Drone's page

I've recently returned from GenCon and had a wonderful time playing PFS every day. However, I've noticed a trend in the scenarios being produced: the tendency to require the PCs to interact with multiple NPCs (at least 5 at a time) to get the information we need. Also, the skill checks needed to influence these NPCs don't make sense to me.
For example, in one session, we needed information from a NPC archaeologist (one of 8! NPCs at party we could talk to). My character approached him hoping to draw him into a conversation using Knowledge (History). Instead, the GM asked for a Perform (dance) check so I can dance with the archaeologist. My character is a sorcerer with a good Charisma score, but I would have had to roll really well to impress him (a need my dice seem to ignore in clutch situations). Besides, when one hears "archaeologist", one does not assume one needs a Perform check to influence them.
And no, I couldn't engage him later with my Knowledge check because he was constantly on the dance floor.
Perhaps the GM should have described where the NPCs were and what they were doing to give us a clue. I didn't ask if their actions during the party was given in the scenario text. I would have been OK with a Sense Motive check to see what the NPCs seemed to enjoy at the party and engaged them that way.

So my semi-serious request is that if the characters need information to complete a scenario then PLEASE limit it to 2-3 NPCs with some Diplomacy, Knowledge, or perhaps Bluff skill checks to influence and gain the information needed. The number of NPCs that have this information seems excessive to me also. If that many know, then it's likely common knowledge or at least accessible at a single sage or library.
We didn't need to talk to all the NPCs but, if you know the players of PF, then they will talk to everybody just in case they miss something.
I realize that there is a bigger push to role-playing in the PFS scenarios (the party's survivability chances shoots WAY up in these adventures which I am all for), but please remember that most of us put points in Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate to interact with NPCs, not Perform (dance) or, God forbid, Profession (shepherd).

I mostly GM a home game of PF and rarely get to play PFS except at conventions. Because of this I like to play only certain types of scenarios (mostly dungeon crawl-type adventures) when I go to them.

Has anyone made a list of the scenarios from season to season and broken them down by what type of scenario it is? The scenario could be investigation, diplomatic missions, espionage, dungeon, etc. I think this would also help a lot of players who prefer certain types of games.

Over this past weekend at a local con, I played my Standard character in a Core scenario accidentally. I didn't hear the GM ask to make sure that we were all playing Core characters. According to the PFS Guide, Core and Standard characters can't be mixed in the same scenario. But it doesn't explain what happens to characters that do. I accept my mistake but was wondering if my character can still by played in the Standard game.
I noticed the discrepancy when I was reviewing my sessions online. Does that scenario not count towards my character (XP, gp, prestige, etc)? Can I just remove that chronicle sheet from my character as if it didn't happen and keep playing it? Is my character now unplayable?