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| Episode 63|Announcements
None! Time for topics!
Topics 
Pathfinder Online Kickstarter, Take 2
There is yet another Kickstarter up to fund more of the Pathfinder Online MMO that is coming from Paizo/Goblinworks. The previous Kickstarter was to fund a tech demo and this one is for the actual game. Micah and I talk extensively about it and I try and explain my apprehensiveness to the best of my ability.
Gygax Magazine
A newly announced magazine that is already mired in drama called “Gygax Magazine” has been quite the topic of discussion on the internet lately. We’ve obtained some info from Jayson Elliot’s (one of the people behind Gygax Magazine) podcast regarding what the magazine will be about as well as when we should expect it and a bunch more. There’s a lot of speculation at this point but we’ll know more soon!
Stan! Leaves WotC
In a very candid series of blog posts, the multifaceted nerd that Stan! is has detailed his decision to leave Wizards of the Coast, mainly for creative reasons. Much of this sounds akin to what happened a few months ago with Monte Cook leaving WotC and the D&DNext design team. Be sure to all three parts of his blog post and give us your two cents on the whole situation if you feel so inclined.
Tip Corner
Quick tip! At the start of next session, make sure everyone has everyone else’s cell phone number. No sense in playing Chinese telephone with your group, have everyone’s contact info from day 1!
Twitter Poll
Brian Patterson / (@d20monkey) asks – One of the iconic core races is removed from D&D forever. Which is it and why?
Listen to find out!
Music Credits | Intro: “Prelude” | Outro: “Stande Alone” | by LukHash |
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Hi. Vince from the RFI Podcast, thanks for downloading and listening!. Couple corrections, Jayson is not involved with the podcast anymore, I am the creator and host. He just was the one who opened the website for us at the time as we split responsibilities up. Jayson also made a post release correction that he meant to say the magazine is shooting to be out by Xmas and if not they will hold off and highlight at garycon 2013.
Thanks for the clarification!
I think Micah got it a bit wrong when he talked about Stan! ‘s contract not being renewed due to burnt bridges. This isn’t the case. From Stan! blog entry (Part 3):
“However, because of the previously mentioned “permatemp” laws, my contract was about to expire . . . and because of corporate policy, I was not allowed to do ANY work for the company of ANY kind for a term of 6 months.”
So he actually couldn’t work for Wizards past the end of his contract.
Good catch. Thanks for pointing that out.
I think you guys left out the part of Stan’s posts where he mentioned the Washington state laws that restrict the amount of time someone can be a contract employee. I feel like that was the core reason he is no longer at WotC, not a BIG deal but still it’s less of a controversy than it can sound like without that bit of information!
I want to play an Elven ditch digger or sanitary worker now.
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Thanks Dudes! I feel the same about the Dragonborn race. But I could not live in a world without elves. LOL!
Great comments on the additional Paizo kickstarter. $1,300,000+ of gamer money is going to something that most MMO companies would have received from investors. I understand their wanting to minimize risk, but risk is part of what encourages companies to make a great game. Even as it is, most MMOs are not success stories. If this one isn’t… wow, I don’t even want to contemplate what a waste of gamer money this would be. Even if it is a success, it isn’t clear it will be due to that gamer money. It just might come sooner. In the end, I would really rather this money go to RPGs, which is what most of the funders really want.
I’m 100% with you on this Alphastream!
On the Stan! story, I’m not really shocked to hear this. Companies do have a reason to worry that someone could work for them on games, develop ideas, and save that for their own work rather than use it for the company. If a designer is working on a game and has this great idea for a mechanic, we want them to incorporate it in that game. But, what is also interesting about this story is that those around Stan! all felt it wasn’t an issue. When it reached the top, someone who didn’t no him nixed the special exemption. That points out that WotC’s staff wasn’t listened to in this decision. Were they too close to him to be able to make the right call? (Possible, they are all friends and most have at some time done their own game design). Or, was this a sign of suits still making important calls over D&D? It really isn’t clear.
From what I know of situations like this my guess would seem to point toward your final idea there. People who wear suits and are generally uninformed making decisions that they shouldn’t be allowed to make. Call me a conspirator, but yeah…that’s where I’d put my money.
RE: Dragonborn
Specifically the mention of “being able to breathe fire” (or other energy types – the breath weapon), that ability was ultra weak-sauce, anyway. So that seemed a non-issue to me. VERY underwhelming. Far from “being a dragon.”
True. Still though, the premise alone was enough for me to be turned off by the whole idea. I guess I’m a grognard
Glad to hear that people are liking the podcast…and I still hate elves!
Really liking the podcast, the only one I listen to actually.
https://goblinworks.com/blog/index.html#20121130
I think that link will give you something to talk about. It looks like they will be expecting people to pay for Beta.
I agree with micah(?) about the “uhh why does this exist” pathfinder mmo kickstarter thing. 100$ for beta access in two years is understandable, but kinda meh given that they’ve been promising that the game will be all things to everyone when many of those things just don’t really translate to a computer game. Take EVE, it has a huge dose of political/economic stuff, but you couldn’t insert descent/freespace style combat without serious repercussion in that economy. 100$ for being able to start my characters at level 5 (or whatever) instead of level 1 in a few years… that could be interesting, even if it’s something anyone can get after enough effort like ddo gives
Can you post a link to the Chris Pramas blog posts about MMO’s & his thoughts on the Pathfinder MMO.
My Google-Fu must be weak as I can’t for the life of me find them on the interweb.