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STANDALONE ROLEPLAYING GAME THAT IS BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE.
A backwards compatible science fantasy RPG, set in the Pathfinder campaign universe.
Features space battles, power armour, rat folk (introduced in Distant Worlds), and technomancers.
Starfinder Core Rulebook and first adventure path launch at GenCon 2017. It will be published under the OGL with a compatibility license similar to Pathfinder.
There will not be a public playtest, but select community members will be invited to private playtests.
Science Fantasy. Advanced thousands of years into the future. Ties into Distant Worlds.
New science themed classes. Celelarian, techno made.
AtikansAkitan’s rat folk are a core race.
Red planet.
All of the races in Pathfinder are in Starfinder. Focus is on aliens, though.
Androids are a core PC race.
New design.
Corporations got ahold of android technology and make them.
Golarion disappeared and the gods won’t say where it is. Absolam Station replaces it in orbit.
2017. Also includes a Starfinder AP.
OGL. They want 3pp to work with them.
Sutter is Creativedirector. All Paizo on deck.
And some of us will be eagerly awaiting more information with baited breath.
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A Babylon 5 approach might be interesting actually.
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Is this the secret project James Jacobs is working on?
I mean it's gotta be? Perhaps.
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Why would it be James' project if it is more of Sutter's baby.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
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What's a celelarian?
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The more this channels Babylon 5 the better.
What's a celelarian?
It sounds like one of the new classes but they haven't posted video of the dinner yet so who knows.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
This is a new core rules type book instead of merely a supplementary hardcover or new class splat, play-testing that with open groups would be a night mare to coordinate because the document you would be releasing would essentially be the product you're going to sell later. In order to protect their super secret project they have to do a closed Beta.
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Lest we forget, they playtested the Pathfinder Core Rules system before releasing. There was EXTENSIVE playtesting in both Alpha and Beta. Frankly, it is part of what made the system successful.
Let's see:
Thousands of fans of an existing system - check
Opportunity to play in the new world with the new toys - check
Have a voice in the direction of the whole thing - check
They could do all of these things if they wanted to, they have done it before. Granted, that was a roughly two-year development cycle, IIRC, and I am sure they don't want it to take that long. But so long as they are talking about something backwards compatible, they can't be moving that far from the core mechanics. They have playtested a LOT of big changes to the system, so it seems a little odd to me that they aren't doing an open playtest for this. Fishy? I don't know enough to say.
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They've said certain community members will be invited to the playtest, which suggests that it won't just be development team members.Hopefully, this will be playtested and proofread by people outside the development team(s).This is a new core rules type book instead of merely a supplementary hardcover or new class splat, play-testing that with open groups would be a night mare to coordinate because the document you would be releasing would essentially be the product you're going to sell later. In order to protect their super secret project they have to do a closed Beta.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
Yeah, there's no doubt that this will be play-tested, it just won't be play-tested by you, me, and the average joe. I'm guessing high profile community members, a selection of volunteers, and a selection of trusted third party developers are gonna get their eyes on this first.
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Actually playtesting is the opposite of theorycrafting. Playtesting is exactly what it sounds like - actually playing the game under many different scenarios and noting any problems, issues etc., then making adjustments, playing more, adjusting again, until you are as confident as possible you have it right.
Theorycrafting, while there is a place for it, is much less valuable because it's just someone making assumptions based only on what they read without actually making the effort to playtest.
Any company worth their proverbial salt will playtest the heck out of something like this, and Paizo is absolutely a company worth their proverbial salt.
Playtesting is already kinda theories crafting, so they might want less theories crafters, and more testers.Yeah, there's no doubt that this will be play-tested, it just won't be play-tested by you, me, and the average joe. I'm guessing high profile community members, a selection of volunteers, and a selection of trusted third party developers are gonna get their eyes on this first.They've said certain community members will be invited to the playtest, which suggests that it won't just be development team members.Hopefully, this will be playtested and proofread by people outside the development team(s).This is a new core rules type book instead of merely a supplementary hardcover or new class splat, play-testing that with open groups would be a night mare to coordinate because the document you would be releasing would essentially be the product you're going to sell later. In order to protect their super secret project they have to do a closed Beta.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
Agreed, I think they just want people to run it through the paces and give direct feedback, when you do an open play test, that brings a lot of speculation along with it.
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I suspect this will draw on things that have already been tested. Ideas, concepts, and systems that have been released for Pathfinder, just renamed. Just looking at what was done with Occult and Intrigue, there was a lot of new systems introduced that could be refitted into a new setting. Likewise any new system they've introduced.
