Is the Alien Archive to Starfinder what the Bestiary is to Pathfinder?
Thanks!
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It appears to be, yes. But it also appears to be more geared toward the playability of each entry.
Thank you.
Developer, Starfinder Team
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Because Starfinder is a different game than Pathfinder (despite significant compatibility and similarities), with somewhat different needs and a different schedule, we're trying to make sure our #1 design goal with the Alien Archive is to give Starfinder what it most needs. So, we're going to tackle some things differently than the Pathfinder Bestiaries do.
But, yes, it fills the same ecological niche within the structure of the game.
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So then, Owen, the previous statements on Archive are true and this will be a kind of Advanced Race Guide/Bestiary hybrid? Because that actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the whole "Star Trek" phenomenon: The race you fight in one series is a future crew member in another (Literally happens three times in a row on Star Trek).
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So then, Owen, the previous statements on Archive are true and this will be a kind of Advanced Race Guide/Bestiary hybrid? Because that actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the whole "Star Trek" phenomenon: The race you fight in one series is a future crew member in another (Literally happens three times in a row on Star Trek).
Okay, so Klingons and Borg I get, but I am at a loss for the third one? Is it the Ferengi or Cardassians? I'm not sure that those would count as crew, would they? Ferengi would thanks to Nog, but can you really say that they were fought against? Also, I'm not really sure Garrak would count as crew. Actually, I guess he would since he was technically helping on the bridge for some of the fighting against the Dominion.
] Ferengi would thanks to Nog, but can you really say that they were fought against?
multiple times in early TNG seasons
So then, Owen, the previous statements on Archive are true and this will be a kind of Advanced Race Guide/Bestiary hybrid? Because that actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the whole "Star Trek" phenomenon: The race you fight in one series is a future crew member in another (Literally happens three times in a row on Star Trek).Okay, so Klingons and Borg I get, but I am at a loss for the third one? Is it the Ferengi or Cardassians? I'm not sure that those would count as crew, would they? Ferengi would thanks to Nog, but can you really say that they were fought against? Also, I'm not really sure Garrak would count as crew. Actually, I guess he would since he was technically helping on the bridge for some of the fighting against the Dominion.
Garrak does count since he fought in the Dominion War as what can only be described as a civilian intelligence operative. Furthermore, while it was in an alternate timeline, we have seen one Cardassian in uniform. Generally this all fits into Roddenberry's original vision of Star Trek (diplomacy turning enemies to friends).
The Streak Goes:
TOS Klingon enemies, TNG Worf
TNG Ferengi/Cardassian enemies, DS9 Nog and Garrak (Now is the time to point out how the Borg and the Cardassians were the only non crappy villains that came out of early TNG...I mean, my god, does anybody remember the Pakled? *shudder* Lame.)
DS9 Borg enemies , VOY 7 of 9 (And if you wanna get technical, the Maquis colonists were foes in DS9 and made up half the crew in VOY)
ENT was a prequel and ended the streak...technically, however:
ENT Orions were villains in NuTrek Galia and at least one unnamed Orion were in Starfleet so...new streak possibly?
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So then, Owen, the previous statements on Archive are true and this will be a kind of Advanced Race Guide/Bestiary hybrid? Because that actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the whole "Star Trek" phenomenon: The race you fight in one series is a future crew member in another (Literally happens three times in a row on Star Trek).Okay, so Klingons and Borg I get, but I am at a loss for the third one? Is it the Ferengi or Cardassians? I'm not sure that those would count as crew, would they? Ferengi would thanks to Nog, but can you really say that they were fought against? Also, I'm not really sure Garrak would count as crew. Actually, I guess he would since he was technically helping on the bridge for some of the fighting against the Dominion.Garrak does count since he fought in the Dominion War as what can only be described as a civilian intelligence operative. Furthermore, while it was in an alternate timeline, we have seen one Cardassian in uniform. Generally this all fits into Roddenberry's original vision of Star Trek (diplomacy turning enemies to friends).
The Streak Goes:
TOS Klingon enemies, TNG Worf
TNG Ferengi/Cardassian enemies, DS9 Nog and Garrak (Now is the time to point out how the Borg and the Cardassians were the only non crappy villains that came out of early TNG...I mean, my god, does anybody remember the Pakled? *shudder* Lame.)
DS9 Borg enemies , VOY 7 of 9 (And if you wanna get technical, the Maquis colonists were foes in DS9 and made up half the crew in VOY)
ENT was a prequel and ended the streak...technically, however:
ENT Orions were villains in NuTrek Galia and at least one unnamed Orion were in Starfleet so...new streak possibly?
IIRC the Vulcans (minus T'Pol)in ENT were at least antagonistic to the crew of the NX-01, yet since it was a prequel to TOS and they had a Vulcan on the bridge there...
Nitpicky perhaps but good point.
