Okay, I guess this particular thread makes me realize how tough the game companies have it. The OP states that the paizo run was when he let his subscrition to the magazines lapse. For me, it was the first time I had resubscribed in a decade. I fondly remembered the definitive articles on the nine hells that were in dragon back in its "golden days", and their (paizo's) run really brought back that kind of flavor and use into the magazines for me. Their modules were more interesting and flavorful, by and large, as well. Heck even the maps they started dropping into the series with nothing more than some flavor text got used in my games. I loved them.
When they announced their pathfinder series I was orginally not pleased. I wanted them doing 4e material. After the release of 4e I found myself wanting to like it (still do) but being torn between what was lost and what was gained.
I've been DMing their first pathfinder AP, using the modules as writen, but allowing my players to use the pathfinder beta rules I purchased. So far it has been a blast and there have been absolutely no issues. The group is composed of a druid, sorceress, swordsage, and rogue/swordsage. I'll be honest, the swordsage dropped in with no issues what so ever.
I personally loath the warlock, but if I had a player that wanted to try one I'd allow it with no issues. I believe it would take maybe ten minutes to change around some skills and hit dice to make it viable in a pathfinder campaign. I've seen a lot of folks complaining about lack of backward compatibility, but to me, it's about as compatible as it can get without making it the exact same game. Which it really can't, and shouldn't be. It needs to move forwards.
As for fixing grapple, trip, disarm, and such, their solution has so far worked out fine for my group. We've had no issue, everybody now remembers how the stupid thing works without having to look it up each time. I've had one player bullrush a demon into a pit of fire, and there was much cheering when it went in. I've succesfully used grapple, and failed grapple several times on them as well. Pretty much par for the course with my group. But each time we haven't had to stop play and look up the rules. We just rolled and went. That to me is fixed. Could a more elegant solution be had. I'm sure it could be, but the current rule works, and is a wonderful improvment in mechanics form the old rule.
Are their products free of issues? No. I've had some issues with the latest AP, and a few things I didn't like in some of their other AP's as well. But unless I'm writing the darn thing that's what I expect. Heck I've been house ruling DnD for the last 20 years, I think continuing to house rules the few things I don't like isn't a problem.
I still wish the GSL would be "fixed" so they, and necromancer, would produce some 4e product. I really want to like 4e, but tWOTC's current products just seem to lack the soul that the paizo products seem to have in spades for me at the moment. So for now I'm enjoying the products paizo's producing and wishing that 4e had just a little more of their soul, and a little les mechanical polish. That's a trade off that could really work for me.
-Ashrum
