You know, they say food tastes better when you eat it with friends.

But that doesn't make it healthier.

Pathfinder fans: Pathfinder is a better system because Paizo have these gaming community things that we really like.

Solo et al: Why does that make it a better system? Doesn't that just mean paizo's gaming community is better?

/paraphrase'd last X pages

Personally I dislike the chummy-wummy atmosphere purposefully fostered at pathfinder society events. I draw a line at creepy guys spitting in my face in outrage when my rogue doesn't disclose to the rest of the party that he found a leather satchel until he can take the opportunity to investigate it personally on the down-low.

Pathfinder really isn't that different from D&D 3.5e.
If you like the way that things are set up in 3.5, you should like Pathfinder.

I've always seen Pathfinder as the perfect middle ground between 3.5 and 4e. You have some extraordinary powers that you get to use a fair few times a day, yet what you can do isn't drastically separate from what everyone else can do, so you really are more of a trained expert than an invulnerable eventual demigod.

pathfinder is a cleaened up 3.5, that is all I view it as. 3.5 books to me are superior to pathfinder books still in my view. That and pathfinder is not really "creating" anything, they took 3.5 OCL, built on that, and owe their success to WOTC for being generous, instead of building a system from scratch and being just another 3rd party maker that gets forgotten.

Hmm, let's see here...

I tend to view Pathfinder as resurrecting a system that WotC tried to kill in favor of its 4e D&D. No generosity involved...whatever Paizo built up with Pathfinder was due to seeing an opportunity and running with it. Complaining that Pathfinder isn't new is irrelevant because the stated goal was to keep 3.5 in business in one form or another, which they've done very successfully.

Saetken - pathfinder does the exact same demigod thing 3.5 does.

The only way it doesn't is exactly the same way it doesn't in 3.5 - if you intentionally build low op.

To me, Pathfinder isn't in competition with 3.5 it's a new version of it. I've played 4th edition and found it flavorless and too dependent on the daily and encounter power system. The Pathfinder Corebook is everything I liked about 3.5 with a lot of little, logical tweaks that make the system work better and make more sense. Beyond the corebook you get into the really good stuff in Pathfinder, new and interesting Classes, and a ton of personalization options. Of course it all comes down to personal taste, but I enjoy the direction Paizo took 3.5 whereas Wizards seems to have lost something recently. I won't be one of those guys, venomous, mean spirited and misinformed loudmouths, but I really don't like the new face of Dungeons and Dragons. I've embraced Pathfinder and don't regret my decision at all. D&D has drifted away from roleplaying into the realm of tactical combat. I'm not saying Pathfinder is perfect but it's my top choice