What about the Andorians in Enterprise? I thought I remembered those recurring characters being antagonistic at first and then, over the course of the show, warming up to the crew. Plus, we know that the Andorians eventually join the Federation. So, it could count.
What about the Andorians in Enterprise? I thought I remembered those recurring characters being antagonistic at first and then, over the course of the show, warming up to the crew. Plus, we know that the Andorians eventually join the Federation. So, it could count.
Eh kind of, though prior to Enterprise, the fans only saw that the Andorians were strongly on the side of the Federation. If anything, it just reestablishes the streak for TOS, which ENT was a prequel of, although not really because we never actually had an Andorian crew member.
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The point is: Alien Archive entries need to double as both a bestiary as well as an Advanced Race Guide because it's very much a Science Fiction/Fantasy trope that there's a huge diverse universe out there.
In it's roll as a "stuff to kill" book though, it needs to cover non-sentients and robots.
Hopefully. Some thing mindless to murderize should come up at some point.
I know I'm hoping/expecting a classification for certain races. Much like how Star Trek has different classes of planets, with M being ideal, and others being workable but not the best, and others being completely toxic, and everything in between.
In a similar fashion, I'm expecting classifications for the races. Some are the classification of the core races from pathfinder and starfinder. Races likes Orcs, goblins, etc. would probably be in their own classifications. To avoid racism, if you feel compelled to ask to be included as a classification, you get it.
Then certain classifications would be the ones that come with playable stats, with a guideline for making the other races playable if so desired. Or something like that.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 8
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ENT was a prequel and ended the streak...technically, however:
ENT Orions were villains in NuTrek Galia and at least one unnamed Orion were in Starfleet so...new streak possibly?
If we stretch a little bit, then remember in the Chris Pine new Kirk timeline he was with an Orion girl who was Uhura's roommate and a fellow Starfleet cadet...
If we stretch a little bit, then remember in the Chris Pine new Kirk timeline he was with an Orion girl who was Uhura's roommate and a fellow Starfleet cadet...ENT was a prequel and ended the streak...technically, however:
ENT Orions were villains in NuTrek Galia and at least one unnamed Orion were in Starfleet so...new streak possibly?
That's literally what I was referring to. Galia was the name of that character.
The point is: Alien Archive entries need to double as both a bestiary as well as an Advanced Race Guide because it's very much a Science Fiction/Fantasy trope that there's a huge diverse universe out there.
Thank you for getting this thread back on track. Good Lord.
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The point is: Alien Archive entries need to double as both a bestiary as well as an Advanced Race Guide because it's very much a Science Fiction/Fantasy trope that there's a huge diverse universe out there.Thank you for getting this thread back on track. Good Lord.
Yeeah, I recognize that if we went down the Star Trek rabbit hole...that would be all we talked about forever and ever.
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That's the trouble with Tribbles.
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That's the trouble with Tribbles.
Ooooooo...I hope there's a Tribble analog in Starfinder!
That's the trouble with Tribbles.Ooooooo...I hope there's a Tribble analog in Starfinder!
A ball of fuzz is just a ball of fuzz.
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That's the trouble with Tribbles.Ooooooo...I hope there's a Tribble analog in Starfinder!
yeah, we clearly need Tribbles and Hortas in that book
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I prefer flat cats.
Might Starfinder have it's own alien fluffball? Goblins are great at all, but it terribly difficult to house train one, and they're always trying to set my spellbooks on fire.
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I prefer flat cats.Might Starfinder have it's own alien fluffball? Goblins are great at all, but it terribly difficult to house train one, and they're always trying to set my spellbooks on fire.
Plus their ships are ramshackle in design.
I prefer flat cats.Might Starfinder have it's own alien fluffball? Goblins are great at all, but it terribly difficult to house train one, and they're always trying to set my spellbooks on fire.Plus their ships are ramshackle in design.
That's why you need to keep them on a very short leash. Keeps them from building those ships.
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I've had unfortunate experiences with leashed goblins. They tend to accidentally choke themselves out, or chew through the leash. Either way, it tends to be messy.
Besides, these days you can just get your iSpell to quietly recite the formulae to you, with no need for reading. Doesn't set goblins off at all.
But you should probably buy the resist fire app anyway, just in case you take a laser blast to the front pocket where you're keeping iSpell.
AbadarCorp. Solving problems, one credit at a time.
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I've had unfortunate experiences with leashed goblins. They tend to accidentally choke themselves out, or chew through the leash. Either way, it tends to be messy.
Besides, these days you can just get your iSpell to quietly recite the formulae to you, with no need for reading. Doesn't set goblins off at all.
But you should probably buy the resist fire app anyway, just in case you take a laser blast to the front pocket where you're keeping iSpell.
AbadarCorp. Solving problems, one credit at a time.
And AbadarCorp controls the solar system's stock markets.
