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Pathfinder online can it live up?
foofighter405
Member Posts: 26
Being a long time player of pen and paper games as well as MMO's. The question must loom can it live up to the name? Pathfinder is a great game and if you're into PnP games it's a must play! That being said back in the day when they made Dungeons and Dragons online I was pro, fanboy, I wanted the name carrying such a title to make it.
It's not a terrible game but it's also not DnD. I'm not sure MMO's can stand up to the counter parts of a few friends playing around a table eating pizza. PnP games are turn based, slower if you will, than the fast pace of any MMO out today or in the past for that matter. Will I play the online version? You bet your sweet ass i will! I won't however fall into the trap of thinking that the game should or will reflect the PnP game i play.
The names, places and NPC's will be neat to see coming to life but please remember that online is not and will not be the same game as name sake that it takes. If the developers can convert even a fraction of the table top game it should be a great success and I look forward to seeing that game as it advances through the many stages to an online version.
Foo
Comments
Taking Warhammer Online, there was none of the large armies conquering anything significant apart from tagging keeps and then running off. Nor character development of RPG apart from new skill acquisition. Instead you got the 2 Faction PvE or PvP Themepark MMO Model. Big difference! With Orcs rubbing shoulders with Dark Elves etc. That said the graphical assets of the world were awesome as was some of the lore and the bestiary was excellent.
So a real let down for any of 1-4 experiences to be perfectly honest. Therefore PFO has it's work cut out to capture any of those.
But they have some ideas that seem to fit in: Eg armies, player formed factions, rpg related skill system albeit not class restricted. I think personally if they can create a space where a simulation of virtual world with pathfinder lore, assets BUT 000's of players running cities, bandits, trading, treaties, travelling... yup it has much more potential to capture some of pathfinder than warhammer online managed, digitally.
So it sure is going to be different either good or bad. But the aspect of the game that might most parallel the PnP is the "adventuring party" and finding dungeons and hanging out at Inns (player owned) within safe kingdoms (player-run) and finding quests where the bandits are not npcs but other players along the way.
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014633/Classic-Game-Postmortem
Well.. as much as i know about Pathfinder Online it could be a very special game. Extremely fun, different and more Roleplaying than the usuall MMORPG. A virtual world, with a lot of roleplaying opportunities and somewhat of a living world. More like EvE in a classic fantasy theme, with classic fantasy gameplay.(like the assasination from the new blog, which sound great by the way)
But, it will not, and can not be like the PnP. It just doesnt work. In any PnP its you, your friends as party and one GM handcrafting Stories for your Party. That can not be replicated.. it's just not possible. So if you expecting PnP Pathfinder to become a Online experience you will be disappointed. So do you a favor and dont build up a lot of expectations, dont imagine anything. Just try to play it at first with an open mind. (and in all honestly all those blogs dont help a lot for that... but it would be better for our gaming experience.)
Paizo is producing a virtual tt environment which sounds a more like-like experience of that system, than the mmorpg. Interesting general topic: Which is better: Boardgames/TT/PnP or Video-Games?
Eg this article caught my notice: Board Games Are Better Than Video Games In So Many Ways
That said, mmorpgs should have an advantage in the emergent gameplay between 000's+ that could occur that the devs never dreamed of happening (in a conducive way).
http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014633/Classic-Game-Postmortem
Short answer? No.
Regardless of how awesome the game develops into people will not be happy. It will be missing features that "anyone in their right mind could see are essential".
There will also be bugs that they should be able to fix before the first coffee break in the morning that they simply refuse to fix.
It can't be all things to all people - not even all things to all people that want to pvp in a true sandbox.
Don't think that I am hating on the game. I contributed to the kickstarter as it sounded intriguing, but I know it can't live up to what people hope it will be.