Pathfinder is probably going to be the first to the table, but how much competition are we likely to see from people each trying to be the source of the 3.5 ruleset?
If Paizo, Green Ronin, Necromancer, and some 10-20 odd other publishers all decide to have their own vision for how 3.5 should be preserved, where will that leave fans trying to pick a system to follow and be compatible with each other?
Backward compatibility is one thing, but moving forward, are we going to start seeing 5 or 6 different versions of what a fighter is, what lawful neutral means, how to cast charm person, etc...? Are DMs going to be facing a nightmare of choices and a table of players competing over getting their preferred choice in front of the DM?
|
If Paizo, Green Ronin, Necromancer, and some 10-20 odd other publishers all decide to have their own vision for how 3.5 should be preserved, where will that leave fans trying to pick a system to follow and be compatible with each other?
Well since all these other groups have already decided to switch to 4E I don't see that as much of an issue.
|
Well since all these other groups have already decided to switch to 4E I don't see that as much of an issue.
If Paizo, Green Ronin, Necromancer, and some 10-20 odd other publishers all decide to have their own vision for how 3.5 should be preserved, where will that leave fans trying to pick a system to follow and be compatible with each other?
I'm not so sure about Green Ronin, and the 10-20 odd publishers could well include Malhavoc press, LPJ games, Blackdirge, and several others that continue to produce 3.5 material.
1. Is it just me or did my subject line end up in caps somehow? :)
2. I keep reading that people / publishers are going with OGL rather than 4E. If today's GSL prompts more to go OGL, and some of them decide they want to do it in a way that preserves their connection with their 3.5 fanbase, much as Paizo is doing... that's where I'm wondering. I guess there's nothing that can be done about it, unless somebody has a plan to keep some sense of unity about it all.
|
I'm not so sure about Green Ronin, and the 10-20 odd publishers could well include Malhavoc press, LPJ games, Blackdirge, and several others that continue to produce 3.5 material.
Green Ronin seems focused on True20, or else systemless products like Freeport. Monte Cook isn't apparently doing any more RPG products, beyond serving as Jason's sounding board for Pathfinder. Mongoose is, like Green Ronin, seemingly focused on their OGL games to the exclusion of directly 3.5 compatible products. Necromancer Games is in a publishing agreement with Paizo, on the off chance that the GSL has managed to piss off even Clark Peterson. Whatever Necromancer puts out will likely be at the very least easily compatible with Pathfinder, if not out and out Pathfinder mechanics.
Beyond them, honestly, as good as some of the PDF publishers are (I LOVE Blackdirge's Greater Half-Dragon), they're not going to produce a significant competitor to Pathfinder. It'd be a fraction of a fraction of the market of 4e.
Green Ronin also has their version of OGL - True20 - which is not a 3.5 version really, but its own game in many aspects. Since they would have to throw out True20 if they went 4e (unless the GSL did drop that as well).
Their Freeport stuff is mostly game neutral, but there is a d20 Companion.
So I think GR won't bother with yet another d20 variant, and might just release a PF companion for Freeport (or just keep selling the d20 Companion, which should work just fine).
Necromancer went 4e wholesale.
I don't think that anyone else will go and compete against PFRPG, either. I do think that many will just use it for their stuff.