no harm in asking, or pointing out that it would have made my purchase easier.
Sure... but the fact that it's a useless option for anyone who has already purchased even one scenario rather limits the value. (How many people who have none are ready to buy all at once?)
Also, it rewards (albeit only slightly) the behavior of waiting to buy, which is—let's be frank—not a behavior we particularly want to reward.
I could see the value of a "give me everything on this page I don't already have" button as being a better solution for both of the issues I raised... but that's obviously a bit more complex to achieve.
But awesome.
I love the way you guys work out what I want before I do. It's uncanny.
...there's the page navigation, too.From the overview page, you can click all of the "add to cart" buttons without navigating away from the page until you're ready to check out.
If it's trouble and hard to code, then I understand that. If there's no time because they're busy with other things, then I understand that, too. But there's no harm in asking, or pointing out that it would have made my purchase easier.
Sure... but the fact that it's a useless option for anyone who has already purchased even one scenario rather limits the value. (How many people who have none are ready to buy all at once?)
Also, it rewards (albeit only slightly) the behavior of waiting to buy, which is—let's be frank—not a behavior we particularly want to reward.
I could see the value of a "give me everything on this page I don't already have" button as being a better solution for both of the issues I raised... but that's obviously a bit more complex to achieve.
*shrug*
As I said, no harm in asking. I totally respect the fact that you guys and gals feel your time is better spent elsewhere. The option wouldn't do me, personally, any good anymore anyway.
(How many people who have none are ready to buy all at once?)
I am.
But, as more new people come to Pathfinder, they may want to go back and buy the earlier seasons.
Personally, I don't intend to sit here and download 3 seasons worth one file at a time. BUT, I would very much be open to downloading and upzipping 3 files (as funding permits).
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Chief Technical Officer
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Personally, I don't intend to sit here and download 3 seasons worth one file at a time. BUT, I would very much be open to downloading and upzipping 3 files (as funding permits).
Buying and downloading are different processes, so you're talking about a completely different challenge with a completely different solution. The good news is that the tech team's to-do list already includes developing a solution for easily downloading multiple products at once. (The bad news is that the to-do list is very long indeed...)
Buying and downloading are different processes, so you're talking about a completely different challenge with a completely different solution. The good news is that the tech team's to-do list already includes developing a solution for easily downloading multiple products at once.Personally, I don't intend to sit here and download 3 seasons worth one file at a time. BUT, I would very much be open to downloading and upzipping 3 files (as funding permits).
Sounds good!
Is it possible to have an add to cart button on the season page that looks at the scenarios you have already and adds the others?
This would save a lot of clicking to add to the cart.
Vic mooted this idea at some point, I think. I agree it would be awesome to have a feature like this (hopefully broader than just for PFS scenarios), which basically said "order me every PDF on this page I havent already got".