Pathfinder CRPG by Obsidian?

[ikarinokami]

Underwhelmed at the idea.

 

As a game system Pathfinder sucks and as a setting it's a "kitchen sink" thing that doesn't make any kind of internal sense. That's two strikes against it.

 

In PnP Pathfinder makes more sense because it's compatible with the vast range of DnD stuff, which individual DM's can use to build a world of their choosing. Obsidian can't do this because, I assume, they have to avoid violating canon. That's not a showstopper but it is a significant problem, and one serious enough that they brought it up when pitching P:E.

 

Of course the "kitchen sink" thing means they can find an area in the setting to put in whatever they want, but they could just as well develop their own setting and avoid the constraints and problems of a licensed IP, and they're going to have to redo the systems anyway due to d20 licensing restrictions, so it's not like Pathfinder will stop them from making a good game.

 

But if this turns out cool, it's going to be despite it being Pathfinder rather than because of it. If it's a Kickstarter I'll back, but I would have backed an original IP triple.

pathfinder is the best selling pnp and paper rpg currently, and they have a ton of pathfinder content, it would be impossible for obsidian to get anywhere close to the amount of content paizo has generated over the last 5 years.

[GreyFox]

I'm not sure why people are dishing on Pathfinder, I really like it.

It was the next thing we did after the travisty that is 4E so maybe anything after that was going to be god-like by comparison.

[PrimeJunta]

pathfinder is the best selling pnp and paper rpg currently, and they have a ton of pathfinder content, it would be impossible for obsidian to get anywhere close to the amount of content paizo has generated over the last 5 years.

Quantity does not trump quality. McDonald's is the biggest purveyor of hamburgers in the world, but they still taste like something out of a compost pail.

 

...

 

Okay, that wasn't fair. There are plenty of interesting settings in the Pathfinder world. It's not garbage. The problem is that they've thrown everything from steampunk to Pharaonic Egypt into the same damn setting, which makes the whole incoherent.

 

Again, this is not a problem for PnP gaming because every campaign creates its own world; if you don't like the incoherence, just pick the parts you like and assemble your world from that. I've done exactly that when running Al-Qadim or Oriental Adventures D&D campaigns, and it's worked great.

 

It is a problem, however, for a licensed computer game, because they can't just ignore all the incoherent bits as they have to stick to canon. They're still there and they restrict their freedom to define things.

 

I'm not sure why people are dishing on Pathfinder, I really like it.

It was the next thing we did after the travisty that is 4E so maybe anything after that was going to be god-like by comparison.

The problem with Pathfinder (and D&D in general) is that it isn't really a system. It's more a collection of vaguely related special cases flying in loose formation. There's no overall coherence to it, which results in things being defined at a very specific level, which leads to things like classes being straitjackets, which leads to things like reams of prestige classes created specifically so you can break out of the straitjacket.

 

Suppose you want to play a character concept that goes against the grain of the defined classes. Say, a fool blessed by an evil god who uses him to further his nefarious goals. That would be a low-WIS cleric. Sorry, you're SOL. Can't cast divine spells without high WIS. The only way out of that is to define a new class or prestige class which ties spellcasting to some other ability, or detaches it from abilities altogether.*

 

Thing is, the rules for defining classes or prestige classes are extremely sketchy, and drafting one is a lot of work which will involve playtesting to see that it's viable without being overpowered. Not something you'd do just like that.

 

This situation happens because the ruleset is incoherent. All the rules are about specifics, not general principles. It only works -- sort of -- because of the sheer variety of classes, feats, prestige classes, and what have you; trawl through them and you're bound to find something that you like or at least can live with.

 

But mechanically D&D3/Pathfinder sucks donkey balls. It's clunky, incoherent, mechanically over-heavy with unnecessary arithmetic, and unnecessarily constraining while at the same time crazily unbalanced.

 

From what I've checked out, D&D5 appears to be a genuine improvement; there's actually some effort to create coherent mechanics underpinning very D&D-ish gameplay.

 

*Yes, my example was far-fetched. This situation has gone on for so long that with all the supplements that have come out by now, you're likely to find a carefully crafted straitjacket that will fit the concept you want to play, more or less.

[HoonDing]

I will roll barbarian

[rjshae]

Underwhelmed at the idea.

 

As a game system Pathfinder sucks and as a setting it's a "kitchen sink" thing that doesn't make any kind of internal sense. That's two strikes against it.

 

In PnP Pathfinder makes more sense because it's compatible with the vast range of DnD stuff, which individual DM's can use to build a world of their choosing. Obsidian can't do this because, I assume, they have to avoid violating canon. That's not a showstopper but it is a significant problem, and one serious enough that they brought it up when pitching P:E.

 

Of course the "kitchen sink" thing means they can find an area in the setting to put in whatever they want, but they could just as well develop their own setting and avoid the constraints and problems of a licensed IP, and they're going to have to redo the systems anyway due to d20 licensing restrictions, so it's not like Pathfinder will stop them from making a good game.

