Pathfinder 1E Things you Think WoTC should follow from Paizo

[JoeGKushner]

I'm running a 4e campaign now. Using Forgotten Realms in the year 137X (skipping the 4e campaign update.)

I use a lot of resources. For example, I like Paizo's lines like Dungeon Denizens, Dragons, and Classic Monsters revisited.

I would like to see WoTC follow Paizo in a few areas.

1. More print adventure support. There is a dearth of official 4e adventurers. This one adventure path thing is good for those who enjoy it but it leads to a serious lack of options. Dungeon helps to alleviate this somewhat, and Goodman Games has admirably stepped up to the plate. But I'd like more WoTC stuff.

2. More campaign setting support. Pathfinder is doing this in various venues, some of it, like the various revisited books, useful for any game, any system. I'm not fond of the 'fire and forget' method that WoTC is using with three products (DM, Player, and adventure) for their settings in print.

3. PDF support. Now I don't think WoTC could sell directly and give you the PDF, but damn, that would be sweet. If they sell it to you directly, they know you bought it and so your account gets a PDF.

 

[Jack99]

I agree 100% (more or less)

After the PHB3 (perhaps before) is released, I have my crunch needs covered, by far. From there on, I would much prefered if WoTC spent their energy making the coolest settings and adventures (paths or not) to be released in dead tree format!

Which means, ditch the future PHB's and power source books (after Primal Power) and instead invest time and money in more books detailing either campaign settings, or places you can use for your own settings. A book on the Elemental Chaos is but a start!

Summa, summarum, more DM powercreep, less player powercreep

 

[Voadam]

1 sell a cheap core rules pdf.

2 sell pdfs of out of print products (since I'm no longer buying TSR D&D book pdfs I've been getting some Dragon and Dungeon pdfs).

3 have a free version online. I'm using my free beta PF rules and srd with my metric ton of adventures and settings and monster books I bought. I started reading through the 4e pdf quickstart rules, it has a lot of principles of the game instead of the rules so far. Maybe the second half plus Keep on the shadowfell will have enough. I don't know yet.

4 Use the OGL so that super convenient things like d20srd.org and the pathfinder wiki can be made.

 

[1Mac]

1 sell a cheap core rules pdf.

Or better yet, give a core rules pdf away for free.

 

[Bumbles]

Nothing. Emulation is a poor way to proceed. Don't follow, get out and lead.

But where should they go? Is it the same place as Paizo is trying to go? Perhaps, perhaps not. To succeed they don't have to go to the same place.

 

[Rokes]

What would I like to see WotC borrow from Paizo? Their personal attention to their player base.

There have been many different attempts by WotC to really connect with their fans, but for whatever reasons they haven't had much lasting effect. It often leaves WotC seeming like a large uncaring corporate entity.

Of course I understand the different corporate situations and histories of the two the companies, and how that influences these differences, but if I could wish for one thing from WotC, it would be to make their fans feel as appreciated and as part of the community as many Paizo fans feel.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Off the top of my head:

1. PDF support. Yeah, I hate nerdrage too but I also hate not having PDF copies of my books when I game in one country and prepare in another (or others).

2. Good adventures. Unless Rich Baker is the author or one of the authors the WotC adventures are not that good. That's a polite way of saying that they suck.

3. Real adventure paths. Scales of War is not an adventure path: it is a collection of random encounters linked by a bare modicum of plot. H1N1/H1-3/P1-3/E1-3 is not much better.

4. Great art. OK, so WotC no longer uses the appalling Dennis Crabapple/Cramer/McClain (I think I got most of his names) but, generally speaking, the Paizo folks have a much better success rate with the quality of art despite what must be a lower art budget.

5. A well-supported campaign setting. I like FR. I like Eberron. I like everything except for Krynn. I would love to see any of them well-supported like Paizo does with Golarion.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

I'm running a 4e campaign now. Using Forgotten Realms in the year 137X (skipping the 4e campaign update.)

I use a lot of resources. For example, I like Paizo's lines like Dungeon Denizens, Dragons, and Classic Monsters revisited.

I would like to see WoTC follow Paizo in a few areas.

1. More print adventure support. There is a dearth of official 4e adventurers. This one adventure path thing is good for those who enjoy it but it leads to a serious lack of options. Dungeon helps to alleviate this somewhat, and Goodman Games has admirably stepped up to the plate. But I'd like more WoTC stuff.

2. More campaign setting support. Pathfinder is doing this in various venues, some of it, like the various revisited books, useful for any game, any system. I'm not fond of the 'fire and forget' method that WoTC is using with three products (DM, Player, and adventure) for their settings in print.

3. PDF support. Now I don't think WoTC could sell directly and give you the PDF, but damn, that would be sweet. If they sell it to you directly, they know you bought it and so your account gets a PDF.

*whistles*
Boy, i sure would like to have the time to burn through the material as fast as you. I´m still standing knee-deep in 4e adventures i haven´t run, and one CS can keep me entertained for years. So, not seeing it.
I´d like to buy .pdfs again, though.

I´m especially against a constant stream of setting information. Constant stream of crunch? Why not. Constant stream of add-to-setting-fluff? Nah.

 

[JeffB]

I'd like to see more and better quality adventures from WOTC (DDI and print) , but I'm not sure I want to them to start doing things like Paizo does- I don't care for their adventures or APs either.

Other than that, I actually feel WOTC is finally doing a bang-up job product wise with 4E. The books & DDI content is much more useful/inspirational/enjoyable to me this time around. In fact I've spent far more more money on 4E WOTC products since 4E was released than I did the entire lifespan of 3.5 (2003 to 2008).

 

[Asmor]

I agree 100% (more or less)

I disagree 66%.

I find little use from adventures. I've used, I think, 3 from Dungeon ever. I'm much happier with them dedicating their resources more towards crunchy books.

And I'm very, very, very, very... well, let's just say ecstatically. I'm ecstatically happy with the way they're doing campaign settings. Allows them to explore more campaign settings without getting a glut of competing products.