Catching Up With PATHFINDER ONLINE

Pathfinder Online has a new release designed for new players - the 9th release since January. It includes a 15-day free trial period (after which it will cost you $15 per month). At Paizocon this year, a new trailer was released - it features Nhur Athemon, from the Emerald Spire Superdungeon. Add to this new creatures such as Duergar and Elementals, Pathfinder Online seems to be picking up steam!

Paizo CEO Lis Stevens posted a blog about the game here, and will apparently be doing so each week from now on.

[video=youtube;ZvEcquJFYkc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvEcquJFYkc&feature=youtu.be[/video]
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[Pauper]

If you think that Pathfinder is the mechanics of the TRPG, then you're going to be disappointed in Pathfinder Online, which seems to be a pretty basic tank/healer/DPS style MMO. However, Pathfinder could be defined as its setting, and that's what the push is really about -- if you're a fan of the world of Golarion, you can run around in it on your computer. I could see someone really into the setting enjoying running around exploring things much like a Star Wars fanboy would probably run around exploring the nooks and crannies of Tattooine in Star Wars: the Old Republic without caring about doing quests or wondering if the plot eventually links up with the films.

I know a couple of people who are Pathfinder Society Venture Officers, and they've recently been given free accounts for the game in the hopes that they will serve as in-game guides and helpers for PFS players curious about the MMO. If Paizo ever makes a certain hourly quota of time logged into PFO a requirement for PFS Venture Officers, though, I suspect that won't go over very well.

Though Goblinworks should rightly take the credit or blame for the technical aspects of PFO, Paizo has theoretically signed off on the implementation and is doing their level best to promote it as a true 'Pathfinder experience'. If PFO doesn't take off, we may finally have found something Paizo doesn't do well.

 

[Evenglare]

I think that's the real problem though getting people to stick around. We are talking subsets of subsets of people that are supposed to keep the game afloat. First we have to get gamers, then we have to get gamers that like MMOs, then we have to get people who AREN'T already subscibed to an MMO, then we have to get people who know about pathfinder and convince them this game is better than the alternatives, then we have to get people who know about pathfinder but don't care if the rules are pathfinder rules and classes/whatever, then we have to convince them that this game is actually worth it to play in a general sense.

Just... I just can't see it... i feel really bad for goblin works honestly.

 

[Ravenheart87]

Pathfinder Online is the least promising unfinished MMO at the market, at least for me. With such fantasy MMOs coming in the next few years as Crowfall, EverQuest Next, Camelot Unchained, it looks poor in every possible way. Heck, even a random new eastern grindfest looks more interesting than this.

 

[RedShirtNo5.1]

"Our Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting was designed around the tropes and values of classic fantasy roleplaying, and the Pathfinder Adventure Path books were designed to provide the best gaming experience using the 3.5 system. After careful evaluation of our options, we believe that the 3.5 core will continue to be the best system to tell the stories we've got planned for Pathfinder."
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2iki3&page=4?What-about-Pathfinder-is-Incompatible-with-4E#199

 

[TrickyUK]

Signed up for the 15 day free trial. Loaded it up twice. Both times didn't manage more than 10 minutes before I decided it was simply terrible. I know it's a beta and is being described as minimum viable product, but I'm confused; imagine what a car would look like as a minimum viable product - would anyone pay money for it? I would happily keep dipping in and seeing how it progresses, but I am not paying for work in progress. It feels like I'm not buying a product but investing in it's development (with no monetary return), only to have to pay for it when it finally becomes a product. And based upon what I have seen/heard so far, I won't be buying the finished product.

Such a shame. I'm just waiting to see how much longer this can go on. Sorry to be skeptical.

 

[BrockBallingdark]

I'm not a Pathfinder fan anymore but I was on this KS only for the Emerald Spire pdf. The rest of my group are Pathfinder fans and showed them the progression thru the KS updates. To be nice, they were not impressed at all, most of it due to the graphics. I'm still stunned this got funded with all the other MMO's running about. I just wonder how long before it goes to a Free Service.

 

[TheSwartz]

I was a huge supporter on KS. So much so that I backed it twice for two accounts. I tried it after they released it to backers and ... I can only say 3 words.. "It Sucks Bad..." Completely dissapointed.

I know it is in early stages, but the original Everquest game in 1999 looks bettter than this 2015 game.

Sorry, but it's so bad I just have to say something. Maybe they'll put some work into this to turn it around, but it's so bad that I can't see how that's possible.

 

[Cristian Andreu]

I backed both Kickstarters and played for a while.

Though I have high hopes that the game will eventually become an excellent niche piece, right now it's a bit outside my scope of enjoyment. In particular, I think the interface and responsiveness are so uncomfortable they detract from the entire experience, and the game mechanics, while very interesting in paper, feel overly Byzantine and artificially obtuse in some aspects.

I will most certainly continue to keep an eye on it, but for now I'll be waiting.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't actually play MMOs, but I fail to see what make this worth a subscription with all of the free to play options out there?

 

[DaveMage]

Yeah, that's a concern I have as well. I mean, they are asking about $180/year for something that just doesn't seem to measure up by any standard.

I guess those that are really in love with Golarion will find something to like, but I have yet to see very many fully positive reviews by those from outside the company.