 

But if this turns out cool, it's going to be despite it being Pathfinder rather than because of it. If it's a Kickstarter I'll back, but I would have backed an original IP triple.

 

 

Yeah, especially given the wretched failure (under even "worse" circumstances) that was Baldur's Gate ...

[Labadal]

OBSIDIAN ANNOUNCES PATHFINDER LICENSE

 

Obsidian to partner with Paizo Inc. to release electronic Pathfinder games

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- August 13, 2014 -- Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: the Stick of Truth and the Kickstarter phenomenon Pillars of Eternity, announced that they have entered into a long-term licensing partnership with Paizo Inc. to produce electronic games based on its popular Pathfinder Roleplaying Game intellectual property

 

Obsidian's first licensed product will be a tablet game based on the highly successful Pathfinder Adventure Card game, a cooperative game for 1 to 4 players. Players each have a unique character composed of a deck of cards and a set of stats. Characters have classes such as fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric, as well as numbers that define attributes such as strength, wisdom and charisma etc. Players will be able to customize their deck to better suit each individual’s vision of their character.

 

"At Obsidian we have a long history of working with the greatest RPG franchises, and we're thrilled to get to play in the Pathfinder universe now," said CEO Feargus Urquhart. "We're huge fans and can't wait to bring what we do in the electronic gaming world to Pathfinder fans everywhere".

 

In the world of Pathfinder, players take on the role of brave adventurers fighting to survive in a world beset by magic and evil. The Pathfinder RPG is currently translated into multiple languages, with hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. The Pathfinder brand has also been licensed for comic book series, graphic novels, miniatures, plush toys, apparel, and is being developed into a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game.

 

"Obsidian is a video game developer at the top of its game", said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. "Being able to bring that type of experience and passion to Pathfinder can only mean great things, both for our loyal Pathfinder community and for all fans of great CRPG's."

 

Obsidian will be at Gen Con 2014 showing off an early prototype of the digital Pathfinder Adventure Card Game in the Paizo booth (#203) and in their own booth (#2151) featuring the first consumer hands on for Pillars of Eternity.

 

About Obsidian Entertainment

www.obsidian.net

 

About Paizo Inc.

www.paizo.com

 

Obsidian Entertainment Press Contact:

Shane DeFreest

Press@obsidian.net

 

Paizo Inc. Press Contact:

Jenny Bendel

Jenny.bendel@paizo.com

 

There you go.

[Undecaf]

Heh. Card games for tablets...

 

Not funny but I'm laughing anyway.

 

 

On the other hand; if they make a board game emulation that ends up on PC DRM free and dirt cheap, I might take a look.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Undecaf

[IndiraLightfoot]

We've just been dealt a ****ty hand of cards...

 

EDIT: Unless! Perhaps this is a sign that they will in fact develop more products, if they get the resources from, say, a Kickstarter, like a huge open-world Pathfinder CRPG.

Edited August 13, 2014 by IndiraLightfoot

[redneckdevil]

Long term licensing.....ceo saying "why not have both"...

Yep a card game (not a collecting one) and a crpg in the works for the future...

im at ease

[rjshae]

Err... who are they selling to? Pathfinder players? *sigh*

[PrimeJunta]

Yeah, especially given the wretched failure (under even "worse" circumstances) that was Baldur's Gate ...

 

I have long held that the IE games too were great despite D&D, not because of it.

 

Except... the way D&D did contribute to their greatness is indirectly. The people who made it were so enthusiastic about D&D and Forgotten Realms that a lot of that enthusiasm shone through. I'm sure they wouldn't have been anywhere near as good with a mechanically better system nobody cares about.

 

Thing is, you can have both. It's incredibly obvious by now that Obsidian are enthusiastic as mad about P:E, and P:E has what appears to be a much better system mechanically than D&D ever was.

 

If you really want to make me swoon, Obsidian, announce a game set in the world of Malazan but with the P:E ruleset. That would be holywowYES!

 

(Edit: also LOLwut? at the actual announcement.)

Edited August 13, 2014 by PrimeJunta

[redneckdevil]

 

OBSIDIAN ANNOUNCES PATHFINDER LICENSE

 

Obsidian to partner with Paizo Inc. to release electronic Pathfinder games

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- August 13, 2014 -- Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas, South Park: the Stick of Truth and the Kickstarter phenomenon Pillars of Eternity, announced that they have entered into a long-term licensing partnership with Paizo Inc. to produce electronic games based on its popular Pathfinder Roleplaying Game intellectual property

 

Obsidian's first licensed product will be a tablet game based on the highly successful Pathfinder Adventure Card game, a cooperative game for 1 to 4 players. Players each have a unique character composed of a deck of cards and a set of stats. Characters have classes such as fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric, as well as numbers that define attributes such as strength, wisdom and charisma etc. Players will be able to customize their deck to better suit each individual’s vision of their character.

