A Pathfinder Abomination Vaults ARPG coming to Kickstarter!

Nice! Can't wait to see this campaign launch.

Looks neat! Hope people enjoy this. Personally, I'm still waiting for a more tactical video game that reproduces P2e's really cool three action economy though. Hope this game does well enough to finance more P2e projects in the future!

Hack n Slash, not gonna back this.

Maybe if it has decent reviews I'll pick it up for 10€ on sale.

Yuck... ARPG instead of a 3-action style CRPG? Pass. :frown:

Was hoping for a tactics RPG but honestly couch co-op Gauntlet/Diablo seems like cute fun. Gonna back for sure!

Playing through it now. I am interested in seeing how the video game plays.

Frankly, I'd wish you'd not do CRPGs of existing adventure paths. I already have Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous on my shelf, and I'll never able to run then. Everybody immediately turns them down with an "I've already played the video game".

Hm, "co-op Hack and Slash" sounds like a Diablo clone. Unfortunately, I really don't care for multiplayer video games. Like, at all. Disappointing.

EDIT: saw the footage. Yes, Diablo indeed.

It's not the "point n click" with tactial fights like Sunday Gold that I hoped for, but it's nice that they are trying to make it a big game!
The 4 player coop is nice.
This is not my kind of game, but will still keep an eye on it. I hope they will still integrate NPC interactions and dialogs somewhere. AV was such a pleasant surprise for all the RP opportunities there was for a "dungeon". xD

BTW, a CRPG was the lowest game genre I was expecting, because of the Owlcat games. Having two different partners doing the exact same kind of games that could compete against each other would definitely sour relationships.

Looks fun, though I do think a lot of AV's magic will be lost with a hack and slash game.

I can't wait for this to release!!! I know my players are excited too! :D

Frankly, I'd wish you'd not do CRPGs of existing adventure paths. I already have Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous on my shelf, and I'll never able to run then. Everybody immediately turns them down with an "I've already played the video game".

This has been a major issue for me too.

It is cool that the video games have been successful in bringing people into the PF hobby but I have definitely had some issues with their existence.

Honestly this is disapointing news. I was really hoping we would finally see a Tactical RPG based on the PF2E rules, the owlcat games are annoying due to the real-time and 1E rules (I don't like them) and the 2E rules are so perfect for a videogame.

Good luck to everyone involved in this project but I definitely won't be following this knowing it's an ARPG.

A video game I can't meaningfully play on my own is worthless to me.

Not interested in a Diablo style game for Pathfinder. Pathfinder is popular because of the deep character customization mechanics that pairs well with a CRPG like Kingmaker not a hack and slash like Diablo. Instead of making a custom character you get only 4 iconics? Really?

Sorry, passing this. Holler when you and Owlcat make another CRPG

Holler when you and Owlcat make another CRPG

Not gonna happen. Word is that Owlcat was not interested in doing PF2 games and that is why Paizo had to find a new partner and Owlcat are now making, of all things, Warhammer games.

I'm definitely a little disappointed that this won't use PF2e's rules more heavily, but I still think this looks very promising and I'll probably back it. I'm GMing Abomination Vaults at the moment and it could also be fun to play through this game with some of the players once it gets released.

Granted, the footage looks neat, but there's not a single scene that I recognize from the adventure.

ARPG with couch co-op? Excellent! Very excited about this. Congrats on the announcement.

ARPG with couch co-op? Excellent! Very excited about this. Congrats on the announcement.

What is "couch co-op"?

Daniel Araujo wrote:

ARPG with couch co-op? Excellent! Very excited about this. Congrats on the announcement.

What is "couch co-op"?

Playing together on the same screen/system rather than through internet.

That sounds like a console thing, it's difficult to imagine for a PC game. And it sounds even worse to me than playing over the internet.

I could not be more excited for this! I hope it comes to consoles sooner or later. Sitting back and enjoying it with a few folks sounds like a blast. Also I cannot think of a better AP to do something like this with.

QUITE bummed with the direction that Paizo and BCOM took with this, I'm sure this will work for some, but sadly not for me.

Lets hope the 2nd unannounced game is more Owlcat like and would like it to be on a 6 Parter AP. As those are going to be pretty rare these days sadly!!

