Starfinder Core Rulebook

kind of a bummer that i have a first printing and its turned out to be defective. at least my limited appears to be fine.

Loving the book and the game. It is unfortunate about the binding issues. Both my books have it as well. I am hoping future printings and other books in the line are unaffected and the binding issue gets sorted. That said Paizo stands behind there products and I have a replacement on the way. Dont regret the purchase in the slightest.

I also would be interested to know if there has been any official word from Paizo about the binding issues, as they seem to be quite common. If not, that's fine though -- I expect that they may still be collating information about how widespread the issue is before they make an official reaction.

Vic made the following comment on that:

"As for your binding issues, I can guarantee you that the entire print run is not defective. I would say that reports of binding issues are slightly on the high side of normal, and we have already sent samples to our printer for their examination... but I also know that some people are reporting binding issues because they don't realize that the fabric strip is not supposed to be glued to the spine with the style of binding we use. (Even though this has been the case with every hardcover we have printed since the second printing of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Starfinder has brought in a number of people who have never purchased our hardcovers before, or who haven't purchased one since the first printing of Pathfinder, where the fabric strip *was* glued to the spine.)

If you do have a binding issue, though, there's no reason you should be stuck with it. If you bought it from us, contact us about replacing it. If you bought it from a retailer, start at your retailer, because our industry has an established process for dealing with these things. If you don't get satisfaction from your retailer, let us know."

Our printer has agreed that the defect rate appears to be higher than their tolerances allow, and they are going to ensure that our replacement efforts are more than covered. So if you have a problem, don't hesitate to get it corrected!

I'm glad that you'll receive replacement copies.

Sadly that won't help me or a lot of other people who didn't buy directly from Paizo or big companies that will replace these without costs.

My retailer (and some others i know) says that it makes no sense to return books because shipping them back to the US is to costly.

There is also the issue of not having a book for use until a new one arrives.

I may buy a german language edition when it comes out & will definetly buy a few pocket editions once they are available (hopefully in 2018).

Why would your retailer ship books back to the US? First of all, that would suggest that they're buying from a US distributor instead of a local one, and that would be a pretty questionable thing for them to do.

But more importantly, there's no reason to ship known defective books around the planet. While I can't say for sure what the policies are for the specific distributor your store buys from, I wouldn't expect them to ask for defective product to be returned. They will more likely just ask for proof that the product is not in sellable condition (perhaps with photos, perhaps by having the retailer send back just the cover). The retailer disposes of the book, and the distributor issues a credit to the store. Then the distributor will go through a similar procedure with us.

You also should not normally have to wait for a replacement. Here's how it should work: You take the book back to the store, and they give you a new book out of their existing stock. They contact their distributor and provide whatever proof the distributor wants, and get credit that they (hopefully) use to order a copy to replenish their stock. (Now, if the retailer is sold out, you might have to wait, but if they have stock, it shouldn't be a problem.)

Our printer has agreed that the defect rate appears to be higher than their tolerances allow, and they are going to ensure that our replacement efforts are more than covered. So if you have a problem, don't hesitate to get it corrected!

Hi Vic.

Any word on the limited edition copies with defects? (As I understand things you don't have any more stock and when I spoke to CS it was unclear whether they would be replaced/reprinted).

I'm glad that you'll receive replacement copies.

Sadly that won't help me or a lot of other people who didn't buy directly from Paizo or big companies that will replace these without costs.

My retailer (and some others i know) says that it makes no sense to return books because shipping them back to the US is to costly.

Do you not have consumer protection laws to cover defective products? In Australia a retailer doesn't have a choice if they sell you something which isn't fit for purpose - they are obligated to replace the product or refund the purchase price. I would have thought Europe would be equally strict when it comes to selling defective goods.

Vic Wertz wrote:

Our printer has agreed that the defect rate appears to be higher than their tolerances allow, and they are going to ensure that our replacement efforts are more than covered. So if you have a problem, don't hesitate to get it corrected!

Hi Vic.

Any word on the limited edition copies with defects? (As I understand things you don't have any more stock and when I spoke to CS it was unclear whether they would be replaced/reprinted).

They will be providing us with additional copies of the limited edition along with the reprint of the regular edition. (They intend to provide more than we actually expect to need, meaning we may have additional copies to offer for sale once we handle outstanding replacements.)

Fantastic. Thanks very much for the good news. :)

Is this still the first printing?

They will be providing us with additional copies of the limited edition along with the reprint of the regular edition. (They intend to provide more than we actually expect to need, meaning we may have additional copies to offer for sale once we handle outstanding replacements.)

What's the time window when you close outstanding replacements and start selling the excess? Meaning what if there's faulty copies churning through the system and someone buys one and requests a replacement one year from now?

Do you mean if they try to return it after having it for a year. Or if a year from now you buy one and it starts to come apart right away.

Marco Massoudi wrote:

I'm glad that you'll receive replacement copies.

