Pathfinder 1E You're the CEO of PAIZO. Now What?

[Fifth Element]

Paizo starts supporting two systems, that's less energy and effort supporting the one system that I support.

The thread is about what you would do if you were CEO of Paizo. If your answer is "only support games that I personally like", that's fine, but would that be a wise business decision?

 

[bagger245]

The problem is, this is not about how much support one company has vs the other. This is what I would want out of Piazo and this is what 4E is severely lacking IMO. Good adventures and adventure paths. Paizo are the undisbuted kings of adventure paths in my world. I would love to have some of their adventure paths officially converted. I also think there is a very good market for it as well.

So they can achieve this without signing the GSL? Or are you just stating that if you were Paizo's CEO you would go 4e and ignore the repercussions that Lisa has stated due to this being imaginary?

 

[delericho]

Honestly, trying to go head to head with WotC doesn't seem a good approach.

No, it would be a bad idea for Paizo to try. In the absolute best-case scenario, as soon as they became a noticable threat, WotC would just buy them out and kill their IP. As someone who doesn't find 4e to be to his taste, I'm very glad for the alternative.

New blood doesn't stay "new". Just as a lot of people prefer PF to 4e now, some guy out there will pick up D&D for the first time in the next month and somewhere down the road discover that the "newbie friendly" game isn't the end all for them.

This, however, I can't agree with. I've been playing for more than 20 years now, and I find I yearn for a much simpler (and incidentally more "newbie friendly") version of the game.

 

[Tharen the Damned]

.

I think the current CEO and the whole PAIZO Team do most things right

- They stick to what they do best and that is producing high quality, "fluff" heavy adventures and settings.
- They listen to their customers
- They are apporachable through their message boards and other boards like en-world
- Their Customer Service is absolutely fantastic.
- The PFRPG open playtest was brilliant. And is brilliant for the upcoming PFRPG products.

That said, PAIZO could ease their product shedule. At the moment we get most products with some delay. Once or twice is not a big deal, but more often is annoying.
With a looser shedule, most Products will be on time. And some may even be released early.

Lastly I heartily endorse the idea of a rules light PFRPG.

 

[BryonD]

What is this an us vs them? Really? Are you kidding?

We are talking about ADVENTURES. I would love a PDF that is availaboe for 4E encounters. I don't even care if they started with their first AP and then go from there.

If I am going to buy something to use in my game, I am going to buy something with the least amount of work I need to do. There is already enough work to get it in my game already.

This is also not a thread of cheerleading, it is if I where CEO. That is what I would do. Pathfinder, Adventure Paths for that, and conversions to other systems.

If I was CEO, I would ignore the advice of people who ignore repeated explanations why their idea isn't a good one.

If I was CEO, I would wonder why Paizo not supporting 4E is "us and them" but WotC not supporting 3E is just to be assumed.

If I was CEO, I would not produce products that have demonstrated to do poorly in the marketplace just because a person or two says they personally would buy it.

If I was CEO I would conclude that 4E's goal of not making too much work is failing in at leats one instance.

 

[BryonD]

This, however, I can't agree with. I've been playing for more than 20 years now, and I find I yearn for a much simpler (and incidentally more "newbie friendly") version of the game.

This is not a counter to the point I am making.

The implication is that all new blood wants a good starter game. I'll accept that close enough to truth.

You are not new blood.

There is no logic to the claim that just because new blood wants simple games that non-new blood rejects simple games. And, as such, that is not remotely my claim.

Old blood diverges into different tastes. Some will want simple games. Some will want less simple games.

The claim was made that PF only appeals to 3.5 holdouts and they must change to get new blood. But, as current new blood evolves (and that can happen very very quickly), some fraction of that no-longer-new blood will find games like PF to be what they want. Yes, there will be others who still want simple.

But the claim that new PF will never gain new fans because only old 3E players will ever like it is absurd.

 

[BryonD]

What is this an us vs them? Really? Are you kidding?

For the record, many many people have EXACTLY this reaction to the GSL. WotC could not have drawn a more clear line in the sand.

 

[DaveMage]

Yes...

That requries an IT dept.

That requires more resources.

Or licensing....

 

[William Ronald]

I think that an introductory product, similar to the old D&D boxed sets, might be good. Perhaps have some bare bones rules, character examples, and an adventure. Design it so that it can be compatible with the Pathfinder RPG and maybe just go for a small number of levels -- perhaps five levels. This could serve as an introductory product for new and existing gamers.

Focusing on what the company does well is a sound strategy. I also urge keeping up good customer relations and good customer contact. It is vital for any business to understand their customers.

Down the road, I think an epic level book and expanding into more areas of Golarion or other worlds in its solar system could be good ideas.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

The thread is about what you would do if you were CEO of Paizo. If your answer is "only support games that I personally like", that's fine, but would that be a wise business decision?

I dont know, that 's a good question though.

Is it any better than IGNORING the reasons the ACTUAL PAIZO CEO has for not supporting your edition of choice? Paizo seems to be doing very well NOT supporting 4E. But a couple of people who want to break that formula because they want Paizo to "support the game that they like" is less of an issue?