Tom

Not what i was expecting. But I'm not against it, and will most likely back and play it. I enjoy Diablo style games. Still really want a true turn based PF2E crpg at some point!

Wish paizo the best of luck, but I have no interest in an arpg in the pathfinder setting and was very much hoping for a crpg using the new second edition rules.

I get that they're trying to reach a different audience with this, but for me, this one's a hard pass. I would have loved to see an actual adaptation of 2e rules into a turn based crpg, but ... :(.

Let's hope the 2nd upcoming game is closer to that, but I'm not holding my breath.

Very bummed to see this is an ARPG. As others have said, I might pick it up on sale in the very distant future, but it's pretty disappointing.

ARPG with couch co-op? Excellent! Very excited about this. Congrats on the announcement.

Is couch co-op confirmed? That would be awesome.

I'm willing to see where this goes, hopefully it turns out well! Owlcat's Wrath of the Righteous is one of my favorite CRPGs.

I'm super excited for that - still haven't beat both of Owlcat's CRPGs, but having something that I can pick up and play and then maybe more easily walk away from will be a blast.

But will it be a "pure" action RPG like Diablo, or will you be able to switch between real-time and turn based like the earlier Pathfinder games?

Was hoping it would be a turn based, or at least pauseable real time RPG. Zero interest in an action RPG. When it's based on a tabletop RPG, you already know your fan base are fans of turn based tactical games, seems like a mismatch to do ARPG.

That being said, hopefully this license only covers ARPGs, and there's still room for a video game company to get a license to do other RPGs which are more emulations of the tabletop experience. If Owlcat is done with Paizo licenses over their preference for PF1, hopefully someone else can step in for that for PF2.

I'll also agree that I'd much rather see games NOT based on existing adventure paths (or if so, as sequels, etc, rather than a straight up adaptation). Not only does it sour the player base for playing those APs tabletop, but as a player I'd much rather an original story over something I already know (sure there's changes, but I still know 80% of the final product and the overall plot movements).

felt great excitement then great let down, not gonna back maybe get in a steam sale in a few years

Good luck with the project! Not for me, which is a bummer as I was looking forward to it, hoping it would be in a similar style to Kingmaker and Wrath.
Action isn't my cup of tea in video games. And if I could coordinate free schedule time for 3 friends for multiplayer, we'd just play tabletop Pathfinder instead.
But I know plenty who will be excited for this game and I'll do my part to spread the word

Not at all what I was expecting, but at least it's multiplayer, so I'm very interested!

Hack and slash? That's a disappointment.

Will this be PFS sanctioned?

Had to dust this account off to say something.

I think I'm in the opposite direction of most of these comments. Abomination Vaults is a dungeon crawler; it's perfect for hack and slash. I just prefer my hack and slash games to not be isometric. A lot of people were looking forward to seeing the three action economy in a videogame format, but I feel like it would be a drag in co-op. As a single player game? It's fine, but even then its a big maybe that I would ever play it because I'm already playing the actual tabletop and it's competing for my time with the 20 other unfinished single player games.

Making a Pathfinder game that you could get your friends together to play a couple of rounds in during your free time/if you have to cancel a session sounds like a good idea to me.

Awesome! The original Dark Alliance was prolly my favorite videogame adaptation of a TTRPG despite the hundreds of hours I put into Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. Perfect kind of game to couch co-op with somebody else, and Abomination Vaults is a great choice to adapt since it's already heavily combat-focused.

Day 1 backer on this. I am super hype for it!

Let's gooo! This is how Diablo got its start. A megadungeon that you slowly delve the depths of.

Gonna be an awesome time as a couch co op experience.

I'm a bit taken aback by the not-zero amount of people here who are part of this community built around a social gaming experience that are not happy about it being a co-op game.

Blows my mind.

Really disappointing. Couldn't care less about multiplayer hack and slash. Glad we got the two Owlcat games at least.

I like ARPGs. I would consider myself a fan of the genre, having played and enjoyed many. I'm also a super-fan of Pathfinder (like, inject it straight into my veins). I love multiplayer games. I've backed tons of kickstarter projects. I want everyone involved in this to succeed, and I hate being a debbie downer. I feel like I must be the dead center of the target audience...

