SoldierBlue
First Post
Yeah - my group has been extremely impressed with what Paizo has done with gnomes. However, unless somebody somewhere can do something drastically interesting with halflings, we won't be using them in my group.
Pathfinder 1E What we want in our Golarion...
For a generic world, giving it anchors in real life cultures and/or common fantasy tropes is a very useful tool. Not only does it enable players to get a sense for what to expect much more easily but it also makes it easy to come up with fun adventure ideas by reading history or novels. They don;t always translate well but they provide a very solid starting point.
SoldierBlue
First Post
I acknowledge that there is a comfort in the usual tropes of fantasy, and if that means having norsemen named Bjorn living near the top end of the map, I suppose that is what most people want.
However, Paizo has done such a great job in "re-imagining" so many of these tropes, I was disappointed in how some geographical areas in Golarion were handled.
I like the Mwangi Expanse, for example. It's Africa, but it is also so much more.
And I like the ideas James Jacobs proposed elsewhere, when he said that things are supposed to get stranger the further you go out from the Inner Sea.
This I buy into - I'm looking forward to the "strangeness".
However, Paizo has done such a great job in "re-imagining" so many of these tropes, I was disappointed in how some geographical areas in Golarion were handled.
I like the Mwangi Expanse, for example. It's Africa, but it is also so much more.
And I like the ideas James Jacobs proposed elsewhere, when he said that things are supposed to get stranger the further you go out from the Inner Sea.
This I buy into - I'm looking forward to the "strangeness".
James Jacobs
Adventurer
Golarion isn't intended to be 100% perfect for every gamer. The design goal/philosophy was to include enough variety, from strange to expected, from human to monster, from high magic to low, from classic to fringe, and so on so that every gamer interested in the genre would be able to find at least 1 place he/she loved. Hopefully, it skews more toward 1 place (or less) that the gamer hates. The modular way the Inner Sea region is built makes it pretty easy to ignore the regions one doesn't like and focus on the ones you do like.
It's only us at Paizo who have to love every region, since we have to live with what we create. ;-)
It's only us at Paizo who have to love every region, since we have to live with what we create. ;-)
TheAuldGrump
First Post
One thing that I would like to see is more geographical/geological in origin - I want to see a Maelstrom. To the north of where I live is The Old Sow - one of the largest whirlpools in the world, and a known ship eater. And she will often have three or four 'piglets' - smaller whirlpools nestled alongside mommy. 
Combine that with sirens/harpies, and you have something fairly legendary.
The Auld Grump
Combine that with sirens/harpies, and you have something fairly legendary.
The Auld Grump
Sylrae
First Post
While I understand the smaller books are easier to produce and put out (you don't need as much material), I'd really like to see an Encyclopaedia Golarica, a book with the heavy detailed articles on the gods, and the heavy detailed texts on the cultures, races, organizations, and countries. Essentially a compilation of the past stuff into one completely massive book encompassing everything you need to play games in Golarion.
For the Map Folios, and the Adventure path modules themselves, I'd like to see the addition of unlabeled maps. Also, the Map Folios are a little too 'folio'. Having a little flap on the bottoms of the covers to hold the pages would stop them from falling out so much.
Presently, to get unlabeled maps I end up ripping apart pdfs to print images i can show my players in game without giving anything away, and making it easier to get player-friendly versions of the maps would be a big help, and it might mean we'd get to see actual maps when the other people in my group are DMing. (Still easier than it used to be with WotC as there I'd have to scan the book and then redraw over the text and blend it in with the map, taking up mountains of time in photoshop).
Personally, I'd like to see more demi-human activity. maybe a demi human kingdom with its own book. I'm fond of Elves. I think a detailed elven kingdom would be awesome. An adventure path which is set in an ancient elven realm, via time-travel or just in the past, would be awesome. It would need to have detailed culture and philosophy stuff, but I'd definitely buy it.
Some focus on evil play would be good too. Dwarves who act like vikings instead of typical dwarves would interest me, and I'd also like to see some very original city-states.
One thing that would be great, would be if the new campaign setting included the traits system, instead of just including additional traits. It's surprising how many DMs don't consider traits part of character creation, which can result in confusion when they have you make a character and don't supervise or tell you you cannot use them, then halfway through the first session you get a "and what the crap is this?" because they have seen the hard copies but not the traits web supplement.
For the Map Folios, and the Adventure path modules themselves, I'd like to see the addition of unlabeled maps. Also, the Map Folios are a little too 'folio'. Having a little flap on the bottoms of the covers to hold the pages would stop them from falling out so much.
