Paizo funded their tech demo through Kickstarter, and now they are back for speeding up the timeline for launching. While I am interested in this idea, there are several reasons I won’t support it.
First of all, as I recently explained, I am no longer going to support projects that objectify women or marginalize folks in other ways. Paizo products have some of the most offensive artwork in this way that I have seen. I am starting the Rise of the Runelords adventure path, and I find my self apologizing when I share the player’s guide with people. They way they portray people is absurd, and from the screenshots of the game, they aren’t getting any better. If I recall, the women in DDO were reasonably equipped, with there being a distinct lack of cheesecake armor.
Secondly, I want people to make great software, including games, that everyone can play and enjoy. That means the source is open and free. Paizo is caught up in investor courting and crowdfunding, with no thought to the legacy of what they are building. In ten years this project will be dead or dying, completely irrelevant, and not salvageable because they tied their IP and tech up in a fortress, and people will abandon it for either a new silo or (hopefully) an open and free alternative.
So yeah, I won’t support a company doing something that doesn’t take the responsible and open view.