Pathfinder: Kingmaker PaizoCon Coverage

The folks from Know Direction, a website dedicated to all things Pathfinder, participated in the Pathfinder: Kingmaker CRPG seminar that took place during the recent PaizoCon. They shared their notes via a Facebook post. Here’s what we know so far:

Lisa Stevens says Chris Avellone was trying to talk her into a Pathfinder CRPG since he was with Obsidian. He arranged a meeting with who would be Owlcat at GenCon 2016. They presented a “vertical slice” demo in March for Paizo to play. Paizo staff is super excited, especially with how the flavour of Golarion comes through.

Creative director Aleksandr Mishulin was inspired by AD&D to make games. He has done so for 18 years.

Combat will have multiple modes: Core Rules (similar to tabletop Pathfinder but real time, not turn based), adapted rules (less deadly for less experienced, crits deadliness reduced), story mode (really simple combat), Iron man (tougher monsters, just one save that overwrites itself so accept your mistakes), and custom (for example, core rules with reduced crits).

Story: Chris Avellone said Lisa Stevens drove home the point that Kingmaker is near and dear to her heart, having run it multiple times. He understood this to mean “Don’t -bleet- this up”.”

The story is adapted from the AP but with new narrative elements

The aim for exploration is to make the player feel in control. One major way it will be different from other CRPGs is camp, where you have to choose a safe place, assign hunting and guard duties, and interact with the NPCs

Kingdom building: A new system based on the tabletop version but without so many micro decisions. The buildings you make impact the Kingdom’s alignment and the alignment affects how other kingdoms and visitors interact with it.

On a character level, your decisions affect your alignment, and your alignment affects how NPCs interact with you, including your party companions who all have their own agendas.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker will be funded via Kickstarter, launching soon. The hope is to release Summer 2018.

Mass combat will only be in the game if the Kickstarter campaign spectacularly over funds. It requires that many original assets.

Character generation: you can play any Core Rulebook race, and any Core Rulebook class plus the alchemist and inquisitor.

Re: The OGL
They haven’t solved all of the OGL issues, but they’ve found work around for any that would prevent making a video game. The foremost authorities on the OGL all work for Paizo.