So, is anyone else following the development of the Pathfinder RPG over on the Paizo (http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderRPG) boards?
It's not exactly community campaign building, but it is community playtesting of a (sort of) new RPG system. And by a fairly major publisher, no less. So I'm guessing at least a few folks here might be interested in such a thing. Am I right?
I took a look at the playtest PDF. This would have totally been my thing 2 years ago, but there's so many things they aren't fixing that 4E is in my opinion that I'm just not going to deal with it.
Their grapple fix was terrible. Their half-orc buff was not enough (especially when it is side by side with their new half-elf). Saves are still lopsided ... I'm glad someone's keeping 3E alive for those who don't want to like 4E, but I'm not one of them.
I don't want to share my opinions on their boards because I've heard that 4E fans are getting booed off the boards.
They're getting booed off everywhere. I've heard a lot about how ridiculous Pathfinder really is, and I for one am not really all that interested. Hell, if I had access to them, I'd pick up some REALLY old school stuff from the late 70's (assuming people still were interested in playing), start up a campaign, and never pay attention to this new edition nonsense again. It's not the rules, it's the sluggish transition due to everybody thinking they've got better ideas and/or completely boycotting the new edition just because they can't have their fighter3/wizard3/spellsword1/abjurant champion1/class x 5/class y 2/class z 4.
That being said, 4e looks pretty awesome. Pathfinder is just awful - I've had a friend list off the changes... and they just made things worse (as in overpowered) in some areas and worse (as in underpowered) in others. Just look at the new Power Attack - as if melee characters in general didn't suck enough.
I agree. I didn't look at Pathfinder as closely as you, but up till now, I like what I have heard about 4E.
I actually liked the Pathfinder changes...
Of course, I've never really loved the mechanics of 3.x, so any reputable changes are good in my opinion.
I love the way they changed the Half-Elf, very nice fix. Granted some of the other changes are 'meh' or ok at best, we have to remember that this is an Alpha Release, which means there will *always* be things that need to be fixed.
As for 4e, I was excited about it up until I heard about the GSL... and wotc's current 'vetting' of the whole OGL policy.
It really isn't WotC 'vetting' the OGL policy. The word is that it's Hasbro's legal department. This could be corporate doublespeak, but I like to take people by their word.
Can't say I really care--it looked to me like too few changes from 3.5 to really bother using. I mean any fix to grapple might be worth stealing, but other than that? meh.
Quote from: Elemental_ElfAs for 4e, I was excited about it up until I heard about the GSL...
Same here. My favorite part of 3.x was the freedom to reprint content from the SRD. I've had great (if sporadic) fun collaborating with fantasy artists to publish amateur pdf sourcebooks. But you can't (legally) publish amateur sourcebooks for the new rules; at least, not if you want to distribute them. So that right there kills much of the fun I was having with D&D.
For me, OGC and nostalgia for past D&D products are the only real attachments I have to the D&D brand name. Lacking those, I have no real motivation to seek out Fourth Edition. In fact, I see a new edition of the archaic class-based system like a new version of the VCR. If it doesn't let me record and it doesn't play my old tapes, I'm just going to skip it and buy a DVD player.
Actually I love some of Paizo's mechanics, and while I will definitely be buying 4e, that doesn't necessarily mean I will stop playing 3.5 anymore than it would mean I would stop playing WoD. So I view Pathfinder with a critical eye.
It's a major step to "divide the community" in the way they are aiming to, but whether this step is for good or ill only time will tell.
Now down to the crunch. I really really like the turning mechanic. It's simple, intuitive, and makes it worth it at any point in the game. I like the ideas they present regarding wizards spells. And I think for the most part (and yes this is important to me) the art is phenomenal.
The very best part of this situation is actually a tie as I see it. First off, if you think the half-orc sucks, you can tell Paizo that right now, and if enough people share your opinion things will change in time for Beta. Secondly, you can like both Pathfinder and 4e; what a great time to game in, when two excellent games are being produced and widely hyped.