 

"At Obsidian we have a long history of working with the greatest RPG franchises, and we're thrilled to get to play in the Pathfinder universe now," said CEO Feargus Urquhart. "We're huge fans and can't wait to bring what we do in the electronic gaming world to Pathfinder fans everywhere".

 

In the world of Pathfinder, players take on the role of brave adventurers fighting to survive in a world beset by magic and evil. The Pathfinder RPG is currently translated into multiple languages, with hundreds of thousands of players worldwide. The Pathfinder brand has also been licensed for comic book series, graphic novels, miniatures, plush toys, apparel, and is being developed into a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game.

 

"Obsidian is a video game developer at the top of its game", said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. "Being able to bring that type of experience and passion to Pathfinder can only mean great things, both for our loyal Pathfinder community and for all fans of great CRPG's."

 

Obsidian will be at Gen Con 2014 showing off an early prototype of the digital Pathfinder Adventure Card Game in the Paizo booth (#203) and in their own booth (#2151) featuring the first consumer hands on for Pillars of Eternity.

 

About Obsidian Entertainment

www.obsidian.net

 

About Paizo Inc.

www.paizo.com

 

Obsidian Entertainment Press Contact:

Shane DeFreest

Press@obsidian.net

 

Paizo Inc. Press Contact:

Jenny Bendel

Jenny.bendel@paizo.com

 

There you go.

Where did u find tbis by chance? Anyway for a link? Im on my phone (

[Labadal]

https://www.facebook.com/obsidian?hc_location=timeline

[Fearabbit]

Well what did you guys expect?! There were three posters in the teaser, and one explicitly said "Adventure Card Game". Another said "Roleplaying Game". The only news here is that the card game will be for tablets and will be the first game of the franchise.

 

I'm neither interested in card games nor tablet games, so this will not be for me. But I'm still interested in the Pathfinder cRPG. To the people concerned about the pulpy high-fantasy setting: Let me just remind you that KotOR was awesome.

[Volourn]

L0L Card game L0L

 

 

"Let me just remind you that KotOR was awesome. ;)"

 

KOTOR is overrated.

[GreyFox]

Yea....so I don't care too much about a card game so maybe that's for the Pathfinder fanatics.

 

The relationship is stated to be "long-term" so I have no doubt they'll do a cRPG(s) with the license at some point.

[redneckdevil]

Actually in a locked thread on Paizo, the CEO confirmed there was a crpg in the future and was hoping for many. The card game was basically something obsidian could do quickly hence why its first in line. Theres no info on tje crpg because it hasnt started being worked on yet.

Edited August 13, 2014 by redneckdevil

[Infinitron]

http://pathfinder.obsidian.net/

[Amentep]

I'm probably not the market for the card game (although I liked Culdcept, the only console card game thingy I've ever played), but I hope its good and finds its audience (and, of course, that something that maybe more to my interest is forthcoming).

[Flouride]

Not exactly what I would get (don't even own a damn tablet), but it's still work for some people. I'd rather have 5-10 guys working on stuff that I'm not into than have them laid off.

[archangel979]

 

Yeah, especially given the wretched failure (under even "worse" circumstances) that was Baldur's Gate ...

 

I have long held that the IE games too were great despite D&D, not because of it.

 

Except... the way D&D did contribute to their greatness is indirectly. The people who made it were so enthusiastic about D&D and Forgotten Realms that a lot of that enthusiasm shone through. I'm sure they wouldn't have been anywhere near as good with a mechanically better system nobody cares about.

 

Thing is, you can have both. It's incredibly obvious by now that Obsidian are enthusiastic as mad about P:E, and P:E has what appears to be a much better system mechanically than D&D ever was.

 

If you really want to make me swoon, Obsidian, announce a game set in the world of Malazan but with the P:E ruleset. That would be holywowYES!

 

(Edit: also LOLwut? at the actual announcement.)

 

Well I don't agree with you. Out of all the cRPG games using different systems that came out after BG games, none of them have the same scope or complexity (expect other D&D games like NWN and NWN2 that also featured multiclassing, prestige classes, 200 different spells, and many many different systems in one game like summoning, shapeshifting and so on; Just in different status effects you can inflict upon your enemies and them unto you, D&D beats anyone). 

 

And from what I see for now, neither will PoE. 

 

On top of that BG/NWN games supported non scripted pickpocketing, stealth and traps management. And complex crafting...

[Nonek]

Not interested in D&D or its derivatives, still i'll keep an eye open because of Obsidian's implementation.

[Apatia]

I don't own a tablet and I'm not that into card games so I'll probably pass on the card game. However I am excited about this announcement since it does mean there's a huge chance we will be seeing an Obsidian made Pathfinder crpg sooner or later.

[Keyrock]

So, it's a card game?  Not what I was hoping for, but I'll keep an open mind.

[Leferd]

Cool. Happy that Obsidian has a funnel going for future projects.

 

Hope this becomes something of a success for them. I'll give the card game a shot. Curious to see what type of a pay model they'll put in place. Free to play with micro transactions?