Every week, Now You Know recaps the Know Direction content of the past week, previews the Know Direction content of the week to come, as the director of operations, Ryan Costello, shares his thoughts on the state of the network.
As I mentioned in last week’s editorial, advance copies of Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core got in the hands of select influencers in the space, Know Direction included.
The initial reviews were quite positive. This was followed by a more critical second wave that got deeper into the weeds. That’s fairly consistent with an edition change like this. Although the Remaster rulebooks remain compatible with all Pathfinder 2e content released previously, the fact remains that the Remaster rulebooks change the game. Some rules changes reflect a change in philosophy. Some address rules issues. They’re all meant to improve the quality of life of the game.
That said, if you’re wondering if you should pick up Player Core and GM Core, I recommend you don’t wait for a consensus. You will hear supporters, you will hear doomsday forecaster declare that the end is nigh. Again, all consistent with how influencers and fandoms react to change.
If you’re on the fence, I suggest one of two tracks:
- Find the reviewer whose taste most closely mirrors yours. It’s not perfect, but you’re better off listening to opinions that reflect yours than taking reviews holistically and parsing out which of the opinions matter to you.
- Go with the flow. No game will be perfect for anyone player, let alone any one group. If the choice is between playing a version of Pathfinder you like less, or not playing Pathfinder at all, you’re better off with a game group. And if there are some deal breakers in one of the versions of the rules, see if your group will meet you in the middle. Pathfinder 2e Remaster is not Pathfinder 2.5. It’s more like if Pathfinder Unchained’s options were presented as a new Core Rulebook.
We’re serving up our previews this week. Mostly Rob Pontious, honestly. First, he joins Esther and Navaar on this week’s edition of the Know Direction podcast. Then, he shares his thoughts on Investing In. I have some inkling of how the staff feels about Remaster, but for the most part I’ll be hearing their thoughts at the same time as everyone else when the content releases.
Speaking of network content, here is what The Know Direction Network released last week:
Recap of October 30th to November 3rd
What happened last week on knowdirectionpodcast.com and twitch.tv/knowdirection?
Monday, October 30th
Podcast
Intrepid Heroes 119 – Your Joy Is Presumed
I’ve played in this kind of social puzzle in Pathfinder Adventure Paths and Society adventures before, and they’re usually fun, but adding in the potential to interact with an alien species with such pronounced customs shows how Starfinder’s seting reflavours familiar scenes.
Article
Now You Know: Pumpkin Core
By Ryan Costello
A little bit Halloween, a little bit teasing our upcoming Remaster content.
Tuesday, October 31st
Podcast
Game Design Unboxed 75: Wingspan
Wingspan is such a successful and influential game, I was surprised to hear how much designer Elizabeth Hargrave’s journey from inspiration to publication mirrored the journey of so many GDU guests. She didn’t do much that was different from other designers, the end results just resonated more. Not to take anything away from her success. I just want to reinforce that anyone could be designing the next Wingspan.
Thursday, November 2nd
Podcast
Digital Divination 095 – PF2 Remaster: Implications for SF2
John and Jason discuss what Starfinder fans can decipher about the new edition based on Pathfinder Remaster. And yes, it amuses me that we kicked off our Pathfinder Remaster coverage on one of our Starfinder shows.
Article
Eldritch Excursion – Ride In Style
By Nate Wright
Flipping the script on his previous article, about turning the party’s ship in Starfinder into a PC, Nate revisits his Collective Archetypes concept to turn an archetype into a customizable mount for the entire party. Very customizable. It’s the kind of mount Dr. Frankenstein would build his party.
Friday, November 3rd
Article
Essential Builds – The Rocketeer
By Ryan Costello
I use the Rocketeer Focus to build an Essence20 The Rocketeer.
Preview of November 6th to November 10th
This is Block 2 of our 2-block schedule.
Monday, November 6th
Article
Now You Know – Remaster Buzz
By Ryan Costello
And no, I’m not talking about Lightyear.
Wednesday, November 8th
Podcast
Know Direction 297: Pathfinder Remaster Review
The Know Direction Network’s own Rob Pontious joins the show to discuss Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core.
Article
Know Direction 297 In Writing
Also available in text!
Thursday, November 9th
Article
Investing In
By Rob Pontious
Rob goes deeper into his thoughts on Pathfinder Remaster.
Friday, November 10th
Podcast
Upshift 026 – Puzzles
A lover of puzzles, Jason goes into how to use them in your adventures.
Now you know,
Ryan Costello