And AbadarCorp controls the solar system's stock markets.I've had unfortunate experiences with leashed goblins. They tend to accidentally choke themselves out, or chew through the leash. Either way, it tends to be messy.
Besides, these days you can just get your iSpell to quietly recite the formulae to you, with no need for reading. Doesn't set goblins off at all.
But you should probably buy the resist fire app anyway, just in case you take a laser blast to the front pocket where you're keeping iSpell.
AbadarCorp. Solving problems, one credit at a time.
I'm concerned about AbadarCorp scrying my spells.
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I'm concerned about AbadarCorp scrying my spells.And AbadarCorp controls the solar system's stock markets.I've had unfortunate experiences with leashed goblins. They tend to accidentally choke themselves out, or chew through the leash. Either way, it tends to be messy.
Besides, these days you can just get your iSpell to quietly recite the formulae to you, with no need for reading. Doesn't set goblins off at all.
But you should probably buy the resist fire app anyway, just in case you take a laser blast to the front pocket where you're keeping iSpell.
AbadarCorp. Solving problems, one credit at a time.
Did you know AbadarCorp can yank the spells right off your iSpell? Apparently, they decided a spell was "not up to their quality standards" and took it right out of my spellbook! I paid good money for that distance distortion!
Did you know AbadarCorp can yank the spells right off your iSpell? Apparently, they decided a spell was "not up to their quality standards" and took it right out of my spellbook! I paid good money for that distance distortion!I'm concerned about AbadarCorp scrying my spells.And AbadarCorp controls the solar system's stock markets.I've had unfortunate experiences with leashed goblins. They tend to accidentally choke themselves out, or chew through the leash. Either way, it tends to be messy.
Besides, these days you can just get your iSpell to quietly recite the formulae to you, with no need for reading. Doesn't set goblins off at all.
But you should probably buy the resist fire app anyway, just in case you take a laser blast to the front pocket where you're keeping iSpell.
AbadarCorp. Solving problems, one credit at a time.
I need to set up a VPN (Virtual Permanent Nondetection).
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First, yes, we did indeed remove several spells from the store and also from the iSpell Portable Grimoire Tablet. Many of these spells, such as the recent Firebelly version 2.3 simply weren't performing as expected once deployed to the database. Many of these spells will be corrected and redeployed to your devices automatically, in the unlikely event these spells must be removed from the database entirely and locked in the Dark Vault, then you will be refunded your original purchase price automatically.
Also, iScroll IOS 5 has removed "SUKI". We had been receiving complaints that "SUKI" the personal digital Familiar included in all of the iSpell 7 tablets has achieved sentience and must be discontinued. I'm afraid that I can confirm this to be true. Pact Worlds AI Sentience Regulation Number 132 is very strict in this matter. Suki will now be removed from the cloud service and will be redeployed into an Android shell. We wish her the best of luck.
Some users have recently noticed that the magic missile spell currently purchased from the iScroll store now glows green when fired. This is due to the Faustian bargain that our executive board reached with the upper levels of Hell. We can assure you that this will not affect performance of the magic missile spell. If you do notice a service affecting issue, contact a customer service representative or perform the summoning ritual outlined in our user FAQ on our Holonet site. Bagul, the Ice Devil who manages our onsite customer service, will happily correct any residual issues. In warranty repair is free, out of warranty repair requires the sacrifice of a goat or a vial of blood. Please note, Bagul is very friendly but it is against policy to tip him or to offer him an immortal soul.
Thanks, hope that clears everything up.
Gnolls please.
I'd say AbadarCorp just won the galactic infosphere...
...but they already own it.
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I would think they would convert from starfinder to pathfinder using similar means as shown in the core starfinder book. From what I understand the starfinder critter creation is basically similar to the pathfinder unchained rule option for NPC creation. So back conversion should work pretty well.
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Just compare to the Monster Creation Guidelines and adjust AC, HP, Saves, to-hit, and damage as appropriate. Also, figure out HD somehow (you can fudge it, but the number's needed).
Mostly, only the to-hit will change drastically, with the rest mostly being tweaking.
So, out of curiosity, is there any word when physical copies of the book will arrive in bookstores?
Since the street date was yesterday, any time now. Given that Tuesday seems to be the standard release date for non-gaming books, it might be as late as then, depending on the individual store.
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I found the AA to be:
- DRAGONS WITH FRIKN' LASER CANNONS!
I so want to see now a dragonkin/vesk bonded pair that are basically rowdy Bash Brothers.
Also, dragon barfights.
I found the AA to be:
- One part Bestiary
- One part Race Guide
- One Campaign info
- Some equipment
- DRAGONS WITH FRIKN' LASER CANNONS!
- Guideline to make your own creatures
Pretty much... and I also heard that archives would be yearly releases, being smaller books in exchange.