Lisa Stevens's page

Calliope T wrote:

I can confidently state I am not secretly a Doppelganger working in the shadows to assimilate and replace the CS team. Yet.

Very glad to see the team expanding! What a crazy time to join. :)

We literally had our most recent CS hire start on the day that the governor forced us to work from home! Yep, crazy times. But glad to have the extra help on board as we navigate these crazy and troubled waters.

-Lisa

Also, another reminder. Stay at Home in Washington has been extended to EoD of Star Wars Day (May 4th).

Yep, I was aware of that when I was writing my post.

-Lisa

I had assumed that this wouldn't impact the timeline for Chapter 1 of the Starfinder Alexa adventure, but I'm still waiting for it to drop. Any idea whether the delay is virus-related, or if it's just a case of the last 10% of the development taking 90% of the time?

If you are talking about the Alexa Starfinder adventure from Amazon, my understanding is that the delays are about making the product better. They received a ton of feedback from the early testing and are fixing areas people were having trouble with to make the experience smoother. There may be some issues with having voice over actors getting into studios, but most of the work can be done remotely I believe.

-Lisa

Safety of everyone first for sure. I really hope we don't lose any hobby shops of this.

That said, if this does go on for a while could subscribers be billed for their pending releases, have their PDFs fulfilled, and then just know the physical copy will be shipped when it is possible to do so?

We will evaluate all options if the closing of our warehouse extends too much longer, but right now, we "think" we should be able to open up physical shipping. But as I say in my post, things change daily so right now we just wait and watch.

-Lisa

Yep, that is one of our goblin images. Thanks for bringing this up. Will send off to our legal counsel.

-Lisa

Gorbacz wrote:

Well, if you're spending your money on funny books about pretending to be an elf instead of on essential supplies in the times of pandemic, I don't know what to tell you.

So did you miss the "Supersubscriber" next to my name or did you just choose to ignore it? This wasn't an impulse buy.

I couldn't cancel it if I wanted to with CS shut down

Leon:

Customer Service isn't shut down. They are working from home during the COVID-19 crisis. They have all the tools that they need except for access to our phone lines. There is a large amount of emails and they are working feverishly to catch up on them. We appreciate your patience as we transition to a new normal for a while.

-Lisa

Distributors can reorder the Pathfinder 2e core rulebook right now, so there is no problem there. Can your retailer tell us which distributor is out so we can poke them?

-Lisa

All that aside, our data is pretty much just the sarcastic bindle giving Amazon review numbers and the CEO saying it's all good. Both are imperfect, but they're more substantial than anecdotes from those of us who don't care for the game and don't know anyone who is interested in it.

Imperfect? I am pretty sure that my data is actually quite perfect.:)

If I tell you that PF2 is doing very well, you can take that to the bank. It is a fact. I am happy with its release. How much more perfect can this data get?

-Lisa

Since quotes from Lisa Stevens seem important in this thread, Pathfinder 2nd edition is doing great and I am really happy with the way it is selling. And just for the record, Paizo isn't smaller, it is larger than it has ever been. And we are growing even more in the coming months.

I have been involved with quite a few edition change in my 35+ years in this industry. It always takes time for existing customers to take on the new edition. Always. It has nothing to do with how good a new edition is and everything to do with ongoing campaigns that need to be finished up.

And some people will never change, which is also cool. It is great when you are able to give people their perfect game on the first go around and also give them a lifetime of content to play with that game. Actually quite proud that we seem to have done that for quite a few people.

But make no mistake, Pathfinder 2 is doing really well and I expect will continue to grow over the next five years or so. So many new customers in the marketplace that it is the most fertile ground to launch a new edition on in the history of our industry.

So is this like an audiobook of the adventure or is it like a digital gm running the adventure for you?

More like a digital GM running the adventure for you!

-Lisa

I'm so excited! Kingmaker was awesome so this one will be even better!!

I do wonder though why not port it over to 2e?

Owlcat has been working on Wrath for over a year now and PF2 wasn't available for them to use. Since they already had the engine built for PF1, it made some sense to use that for Wrath.

