Pathfinder 2E Paizo announced Tian Xia World Guide, Character Guide, and the Season of Ghosts adventure path.

[Justice and Rule]

The lolling dragon for example. And also what Scribe said about the more cartoonish art style (and imo bad art when you look at the necks). Also I question the decision of making a boat race the cover picture for then Tian Xia book.

The necks are a little stretched, but otherwise what's wrong with a happy dragon and a boat race? What would be better to put on the front page? Really, just kind of wondering.

But its not only the picture, its for example how goblins are pushed into the whacky inventor role with cartoony gadgets and so on. When looking at the recent publications of Pathfinder I think they are less serious than they were in the past.

But Goblins have always been wacky, they're just now being wacky in a way that isn't completely revolving around being murderous pyromaniacs.

 

[Mesero]

The necks are a little stretched, but otherwise what's wrong with a happy dragon and a boat race? What would be better to put on the front page? Really, just kind of wondering.



But Goblins have always been wacky, they're just now being wacky in a way that isn't completely revolving around being murderous pyromaniacs.

The picture doesn't tell me anything about Tian Xia.
And in the past goblins "whacky goblins" had swords made for killing dogs. Now goblins have mechanical Dr. Octupus like extra arms backpacks.

 

[Justice and Rule]

The picture doesn't tell me anything about Tian Xia.

I disagree. We're watching a society that is clearly cosmopolitan, one that is stable enough to have organized, team-based competitions, one where dragons are important given the head of the boat but also where they are common enough that they can actually appear in person.

Again, what would you have? What do you need to show you culture?

And in the past goblins "whacky goblins" had swords made for killing dogs. Now goblins have mechanical Dr. Octupus like extra arms backpacks.

They also burned things while making insufferable rhymes. The only difference is that they aren't being completely defined as deranged killers.

 

[Scribe]

Difference, problem, who's counting?

 

[Jadeite]

The AP accompanying the Tia-Xia is horror themed. I wouldn't worry about goofiness too much.

 

[Scribe]

The AP accompanying the Tia-Xia is horror themed. I wouldn't worry about goofiness too much.

Sure but.. guide to Ravenloft or whatever was horror themed, and a bunch of it looked like a theme park.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Sure but.. guide to Ravenloft or whatever was horror themed, and a bunch of it looked like a theme park.

True, though Ravenloft is kind of constructed as a horror theme park anyways. Like, if you're in to pain and suffering.

 

[Jadeite]

Sure but.. guide to Ravenloft or whatever was horror themed, and a bunch of it looked like a theme park.

Guide to Ravenloft wasn't published by Paizo (and not by White Wolf, either, who did a pretty good job back in the day to make the Core a coherent setting). And the parts written by people who shared the cultural background represented by those regions were less goofy than the rest. Portraying the cultural fears of a society in a wacky way would be seen as as patronizing and dismissive, so it's highly unlikely that Paizo will go down that route for Seasons of Ghosts.

 

[Scribe]

Guide to Ravenloft wasn't published by Paizo (and not by White Wolf, either, who did a pretty good job back in the day to make the Core a coherent setting). And the parts written by people who shared the cultural background represented by those regions were less goofy than the rest. Portraying the cultural fears of a society in a wacky way would be seen as as patronizing and dismissive, so it's highly unlikely that Paizo will go down that route for Seasons of Ghosts.

While you are probably right, there is a bit of a meta discussion that I think you are missing.

 

[Jadeite]

While you are probably right, there is a bit of a meta discussion that I think you are missing.

I get the meta discussion. You might even find me rather pretty close to your position. But I think judging an unreleased book by its cover isn't the right way to do it. I'd be happy to participate in a discussion of a perceived trend of sillification in RPGs.