Sadly that won't help me or a lot of other people who didn't buy directly from Paizo or big companies that will replace these without costs.

My retailer (and some others i know) says that it makes no sense to return books because shipping them back to the US is to costly.

Do you not have consumer protection laws to cover defective products? In Australia a retailer doesn't have a choice if they sell you something which isn't fit for purpose - they are obligated to replace the product or refund the purchase price. I would have thought Europe would be equally strict when it comes to selling defective goods.

Consumer protection laws in Germany are pretty much standard for Europe - if the stuff you bought is faulty, the retailer is obliged to provide you with a non-faulty item and failing that, refund you. Also, you don't need to have any special written guarantee for that, it's all baked in the purchase contract you enter when buying the item.

Cheers. That's what I would have thought - basically the same here. Even if you sign a "I'm never going to return this, no matter what" waiver it's not valid here.

Steve Geddes wrote:

Vic Wertz wrote:

Our printer has agreed that the defect rate appears to be higher than their tolerances allow, and they are going to ensure that our replacement efforts are more than covered. So if you have a problem, don't hesitate to get it corrected!

Hi Vic.

Any word on the limited edition copies with defects? (As I understand things you don't have any more stock and when I spoke to CS it was unclear whether they would be replaced/reprinted).

They will be providing us with additional copies of the limited edition along with the reprint of the regular edition. (They intend to provide more than we actually expect to need, meaning we may have additional copies to offer for sale once we handle outstanding replacements.)

So in regards to the Limited edition core rule book. I hate to even report it as my standard core rule book's binding broke almost immediately and you guys have already hooked me up with a replacement. Which I am very grateful for. However my limited edition's binding has begun to separate as well. I was originally going to just baby it as I bought it as a collectors item and figured they were out of stock. If I read you correctly you do have more of these to issue replacements or will be getting new ones?

Is this still the first printing?

The reprint will be marked "Second Printing" (so that we are able to identity which press run any newly discovered binding issues come from), but there will be no other changes.

What's the time window when you close outstanding replacements [on the Limited Edition] and start selling the excess? Meaning what if there's faulty copies churning through the system and someone buys one and requests a replacement one year from now?

We'll give it some time (and we'll hold back some copies of the new shipment to cover "incidents" in shipping and so on)... but the Limited Edition was sold only through paizo.com and Paizo's Gen Con booth, so the vast majority of them have already "churned through the system" directly into customer's hands. Also, this particular binding issue should make itself apparent fairly quickly; we'll be putting up a Paizo blog (probably next week) to explain how to determine whether or not you have a defective binding.

As for the non-limited edition, we'll be able to replace defects with new copies as long as the book is in print.

So in regards to the Limited edition core rule book. I hate to even report it as my standard core rule book's binding broke almost immediately and you guys have already hooked me up with a replacement. Which I am very grateful for. However my limited edition's binding has begun to separate as well. I was originally going to just baby it as I bought it as a collectors item and figured they were out of stock. If I read you correctly you do have more of these to issue replacements or will be getting new ones?

I believe that any replacement orders for the Limited Edition will be waiting for the replacement stock to arrive. (And if we're not quite at that point now, we will be very soon.)

I also know that some people are reporting binding issues because they don't realize that the fabric strip is not supposed to be glued to the spine with the style of binding we use. (Even though this has been the case with every hardcover we have printed since the second printing of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Starfinder has brought in a number of people who have never purchased our hardcovers before, or who haven't purchased one since the first printing of Pathfinder, where the fabric strip *was* glued to the spine.)

I compared my Starfinder CRB with Bestiary 1 and Rise of the Runelords. Both of the latter have the white fabric strip arch away from the spine, following the contour of the page signatures. The Starfinder book behaves differently from the two other hardcovers, and the white fabric strip (and its continuation along the length of the book, which I assume is supposed to serve as the reinforcement to keep the signatures together) does not either stick to the spine nor to the signatures.

The same is true for mine.

My Bestiary 2 first printing (december 2010) is still in better shape than my Starfinder Core Rulebook, despite the first seeing heavy travel and use.

Vic Wertz wrote:

I also know that some people are reporting binding issues because they don't realize that the fabric strip is not supposed to be glued to the spine with the style of binding we use. (Even though this has been the case with every hardcover we have printed since the second printing of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Starfinder has brought in a number of people who have never purchased our hardcovers before, or who haven't purchased one since the first printing of Pathfinder, where the fabric strip *was* glued to the spine.)

I compared my Starfinder CRB with Bestiary 1 and Rise of the Runelords. Both of the latter have the white fabric strip arch away from the spine, following the contour of the page signatures. The Starfinder book behaves differently from the two other hardcovers, and the white fabric strip (and its continuation along the length of the book, which I assume is supposed to serve as the reinforcement to keep the signatures together) does not either stick to the spine nor to the signatures.

