Sharkbite's page

I don't suppose it would be possible to put some sort of additional snippet into 1-99 in order to reveal the final fate of Ziggy's friends. After Star Sugar Heartlove made a big deal of the friends he lost there and his survivor's guilt for having not gone with them, I feel like we should either get a chance to save them, or at least confirm they are dead so that Ziggy can get some closure.

Honestly, I am not a fan of the Pathfinder Ancestry system. I prefer the frontloaded effect of species, with a lessening curve down the road.

By having it be frontloaded, the game feels more exotic and "cantina" right out of the gate.

By NOT having those ancestry additions down the road, as we reach high level play, the importance of species matters less and less, which makes us able to choose that initial species able to be made just based on what looks fun instead of having to play out additional ability unlocks that are going to happen 10 levels later.

I've been telling new players for years "Pick whatever looks like fun. Be what you want to be. Do what sounds cool. Even if it's not perfectly optimized, within a few levels, everybody sort of levels out anyways."

With ancestry, that's less the case. It's a decision that seems pinned down as a more major choice throughout the entire life of the character, and right out of the gate at level 1 when we have very few abilities and such, we get less from the race. At the point when we need them most, when the extra options would have the greatest positive impact to gameplay, we get the least.

For me, I prefer the opposite. Give me species abilities frontloaded, and then as characters level, gear gets introduced that can even any of that out. "You could fly at level 1, but I've got a jetpack now, so it all works out before we hit high levels."

While I dislike the Ancestry system as designed, if we're going to talk about specific species that I want to see what they can do...

Spathinae
Entu Colony

I'd like to see the Spathinae eventually pick up some swarm straights, maybe the option of larger size with morphable space occupation like swarms. The idea of those ancestry feats being chooseable means that things like Size could be introduced as an option without being locked in as a mandatory. Who knows, maybe even eventually the ability to separate the swarm into smaller swarms so that they can occupy different spots on a map for acting purposes.

As for the Entu, the once per day action of the merge is something that could definitely be expanded upon until they have an option to build almost like the Venom symbiote. The ability to do a little more with that, or do it more often than once per day, would be a very unique approach to a race that is unlike anything else.

As a mostly Star Finder player with only a little bit of Pathfinder dabbling here and there when my friends insist on playing it, this entire announcement basically constitutes a declaration of " if you didn't like and switch to Pathfinder 2 three years ago, we no longer want your business."

I do understand that as a development company they can take their product in any direction they want and they have every right to chase where the money is going to be most prevalent. I'm sure it'll be really successful.

But judging based on the way that Pathfinder one was treated after Pathfinder 2 was released, I anticipate I am probably in store for a transition closer to the change from 3.5 D&D to 4th edition D&D. Basically when Infinity or somebody else continues to make open gaming content for the game that I enjoy and we no longer support the game that I enjoy here my business probably moves elsewhere.

Considering that a company abandoning support for a product and trying to insist that customers move to something they didn't want is basically what made Paizo into the successful game developers they are today, it feels really odd to find myself in the other camp now. Being told we made a game that you love and now we're going to require you to move to one that you consciously decided you didn't want years ago and if you don't move then we don't want your business anymore.

I don't like losing hundreds of playable species and that unique Cantina feel and everything that makes starfinder special, to convert it to a campaign setting for Pathfinder players, because the current position is that Pathfinder players find it to confusing to flip between two sets of rules. I preferred starfinder as its own game and it didn't need to be pathfinder. If I wanted to play Pathfinder I probably would be playing pathfinder.

When I reach level 5, I proceed with the following process.

- "Oh! I need a new 1-4 character so I can continue with Society Play!"

- "What's the craziest/coolest/silliest/most fun species I can find for this one? I want to be something awesome. I love how alien this game is, and how every character seems to really feel unique because of all of these options. I pick... this one."

- "Alright. Now what's my -2 in? I'm bad at this ability? Great. I'm going to pick a class that really needs that ability score, and build something that is whacky and unconventional, even for a rare alien type."

- "This is great. I've got another really cool, really different, incredibly alien character. This game is so awesome. I really love it."

