Pathfinder 1E Gama trade show - Pathfinder Basic

[xechnao]

Like it or not, among the fanbase, this is going to be confronted with the evergreen Essentials Red Box, supposedly the most basic introductory product to D&D.

Interesting to see how things will turn out.

 

[Wicht]

For those who did not read the comments by Paizo staff elsewhere (and some of the comments above make that clear), they have said the following:

- The $35 was the cheapest they could make it and still put everything in it that they wanted.
- The box is very deep and loaded with stuff. Paizo predicts people will feel they got their money's worth. (For what its worth, the loaded Warhammer Fantasy starter box was priced at $100)
- The game in the box, though somewhat simplified, is fully compatible with the fuller version. People will be able to use the box and its content to make a character for use in the Pathfinder Society games, which seems to me like the way to go.
- The box contents are not fully finalized but dice are very, very likely.

 

[S'mon]

I think they're right to focus on making it a proper "game in a box", and if it costs $35, fair enough. That really is not a huge amount of money for a proper game with weeks of play potential. Compare it to board games.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

For those who did not read the comments by Paizo staff elsewhere (and some of the comments above make that clear), they have said the following:

- The $35 was the cheapest they could make it and still put everything in it that they wanted.
- The box is very deep and loaded with stuff. Paizo predicts people will feel they got their money's worth. (For what its worth, the loaded Warhammer Fantasy starter box was priced at $100)
- The game in the box, though somewhat simplified, is fully compatible with the fuller version. People will be able to use the box and its content to make a character for use in the Pathfinder Society games, which seems to me like the way to go.
- The box contents are not fully finalized but dice are very, very likely.

Well, I was definitely missing some of that. The characters being eligible for play in PS games is a very nice touch - looks like they really want this to be a gateway.

The Auld Grump

 

[czak]

From the paizo boards with regards to pathfinder basic (bathfinder?) and pathfinder light:

Vic Wertz (Technical Director)
This particular incarnation of the rules will never be anything other than what it is—the books tie in to everything else in the box so strongly that they'd make little sense on their own. That said, we do recognize the difference between an introductory box set and a simplified version of the rulebook, and one does not preclude the other in any way. But I will tell you that we're only doing the former this year.

Erik Mona (Publisher),
What Vic says. We understand that the box format is not ideal for everyone (and that everyone interested in a "basic" version of the rules doesn't necessarily need dice, for example), but we're still working on how best to address this issue, and won't have anything formal to announce regarding it for a long time.




And

BigWeather wrote: I know that'll disappoint some (including me, to a degree) that had hoped it'd be a more streamlined "old school" type RPG.

Vic Wertz (Technical Director)


This is, unquestionably, still the Pathfinder RPG. We've made it easier to learn and to play, but you could theoretically take your character to a Pathfinder Society event and play level-appropriate scenarios alongside people who created their characters out of the Core Rulebook.

 

[Matt James]

I'm very much looking forward to this product. I think it will be a good primer for getting my wife's foot in the door. Similarly, this effect occurred when Essentials came out. It was easier to get my wife to play--someone who needs an easier entry point.

 

[questing gm]

From the paizo boards with regards to pathfinder basic (bathfinder?) and pathfinder light:

Can I get a link to the thread? A search on the Paizo boards didn't yield the same one you quoted.

 

[czak]

The full thread:

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboard.../pathfinderRPG/paizo/pictureOfPathfinderBasic


Vic's post:
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboard...RPG/paizo/pictureOfPathfinderBasic&page=3#102

 

[GreyLord]

The box is very deep and loaded with stuff. Paizo predicts people will feel they got their money's worth. (For what its worth, the loaded Warhammer Fantasy starter box was priced at $100)

I didn't buy the Warhammer box, it WAS too much for the money in my opinion.

I do expect to buy the Pathfinder Basic from what I'm hearing however.

 

[Wicht]

I didn't buy the Warhammer box, it WAS too much for the money in my opinion.

Time to crow a bit - I was in Books-A-Million a couple of months ago and they had a copy of the Warhammer Box marked down 50%. The reason? The outer slip cover (the one you throw in the trash after you buy the box) was torn. Needless to say, I snatched it up.

I was very pleased with the contents for $50. A hundred would have, in all honesty, made me question the value if I had actually spent that much on it. $35 for a fully loaded box will not distress me if its truly packed with goodies.