Pathfinder 1E Could Pathfinder take D&D's place...

[VGmaster9]

...of being the number one RPG game in the world? It seems to me that Pathfinder's community is growing real fast. There's even a CMG adaptation by Wizkids (Heroclix, Mage Knight). I'm sure there's still some competition between the two games, but do you think Pathfinder will soon become the more successful game?

 

[Dingo333]

I think it comes down to this statement which, admittedly, only holds true 70-80% of the time:

Those who have played older editions, or started before 4E was introduced prefer PF to 4E. Those who started since 4E began prefer 4E to PF

4E is easy to get into from a complete outsider's perspective. PF has more rules it seems, more rules interactions, and more difficulty (all from an outside perspective)

PF is close enough to 3E that those who played them have little to relearn (sometimes). To go from 3E to 4E there are many rules and ability changes, many more then 3E to PF.

In short, older gamers stick to what they know(PF) while newer gamers find whatever is easiest to start out in(4E).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think it's hard to overstate the value of the Dungeons & Dragons brand name. Vampire: The Masquerade took off in the 1990s, because the name tells you enough to know if you might be interested in it. "Pathfinder" doesn't, really, and it's up against what many people still think of as the only RPG.

 

[VGmaster9]

I think it's hard to overstate the value of the Dungeons & Dragons brand name. Vampire: The Masquerade took off in the 1990s, because the name tells you enough to know if you might be interested in it. "Pathfinder" doesn't, really, and it's up against what many people still think of as the only RPG.

Yeah, and it could have the potential to be a "D&D-killer", just like how people are waiting to see a WOW-killer.

 

[DaveMage]

Sure it could.

Heck, Pathfinder is already #1 in my house.

Seriously, though, D&D is still pretty strong, so I imagine the two games will both be at or near the top for the forseeable future.

 

[gamerprinter]

I think it comes down to this statement which, admittedly, only holds true 70-80% of the time:

Those who have played older editions, or started before 4E was introduced prefer PF to 4E. Those who started since 4E began prefer 4E to PF

4E is easy to get into from a complete outsider's perspective. PF has more rules it seems, more rules interactions, and more difficulty (all from an outside perspective)

PF is close enough to 3E that those who played them have little to relearn (sometimes). To go from 3E to 4E there are many rules and ability changes, many more then 3E to PF.

In short, older gamers stick to what they know(PF) while newer gamers find whatever is easiest to start out in(4E).

Maybe, but I've got four new players in our group who've never played RPGs before, and since our group is playing Pathfinder, the only RPG game they know is Pathfinder. This is certainly anecdotal, however, it does defy your point that "those players that started since 4e prefer 4e." I suppose you mean those players who started playing 'on their own' prefer 4e - of course I/you have no way of proving that to be true or not.

The question becomes, what happens when Pathfinder Beginner Box is released, perhaps more will become first time gamers with that and not 4e...

 

[gamerprinter]

Yeah, and it could have the potential to be a "D&D-killer", just like how people are waiting to see a WOW-killer.

Unless you consider the points being brought up in the "Is Pathfinder D&D?" thread, that Pathfinder is "D&D" (just not the branded version), thus Pathfinder cannot be a D&D killer, as it is D&D in of itself. It is not 'suicidal'.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

For many people it has taken D&D's place. But, as you can see in the Is Pathfinder D&D? thread that Gameprinter mentioned, a fair number of folks consider it to be D&D.

Do I think that it could become #1 and stay there more than 50% of the time?...

Maybe. It would require Pathfinder to keep increasing at its current rate (hurray!) or 4e to start shrinking (boo!). Of the two, I would greatly prefer to have Pathfinder pull in new crowds. (I have hopes for the Pathfinder Beginners set coming out in October.)

If you mean do I think that 4e will quietly go away, leaving Pathfinder as the only contender?...

No, I think that the market has split, and will stay split, but that the 4e architecture will not go away.

The Auld Grump

 

[thundershot]

I wonder if Hasbro ever sold off the D&D brand, if Paizo would pick it up? D&D 5E/PF 2E could be the same thing. haha...

 

[Dark Mistress]

As mentioned I think the success and how well the new beginners boxed set is for Pathfinder will make a fairly big impact on how many new players they can start bringing in. But even if everything breaks Paizo's way i don't see them dominating the market. I could see something like 45% Pathfinder, 40% 4e and 15% everything else(note those are random numbers to make a point) and outsell/become more popular than 4e. Will it happen is another question but I could see it happening, if everything breaks Pathfinders way.

The only way i see Pathfinder becoming the 800 pound gorilla of RPG's is honestly if 5e comes out, fails to bring in many new players or lapsed players and further splits their 4e fan base like 4e did with 3e fan base.

Now if we are talking long term like 10-20 years down the road, then who knows. Thing can change dramatically in that amount of time.