By this point in time some, by which I mean all, of you have probably at least heard of Kickstarter. If for some strange reason you haven't, perhaps due to your home being located under a large igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic formation, go Google it and then get back to me. If you get a picture of some kind of motorized bicycle, keep going, you haven't hit the right link yet.
Back to whatever I actually planned on talking about... So I'm a big fan of some of the ideas behind Kickstarter. I like the idea behind the community, and not just some random corporate exec, getting a say in what games do and do not get developed. While there are certainly some opportunities for exploitation inherent in the system, I think it's a great step in the right direction for an artistically free and independent gaming community where new and existing artists can really stretch their talents and create games that might otherwise fester and eventually discorporate completely within the depths of their subconcious. And I really love that it gives people a chance to make their voices heard through their monetary contributions and take a certain ownership in the process. Which is why I am doubly thrilled that Goblinworks has taken to Kickstarter as the launching point for the Pathfinder MMORPG they've currently undertaken to create.
For those unfamiliar with Pathfinder, it is the unholy of spawn of Dungeon and Dragons v3.5 open gaming license and thousands of hours of community playtesting and development all helmed by the incredibly capable staff at Paizo. When D&D 4E released, many people were unhappy with it (a discussion I won't touch on at this time and place) and Paizo stepped in to the void these players found themselves in, refining and enhancing the still warm corpse of D&D 3.5 and bringing it back as some kind of awesome steampunk cyborg, ready to go toe to toe with the next generation beast that slew him. I may have gotten a little carried away there, but my point is, Pathfinder is all the awesome of a well-loved (and well hated depending on who you ask) edition of D&D with a little bit of steampunk thrown in for good measure.
Now Goblinworks is hoping to take PF to the next level and a produce a new MMORPG based on Pathfinder's primary world setting Golarion, and I couldn't be more excited. They're also throwing up some fantastic prizes for contributors, including a 9 course dinner and a game DM'd by your Paizo DM of choice. One of those DM's happens to be the illustrious Rich Baker, whose novels and game supplements all hold special places in my heart. What I'm gettin at here, is first, check this stuff out if you haven't already. Then browse around in Kickstarter and Paizo, and pay special attention to the contributions of people who wouldn't have gotten their work and ideas out there without these companies and programs. Finally, send your money to the wonderful people at Somnambulant Gamer so we can contribute to the Pathfinder MMORPG and get a delicious dinner and a chance to play a game DM'd by Rich Baker.
Link - Pathfinder Online Technology Demo
