Hi - not sure if this has been discussed or not (or if it should perhaps go somewhere else). It's intended as a constructive criticism/"what I want" kind of post, though I'm interested to hear from people with the opposing view.
I find the adventure paths exceptional, however I find the fictional account of "a day in the life of a pathfinder" to be a disappointment in every issue.
I dont know if there is a large demand for this kind of stuff in the APs, but I dont find it either helpful material, nor particularly gripping fiction. The other "supplemental" material is nearly always excellent - whether I actually use it or not, however the fiction always leaves me wishing you'd left it out and expanded the other sections.
|
I find the adventure paths exceptional, however I find the fictional account of "a day in the life of a pathfinder" to be a disappointment in every issue.
depending on the reader it's either the first or the last thing they read... for me during the second darkness AP its the only thing I read right away... the rest of the book goes into the 'when i get to it' pile. starting with book 19, it will be a steady author (Eliane Cunningham) writing the fiction for the next 6 issues... and it will be focusing on another pathfinder's exploits
edit: corrected per Sutter's remarks
Hi Steve! Thanks for the feedback. As you suspected, this has been exhaustively debated in several other threads around these parts (though I don't have a link handy). The overall consensus, however, seems to be that while some people would rather see the fiction removed from Pathfinder, far more people enjoy it and say it's the first thing they read each month. As such, all I can say is keep reading - we're constantly changing authors, so hopefully we'll find someone soon that strikes you. Legacy of Fire has a 6-part novella from Elaine Cunningham featuring a brand-new Pathfinder protagonist, and each adventure path after that will have its own unique story arc, so you might want to give the journal a new shot twice a year just to test the waters. If nothing else, keep your eyes peeled for new magic items and other crunchy sidebars sprinkled throughout.
I find the adventure paths exceptional, however I find the fictional account of "a day in the life of a pathfinder" to be a disappointment in every issue.
depending on the reader it's either the first or the last thing they read... for me during the second darkness AP its the only thing I read right away... the rest of the book goes into the 'when i get to it' pile. starting with book 18, it will be a steady author (Eliane Cunningham) writing the fiction for the next 18 issues... and it will be focusing on another pathfinder's exploits
Actually, Elaine starts in volume 19 (number 18 is where I conclude Eando's arc), and from that point on each author/character will only have one 6-issue story arc at a time. (We've got somebody else who I'm equally excited about finishing up his outline for a Chelish mystery....)
Glad to hear you're enjoying them, Kirstov!
I'd throw my lot with reading them straight away, I think their a great immersive tool, and I even like the sketch art in them.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
|
It's the first thing I read when I get mine and I'm loving the story. It's always tricky stopping myself from statting everyone up - one punch sends him reeling so he must be low level, then suddenly he's killing super-powerful stuff, maybe he's a lot higher...
It's a nice, immersive glimpse into other parts of Golarion, there are plenty of yoinkable ideas - I love it!
I always have my players read the stories, just for the background information about Golarion that they don't get anywhere else (none of my players are subscribers, and don't read the the Pathfinder Companions).
They all nodded knowingly when the Death's Head Coffers showed up in CotCT, because they recognized them from the RotRL fiction.
Everyone (in my group) seems to enjoy the stories.
O
I enjoy the stories very much. For the Second Darkness that's all I've actually read, as I'm a player. I encourage them to continue.
There's always a need for short stories! See Dragon magazine.
This is a really interesting comment considering that on Dragon the worth of including fiction was always one of the most hotly debated elements, and that magazine only included stories irregularly at best. The stance during the Paizo era was pretty resolute: fiction would be included as it was part of the pulp fantasy tradition, part of that magazine's tradition, and because no editor was about to be remembered as "The Guy Who Killed Fiction in Dragon Magazine." (Couldn't tell ya if that's still true.) Even more than rules or adventures, fiction is art and as such is largely subjective. We currently have no plans to revise what has been a successful formula for Pathfinder, but in the case of fiction, all I can do is echo Sutter by saying that if you don't like what came along last, wait a minute, we'll have something new that you might like soon.
It's a nice, immersive glimpse into other parts of Golarion, there are plenty of yoinkable ideas - I love it!
I'm quoting this as it's Exactly the reason the Pathfinder's Journal was concepted.
Love the Pathfinder AP fiction.
It's a nice, immersive glimpse into other parts of Golarion, there are plenty of yoinkable ideas - I love it!I'm quoting this as it's Exactly the reason the Pathfinder's Journal was concepted.
As an example, I'd like to say I found the fiction where Mr. Kline traversed Orcish territories and ventured into the great Orc fortress/trade city a more evocative exploration of Orcish culture than their entry in Classic Monsters Revisited.
I myself love it. It is usually the first thing I read, aside from the editors column of course. I know some people would prefer stats or an article on some of Golarion's nations but I think this gives us a different view of what Paizo feels a pathfinder is or should be.
I know some people would prefer stats or an article on some of Golarion's nations but I think this gives us a different view of what Paizo feels a pathfinder is or should be.
Too true. You can talk about how SAVAGE and DEADLY orcs are for a whole d20 book (and I'm sure several have), but it's always way more effective to "see" such things in action. The Pathfinder's Journals is the showing rather than the telling.
Thanks all. I can't remember being in such a minority - now I'm going to have to go back through them all and see what I'm missing... :)
(Actually - the post about getting your players to read the fiction is an excellent idea I think. I've always found it a problem that the DM has a much deeper understanding of the world than the players, this may be a good "spoiler-free" way of alleviating the problem..)
(Actually - the post about getting your players to read the fiction is an excellent idea I think. I've always found it a problem that the DM has a much deeper understanding of the world than the players, this may be a good "spoiler-free" way of alleviating the problem..)
Yeah, that was one of our intentions from the start - when we began Pathfinder, we didn't have things like the Pathfinder Companion to give players reading material as well. The stories in the Pathfinder Journal have always been kept spoiler-free (though we do love the occasional Easter egg), and I'm always glad to hear about them getting use in games as handouts.
As an example, I'd like to say I found the fiction where Mr. Kline traversed Orcish territories and ventured into the great Orc fortress/trade city a more evocative exploration of Orcish culture than their entry in Classic Monsters Revisited.
I agree with Wes. While I think Classic Monsters did a bang-up job all around, there are just some things that are easier to get across with a story than a guidebook.
Contributor
|
I was never very interested in the fiction in Dragon. For some reason, it just didn't grab me. On the other hand, even if I don't have time to read anything else in each Adventure Path issue, I always read the Journal.
For me, what makes the difference in the adventure paths is the fact that the story is serialized. We get a piece of good fiction in each episode, but also have an assurance that the story is going somewhere in the next episode.
I also think that a story arc of defined length is the right way to go. If a story is open-ended or has a resolution that's too far in the future, you run the risk of not actually getting to the end...kind of like a favorite TV show that gets cancelled before you can learn anything about the dark secret or what have you that has been the undercurrent for the whole plot.
If there were a need for a vote, I would definitely cast mine in favor of continuing the fiction. (Besides, I have a tiny glimmer of hope that I might one day see my own name gracing the pages of an issue of Pathfinder... ;O) It's a goal to work toward, anyway.)