|
For some time I was trying to figure out the difference between the Companion and Chronicles lines. While I understand the Companion-PC, Chronicles-GM vibe, there's something I don't quite get:
Katapesh was a central location for LoF, and it got a Chronicles book. Now, Cheliax is a central location for CoT, and it gets a Companion book. Then we have River Kingdoms for Kingmaker, and it gets a Chronicles book. And on the top of it all, we have Player's Guides.
If I am seeing a correct pattern, the PFS nations (Osirion, Qadira, Andoran, Taldor, Cheliax) each get a Companion book. Call me old school, but I prefer to have a bigger area book on a given topic and distill the information for the players.
I'm fine with the Companion line having "races of...", arms & equipment books, but the the discrepancy in placing country-oriented books in both Companion and Chronicles lines is puzzling.
A place like Cheliax deserves something more than 32 pages - Darkmoon Vale gets twice as much a treatment, while the Inglorious Yet Obedient Servants of Her Imperial Majestrix get away with a shorter book. Me not happy, especially given that the Cheliax book is *excellent* and I would *love* to get more Cheliaxiananish goodies.
CEO
|
What you are seeing is a vestige of a very early idea about what the Companion line was about. Since we knew that it was going to be aimed at players, we wanted the PFS players to have some tools at their disposal for use in PFS play, thus the 5 Companions based on the five factions. Then about half-way through doing the 5 factions, we tightened our ideas on what should be in a Companion. I don't think that we would do the 5 factions as Companions if the idea came up right now. However, they were already started and solicited to distributors, so we are finishing them off with Andoran later this year.
That said, I wouldn't say that you will never see those five countries as Pathfinder Chronicles products in the future, just not any time soon. We are open to more expanded Chronicles products if it is called for down the line.
-Lisa
Companions have player options (like traits, feats, magic items, etc.) that are crunch. The forthcoming Adventurer's Vault further re-enforces that Companions can be crunch-heavy player-friendly. I actually like the current treatment of various nations and in fact subscribed to that line because I love them. I hope to see many more nations covered. Some, though, could use more than 32 pages. But does that then make them Chronicles?
Chronicles I don't know what to make of. Books that expand upon DM-centric things like monster psychology, spicing up treasures, etc. clearly belong given the stated DM-friendly intent of the line. Those make up the vast majority of the line so that's good. It's books like Katapesh or Darklands that don't make as much sense. Clearly there is some room for player-friendly content there (well, maybe not Darklands, but for Katapesh, or Absalom, or what-not -- sure).
So it's not really player-friendly vs. DM-friendly or crunch-light vs. crunch-heavy. The main difference between the two lines is along the lines of page count (Chronicles being 64 pages, Companions being 32 pages). As page count drives price and price is especially important in a subscription setting for establishing month-to-month price consistency it makes it difficult to break from this.
I'd love to see player-friendly Companions (32 pages) and DM-friendly Companions (32 pages). Those that prefer only the player-friendly content would be irritated, however. Perhaps it could be yet another subscription -- or maybe even a subscription option?
Same with Chronicles, player-friendly and DM-friendly. Something like Cheliax may end up being a 32-page DM-friendly Companion and a 64-page player-friendly Chronicle, even!
So, assuming that page count largely drives Companion v. Chronicles (I may be wrong about this, please correct if so) and won't change, would it be possible to let the content, whether player-friendly or DM-friendly just go to whichever line it "fits" into based on size? Add a subscription option to each to say "skip the DM-friendly" or "skip the player-friendly"?
While on the subject of options... I now subscribe to the APs, RPG products, and Companions. I look ahead to the Chronicles release and REALLY want to subscribe. I already own much of the prior Chronicles material as well. However, the inclusion of things like the Harrow Deck and Map Folios in that line hold me back. Setting aside my own desire to avoid product like that (not due to quality, just don't want that type of product) -- how do those belong in Chronicles? To me they belong with the AP subscription -- as an option.
(I'm aware I can cancel the subscription and re-start it but ick, that's a pain to keep up with. And I'm sure Paizo is not a fan of that since it is difficult to use subscription data to predict monthly revenue).
Edit: As far as branding, it'd be a bit tricky, but using something like "Guide" for player-friendly stuff and "Secrets" for GM-friendly stuff may work. E.g., "Pathfinder Companion: Secrets of Cheliax" and "Pathfinder Chronicles: Guide to Cheliax".
It's quite the pickle. I get a headache just thinking of it all!
|
definitively... one of the things that makes Chronicles a bit less interesting are tha map folios, and other kind of goddies... I get the line for the flavor books, damn at the end of the day Chronicles is my favoriteline, I took enough to return there because I ddin't wantedthe map folio for LoF, which I was only able to get in full PDFs.
For me Companion is a product easily used for characters, background, feats, traits, letting you know your small part of the world, and I am ok with that...
Chronicles is more flavor for the world, more ideas for a game, more story hooks... I would have hated Absalom of 32 pages... damn I would have payed por a 96 book! there were many things needed or lackin in Absalom... actually half the district needed information that was cut for lack ofspace, for example I would have liked the information on Ivyand PrecipiceQuarters complete in Absalom, and mps of the districts,... and while I understand th information is in 2 modules, not eveyrone has those modules and its a pain having to reference to those books in the middle of a game.
I wouldn't mind seeing Chronicles on more specific parts of the 5 factions along the lines of Darkmoon Vale (still my favorite Chronicles)