-Lisa

Many years ago, I proffered the idea of doing a CSI Absalom adventure path. Now, all these years later, I am thrilled to finally see this being done. It will be my first full-fledge PF2 adventure path and I can't wait!

Ugh.

Just a reminder to people, flag and move on, please don’t reply to the spam posts, it makes it harder to moderate.

Hopefully the +5 spambane banhammer of smiting is ready for action.

I just banned one of them. If I seem more, the ban hammer is armed and ready!

-Lisa

was there any announcements for the PACG?

Nope. I am still working on what we will be doing next. Hopefully we can have something to report in a month or three at the latest.

Did the books sell out at GenCon?

Nope. But that was by design. We literally took more books than we could actually sell given the number of cashiers that we had there. I didn't want a repeat of the Starfinder release where we ran out on Friday. So we took quite a lot. And sold more than we have ever sold of anything at GenCon. So it was a huge success for us.

Huzzah!?!?!

Did the partnership with Dwarven Forge fall through? I don't see the description for the DF set, nor can I find the product on the DF site.

Nope, they are just running late. There should be some information coming out about the Dwarven Forge stuff in the next week or so.

-Lisa

Does anyone know if Paizo is going to have the extra stand selling the PF2E stuff near where the society games are run this year. I remember they did at Gen Con 50 for Starfinder and i haven't heard anything about this year. Thanks in advance.

Yep, we will have that same stand up near the Sagemore Ballroom like we did the last two years. It will only have the new Pathfinder 2nd edition products and only takes credit cards for payment. You will also be able to do subscription pick-up there.

-Lisa

Pardon me for asking this, but its not exactly clear from the press release here:

Are these Archon Minis going to see a retail/general release or are they specifically just fulfilling the promised kickstarter rewards?

They will be selling them through their own website and I believe we will also be selling them on paizo.com.

-Lisa

Ranzak sad. Ranzak never be iconic.

Probably my favorite character to play. Ranzak was my main character for Skull & Shackles and I have played him other times at pick up games. One of my favorite memories of playing him was when Tanis O'Connor let me play him in her all-goblin ACG game at PaizoCon one year!

-Lisa

Oh I am sure that Jason just never handed out 85. Prove me wrong … (haha)

#85...the Honus Wagner of Pathfinder 2nd edition spoilers.

-Lisa

There will also be delve-style games run by the staff where anybody can come up, stand in line for a bit, and then get to play a PF2 game. So it isn't just folks who won lotteries for PF2 games that will get to try them out at PaizoCon. Anybody can show up and play!

-Lisa

xris wrote:

Grumpus wrote:

Do we know how much the hardcover will cost for non-backers when this releases to the general public? I assume more than $80

Well, the $80 pledge also includes the cost of the PDF, so it's possible that it will work out cheaper than $80 when it reaches retail. Mind, it wouldn't be in Paizo's interest to state what that cost will be now since it might dissuade those interested to pledge now.

True, but if this crowdforging program is a big enough discount on the regular price, it will get me to buy it NOW without even seeing the 2E rules. As it stands now, I'll wait to see if I like 2E, and then decide in 18 months whether they get my money.

I did most of the pricing for the add-on and I tried to give a nice discount to the backers on GameOn Tabletop. So if a product is normally $25, I listed it at $20. So buying it now will definitely save you a few dollars on each product that we are later selling into retail stores later in 2020.

-Lisa

I saw the Pathfinder humble bundle has a trial for this. I've never bothered to look into the game as it's not released yet and I'm not a huge fan of Early Access.

So, is it dead? Is it worth trying? Worth buying or should I still just keep playing more established MMO's.

Pathfinder Online is being developed by a very small but dedicated team. It is never going to be a AAA MMO with all the bells and whistles of some of the big companies. It is mostly feature complete with a few things that need to be added, but we have always planned to keep adding content and features to the game on an ongoing basis, so this is mostly the norm.

