Pathfinder 1E What is Paizo going to do when 5E comes out?

Ahnehnois · Sep 22, 2012

Doesn't seem like there's much incentive for them to change anything, from what we know right now.

gamerprinter · Sep 22, 2012

Some have asked if Paizo would support 4e in adventure material, and Paizo flattly said, no, primarily as their current employees have their hands full dealing with Pathfinder only. They lack the workforce to be able to handle other game systems. So, until PF products sales begin to lag, I don't think Paizo is going to do anything about D&D Next - nor should they.

I and many PF gamers won't be touching 5e with a 10' pole, so I see no reason for Paizo to do anything different whether it exists or not. And I don't see 5e being anymore successful than 4e, so it is in the best interest to Paizo and it's fans to keep doing what they do best and continuing to support the best game system out there now and in the future - and that's supporting Pathfinder.

DaveMage · Sep 23, 2012

I don't think Paizo will do anything differently.

The question is more of "how will WotC support 5E?"

The official adventures for 4E were widely panned (though there were a few exceptions, IIRC), so whether or not 5E succeeds will depend on how capable WotC is with support.

I don't think the corporate culture at WotC will allow for the quality and type of product necessary to sustain 5E.

Scrivener of Doom · Sep 23, 2012

DaveMage said:
I don't think Paizo will do anything differently.

The question is more of "how will WotC support 5E?"

The official adventures for 4E were widely panned (though there were a few exceptions, IIRC), so whether or not 5E succeeds will depend on how capable WotC is with support.

I don't think the corporate culture at WotC will allow for the quality and type of product necessary to sustain 5E.

I agree although I don't think it's the corporate culture: I just don't think they have any good adventure authors.

Chris Perkins is a great adventure author but he seems to have a lot of management responsibility which obviously precludes him from writing much.

Bruce Cordell used to be fantastic (2E's Gates of Firestorm Peak and The Shattered Circle are both classics, IMO) but the last good adventure he wrote was Sunless Citadel.

Unfortunately, they retrenched Rich Baker whom even Chris Perkins called the best of WotC's adventure writers.

Anyway, after Next is released they will all be worried about being retrenched so support products won't exactly be on their minds.

DaveMage · Sep 23, 2012

Scrivener of Doom said:
I agree although I don't think it's the corporate culture: I just don't think they have any good adventure authors.

I would think they could find the talent if they don't have good available in-house staff (freelancers are cheaper too!) but I have a feeling they will outsource a lot of their support products like they have with Gale Force 9.

However, maybe they will continue to re-release classics from 0E-3.5E and forget about 5E entirely.

ruemere · Sep 23, 2012

Mythic Adventures. This is the response - an alternative and optional ruleset.

For those who haven't caught up yet - Paizo experiments with new rules with every Adventure Path and every Ultimate book. Mythic Adventures, a game about mythical superheroes (at least that's how it feels for now) is another, much bolder, attempt to branch from basic d20. Public open test is expected this or possibly next month.

As for whether to give 5E a try... 13th Age by Pelgrane Press (Jonathan Tweet and Rob Heinsoo) is much more to my liking for now.

Regards,
Ruemere

Henry · Sep 23, 2012

Having listened to numerous seminars with Lisa Stevens and Erik Mona, Paizo will likely continue with their main strategy, as any good business model should, which is "plan for the worst, hope for the best." With the release of the Adventure Paths and the death of the magazines, they made contingencies for up to 75% of their subscriber base leaving them. With Pathfinder RPG, they only planned the main book and a few softcover supplements in the rules line at first, in case it wasn't sucessful. They always look to the rainy day in their strategy, and if it ends up better than this scenario, then it's gravy to them.

With 5E, they will likely not go gangbusters with some new system, or change their model yet; now, at 5E's release, I probably expect to see some new hardcover with a really cool subject matter or an eye-catching adventure path, just so the company and its fans can have something with a lot of buzz around it at release time. However, I think they will also want WotC to have success with 5E, as well. There are many friendships still there, and they are also canny enough to know that D&D, as a brand name, is still a tide that can raise all boats if it is successful.

Ignoring the die-hard segments, most of us gamers are still pretty wanton when it comes to other game systems, and if I saw an opportunity to play or run a good game with friends with 4E, Pathfinder, D&D Next, or savage worlds for that matter, I'd jump on board easily. I'll buy D&D Next, but it doesn't mean I quit buying or playing Pathfinder either.

GameOgre · Sep 23, 2012

From everything I have seen Pathfinder will keep right on being the best rpg and kick 5E in the nads.

The chances that WOTC actually does the impossible and creates a rpg worth buying they will be starting from scratch. Pathfinder will be the long standing proven rpg with GREAT adventures and supplements.

IF 5E eventually proves to be a serious contender I'm sure Piazo will take advantage of it and make 5E adventures to!

Jester David · Sep 23, 2012

Scrivener of Doom said:
I agree although I don't think it's the corporate culture: I just don't think they have any good adventure authors.

Chris Perkins is a great adventure author but he seems to have a lot of management responsibility which obviously precludes him from writing much.

Bruce Cordell used to be fantastic (2E's Gates of Firestorm Peak and The Shattered Circle are both classics, IMO) but the last good adventure he wrote was Sunless Citadel.

Unfortunately, they retrenched Rich Baker whom even Chris Perkins called the best of WotC's adventure writers.

Anyway, after Next is released they will all be worried about being retrenched so support products won't exactly be on their minds.

WotC does have a tendency to promote good writers into positions where they no longer write. Promoted to incompetence as it was.

Treebore · Sep 23, 2012

Depends on the customer base. IF they are attracted to the "new shiny", or not. Plus it also depends on if the "new shiny" is actually any good in comparison to PF.

So I am sure Paizo is hoping that people will either realize that since they have loved their PF experience that there is not need to check out the "new shiny", or after a few months of checking out 5E they will decide they still love what PF gives them much better and return.

So I am sure Paizo is hoping a large number of their current fan base will continue to be their fan base.

Considering how poorly things have apparently gone for WOTC with 4E (since they are switching to a completely new edition already, I am assuming it went poorly) I think Paizo has a very real chance of once again keeping a large number of fans.

See, TSR/WOTC in the past apparently carried a lot of their fans over to the new edition by default, because there was no support for the "old" edition. So I am thinking with 4E, they were kind of shocked to see a very significant number of their fan base stay with the old edition. To the point where that support, Paizo, even started to outsell them.

So assuming WOTC has actually learned their lesson, for the first time they actually have to put out a "knock your socks off" new edition. Otherwise, Paizo is going to keep their market share.

So if WOTC succeeds, and actually knocks our socks off with 5E, then Paizo may have to do something to continue to thrive. If WOTC fails to deliver a truly new and IMPROVED RPG over what has come before, then Paizo should be fine with going on as they have.

So I for one am very interested in seeing how it plays out in two years. On one hand, I would love to see a new version of D&D that I think is actually a better game than what I play now. I really would. On the other hand, I may hate what happens to Paizo if that does happen.

Then again, if WOTC is sticking to the "Rosseta Stone of RPG's" idea, and succeeds, by default all the wonderful setting and adventure stuff Paizo does will remain viable and sell to a broad customer base.

Thats why I buy Paizo stuff, because I am playing the current "Rosetta Stone of RPG's", so even if WOTC does gain me as a customer with their "Rosetta Stone" RPG, Paizo will still have me as a customer, because they will still create the awesome content that I like to buy.

So its definitely going to be interesting to see how everything actually does play out in 2 years. I certainly hope that it goes where Paizo will be staying around.