New format for SFS scenarios

[roysier]

So, I noticed a new format for SFS scenarios is their a discussion on this anywhere? I'm not sure if it's PFS2 also. I wonder what the purpose of the duplicate pages for different tiers.

I can point out the negatives. I can't see a positive.

Negatives include: If printing the scenario; more pages means more chopped down trees. More expenses on paper and ink. I highlight sentences now I have to highlight the same thing on 2 different pages, hence making things more difficult to prep adding prep time and more wasted ink. I make notes in margins now I have to make the same note in 2 different places. Paizo editors have to edit more pages. Writers have to write more pages.

Increased prep time, adding waste in time, paper, and ink seems pretty negative. Can someone point to a thread that talks about the positives. I'm sure someone thought it was a good idea I just wonder what those are and to whom?

[BigNorseWolf]

It is a LOT of flipping back and forth between the scenario and the appropriate pages as a PDF

[Lourie Brightheart]

The way the Pathfinder 2 (and now Starfinder) scenarios are designed works better for me, because I can more easily print just the combat stuff. My GM style is to have a PDF on a tablet for the non-combat scenes, and to use printouts that I write on for the combat scenes. In an ideal situation, I can only print the subtier I'm going to need, in the less ideal situation, I print both subtiers and put away the one I don't need.

A benefit to me is that I have fewer pieces of paper in front of me during a combat because they're broken into pages by combat, rather than having the stat blocks in columns interrupted by pictures and broken across pages. Also, I am not going to mix creatures up between subtiers labeled in small print while looking through different pages.

[andreww]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

It is a LOT of flipping back and forth between the scenario and the appropriate pages as a PDF

You could just print to pdf the stat block section and then you just have to switch between two pdfs.

[Josh Klingerman]

That's what I've been doing for Online play where I'm on my desktop and it works pretty well, but managing two PDFs works less well in person when you're using an iPad or something like that where changing PDFs will lose your place in the old one.

[Ascalaphus]

I love the new format. It's a lot LESS flipping back and forth for me. Encounter starts? Go to that page in the appendix and it has monsters, scaling, tactics, the whole thing. I can stay there for the whole combat and then flip back to the main text when the dust settles.

This is a big step up from flipping back and forth between main scenario and appendix because the tactics and hazards and custom monsters were in the main text and the stock alien archive monsters in the back.

It also avoids some of the horrible "statblock spread over three pages, interrupted by full-page flipmat" awfulness.

[Silbeg]

That is true, and it is consistent
There are it some stat blocks in the chapter, some in the back, and some you have to look up in the bestiary, or wherever

I am a total fan!

I don’t know about SFS, but I also love the artwork handouts.

[Gary Bush]

roysier wrote:

I can point out the negatives. I can't see a positive.

Being able to print out the stat blocks of the NPCS, all in one place, for EACH encounter and each Tier. It is a HUGE positive!

I can see why it would be difficult if not using paper but it is at least known where in the PDF to find the stat blocks.

As for it being discussed on the forums, I doubt it was. I think it was a design decision for PFS2e adventures that has been ported over to SFS because it is a very good idea. Much simpler for the GM to prep and plan out the adventure.

Yes, it is different. Get past that and look at it from a new direction.

[Silbeg]

On the other hand, I do not understand the comment about "increased prep time". I know, for me, having the stat blocks all in once place has saved me the effort of collating them all into my own sheets.

As for printing, doesn't save me anything... probably because I already created my own. Does mean I need to break up the printing, as it is nice to have the stat blocks separate from the bound (stapled) scenario.

But, like all change, I assume it is here to stay (until someone finds something better).

[NielsenE]

I generally like the PFS2 format for the reasons people have listed, but there have been some growing pains, where sometimes tactics, or environmental effects get partially explained both in the scenario and in the appendix and piecing them together can be awkward. Its generally gotten better as the season has gone on, so they're learning how to author/arrange it better as time goes on.

There have also been a couple of times where I feel the non-scaled number of creatures was left off so you had to refer back to the main section to know how many to start with. (Again I think it was only 1-2 scenarios and they were early-ish)

[Philippe Lam]

It's better that way in the sense it's easier as a GM, to read and then prep the scenario. When it was cut between statblocks that makes my life slightly more difficult. I will need some time to get accustomed to that layout but that's about it.