In PF2, the character creation approach is:

- "Meh. Pick a species, and they mostly just feel like a mildly reskinned version of human.."

I shall be sorely disappointed is that is the direction Starfinder is taking. I don't want "Pathfinder in Space". I love that cantina feel of thousands of alien species. A big part of what drives me to play every new scenario and Adventure Path is unlocking rare species. Those are the grand prize chronicles.

Do we ever learn anything ever about Zigvigix's missing "friends"?

Some of my players asked about them, since supposedly they were quite meaningful in the way Ziggy references them, but the adventure includes nothing about names/races/classes etc. I wasn't sure if they were ever mentioned elsewhere so that I could have the adequate info to set up the information, or if they're just gone forever and we can make up whatever.

I am watching like a hawk for any chance to catch an Author's Table on this one.

I have some really, really fun ideas.

As a part of the Scoured Stars metaplot, this is 7-10, while the next two scenarios in the metaplot are 3-6.

Is the Chronology actually referenced in the scenario where it would matter if we play them out of sequence, or do we have to level a second set of characters just to complete this narrative journey in a way that makes sense?

Making a character who is going to run an ongoing narrative of being a local guy (like a Cubs/Bears/Bulls fan living in Chicago), and having him be afraid of travel (like someone in our world might be afraid of flying).

I know of a few Scenarios that take place entirely on Absalom Station.
Commencement
Half-Alive Streets
Hard Reset

I'm hoping that there are some more that people could point me towards so that I could do all his progression without ever leaving home.

While the Metaplot-tagged scenarios do work best narratively if played in order of release, by no means do you have to play every scenario in order. #6-04, for example, isn't tagged as being part of the Fortune's Fall storyline, but is a sequel to #4-09.

I'm close to wrapping my Scoured Stars home campaign, based entirely on SFS scenarios, and have all six seasons mapped out in a workable "narrative" order. I could post that "grand outline" later if there's interest.

I can certainly respect that. I'm running a local SFS Season 1 Scoured Stars arc and taking them from 1-9 while following the key plot mostly worked. It's still dumb that Honorbound Emmissaries 1-29 was part 6 of Scoured Stars and was level 7-10, but parts 7&8 are level 3-6. Even the very first Metaplot could not be played in order.

I'm kind of hoping that later seasons get the Scoured Stars treatment and assembled into a viable Adventure Path to let the meta-plots be played in order by a single team.

What playable species would I like to see (IE: a species being made SFS legal in some way)? The Entu. I really like them and see fun potential, but they are not SFS legal.

What playable species would I like to see (IE: species exists in lore, but isn't yet stat-blocked)? The "snake headed girl" race. In Starsugarheartlove there were those Snake Head girls that you carry on your shoulders. One of my players absolutely adored them. He wants to play one, but so far as we can tell, there is no breakdown for them in any Starfinder resource.

What playable species would I like to see (IE: a concept that doesn't exist yet, but would be great)? Pig people. As a Star Wars fan, the Gamorrean was my favorite space-race. I love the idea of an obese pig people getting to be known for being tough. It's super inclusive for body type diversity, in a world where fat people are normally very marginalized and ignored (or mocked and made to be comic relief and bumbling idiots).

Years ago, I had abandoned rigid XP in favor of milestone leveling.

The current SFS system is 90% ideal, in my opinion.

The only frustration that I seem to find with it is the difficulty of playing a single character through any Metaplot story after Season 1 that doesn't end up a hodgepodge of nonsense.

Looking at Season 6's announcements as an example:

SFS 6-01: 1-4
SFS 6-02: 3-6
SFS 6-03: 3-6
SFS 6-04: 9-12
SFS 6-05: 5-8

So if you walked into Season 6's new content with a character that already had 11 XP under their belt, you could play #1 and hit level 5. Then play 2-3, still being level 5. Then... need to time travel backwards and pick up 10 extra Scenarios outside of the Season 6 story in order to earn enough XP that you qualify for minimum entry for Episode 4. And then you are too high to do Episode 5.

By the 4th adventure, you have interrupted your character with more random adventures than what you have done with the actual story, and by the 5th adventure, you just can't play anymore.

