Pathfinder 2E Do you think 1st or 2nd edition is more complicated?

[cranberry]

I never played PF1E. However, if Starfinder 1E is anything like PF 1E in design and mechanics, then in my opinion, PF1E is more complicated than 2E.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I said 1e, but I want to unpack it a little for fairness:

1. I am not directly very familiar with PF1e, but I was familiar with D&D 3 and 3.5 and nothing I've been told suggests they're different in any significant way in complexity as such;

2. I consider the more special casing something has the more complex it is, and I actually think that weighs in as much more more than actual complexity in general mechanics.

 

[Tigris]

I said 1e, but I want to unpack it a little for fairness:

1. I am not directly very familiar with PF1e, but I was familiar with D&D 3 and 3.5 and nothing I've been told suggests they're different in any significant way in complexity as such;

2. I consider the more special casing something has the more complex it is, and I actually think that weighs in as much more more than actual complexity in general mechanics.

I would say PF1 is a bit more streamlined than 3.5 in general. Especially it has a quite good online srd: d20PFSRD

When you look at that and at classes like a fighter: Fighter – d20PFSRD then the base classes are normally easy to understand (not truenamer strange things), but it also has many advanced options etc. (which make the classes long like the advanced weapon feats).

 

[Thomas Shey]

I would say PF1 is a bit more streamlined than 3.5 in general. Especially it has a quite good online srd: d20PFSRD

When you look at that and at classes like a fighter: Fighter – d20PFSRD then the base classes are normally easy to understand (not truenamer strange things), but it also has many advanced options etc. (which make the classes long like the advanced weapon feats).

I don't find the presence of online tools changes my opinion about the complexity of a system however, and PF1e still has the general tendency toward special casing. At best it tends to be a little less prone for every new add-on to show no relationship to prior ones, but its still far more than with PF2e in part because its constrained more by its systemic ancestry.