Yeah, you'll be able to get a replacement copy. That's what happened with my defective copies too.

My theory is that the printer added the cover too soon after attaching the strip to the pages and that the glue holding the fabric to the signatures was still wet and seeped through to accidentally stick it to the spine also.

(I cut mine open to repair it and there was still some stickiness right in the middle of the spine).

I'm surprised that the binding thread doesn't go through to the fabric, I would've imagined that the signatures would have been sewn to the fabric.

I suspect there's a balance between cost and strength. Sewing it in would no doubt be stronger but more also expensive.

In general this method works fine (even for big books). There was just an inferior batch or two in this printing run.

The sturdiest book on my shelf is the Tome of Horrors Complete. Whatever process they used for their books should be followed by every publisher.

Submitted my ticket for a binding issue. Honestly, it was a total surprise to me, but I am confident that Paizo will make things right.

How big is the file for the pdf?

142 MB.

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

That's okay, I'm what they call a "technologically ignorant old timer"

It works fine on my Android phone, beyond that... Maybe?.

Good luck! Not everyone is as ignorant as I so someone will help you out. :-)

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

It'll feed of the life of your future unborn children. That's what technology does. Don't listen to the lies, keep watching the skies and remember: the toasters are out to get us.

Patrick Newcarry wrote:

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

It'll feed of the life of your future unborn children. That's what technology does. Don't listen to the lies, keep watching the skies and remember: the toasters are out to get us.

As long as its not the Fridges or Air conditioners. I need those things.

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

Throw the lite version on your iPhone, you can read it through the WinZip app, or Dropbox App. Although if you're using your phone there are better apps to use than a hefty PDF file.

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

IOS devices shouldn't have a problem. I've got my entire gaming library on my iPad and iPhone, and I use HeroLab on the iPad too.

On your IOS device go to Settings - General - About
Part way down you'll see an entry for Capacity (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB depending on model).
Just under that will be a field that says Available which will be how much space you have left for apps and files. You can fit 10 files that are 100mb in size within 1GB.

Hope that helps.

I keep my entire Paizo PDF collection in PDF Expert on my iPad, which enables me to do quick full text searches across the entire library. Very useful.

Patrick Newcarry wrote:

Do you think an iOS device such as an iPod or iPhone could hold it? Would it feed off the Wifi, or some connection similar? Does the same apply to apps such as HeroLab or such? (Sorry, I'm what one might call a "technology starved teenager.")

IOS devices shouldn't have a problem. I've got my entire gaming library on my iPad and iPhone, and I use HeroLab on the iPad too.

That said, it will depend upon how much storage the iPhone actually has and how much of it you have used.

On your IOS device go to Settings - General - About
Part way down you'll see an entry for Capacity (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB depending on model).
Just under that will be a field that says Available which will be how much space you have left for apps and files. You can fit 10 files that are 100mb in size within 1GB.

Hope that helps.

I keep my entire Paizo PDF collection in PDF Expert on my iPad, which enables me to do quick full text searches across the entire library. Very useful.

Thank you. I think that about answers my question.

Hello,

Has Paizo addressed the binding issue on the core book for Starfinder? I've been seeing / hearing a lot of negative feedback on the binding for this book.

Thank you.

Yep.

kaffien, check this blog.

How do I go about writing a review of this game? I'm not seeing an option in the Product Reviews tab

It’s the blue text right under the Average Product Reviews header.

It’s the blue text right under the Average Product Reviews header.

Found it. Thanks.

I don't think it let me actually post the review though, since it redirected me to the paizo blog tab when I clicked "save changes".

GDNS, if you want to make a long post, it's best to write it on Word or something, then copy it across to this site. I hope that helps!

Np.

And like Eric suggests, or at least copy all the text before you post, the site tends to time out if you leave a post up for too long.

Alright, I've posted my (hopefully) comprehensive 15,319 character, 2,570 word product review. Thanks to both ericthecleric and Rysky for your help and advice. If anyone has any questions or comments, or just thinks I'm an idiot and wants to say it to my computer screen, I'll be checking back here every now and then.

Also, thanks to the Paizo staff for allowing me a large enough character limit to make said review. It was a rare pleasure, and I hope you like it, find it useful, or both.

That black tentacles was called a "best-loved spell" made me laugh.

That black tentacles was called a "best-loved spell" made me laugh.

It was an excellent spell in 3.0/3.5. It wasn't quite as good in Pathfinder, but it was still one of the best mid-level crowd control spells available. Out of 8 groups and multiple online boards over the years, I can't remember a social setting in which it wasn't at least recommended.

Maybe you and I just had different kinds of groups?

Oh, it's popular for sure. But, it is a frustrating spell that (when it works) makes combat a slog. I'm very glad it's not included.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that Starfinder was marketed as Pathfinder 2.0. All the interviews I read made pains to point out that it was a brand new game system that shared a setting with Pathfinder.