It makes it really hard to play through an ongoing narrative when the level ranges make it impossible to play through the narrative in order, let alone play through it without the majority of it being from an entirely different season's arc. I don't know if this bothers other people or not, but for me, it is something I have no clue how to work around.

Forgive my ignorance; this is my first time attending.

Badges were said to go on sale "mid to late March".

Where do I buy one, or watch for the chance to be able to buy one?

And how will sign-ups be handled? Is this a Warhorn style thing, or is there going to be something here on the Paizo forums, or some third party website?

I put in vacation time from work to make sure that I could play, but I don't want to miss the opening and end up with all the stuff I want to play being Full, and just a flood of random Season 5 SFS scenarios that I've already played being all that's left.

I would love to play Starfinder: Threefold Conspiracy.

I have a high amount of flexibility in what I will play. First impression is a Human Precog, to present him in the fashion that in the beginning he is a bit of a paranoid conspiracy nutter, then over time he might actually clue into something of a conspiracy, but still he keeps imagining everything is far more nefarious then reality.

However, I can and would readily fill any group role.

Soldier being played as a Pro-Athlete, as a more charismatic version of the traditional melee soldier build, sort of being a minor celebrity and initially very oblivious to what is going on because he is accustomed to people treating him special.

Operative as the Criminal that has gone straight, sort of with the Witness Protection Agency mentality. Not some murder-hobo difficult character; like a con artist who is trying to go straight and keep himself under the radar.

Envoy or Mystic as a Religious Priest, the sort of person who can be made to believe in the supernatural, and always credits things towards faith or miracles, rather than seeing the conspiracies.

I can have a fun time playing any character class, which allows me to be whatever the team needs. I just really want to give a shot at this Adventure Path, and it's one that I rarely see people offering.

A difference like from D&D 3E to 3.5E, that is great. Just publishing the errata in a formal place, and including some of the later options into the core book.

But a fully new edition is a hard pass for me. I came to Starfinder from D&D because so many of the changes made the game feel like it was being simplified to make it more new player friendly, which if you're not a new player, just makes me feel like they're treating me like I'm dumb.

If you're talking about finding a local group to play live, the best advice I can give you is to locate the nearest game/hobby/comic store and pitch them the idea of organized play. Locally, I did tell my comic shop owner about it. He was mostly indifferent. Then I explained to him that, by hosting a weekly game in his store, I'd put it up through the websites to advertise and there was an increased chance of foot traffic business from people who pop in for these games, even from neighboring towns. He told me he'd let me give it a shot. I did have to GM the first several sessions, but I just advertised them on Warhorn and people started showing up. Started with a couple of Bounties, and then as the group built, we started into a few one shot adventures. By the time we were having 6+ players showing up every week and it seemed that there would reliably always be a full table, we started a stable Adventure Path, with a second table picking up basically "new player training zone" for hit and miss players, running SFS scenarios.

Essentially, it only was going to be possible if somebody takes point and agrees to GM in the beginning. I do have other players who now are willing to take turns though, and by the time we finish Fly Free or Die, I should be able to rotate out as GM and become a player for a while.

<-=O=->

If you're talking about online play specifically, that is the far easier way to find a group, especially if you don't want to GM.

Go to Warhorn. Sign up for game. Be online at the designated time to play the game.

Basically every week I get at least one session in through Warhorn.

It is important to note though that this is not going to be any sort of a regular "group". I do have a couple of GMs that I regularly sign up for, because they do great and have similar attitudes and personalities to what I enjoy. I do bump into the same player or character from time to time, but this is definitely not a regular group and your character will be taking part of. You'll need to accept your place in a rotating roster of Starfinder Agents.

First off, I hope that we do not have to deal with a Starfinder 2E.

I don't think any major mechanical changes are needed, and with certain other games, I've watched as later editions actually significantly decrease enjoyment. I'm happy with Starfinder mechanics where they are, and I want to see them continue building, instead of restarting or streamlining.

