Fantasy Grounds has sent me over some graphs showing the top games played on its virtual tabletop platform throughout the whole of 2018. Unsurprisingly, the top three are D&D 5th Edition (67%), Pathfinder (12%), and Savage Worlds (5%). These are followed by Starfinder, D&D 3.5, Call of Cthulhu, D&D 4E, Star Wars, then Pathfinder 2. The figures are much the same as we've seen previously, with an increase by Starfinder and the appearance of Pathfinder 2 from July.
Top Games Played On FG In 2018: D&D, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds
Fantasy Grounds has sent me over some graphs showing the top games played on its virtual tabletop platform throughout the whole of 2018. Unsurprisingly, the top three are D&D 5th Edition (67%), Pathfinder (12%), and Savage Worlds (5%). These are followed by Starfinder, D&D 3.5, Call of Cthulhu, D&D 4E, Star Wars, then Pathfinder 2. The figures are much the same as we've seen previously, with an increase by Starfinder and the appearance of Pathfinder 2 from July.
Perry Chalmers
First Post
Don't forget the Oxford comma!!
I think the Oxford comma is relevant, important, and needed.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
I think other games can benefit from D&D's success, but I don't see Pathfinder being one of them. Why go to another medieval fantasy system with very similar mechanics? Especially if you already spent a lot of money on D&D. If you are going to spend money on a new system, wouldn't you want something that felt like a very different game?
When 5e got me back into TTRPGs, it has been so long since I had played any (1990 was that last year that I played any TTRPG before 2014) that I think of myself as a player brought into the hobby by 5e.
I did start to branch out after about a year of DMing 5e. Mostly one shots because of time limitations. First I started with free or inexpensive indie PDF games like InSPECTres. My first significant spending on a non-D&D TTRPG system was the new Paranoia. I've bought everything Mongoose Publishing has put out for that game. I also backed kickstarters for more high-concept games like Dialect. My most recent new TTRPG is The Expanse.
The impetus in all my branching out was wanting to play something either (1) very thematically different and (2) very mechanically different from D&D. I find the best experiences combine both. The mechanics support the theme in a well-designed game.
Pathfinder just doesn't interest me. I would play in a game if I had more time, but I'm not going to invest money in a new set of books to run a "crunchier" D&D. I like 5e and have years of material waiting to be used. I was interested in Starfinder but it seemed more like D&D in space. I wanted something more SCIENCE fiction, not Space Fantasy. That is why I'm excited by The Expanse.
Pathfinder either needs to retool and just make money by selling their excellent APs converted to 5e (Kobold Press, Goodman Games, Frog God Games all seem to be doing well with this model) or they need to come up with a compelling and innovative new game system.
When 5e got me back into TTRPGs, it has been so long since I had played any (1990 was that last year that I played any TTRPG before 2014) that I think of myself as a player brought into the hobby by 5e.
I did start to branch out after about a year of DMing 5e. Mostly one shots because of time limitations. First I started with free or inexpensive indie PDF games like InSPECTres. My first significant spending on a non-D&D TTRPG system was the new Paranoia. I've bought everything Mongoose Publishing has put out for that game. I also backed kickstarters for more high-concept games like Dialect. My most recent new TTRPG is The Expanse.
The impetus in all my branching out was wanting to play something either (1) very thematically different and (2) very mechanically different from D&D. I find the best experiences combine both. The mechanics support the theme in a well-designed game.
Pathfinder just doesn't interest me. I would play in a game if I had more time, but I'm not going to invest money in a new set of books to run a "crunchier" D&D. I like 5e and have years of material waiting to be used. I was interested in Starfinder but it seemed more like D&D in space. I wanted something more SCIENCE fiction, not Space Fantasy. That is why I'm excited by The Expanse.
Pathfinder either needs to retool and just make money by selling their excellent APs converted to 5e (Kobold Press, Goodman Games, Frog God Games all seem to be doing well with this model) or they need to come up with a compelling and innovative new game system.
There is definitely room in the market for a crunchier generic fantasy game than D&D. That’s Pathfinder’s role. It would be terrible if that went away.
Skipped like six pages but... on FG are there more tools and aids ready-on- hand for 5e thsan the others? Or is it all DIY regardless of system?
Obvioudly, a site with good or better mplementation for only one or a couple systems will draw more players and keep them for those than "the rest" - exaggerating the impression of popularity.
"Less support for more niche systems" is kind of a self-enforcing shackle.
Obvioudly, a site with good or better mplementation for only one or a couple systems will draw more players and keep them for those than "the rest" - exaggerating the impression of popularity.
"Less support for more niche systems" is kind of a self-enforcing shackle.
Myrdin Potter
Hero
I already mentioned that in the six pages that you skipped. There is a very good 5e ruleset (automation) and quite good ones for Pathfinder, Starfinder, Savage Worlds (this one is really good, rivals the 5e one in many ways), Call of Cthulhu and Castles and Crusades. Also decent support for 13th Age, either W.O.I.N. or N.E.W. (on my phone and cannot recall off the top of my head) and 1e Traveller. I think for the more niche systems AD&D 2e and 1e DCC, FATE and Warhammer has a decent system done by fans.
That will make those numbers slightly higher and really niche systems become More Core which is a fan improvement on the base CoreRPG ruleset.
So, yes, the numbers are affected by that, even if it means really niche are not tracked specifically at all, but there are good ruleset for quite a few smaller systems.
That will make those numbers slightly higher and really niche systems become More Core which is a fan improvement on the base CoreRPG ruleset.
So, yes, the numbers are affected by that, even if it means really niche are not tracked specifically at all, but there are good ruleset for quite a few smaller systems.
LordEntrails
Hero
Jacob Lewis
Ye Olde GM
That makes sense to me, though not in the way you might expect. I chose to stay with D&D 4th Edition because a) I already spent a lot of money on that edition, b) it felt very different from the all the other editions, which c) they all have very similar mechanics in every edition. Similarly, someone invested in Pathfinder might say the same about any other edition or version of the game. 5e is not the solution for D&D to everybody.
I strongly disagree. Paizo would only devalue their own brand by providing conversions of their IP. Plus, they're busy working on their own systems to worry about what 5e is or isn't doing. Besides, 5e is so simplistic by comparison, it shouldn't be that difficult for anyone to convert adventure material from other versions on their own, especially one that shares a lot of common mechanics. Converting 5e to PF, on the other hand, might take more effort. Yet I wonder why nobody ever clamors about WotC not converting their adventure modules (they're Not "ADVENTURE PATHS") to Pathfinder?
It's all a matter of perspective.
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