Power Armor Jetpack / jump jets?

[Jello Ninja]

Why are they not a thing? The Spartans in Halo have them. The Space Marines in Warhammer 40000 have them. Plus Star Wars, Starship Troopers(book not movie), and Fallout. Why did Paizo say no? Hiw much should the cost? I see zero reason why power armor cannot have them. What are your thoughts?

[lightningcat]

It is part of the armor aesthetic that Starfinder (and to some extent Pathfinder and D&D before it) where light armor is about mobility and agility, where heavy armor is about strength, stability, and durability.

While other IPs use power armor to turn the user into an one man army, Starfinder uses it to create a durable frontline member of a team.

[Metaphysician]

Arguably, several of those examples would not be considered Powered Armor in Starfinder rules, simply Heavy Armor.

[gnoams]

Well, because starfinder are their own rules for their own universe. While it is a fairly generic anything goes science-fantasy setting, there's certainly plenty of other things that exist in other settings that aren't in starfinder. That said, the flight frame and the angel frame are two suits of power armor in the game that are capable of flight.

In Starwars I'm not sure there really was power armor per say. Their iconic jet pack wearing guys would be the mandolorians, which would be heavy armor. There was also some jetpack stormtroopers, but stormtrooper armor was probably level 1 light armor.

As for warhammer 40k, well that setting has always been unique in being ridiculously over the top in how powerful and deadly everything is. One adeptus astartes is probably the equivalent of a 20th level starfinder soldier wearing starguard power armor and armed with a paragon gyrojet rifle.

[Hanomir]

As said, there are at least two PA frames with flight speeds. Not all PA in scifi is flight-capable - see Steakley's excellent novel Armor for examples. You'll like it, the combat trooper suits are ground-bound tank suits like most SF suits are and die horribly because of it, while the protag's scout suit is jump-capable and built for speed and that's what keeps him alive.