Pathfinder, during it's initial playtests, also had the benefit of basically just adapting the existing system, complete with classes, spells, races, and items, from 3.5. Which meant people were already familiar with it.
Not sure if that is possible with system that might share the same underlying mechanics, but will basically be building new classes, abilities, items, etc from scratch.
Especially when you have less than 12 months and large chunks of it haven't even been designed yet.
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A Babylon 5 approach might be interesting actually.
When it was announced, James described Absalom station as "...kind of a cross between Babylon 5 and the United Nations".
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You had better hope its not like DS9. Otherwise half way through , you are going to get a world shattering Armada come through and destroy everything :).
Im imagining a cross between Babylon 5 and the UN. Im going to guess that rarely does anything get agreed to, that there are some members on the station with more power than the others, and that one race is trying to convince the humans of Golarion that they are actually related .
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UPDATE TO WHAT WE KNOW: (thanks Peter Lloyd)
Everything is up in the air, no final product yet.
1 Core Rule Book, 1 AP, no modules, no Player Companions or Campaign Settings. AP will include settings stuff
One Subscription line where you only get the stuff you want.
Core will cover rules and setting. 500 Pages are planned at this point.
Humans are core, none of the other Pathfinder Races will be core, totally new classes, advice for adding fantasy races and wizards but not as focus. One nonhumanoid Core Race.
Nobody knows where Golarion is. Gods won't tell. There is a "multiverse memory gap" during which the planet vanished.
Pathfinder Society is now Starfinders, their goal is looking into the memory gap.
Absalom Station is basically death star sized/B-5 sized. Central city for former Golarion cultures.
New AI God.
They want Organized play but right now there are challenges to address so they won't confirm or deny it's being planned.
No Rovagug, Core Deities gonna change, not all prestige class gonna make the switch but roughly backwards compatible.
Not everything is gonna balance out.
Different ideas they're toying with: Hellknight Star Destroyers, Dwarven Star Citadels, etc.
Different AC system, Ground vehicles, no decking minigames, starship combat involves everybody, emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics.
This will be 2017 Gen Con Release, no PFRPG book is planned.
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^New AI God . . . Does this have Harlan Ellison's voice?
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The more I read this, the more I have a whole Babylon 5 vibe to it... with the Absalom station name...
I wouldn't mind to be invited to playtesting... but doubt that will happen :P no luck there :D
Rumor has it a large % of Paizo staffers are rather big Babylon 5 fans...
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^New AI God . . . Does this have Harlan Ellison's voice?
Well now it will lol
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So I see this "1 Core Rule Book, 1 AP, no modules, no Player Companions or Campaign Settings. AP will include settings stuff"
1 AP. So is this going to be considered a closed end line, and it could open up depending on reception/sale?
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This is a new core rules type book instead of merely a supplementary hardcover or new class splat, play-testing that with open groups would be a night mare to coordinate because the document you would be releasing would essentially be the product you're going to sell later. In order to protect their super secret project they have to do a closed Beta.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
Which is why there was no public "Pathfinder Beta" playtest, nor a public Legend playtest, nor a public D&D 5e beta playtest. Or, for that matter, why no high-budget video games have ever had public previews/beta versions. And why no software is ever given public preview releases to allow more people to identify bugs.
After all, it's utterly impossible for a public playtest to involve anything but base classes
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So I see this "1 Core Rule Book, 1 AP, no modules, no Player Companions or Campaign Settings. AP will include settings stuff"
1 AP. So is this going to be considered a closed end line, and it could open up depending on reception/sale?
This is just what they have planned right now, 1 Core Hardcover, 1 Adventure Path with some Campaign Setting stuff inside.
According to all the info that we have, this is all they have planned for release at this time, at this juncture. By Gen Con next year, that could change and i'm pretty sure it could really change once they see the presales of the Core Rulebook.
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Which is why there was no public "Pathfinder Beta" playtest, nor a public Legend playtest, nor a public D&D 5e beta playtest. Or, for that matter, why no high-budget video games have ever had public previews/beta versions. And why no software is ever given public preview releases to allow more people to identify bugs.
After all, it's utterly impossible for a public playtest to involve anything but base classes
I mean when you think about it, public playtest is actually kind of a big risk for some companies. Blizzard's Overwatch Playtest went off smashingly but I can think of some betas that can kill high level products. Public Playtests are more the exception than the rule in some situations.
Customer Service Manager
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The more I read this, the more I have a whole Babylon 5 vibe to it... with the Absalom station name...