What you will find with Pathfinder Online is a more mature player base that is very dedicated and helpful. There is a lot of depth to the game in terms of building your character, the gathering/refining/crafting segment, and the PVE escalations.

What's missing? The new player tutorials are there but could be improved. There is a lot of depth to the gameplay so it can be confusing to new players as they struggle to learn the system. There are PDFs that help, but they are out of date a bit. New players are happy to help and there is a player made database called the Goblinary that is vital.

The engine needs to be upgraded to the new version of Unity, so it has a bit of a dated graphical look to it. If whiz bang graphics matter to you, then this isn't the game for you. Like I said above, it isn't a AAA MMO.

More races and classes need to be added to the game, though there is already quite a bit of customization available to craft the character you want to have.

There are still rough edges that are being smoothed out over time. If rough edges are a non-starter for you, then this isn't a good time to look at the game. We are constantly fixing things and making quality of life improvements, but like most games, there is always more that can be done.

The plan is to continue to iterate on the game, add some more depth and gameplay as we move forward, squash bugs, and improve the new player experience. We do interact a lot with the players on our messageboards and they are able to give input into where the game goes. If that appeals to you, then this is the game for you.

In short, this is a gamer's game. A lot of focus has been put into offering a single server game with a sense of permanence, a player-driven economy, and a large area to explore. It is very much a player-driven game. If large, expansive and immersive storylines are important to you, then this isn't the game for you. There is a story going on in the background and you see its effects in the escalation stories, but the players are the driving force, not the story.

I am very committed to making a fun sandbox game that encourages player agency. We will never be a huge game, but I think there is a nice niche for this type of game, where you can build up the world around you and have some control over what happens in that world.

Check it out. If it isn't for you, then that is cool. But if the type of game I describe excites you, then I guarantee that you won't find a cooler group of people to adventure with than the players in Pathfinder Online.

-Lisa

If you are curious what other logos we considered, check out this picture from one of my old Auntie Lisa blogs showing some of the other concepts artist Kyle Hunter came up with. We ultimately chose the golem because I liked the way that it looked like he was creating something out of nothing, kind of like making game products.

-Lisa

Elorebaen wrote:

Regarding PF1 print products

There is a difference between printing books and keeping them in print. While they are certainly not going to suddenly throw all the 1E materials in the trash like most publishers essentially do when a new edition is released, I am not convinced that they will order fresh printings of 1E books after 2E is released. IMO, their commentary is just to affirm that they will continue to sell the 1E books which is rarely done by a publisher who wants to "push" the new product. They already rarely reprint material except in the case of popular hard-covers and even then in significantly reduced quantities from the original order and that's for books for a fully-supported edition. I will be quite surprised if they actually print much if anything of 1E after 2E launches, but as JJ said, "we'll see"

Be prepared to be surprised. Our plans are to continue to keep our pocket editions in print for Pathfinder 1.0 even after 2nd edition launches as long as it remains profitable to do so. I expect that bar will be met for quite some time for the core books like the Core Rulebook, Bestiary 1 and GameMastery Guide. Probably also the Advanced Player's Guide. The other books, which normally have lower sell through, may reach the point where it is unprofitable to reprint them. But if they don't, I am happy to reprint them for years to come if there are people who want to buy them.

-Lisa

If a distributor only gets a 40% discount, then they'd have to sell 60% of their inventory just to break even.

Then the FLGS would have to sell 60+X% (where X is whatever markup the distributor charges) just to break even.

I'm not surprised that the FLGS made the choice they did.

Distributors get a much larger discount percentage than 40%. Usually it is in the 55% to 60% off range depending on the manufacturer. Most retailers get their stuff in the 45% to 50% off range.

-Lisa

One other thing to consider is that, AFAIK, the people at conventions play premade characters. Building a character you're gonna play for a campaign is a different beast than being handed a sheet and told: go have fun. And character building is not making me tingle right now, as opposed to PF1.