I would like to see Season 6 be longer. Calendar-wise, I do not care if it takes multiple years. It doesn't have to be more content coming faster. Current pace is fine. I just feel like rolling Season 6 longer will allow us to have a larger, more meaningful Metaplot, like Scoured Stars. It also allows the Season to be more self-contained, so that players don't have to bounce between multiple seasons in a time-travel routine in order to earn appropriate XP. A 20 episode season is capable of running a character from 1-7, which allows the players to play 1-4, 3-6, 5-8, and 7-10 content without having to dip into other outside sources. For me, that would be more ideal.

I would like to see more of a return to the Chronicles of old. More recent Chronicles just recapping the story and not including Boons listed feels like a step backwards. I do enjoy the multi-scenario boons that require play of an entire arc, but I also think that I greatly enjoyed some of the small, silly boons that came earlier on, where earlier actions came up in later scenarios. Failing to include the small boons makes the stories feel less connected when we run several with the same character.

Beyond that, maybe some sort of increased reward for GMs running APs clear through. It is very disappointing the number of APs that I've started where the GM leaves around book 2-3. It really is disappointing as a player to have dozens of half-finished APs on characters that get abandoned forever. At times, it feels as though I'll just never get to finish ones like Threefold Conspiracy, because it will always fizzle halfway through.

MAYBE the solution is to swap more to the 3 book APs, but honestly I do love the longer ones where we can get truly into a character longterm. It's just so hard to play them all the way through without a group falling apart.

I wish there was an option to subscribe starting at the beginning, instead of starting at the present.

One of my players took the Sister background for his character, creating a Companion Android he named "Brother" with the concept of being used by the wealthy parents to care for her as though he were an older sibling.

Based on Sinjin's original introduction to her, I was hoping that she turned out to be the inventor and was leaking it to Sinjin as a way to get it out to the greater world, stopping EJCorp from keeping it secret.

Instead, it looks like she is going to be a key antagonist.

I'm going to need a really good reason for him to betray the person that he has built his entire character around assisting.

Sounds like good news for anyone that hasn't played it.

I found it a little disappointing when I ran it for our group that Treading History's Folly and Heart of the Foe were in the 3-6 range AFTER Honorbound Emissary was in the 7-10 range. It literally made it impossible for a single group to play through it in order (without being stuck running in a leveled down, less credit manner).

We took our saved Scoured Stars Veterans we saved and sent them on part 7 and 8 so that we could follow the level range. Still, making it designed for a single party will improve the experience.

Sharkbite wrote:

Is there an option to buy it while also bundling it with the PDF?

it will have its own PDF.

Forgive my ignorance, but does that mean that the PDF is automatically included when I preorder the book, or that it will be offered later but only as a standalone with no option of bundling the two together (might as well order now), or that there will be a bundle but not at this time (post-poning now will provide the opportunity to buy both later as the bundle, rather than puchasing them both individually at full price)?

I'm going to get it no matter what. I just want to make sure that I get it both as a print copy (because I'm an old man who needs books in print to be able to read them without eye strain) and as a PDF (because I'm an old man who can't carry a duffle bag of 30 books into Gamehole Con and likes to just be able to flash the watermarked PDFs for the GM to prove ownership).

Is there an option to buy it while also bundling it with the PDF?

I'm old and computer-stupid. Assume that common sense stuff for everyone else is critically challenging for me.

I've been playing D&D since 2E, and just finished a 12 year 3.5E campaign. We wanted to do something different, and we all collectively hate the 5E stuff. At Gamehole Con last year, we played 2 adventures of Starfinder and collectively we liked it. Now that we're free, we've decided to go this direction.

Already bought all resource books, but we wanted to actually do Organized Play, basically just so that we can bring our own personal characters to Gamehole instead of using pregens.

I bought the Swarm series. We've started to run it, but I'm afraid that I'm totally ignorant to the way this works. Not actually playing the game, but, you know, making it count.

When we finish an adventure and go to fill out the campaign sheet, where do I get the numbers from that I'm supposed to put on there?

XP is simple enough (seems like it's just 1 point per adventure). Credits are self-explanatory. How much Reputation do the players get though? And now that it's these Achievement Points instead of Fame, how much do they get of those?

How do we actually go about entering the information so that the code thinger for the session goes into the internets and makes the character be more good?

I know this is probably all common sense, but assume I'm an idiot and I need it explained like you would to either an 80 year old man or a 4 year old child.