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I don't like to complain about things here, since Morrus and the admins/mods do us a service running the site (and do a bang up job of it too! ), but I have a concern today. Please take this as a comment rather than a criticism.
Namely, it seems to me like all Pathfinder discussion has been shut off in its own ghetto of sorts. Like the news page says, it's convenient to find everything, but I'm not sure why some of the threads aren't still in General RPG Discussion when I compare to 4e threads. I'm not saying the mods are biased --- I've actually always voted for "balanced" when the various edition war polling threads have come up --- but if Now that Pathfinder is out, is anyone giving their setting a try?
goes in a specific Pathfinder forum, why don't what do you do when a +3 bloodclaw weapon is more powerful than a +4 artifact
and Slow combats
and 4E Campaign Announcement Time/Date
and all the Dungeon/Dragon/DDI/4e rules preview threads end up in a 4e-specific forum? In particular, that last thread I linked seems quite thematically similar to the Pathfinder thread I linked just from the title --- being about settings and all. I know this is likely just due to the timing of when these threads showed up, but it could look like inconsistent treatment.
Anyway, it's just an observation and comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this and if anything should be done. Should we report both Pathfinder and 4e threads in the General RPG Discussion forum to be moved to a more specific forum?
I logged on this morning and found that the Pathfinder threads had been shunted off into their own private forum. While on the one hand I think this suggests that Pathfinder has a lot of support, enough hopefully to drive its own little forum, it also seems a little strange. Is there a Call of Cthulhu forum? A Toon forum? A True20 Forum? Have I just missed these? I get the feeling that someone complained the Pathfinder threads were dropping the 4e threads off the front page of the General Forum and management responded. If the only threads allowed in the General RPG forum are about WotC products, maybe it should no longer be labeled as being the General RPG Discussion Forum.
I don't really relish the edition wars but segregation does not seem to me the best way to handle the divide.
One more quick thought as a long time reader of the general forum.
It has always been a place to me where I felt I could get a feel for what others were playing or doing. As a member of the gaming community, I recognize that not everyone games the same but we still have more in common than not, regardless of our game or edition. I don't play 4e, never have, probably never will, but I still am interested in what the 4e gamers are thinking and doing. By seperating each game system into its own little corner though, I'm less likely to read about other systems, less likely to be encouraged to try something a little new or different just because I am more likely to just go to my one corner on my way through ENWorld.
Pathfinder should have it's own forum, especially this week. There's no room for Pathfinder threads mingled with 4E and general threads this week, and maybe not most others. If they stayed together, there would likely be numerous repeat threads as they would cycle off teh front page too quickly or, even worse, good threads that just get missed because they cycle too quickly. Most people can't spend all day on here and just have a few minutes at a time to look.
Well, I for one am still a bit sore that the General DND Discussion, got rolling it with the General 3rd party discussion and our old 3rd party forum got moved to a rules only form.
So I kinda agree with you, but kinda opposite, I wish they'd done more than seperate pathfinder, wish they'd seperated everything.
I am a little wierded out by it. I get that it makes it easier to find Pathfinder threads, but just a few weeks ago there was an idea floated around for a "Pathfinder" tag on threads.
I mean, there's more than the first page of General to look at!
But where I'd like to see a lot of different games get discussed in General, it now just seems to be the place for 4e and "anything else that isn't popular enough to get it's own forum."
I dunno. I don't think there's malice here, but it did kind of raise my eyebrows. Shrug.
I think Morrus made the new forum because several people were pretty vocal about wanting a separate Pathfinder forum. I suppose there weren't enough people who disagreed before it was done?
I'd like to see something like how 3e and 4e work - that is, most of the general stuff stays here, but anything that's rules-specific gets shunted off to its own forum. I think that may even be the intent - but when you're starting a new sub-forum, you might err on the side of moving too much stuff.
I'd like to see something like how 3e and 4e work - that is, most of the general stuff stays here, but anything that's rules-specific gets shunted off to its own forum. I think that may even be the intent - but when you're starting a new sub-forum, you might err on the side of moving too much stuff.
I'd be down with that -- specific mechanical stuff gets off to the side, but buzz, products, conversation in general, etc. stays here.
I wanna know what people are doing with PF, but another click is so much work.
I have to ask about the new Pathfinder forum too - why so soon? There are barely two pages of Pathfinder threads, most of which haven't been active for a few weeks. Also, it's the release week for the game and GenCon as well - General is where these discussions should be. There was also a recent request for a Pathfinder forum where the mods replied that it was a possibility down the road, but wasn't really warranted yet - it seems their reasoning has now been ignored.
Don't get me wrong - I think in the long run this is a great idea (and thank you for setting this up and providing this forum), but the timing seems a little off.
I logged on this morning and found that the Pathfinder threads had been shunted off into their own private forum. While on the one hand I think this suggests that Pathfinder has a lot of support, enough hopefully to drive its own little forum, it also seems a little strange. Is there a Call of Cthulhu forum? A Toon forum? A True20 Forum? Have I just missed these? I get the feeling that someone complained the Pathfinder threads were dropping the 4e threads off the front page of the General Forum and management responded. If the only threads allowed in the General RPG forum are about WotC products, maybe it should no longer be labeled as being the General RPG Discussion Forum.
I don't really relish the edition wars but segregation does not seem to me the best way to handle the divide.
Seriously, what is up with all the anti-Paizo, pro-WotC conspiracy theories going on here?!?