Just wanted to chime in here. While the demo tables in the booth only used pregens, the Pathfinder Society playtest scenarios had a mix of pregens and player-made characters. So there were quite a few characters made by players. Many bought their playtest books and then sat down to spend a few hours creating their character before diving in. So we did get some feedback from them on that process as well as actual play.

-Lisa

I ask this because in 2015 and 2016 D&D had almost no presence at GENCON and was not even in the main convention hall in 2016 where as Pathfinder was in the Sagamore Ballroom, totally packed from 8AM till roughly 11PM.

And at GenCon 2018, the Sagamore Ballroom was packed with players 24 hours a day for four days.

From what I heard from those GMs running demos and the PFS GMs running the PF2 scenarios, there was an overwhelming wave of love for the new rules once people actually sat down and played. That doesn't mean that there aren't some rough spots that might need to be filed down, but the mood coming out of GenCon was extremely positive.

-Lisa

I walked by the conference room today, and Stephen is running his playtest group through Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Not sure what he all had to do to make that module work, but just wanted to throw this out there. :)

I wonder if a 3PP will do what Paizo did with 3.5, and keep the current iteration of the rules (3.x based) in print. Wouldn't have to say Pathfinder on it, just use that base set - for those who want to keep the same (basic) ruleset.

It would appeal to a niche of a niche so I don't think it would be a huge seller, but probably pretty robust sales if everyone who likes the system moved to it.

If you read the FAQ, you will notice that we plan to keep Pathfinder 1st edition in print through our pocket editions until there is no longer enough sales to justify them. If they last another ten year, then cool! No need for a 3PP. We are already going to do it.

-Lisa

when will the last 1e stuff roll out? will july 19 see 1e and August 2e?

July 2019

SenahBirdR wrote:

Personally, I feel the biggest loss on the front page is the Blog. Paizo's blog feels much more interactive and widely read than many company sites I frequent. There are many elements I would not have noticed without the blog calling to me. The store blog has especially been useful of informing me of product you carry from other companies. The Paizo blog has been great for introducing me to new ideas and keeping me informed of what the company is up to. Something other gaming companies sorely lack. My suggestion would be to have the most recent store and Paizo blog posts in the "featured" scroll. EDIT: To add to my point, yesterday's blog post for PACG has zero responses after almost 22 hours.

I agree. One shouldn't have to go hunting for the blogs, especially when they advertise new releases, announce sales, and offer promo codes.

Don't worry, the blogs will be much easier to find and see and sexier in the hopefully not too distant future. Just working out some bugs I hear.

-Lisa

Last month was the first time I can remember the PF Core rulebook not making the top ten selling items list. That seems significant (if it’s accurate). Whether because it shows a decline in sales (bad news) or that Starfinder is maintaining its momentum and crowding out the top ten (good news).

Our Core Rulebook sales have been super steady over the past few years, so I am guessing that it is more about Starfinder doing so well.

One thing Mark forgot to mention in the blog is that the hydra also has charred stumps that you can swap out for the heads if your adventurers are prepared and have that torch to cauterize the wound.

-Lisa

My name is Lisa Stevens and I am the CEO and owner of Paizo Inc. Events of the past few weeks have compelled me to make this statement.

My company will never condone any sexual harassment or assault against any of our employees, male or female. We will never condone any sexual harassment or assault against any of our customers on paizo.com or at sanctioned organized play activities. Whenever I hear any allegations of sexual harassment or assault related to Paizo’s activities, I always immediately drop whatever I'm doing and I make getting to the bottom of these issues my top priority. We have banned people from paizo.com. We have banned people from participating in our organized play activities. We have stopped doing business with individuals. And we will continue to do so.

As a woman and a survivor of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape, I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of these attacks. I know what it is like to feel the shame, the terror, how it changes your life forever. And because of this, I will never stand for my company to condone this behavior.

Paizo’s employees are encouraged to come forward with any allegations of sexual harassment or assault and let a manager know as soon as possible. If criminal activities have taken place, they are encouraged to report it to the police and take legal action against the perpetrator. We have asked our employees to not engage in explosive and angry dialogue on paizo.com. We want our website to be a place where our customers feel safe and among friends. If there is problem on paizo.com, then our community team will handle it and, where appropriate, ban the perpetrator.

