Pathfinder 1E Do you look for specific authors? (slight Paizo tie-in)

[Greg K]

The name Steve Kenson or Charles Rice will automatically get me to take a look. Ari''s name also garners extra attention. Otherwise, the product topic and content are the determining factor.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

I look for Scott Bennie and Aaron Allston.

 

[jdrakeh]

No. I tend to look for specific publishers (those with a proven track record of quality such as Paizo, Atlas Games, Sword & Sorcery Studios, etc).

 

[Erik Mona]

It's very, very interesting to see how different the responses to this thread are to the ones posted in the first year or two of EN World, where the consensus was that author names played absolutely no role in purchase decisions.

Someone with EN World-Fu far superior to mine might be able to dredge up the thread.

--Erik

 

[caudor]

No. I tend to look for specific publishers (those with a proven track record of quality such as Paizo, Atlas Games, Sword & Sorcery Studios, etc).

True for me as well. I look at publishers, although I will give new publishers a try if the content interests me.

 

[Insight]

There are authors I like, and game studios I like, and combinations thereof that I really like. But I'd say utility of the product (how much I can expect to use the product) is far more important than author. I just can't cost-justify buying any product without knowing whether I'd get any use of it. I'm beyond the point where I can buy RPGs just to read them. I need to be able to do something with it.

 

[Arnwyn]

It's very, very interesting to see how different the responses to this thread are to the ones posted in the first year or two of EN World, where the consensus was that author names played absolutely no role in purchase decisions.

Though not surprising! In the early days when everything was new (and names were much more unknown), topics are what ruled the roost. Now that the d20 idea well has run dry, it's the tried-and-true names that count.


My answer to the OP:
Yes, more so than in the past (though I did in the past, especially when it came to FR accessories and adventures), but still mostly negatively compared to positively. Publishers also still count for a lot.

 

[Riley]

Though not surprising! In the early days when everything was new (and names were much more unknown), topics are what ruled the roost. Now that the d20 idea well has run dry, it's the tried-and-true names that count.

I go by both publisher and author. Combine a good author (Cordell, Baker, Cook, Baur, Mona), a reliable publisher (Paizo, Malhavoc, WOTC), and a good idea/topic, and there's a pretty good chance I'll be happy with the purchase. That is, as long as I avoid terribly obscure splatbooks and 32 page b&w 'delve-format' adventures.

 

[Odhanan]

Do you make purchase decisions based on the author of the product?

Definitely. It is a factor, but not a limiting factor.

In other words, I may be likely to purchase a product I would not have purchased otherwise because of its author, but I won't stop myself from buying an adventure that seems interesting to me because I wouldn't know its author.

 

[Glyfair]

No. I tend to look for specific publishers (those with a proven track record of quality such as Paizo, Atlas Games, Sword & Sorcery Studios, etc).

Interesting because Atlas is an example of why I tend to go for authors a bit more than publishers.

In the beginning of d20 Atlas had a pretty regular pattern of releasing a great adventure followed by a pretty poor one. It was a while after this that someone pointed out that the bad adventures had the same author's (admittedly, they also did some good ones).

In fact, one of their great adventures, In the Belly of the Beast, got me to start looking for Mike MEarls name.

It's very, very interesting to see how different the responses to this thread are to the ones posted in the first year or two of EN World, where the consensus was that author names played absolutely no role in purchase decisions.

I remember that thread (indeed, that's why I mentioned it before). IIRC, there were a couple of names that caught people's attention, biut not many. In fact, you could almost use just their first name. Gary. Monte.

Someone with EN World-Fu far superior to mine might be able to dredge up the thread.

I thought it was at least one board ago (maybe two).