Pathfinder 1E Business models from TSR, WotC and Paizo

[jeffh]

Intentionally? I think you are right, but as has been pointed out many times Temple of Elemental Evil, or The Slave lords modules, combined with the Against the Giants, Vault of the Drow, and Queen of the Demonweb pits series certainly works well as a AP.

The links among those adventures were not there in the original versions; they came after, not before, Dragonlance was around as proof of concept. (Heck, except for T1, Temple didn't even exist yet when the Dragonlance series started.)

However, the series starting with G1 was quite intentional, and predates DL by several years. That's seven linked adventures, and though some are quite short by page count, they're each about as long as any DL module to actually play through.

 

[Bumbles]

I have to wonder what role the DDI will play in WOTC's business plans? I'm sure there is one but I don't know what...

Steady income from monthly subscriptions
Marketing venue.
Brainwashing us into online Zombies...

Ok, maybe not that last one, but still, the first two are the main benefits to them.

And yes, they are the same reason Dungeon and Dragon magazines were published, but the thing is, magazines are a declining market and online access is steadily increasing. Plus it offers the possibility of a whole lot more than print media.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Was Dragonlance the first real adventure path? There were certainly sequential adventures before that, but was that the first full campaign series (level 1 - max) linked by a single plot?

Others have already commented on DL's limited scope, starting with level 5 characters, and touted the TAGDQ series with its limited story.

In the same vein we have the Saltmarsh series (UK1-UK3) and trhe Desert of Desolation (I3-I5), both with an overarcing plot line, a limited level span, and published in the early eighties.

The next contender would be the series of eight adventures for 3E published 2000-2001. They had very weak links indeed, but covered the whole level range 1-20.

The term Adventure Path has indeed been created by Paizo for the Shackled City, iIrc.

 

[jeffh]

Others have already commented on DL's limited scope, starting with level 5 characters, and touted the TAGDQ series with its limited story.

In the same vein we have the Saltmarsh series (UK1-UK3) and trhe Desert of Desolation (I3-I5), both with an overarcing plot line, a limited level span, and published in the early eighties.

The next contender would be the series of eight adventures for 3E published 2000-2001. They had very weak links indeed, but covered the whole level range 1-20.

The term Adventure Path has indeed been created by Paizo for the Shackled City, iIrc.

No, WotC was already using it for the 3E series starting with The Sunless Citadel by the time all the core books were out.