In closing, you have my word that I have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault, and the same is true of Paizo. Please be aware that we treat these issues with tremendous sensitivity, and only disclose the specifics and resolutions of any such incidents on a need-to-know basis, even within Paizo or with our legal counsel. We do not and will not discuss these matters publicly. Every instance that I am aware of has been thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions have been taken or are in the process of being taken. You have my word on this.

My name is Lisa Stevens and I am the CEO and owner of Paizo Inc. Events of the past few weeks have compelled me to make this statement.

My company will never condone any sexual harassment or assault against any of our employees, male or female. We will never condone any sexual harassment or assault against any of our customers on paizo.com or at sanctioned organized play activities. Whenever I hear any allegations of sexual harassment or assault related to Paizo’s activities, I always immediately drop whatever I'm doing and I make getting to the bottom of these issues my top priority. We have banned people from paizo.com. We have banned people from participating in our organized play activities. We have stopped doing business with individuals. And we will continue to do so.

As a woman and a survivor of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape, I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of these attacks. I know what it is like to feel the shame, the terror, how it changes your life forever. And because of this, I will never stand for my company to condone this behavior.

Paizo’s employees are encouraged to come forward with any allegations of sexual harassment or assault and let a manager know as soon as possible. If criminal activities have taken place, they are encouraged to report it to the police and take legal action against the perpetrator. We have asked our employees to not engage in explosive and angry dialogue on paizo.com. We want our website to be a place where our customers feel safe and among friends. If there is problem on paizo.com, then our community team will handle it and, where appropriate, ban the perpetrator.

In closing, you have my word that I have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault, and the same is true of Paizo. Please be aware that we treat these issues with tremendous sensitivity, and only disclose the specifics and resolutions of any such incidents on a need-to-know basis, even within Paizo or with our legal counsel. We do not and will not discuss these matters publicly. Every instance that I am aware of has been thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions have been taken or are in the process of being taken. You have my word on this.

By the way, is there anything actually preventing the PCs from absconding wth the ship itself?

I can think of a few reasons.

1. It doesn't have enough fuel to fly, just keep basic functions going. So they will have to find a way to refuel it.

2. It is quarantined. So they aren't going to be able to get back and forth with fuel to get it back up and running without running into Absalom Station security.

3. It belongs to the Hardscrabble Collective, so taking the Acreon would be stealing. And it would all be on camera. So the characters would be outlaws.

Seems like it is easier to find the Sunrise Maiden. :)

-Lisa

There's a big back order. To get the book out this early they had to order it before they had a full idea of how popular Starfinder was going to be, which means they weren't able to order enough to fulfill demand. The pdf will be available from the 18th but physical copies will take longer to get a hold of.

There are quite a few copies going into our distribution network to be released on the 18th of October. We are sold out and jumped on a print run back in late July when it was clear we didn't print enough. The reprint will be here in November/December, depending on how the kind the printing and shipping gods are to us. But there are a lot of copies going to friendly local retail stores, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million and many other places, so go talk to your retailer of choice and hopefully you can get one on the release date.

-Lisa

Wait, did that Sutter kid stop getting pictures and descriptions for the webstore? Does he still sit over in the old Amazing Stories area?

It is insane to think that not that long ago you sent me an email asking me to give you a shot. Now 13 years later, here you are leaving with a bright future ahead of you and a legacy left here at Paizo. It has been a distinct pleasure working with you all these years and watching you grow into the man you are today. Congrats on all you have done for Paizo and all you will do in the future!

-Lisa

Made the 95$ pledge! :)

Will the "King" handle be added on the Paizo boards? :)

Nope, all handles are only on the Owlcat forums.

-Lisa

There's been Surprisingly little american Press. No Kotaku, No IGN, no Paizo itself chiming in via a blog or news post. Which honestly is pretty darn weird.