I wouldn't mind to be invited to playtesting... but doubt that will happen :P no luck there :D
Rumor has it a large % of Paizo staffers are rather big Babylon 5 fans...
There's always the threat of an attack by say, a giant space dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every 30 days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles?
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There's always the threat of an attack by say, a giant space dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every 30 days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles?
Well, you could at least expect them to be frigging punctual. We all know the real reason for those shipping delays a few years ago was due to dragon attacks.
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Rumor has it a large % of Paizo staffers are rather big Babylon 5 fans...
So, Starfinder is in good hands. :)
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Babylon 5 had some interesting bits to it as did Farscape but when it comes to Space Opera I am a bit of a junkie.
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^New AI God . . . Does this have Harlan Ellison's voice?
I think Paizo's own Ivanova should be very strongly considered for the voiceover.
Likewise, Rubit Chris should voice any Tachikoma-like robots/AIs.
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^New AI God . . . Does this have Harlan Ellison's voice?
Maybe it's Hal 9000's voice, instead?
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Babylon 5 had some interesting bits to it as did Farscape but when it comes to Space Opera I am a bit of a junkie.
If they take even 5 percent from Farscape, I will be a happy camper.
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This is a new core rules type book instead of merely a supplementary hardcover or new class splat, play-testing that with open groups would be a night mare to coordinate because the document you would be releasing would essentially be the product you're going to sell later. In order to protect their super secret project they have to do a closed Beta.
I heard there is no playtest, is that true? If so why?
Which is why there was no public "Pathfinder Beta" playtest, nor a public Legend playtest, nor a public D&D 5e beta playtest. Or, for that matter, why no high-budget video games have ever had public previews/beta versions. And why no software is ever given public preview releases to allow more people to identify bugs.
After all, it's utterly impossible for a public playtest to involve anything but base classes
I think its a factor of time. They want to release this next year so at best it would only be a couple of months to test a new system.
And it is going to get playtesting, just more limited invite only.
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There's always the threat of an attack by say, a giant space dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every 30 days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles?The more I read this, the more I have a whole Babylon 5 vibe to it... with the Absalom station name...
I wouldn't mind to be invited to playtesting... but doubt that will happen :P no luck there :D
Rumor has it a large % of Paizo staffers are rather big Babylon 5 fans...
Did I mention my nose is on fire, and that I have 15 wild badgers living in my trousers?
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Different AC system, Ground vehicles, no decking minigames, starship combat involves everybody, emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics.
I'm a bit concerned about the different AC system. Namely that would mean that a number of things would stop working unless the AC system just translates differently. If it's a shift like Touch AC doesn't exist' or something like that it would be easy to deal with, but if it's something like Armor as damage reduction then that means I have to start sorting through numbers.
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" emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics."
That makes me a happy camper.
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Different AC system, Ground vehicles, no decking minigames, starship combat involves everybody, emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics.
I'm a bit concerned about the different AC system. Namely that would mean that a number of things would stop working unless the AC system just translates differently. If it's a shift like Touch AC doesn't exist' or something like that it would be easy to deal with, but if it's something like Armor as damage reduction then that means I have to start sorting through numbers.
I have to say, I'm hoping for armor as DR.
I have to say, I'm hoping for armor as DR.
Different AC system, Ground vehicles, no decking minigames, starship combat involves everybody, emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics.
I'm a bit concerned about the different AC system. Namely that would mean that a number of things would stop working unless the AC system just translates differently. If it's a shift like Touch AC doesn't exist' or something like that it would be easy to deal with, but if it's something like Armor as damage reduction then that means I have to start sorting through numbers.
Why? Multiple incarnations of terrible and ineffective attempts leave very little to hope for.
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Why? Multiple incarnations of terrible and ineffective attempts leave very little to hope for.I have to say, I'm hoping for armor as DR.
Different AC system, Ground vehicles, no decking minigames, starship combat involves everybody, emphasis on science fantasy, not totally realistic physics.
I'm a bit concerned about the different AC system. Namely that would mean that a number of things would stop working unless the AC system just translates differently. If it's a shift like Touch AC doesn't exist' or something like that it would be easy to deal with, but if it's something like Armor as damage reduction then that means I have to start sorting through numbers.
The idea of armor as DR always made more sense to me than AC. However, it was far far far too late in designing PF to actually change something that fundamental.
This time it might be possible to do it right from the start. And with guns all over the place, I think that's important.
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I was at the panel and it seems to me like there'll be lots of interplanetary shenanigans. I fully support that.