Personally I like a lot of the products that Paizo put out but I don't get why so many people lately think that either WotC are out to get Paizo or EN World has it in for Paizo.
I don't play 4E (still 3.5E for me) and even though I am curious about the new Pathfinder rulebook, I have found that there have been way too many similar threads on it in the past couple of days and a lot of the other non-Paizo threads have been crowded out. I understand that people want to talk about the latest new shiny on the block so there will be lots of posts about it. However I think a lot of the new threads started could have just gone under an existing thread.
And I don't understand why people that are fans of Paizo/Pathfinder would be complaining about it getting its own forum. 4E got its own forum when 4E threads started to dominate General. I don't see why Pathfinder should be any different. What I really don't understand though is how getting its own forum is a bad thing. Surely if it is getting enough attention to get its own forum that can only be a good thing (even if it is only a temporary forum until the inital wave of excitement dies down).
So while I love Paizo products, I am really not understanding all the WotC conspiracy theories that seem to be brought up at the moment.
Olaf the Stout
__________________
Currently running my group through the Shackled City Adventure Path
I am not very fond of the split. I will admit, I am not a 4e player, but I do enjoy reading threads about it. I also enjoy reading the oldschool threads and the other things that pop up in general. Now I will be less likely to view those threads, as I do most of my viewing from work. And my preferred method is an f5 refresh on the general forums, to seee if there is a topic I want to view.
I guess I can still navigate manually between the two...but I know I won't, because I am lazy. I think if segregation is to occur, it should all be segregated. It is a little unfair to have a forum about everything in gaming except pathfinder... If you want to read about that you have to go into a separate room. But anything that is not pathfinder? Sure go ahead.
It just does not feel right. But that is just my own opinion.
I don't think there's any conspiracy here, and it's great EN World is providing the discussion area (thank you, Morrus!), but I think the Pathfinder forum should have waited a week or two. When the idea for a separate Pathfinder forum was originally proposed there was good reasoning given why *not* to do it yet, and that seems to have gone by the wayside.
Pathfinder should stay here, or every 4E topic should me moved away.
Althought I'm not running Pathfinder these days I like Paizo a lot. Just downloaded their Bestiary Preview and, layout compared, both my 4E MMs are junk :P
General is for general thought on other encarnations and editions of D&D, right?
__________________ And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make
And I don't understand why people that are fans of Paizo/Pathfinder would be complaining about it getting its own forum. 4E got its own forum when 4E threads started to dominate General. I don't see why Pathfinder should be any different. What I really don't understand though is how getting its own forum is a bad thing.
Olaf the Stout
This. Isn't it pretty SOP that anytime a game (Esp a new game or new edition) hits with this much Hype, it gets its forum for a while?
I want to read more than just Pathfinder threads, and for the next few days there will be enough threads to cover the first page.
Just my thoughts.
RK
__________________ Looking for game in Mid. Tennessee area.
I always think of General as the "What's Hot/What's New/What's Up forum - it should include threads about the new Pathfinder release, just as it should include threads about the latest WotC 4e release. I want to learn about non-d20, non-fantasy games like Dread here too.
Edit: and the 3e and 4e forums (and now Pathfinder) have always been for rules discussion, not "everything 3e or 4e inclusive, at least that's what I thought.
Last edited by jaerdaph; 14th August 2009 at 04:27 PM..
As long as the subforum doesn't turn into a ghetto like the RPGNet d20 area - that is, as long as PF discussions of a general relevance go into the general forum - there should be no trouble, and a [PF] tag is both easy and recognisable. Rules-related discussions - there is a good case for putting them in a separate area.
__________________ "5. If they do not wish to take a few risks, their characters should stay home and become shopkeepers and farmers.
Then wish them luck!" -- Gary Gygax: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
"Dragons are so Beowulf! Should DnD be in the business of selling 1200 year-olds back their childhood? Sheesh." -- gizmo33, on the power of nostalgia
Last edited by Melan; 14th August 2009 at 04:26 PM..
And I don't understand why people that are fans of Paizo/Pathfinder would be complaining about it getting its own forum. 4E got its own forum when 4E threads started to dominate General.
Not within 24 hours of the game's release...
But otherwise I agree, if the discussion volume *over time* gets out of hand (which it hasn't yet - it's just that the game was just released this week and GenCon is on, where the release is one of the "big events" this year), it should be in it's own forum.
There's more about "what is old school?" going on in General right now than there is about Pathfinder or 4e. And I love it!
(BTW, Olaf, our Yankees are starting to look good this year!)
1. I don't see a problem with Pathfinder having its own forum. I suspect that after the initial organization, you'll get the usual setup we have for most games- general news threads show up here, miscellaneous discussion ends up there. So threads like "Look at Pathfinder's Shiny New Thing!" will end up in general, while threads like "Sell Me On Pathfinder, What's Changed?" or "Is the Fighter Really Balanced Now?" will end up in the Pathfinder specific forum. The only way this could possibly hurt Pathfinder is if there's just not that much discussion about it, and the Pathfinder forum turns into a slum.
2. The conspiracy theory opening to this thread... frustrates me.
![[MERGED] Pathfinder forum complaint threads](http://www.enworld.org/forum/iconimages/meta/merged-pathfinder-forum-complaint-threads_ltr.gif)
), but I have a concern today. Please take this as a comment rather than a criticism.
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