We will have a number of things rolling out over the next few days. Stay tuned!

-Lisa

The names behind the team make me excited. They may not be too familiar for Western players but Nival Interactive was arguably the leading Russian videogame developer for almost a decade. I can vouch for all the pre-2010 games as being very well-designed and ahead of their time in some elements. Haven't played the online ones as I'm not an MMO fan.

However... RTwP, no iconics, and possibly a different ruleset if what Gorbacz says is true (but how did Pierre Begue make his OGL-based game then?) all make me skeptical. Choosing Kingmaker makes sense as a fairly generic backdrop for Mr. Avellone to flesh out / customize the story with his subversive touch, and add a strategy layer to the gameplay. I just hope that Paizo will maintain some creative oversight and it will still be recognizable as Pathfinder (unlike the ill-advised attempt to make an EVE clone disguised as Golarion).

What I want from a PF game most of all is a module editor a-la NWN1... The community has elevated that game so far beyond its release state, and PF has one of the strongest communities around it. Co-op and/or DM client would also be amazing features.

There will be quite a bit of information shared at PaizoCon in a little over a week. Like I said above, there will be a playable demo of the game that should answer everyone's questions about rules and such.

-Lisa

So this is confusing .-. I thought that Obsidian was doing something Pathfinder related, if they aren't thats disappointing. Second thing to be confused about is that whats up with new studio composed of veterans from random not that notable games? Like Avellone is most notable of bunch, but apparently their game is adaption of AP instead of original touch so I don't think his writing style will come through as much as normally?

Obsidian still has the rights to do their own CRPG, but they are non-exclusive. Owl Cat Games is a part of my.com, which has done a ton of games over the years. Here is some info from their Wikipedia page.

Owl Cat Games will be at PaizoCon in just a few short days and they have a playable demo of the game already set to go. :) We got to play it here in the offices a few months back and everybody was impressed.

Very happy that we are finally going to be able to scratch that CRPG itch!

-Lisa

Well, the big draw is having dinner with a staff member. The actual experience can vary, as not everyone can sit with Erik or Lisa, which is naturally a very special experience.

Interestingly, my table tends to be one of the last ones to fill up each year, so if you want to have dinner with me, it is very doable if the tables fill like they have in the past. Not sure if it is because people are shy or don't realize they can sit at my table, but it happens each and every year. :)

-Lisa

Why not roll20?

Patience.

-Lisa

Thanks to all of you for supporting the company so we can continue to have this amazing job making gaming products! As Paizo approaches its 15th anniversary next year and I approach my 30th anniversary in this crazy business, I am really appreciative that I am able to do this for a living for so long. And it is all because of you crazy folks. :)

-Lisa

Thanks for all the excitement over this project. I just want you to know that Erik and I are just excited about this as you guys are. We have even had the box set on the schedule twice I believe, only to have to pull it off the schedule. Why? One simple reason, the only person whom we would let write this box set is James Jacobs.

Sandpoint is James' baby. His creation. Erik and I both feel we need him to write this product to do it the justice that it deserves. Unfortunately, James has been really, really busy lately. And this isn't a 64-page campaign setting book on Sandpoint. We are talking a multi-book product. So it will take a really large chunk of time for James to write this product. And that is what has been missing, that large chunk of James' free time.

Erik and I will continue to try to find a way to fit this into the schedule in the coming years. We truly want to see this come to life. It may well be one of the top products that we would like to see. So we are on your side and someday, this will see the light of day.

-Lisa

I will throw this in there. We have some books coming out in 2017 that we just weren't ready to announce at GenCon this year. Erik did a rather large change to the schedule only a few weeks before the convention and we are still figuring out how to get everything done while also launching Starfinder. We knew folks would be disappointed that there were no new announcements, especially about hardcover books, but there will be some. We just weren't ready to announce them yet and decided that, although a great venue for announcements, we weren't going to let GenCon dictate when we make our announcements. So the stuff that was ready to announce got announced. I am expecting the other stuff will get announced in the next few months as it gets firmed up.

-Lisa