I still don't think this is a good idea at all, and almost definitely won't be backing it.

I'll give some of my thoughts, for whatever good that will do:

1. ARPGs are fundamentally incompatible with the PF2 engine, and therefore any mechanical similarities will be superficial at best, and a constant reminder that this isn't really Pathfinder at worst. Whereas a game branded differently could be excellent on its own merits, I'll instead be comparing this to true PF2 and it will lose its luster by failing to meet expectations.

2. ARPGs are incredibly difficult to get right. The core gameplay loop has to be nailed down perfectly or it will flop, and this includes animations, sounds, rewards, and pacing. Even Blizzard has been stumbling on this over and over.

3. ARPGs are a saturated market. Since this isn't going to be using PF2 rules, I can take my pick of any existing *excellent* ARPG to play instead. The only thing keeping my interest is the Pathfinder name, and that's actually a negative due to point #1.

4. ARPGs struggle with implementing and balancing customization, and playing my own unique character is the whole point of Pathfinder. Since everything needs to be tightly animated and balanced for a successful ARPG (see point #2), the number of player options shrink compared to what you could achieve in a turn-based game where you don't have to worry about things like animation canceling.

5. ARPGs don't have social challenges, leaving a whole swathe of the Pathfinder experience completely un-utilized.

I was excited until we got to it being an ARPG (which I do like now and again) with canon characters only, and made by a company that had a D&D project that got mixed reviews, and was removed from Steam.

No thanks.

Yuck... ARPG instead of a 3-action style CRPG? Pass. :frown:

Really? "Yuck"? Try to keep the criticism civil and remember that there are human beings on the other side of this.

Personally, I'm really excited for this. Not every Pathfinder game needs to be a CRPG, and I'm glad people will have options for ways they can enter the world of Golarion in video games.

I'm neutral on the genre so far, but looking forward to future trailers that show off the mechanics of the gameplay more. Though the big one for me is definitely looking forward to having co-op in a Pathfinder game.

I'm not a big video gamer these days but this seems perfect for AV.

I was excited until we got to it being an ARPG (which I do like now and again) with canon characters only, and made by a company that had a D&D project that got mixed reviews, and was removed from Steam.

No thanks.

To be fair, the game was removed from Steam because their licence agreement with Wizards of the Coasts expired, not due to quality issues or anything like that.

I love a good turn-based RPG, but sometimes it's nice to just turn off my tactical brain and just hack and slash my way to glory. The potential for couch co-op would be amazing. I loved the old Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath games on the PS2 and this has that same feel. As much as I get absorbed into the story, details, and systems of a good turn-based RPG, the thought of a diablo-clone style PF game with an AP that just seems tailor-made for it hits all my happy buttons. Looking forward to this one, but I do hope it gets a console port at some point as this sort of co-op game really shines when you've got a handful of folks all playing along in the same room, screaming and yelling and just having a good time.

DrMcCoy wrote:

Frankly, I'd wish you'd not do CRPGs of existing adventure paths. I already have Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous on my shelf, and I'll never able to run then. Everybody immediately turns them down with an "I've already played the video game".

This has been a major issue for me too.

I would MUCH prefer their video games be original stories (preferably not on Golarion at all but another planet in the setting) as Wrath and Kingmaker have been massive spoilers for various aspects of the setting that I have wanted to reveal as surprises.
"And you find out X!"
"Oh, I already knew that because of the video games."

It is cool that the video games have been successful in bringing people into the PF hobby but I have definitely had some issues with their existence.

I think you kinda need to sell wrath and kingmaker with "owlcat did a lot of creative differences from crpg so ap is actually quite different story wise"

...Because they are. They ARE really different not just small details wise.

Anyway, I'm also in the camp of "disappointed its not turn based crpg", but I do get logic of turning abomination vaults into hack and slash and it is interesting experiment

I think turning Abomination Vault into a hack and slash is likely to take away everything that makes it so distinct from a run-of-the-mill monster hotel.

from the video it looks like it would be more like Gauntlet or Champions of norath than diablo which would be a plus in my opinion (I Hate the loot loop of diablo likes). Looks like it could be fun though i can understand it not being to people's preferences for a pathfinder game.