Ok, so one of the things Paizo has done with Starfinder that seems to be going pretty well is that they're not going to be publishing as many lines for the game as they do for Pathfinder. It seems like Starfinder has:
1. The Core Rule Book.
2. Starfinder Society adventures
3. Beast books like Alien Archive
4. Setting books like the upcoming Pact Worlds
5. The APs
And the latter 3, which are traditionally GM books, all are packed with player options, making it unnecessary to have extra lines focused on giving Players extra content.
That's grand. But Paizo is a publishing company and they can't sell content that they don't make. Seeing as we're mostly all Starfinder fans here and want to see the game have a long and healthy life I think that is a bit of an issue.
One thing that Paizo could do, which I wouldn't mind, is collecting player options from the Archives, the setting books, and the APs, and just straight reprinting them in some sort of player focused book. Maybe a good idea would be to go through these options and explicitly sanction them or not for Society play in the book.
Usually we want Paizo to expand on reprinted content but in this case I think, other than snazzy new art and any errata and fixes, they shouldn't do that in this theoretical reprint line. It's just a player resource with the player playable aliens, gear, character options, spells, feats, that are trickling out in the other lines. It doesn't quite make sense to me to expect players to buy GM focused books, especially spoileriffic APS, so this would serve a good purpose especially for society players. Am I wrong? It would be a great yearly hardcover I think. It wouldn't contribute to the dreaded bloat of rules and mechanics (other than art. And you can never have a bloat of great art). One thing they could add though are some extra strategy guide type aids to help get new players into Starfinder, loads of different pregens, or other similar player focused articles.
Other then that what could Paizo do to balance the need to make money and the need to keep the game streamlined?
I can really only think of licensing, licensing, licensing! Guardian of the Galaxy style comic books! Pact World Intrigue Board Games, RPG OR FPS Video games etc. Then Paizo wouldn't need to put out a product every two weeks for the game.
*Takes off pretend CEO hat*
Thoughts?
Starfinder is new enough and the books are few enough that reprints like what you’re suggesting just wouldn’t be viable.
And it’s been showing in Pathfinder but it’s front and center in Starfinder that there really isn’t a “Player/GM” book division.
I'd think by the end of 2018 there should be enough stuff there to make a good 'Starfinder Player Compendium'? Certainly by the end of 2019. I just continue to be very wierded out by expecting players to buy Adventure Paths and this seems like a good solution for everyone concerned.
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I'd think by the end of 2018 there should be enough stuff there to make a good 'Starfinder Player Compendium'? Certainly by the end of 2019. I just continue to be very wierded out by expecting players to buy Adventure Paths and this seems like a good solution for everyone concerned.
Well, it may weird you out but it’s been a thing since Paizo’s founding. The AP volumes have always been half Adventure, half-Setting/ecologies/stories/player options.
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I want adventures that aren't linked to either the Society or the Adventure Path.
I want sourcebooks about the different factions that populate the Pact Worlds. Also, that detail other star systems as exhaustively as the Pact Worlds System.
I want villain books for each of the major villainous factions.
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Ultimate Equipment style book: Contains current, adventure path, and new equipment. This is a much need like an updated Alien Archive, cause I can't afford the adventure path books just for me to use the appendix.
Spacedock: A starship book obviously. Expanding on to known starships of race and/or nationality. Also adding in new starships of the new player races and nationalities of the known universe.
Advance Player's guide style book: Adding new classes and themes for players. New spells and equipment as well.
Pre-Gap Mysteries: Adventures based on Pre-Gap technology and intact historical records. Pre-gap ships and technology, grimores, historical records of dwarven, elven, and Golarion races, and more.
Azih, why would Paizo want to do this? They would lose a lot of sales it this way, because they would lose all the player sales for the APs and the setting hardcovers.
Well I guess that depends on how many players they'd get to bite on a yearly 'compendium' that wouldn't buy all the APs, Bestiaries, and setting books. I think that there are quite a lot of Starfinder players who have the CRB only and are not interested in buying all the other things just to get access to the few sections of player options. These playesr might love to have a book that comes out semi yearly or yearly and collects all of the player options that come out in other places with one pass of erratas/fixes. Especially if it comes out at holiday time and they can put it on their wishlists (All I want under the tree is the 2018 Compendium!). Very committed Starfinder fans are going to buy everything as it comes out anyway as they aren't going to want to wait up to a year to get a book that doesn't have monster, setting, and adventure content. And they might be tempted by the yearly book if it has a lot of awesome art and extra useful articles!
Basically I know I'd really like something like that for Pathfinder!
But I don't know whether this would make them money or lose them money as that's something only Paizo can reasonably estimate.
Spaceships and combat are *definitely* a place that can be expanded out a lot. And it wouldn't affect the integrity of the base game as the Starfinder CRB makes clear starship combat is optional if a GM wants it to be.
It's just that it's great that Paizo is going to be bringing out more Starfinder content. I just don't want them to repeat some of the things that, in Pathfinder, make it really hard for newcomers to get into the game.
Combining setting and mechanics into the same books is great streamlining. As is not having seperate lines catering to just player options. But there has to be ways to allow new players or casual players to keep up in a simple manner!
I'd like to see some kind of sourcebook focussed on a single enemy faction. The Azlanti star empire, the Swarm, etcetera. Full of places, people, plots and secrets geared towards the DM.
Standalone adventures are sorely needed too, imo. There are loads of fantasy adventures and a reasonable swag of Science Fiction adventures, but very few Science-Fantasy adventures and adapting the other two doesn't quite give the same feel, imo.
Planetary Gazetteers are an obvious need, but presumably they're on the schedule in some way.
EDIT: It might have been quicker if I'd just "plus oned" Kittyburger's post. :)
I want adventures that aren't linked to either the Society or the Adventure Path.
I want sourcebooks about the different factions that populate the Pact Worlds. Also, that detail other star systems as exhaustively as the Pact Worlds System.
I want villain books for each of the major villainous factions.
I would really like some stand-alone adventure content. Like, I don't need a million and one of them, but I think the fact that there isn't even a single one right now is problematic.