Would Paizo Make a Better Steward for Our Hobby?

[GreyLord]

I think PAIZO would do grandly if it were the caretakers of the D20 versions of D&D, aka 3e and 3.5, a little more fuzzy on 4e though. With the initial D20 versions (3e and 3.5) they could basically have the framework already there with their pathfinder game.

However, as caretakers of the entire brand...remember, WotC at least has recently released the premium core for AD&D as well as some supplemental adventures and left some more of these items for download.

Would Paizo do better then that in supporting something that was NOT PF specific or that type of game specific or would they be like the old WotC (which many were a part of) and drop it like a stone except for the PDF downloads?

I'd be estatic if they'd go beyond downloads and actually support more hardcopy of the older versions (2e and prior) of D&D and maybe even create adventure paths for them. Would they do that?

I don't know, they may think it would fragment their hold, or take the old WotC light (which as aforementioned, many of them were a part of) which is to try to stamp out the older game in favor of a new game they wrote?

On the otherhand, they DO have multiple game books and other systems for sale and download on their site (in case anyone was curious or interested, there's a LOT more then simply PF that you can buy at Paizo's online store).

If they were willing to reinvest and supplement, and perhaps even push new products for publication (maybe even AD&D's own adventure paths or BECMI's adventure paths?) I'd be absolutely ecstatic.

However, I don't know if they'd actually do that or not. Some of those there are part of the old guard that killed AD&D in the first place...so as those that would be the stewards of ALL of D&D...I don't know.

Of the 3e and 3.5 versions, absolutely, they'd be wonderful stewards. I think they probably could do something (at least in continuation of the CB and other items, possibly even for free?) for the 4e gurus.

But when it comes to pre-3e/D20 versions...I'm not so certain that they would be better stewards than WotC is or not. I think they definitely have the talent and resources to be better stewards for it if they so desired...but I'm not certain if they would do that even if it was handed to them part and parcel.

PS: Now don't get me wrong, I am a rabid fan of PF, and absolutely love what PAIZO has done and is doing, but when discussing ALL of D&D (not just the post 3e versions) I'm not convinced that it would be the right move or not. Call me undecided on that portion.

 

[DaveMage]

PS: Now don't get me wrong, I am a rabid fan of PF, and absolutely love what PAIZO has done and is doing, but when discussing ALL of D&D (not just the post 3e versions) I'm not convinced that it would be the right move or not. Call me undecided on that portion.

I believe Erik Mona recently (if not currently) has played in a 1E campaign - and most of them (if not all of them) cut their teeth on pre-3E D&D.

I think they'd be fine for all editions except 4E, which they've already indicated does not let them tell the stories they'd like to tell. Of course, WotC couldn't succeed with 4E either, so there you go.

 

[billd91]

WotC may well knock 5E out of the park. D&D has been overtaken by other games before (White Wolf led it for a long time) and came roaring back with 3E to become to top dog again. If there's one thing that's always true it's that things always change.

It was my understanding that White Wolf only led it for the time TSR was unable to get anything printed which implies it really overtook D&D by default. That's still an accomplishment, but not quite as significant as Pathfinder reaching parity and then exceeding it while competing head to head.

 

[Gundark]

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain?

Ha! True

 

[Gundark]

My feeling is that Paizo would be great for supporting the game with a steady stream of adventures. That'd be great.

However, they'd make a dog's breakfast of the rules.

Paizo makes some great products. I'm not a fan of 3e either. If they did take over my fear is that they would keep us stuck to what is IHMO not a great set of rules.

 

[Dungeoneer]

I think that Paizo would probably do a better job taking care of D&D than TSR or WOTC. It's a low bar.

But I don't understand why people frame this question in terms of Pathfinder. Paizo is not Pathfinder. If they needed to support editions of D&D that differed from Pathfinder, they could simply hire more designers. Logically, the question of what games they currently support has no bearing on whether they are fit caretakers for D&D.

The way I see it, the first job of any caretaker of D&D is to maintain support for the community, because that's what's going to sustain the game over time. Make sure that PDFs and tools for all editions of D&D are available. Make supporting products like dungeon tiles and minis. Hire good designers and writers to create cool new stuff. At minimum, these are the things that a good brand owner would do.

I'm sure other people can think of things that a responsible steward of D&D would do that I haven't listed here.

 

[Blackwarder]

Meh, I don't get the hype around Piazo, I got the PF core rule books and several PF adventures and supplements and I'm not impressed. So no, I don't think that they will make a better custodian of D&D that any one else.

Warder

 

[dd.stevenson]

The way I see it, the first job of any caretaker of D&D is to maintain support for the community, because that's what's going to sustain the game over time. Make sure that PDFs and tools for all editions of D&D are available. Make supporting products like dungeon tiles and minis. Hire good designers and writers to create cool new stuff. At minimum, these are the things that a good brand owner would do.

I'm sure other people can think of things that a responsible steward of D&D would do that I haven't listed here.

I can think of a few things:

• Assign realistic project milestones.
• Fulfill project milestones.
• Identify and engage with key non-employee stakeholders.
• Execute product launches integrated across a variety of media, timed with a marketing campaign to inform the public about these products.

The last two and a half product cycles have been pretty weak in these regards, but I'm holding out hope that this time around will be different.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Whether it's WotC, Paizo, or anyone else: our hobby isn't unified to any degree, which is a big problem to any publishing company. So what could they publish for "the" game? How to reach sales numbers high enough to support a company? And how to do so for years without selling a new edition?

Stat-less books? Background only? A meta system from which to derive the stats for your favourite incarnation of "the" game?

Frankly speaking, we're much to divided to be targeted by one company. With the rather low threshold to publishing today in conjunction with the OGL idea, the fragmentation will probably increase in the future.

Anyone keen on playing Steward to a sack of rabid fleas?

 

[Stormonu]

I think initially, Paizo would be a good caretaker. However, success tends to be a company's worst enemy. Also as the old guard fades out, things change. People want to make their mark - do it faster, better, stronger. And basically destroy what brought everyone to the game in the first place.

Sometimes I really think D&D should retire. No new editions, just sell copies of what already exists.