Presently, to get unlabeled maps I end up ripping apart pdfs to print images i can show my players in game without giving anything away, and making it easier to get player-friendly versions of the maps would be a big help, and it might mean we'd get to see actual maps when the other people in my group are DMing. (Still easier than it used to be with WotC as there I'd have to scan the book and then redraw over the text and blend it in with the map, taking up mountains of time in photoshop).
Personally, I'd like to see more demi-human activity. maybe a demi human kingdom with its own book. I'm fond of Elves. I think a detailed elven kingdom would be awesome. An adventure path which is set in an ancient elven realm, via time-travel or just in the past, would be awesome. It would need to have detailed culture and philosophy stuff, but I'd definitely buy it.
Some focus on evil play would be good too. Dwarves who act like vikings instead of typical dwarves would interest me, and I'd also like to see some very original city-states.
One thing that would be great, would be if the new campaign setting included the traits system, instead of just including additional traits. It's surprising how many DMs don't consider traits part of character creation, which can result in confusion when they have you make a character and don't supervise or tell you you cannot use them, then halfway through the first session you get a "and what the crap is this?" because they have seen the hard copies but not the traits web supplement.
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roguerouge
First Post
The one thing I want at this point is what the Test of the Starstone is and, possibly, an adventure which involves going through it.
Sorry to be contrary, but this is one thing I definitely DO NOT want.
Once it's codified & on paper, it's only a matter of time before the Game Mechanics Wonks & Min-Maxers come out of the woodwork to beat it. I detest the mindset of the PC power-curve that must culminate in PC-godhood.
If such a thing ever were to see print, it should be written for a single PC (no adventuring parties may enter together) and it should make Tomb of Horrors look like Keep on the Borderlands. In other words, it better be designed to kill players with abandon and achieving godhood should be as much a combination of luck as it is a sign of mastery over the game.
Just my 2 coppers.
Generally speaking, I've come to love Golarion and it's very close to breaking out into "All-Time-Favorite-Setting" status. There are very, very few things the Paizo team has done with it that I don't like. Initially, I was hopeful but taking a wait-n-see approach. As Paizo's vision of what Golarion should be & more importantly, what it shouldn't be, has solidified my affection for the setting has grown.
1. Human-centric but still integrating non-human races? Check
2. Rooted in swords-n-sorcery style adventuring, but supportive of other genres? Check
3. A compelling mix of the familiar, the unusual, and the new? Check, check, check
4. Designed to support a wide range of playstyles? Check
5. Limited/non-existent metaplot? Huge Check
6. Strikes balance of detail & areas for GM's to fill in? Check
7. As a GM, does it inspire me to write adventures for the setting? Big check.
8. As a GM, does it make me wish I could play in that setting as a PC? Huge Check.
Really, thus far, the only thing I strongly dislike about Golarion is the introduction of anachronistic elements like Andoran's 17th-century colonial garb. [Yes, I've read & contributed to the threads arguing the pros- & cons-. Sorry, I don't like it, end of story.] Luckily, they're easily removed or downplayed. In the early days of the setting, I didn't think that would be possible (remembering the promo art of Colonials fighting apes (?) in 19th-century-style British garbs & carbines).
No setting will suit everyone's tastes perfectly, but Paizo's getting damn good at parting money from my wallet!
Bottom Line: PLEASE KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!
1. Human-centric but still integrating non-human races? Check
2. Rooted in swords-n-sorcery style adventuring, but supportive of other genres? Check
3. A compelling mix of the familiar, the unusual, and the new? Check, check, check
4. Designed to support a wide range of playstyles? Check
5. Limited/non-existent metaplot? Huge Check
6. Strikes balance of detail & areas for GM's to fill in? Check
7. As a GM, does it inspire me to write adventures for the setting? Big check.
8. As a GM, does it make me wish I could play in that setting as a PC? Huge Check.
Really, thus far, the only thing I strongly dislike about Golarion is the introduction of anachronistic elements like Andoran's 17th-century colonial garb. [Yes, I've read & contributed to the threads arguing the pros- & cons-. Sorry, I don't like it, end of story.] Luckily, they're easily removed or downplayed. In the early days of the setting, I didn't think that would be possible (remembering the promo art of Colonials fighting apes (?) in 19th-century-style British garbs & carbines).
No setting will suit everyone's tastes perfectly, but Paizo's getting damn good at parting money from my wallet!
Bottom Line: PLEASE KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!
IronWolf
blank
I agree with you. If there is a defined Test of the Starstone then soon it could become the end goal of a majority adventuring parties in Golarion. I think this is best left to a DM to use their imagination and tailor as they see fit as they have characters that want to attempt the test.
As you mentioned if it gets written down and published then people will start to craft their ways through the challenges at the meta game level. If we leave it to the craftiness of the DMs the test can be whatever the DM sees fit. The unknown of the test can make it mean that much more to PCs in various campaigns.
