Intro Scenarios

[TomParker]

Are the Intros still full length scenarios, just outside the normal season? Or are they shorter, like the Bounties?

[NielsenE]

They are normal full length scenarios.

[TomParker]

Thanks!

[Watery Soup]

Is there a reason they're called "Intro 1 / Intro 2 / 3-01" instead of numbered sequentially?

[NielsenE]

The goal with both SFS/PFS2 is to have an evergreen/repeatable
"Intro to the (in-game) society"
"Intro to the factions"
And then an "intro to the current metaplot"

The first two are intended to change very rarely (ie if factions change the second one might need to be updated).

The third one would rotate out when a new metaplot starts and will lose the 'Intro 3' name ad reclaim its Year-01 label. At least I think its the plan, but I suspect most of the community will just call them year-01 anyways. I think Paizo uses Intro 3, but the community is already starting to prefer year numbering.

[Nefreet]

The front page shows both "Scenario #3-01" and "Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries", so either is correct.

[Watery Soup]

I think I get it. So, Intros 1 and 2, although released at the same time as Year 3 scenarios, are meant to be intros to Society, not intros to Year 3?

And "Intro 3" (aka 3-01) is an intro to the Year 3 metaplot, not the third intro to Society?

[Nefreet]

Yeah, Intros 1 & 2 are actually on separate product pages; they are not part of Season 3, despite being released during the same month.

And #3-01 is the Intro to Season 3, just like #4-01 will theoretically be the Intro to Season 4, and so on.

[TwilightKnight]

Nefreet wrote:

The front page shows both "Scenario #3-01" and "Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries", so either is correct.

The store/product page does not list it as 3-01 anywhere so having that info on the front page of the PDF is not especially helpful and unnecessarily confusing to the casual player (as demonstrated by Watery Soup upthread). It would be better to call it something like "PFS2 3-01 Intro: Year of the Shattered Sanctuaries" as that would serve both purposes without being unclear as to the intent.

[Nefreet]

Wow. Hold the phone. That is NOT the image that link initially led to. Something changed.

The initial image had the art of an undine, and I can't find it anywhere now.

EDIT: I found a thumbnail in my image history; you can still kind of make out the title.

[TwilightKnight]

Looks like there was a break between the place-holding image and the updated cover that has been fixed. However, unless you actually go to the product page and click on the image you will not know that 3-01 and intro are one in the same. I'm not saying it is completely untenable, just that it is unnecessarily confusing and could be cleared up with a better number/title combination. YMMV

EDIT--check that. I tried it again and the placeholder image is back. Seems there is an intermittent problem that persists.

[keftiu]

Does anyone have a link to these other Intro scenarios? I only see one in the store.

Also, should a new player enter PFS with one of these?

[Nefreet]

HERE you will find Intro #1, Intro #2, and Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries.

I think playing all 3 in order would be great for new players, although #1-01: Absalom Initiation does a great job of introducing the Factions, and #2-11: Pathfinder Trials does a great job of introducing the three Deans.

Probably playing those two before the three Intros would be an all encompassing way to introduce new people to the Society.

[cavernshark]

Nefreet wrote:

HERE you will find Intro #1, Intro #2, and Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries.

I think playing all 3 in order would be great for new players, although #1-01: Absalom Initiation does a great job of introducing the Factions, and #2-11: Pathfinder Trials does a great job of introducing the three Deans.

Probably playing those two before the three Intros would be an all encompassing way to introduce new people to the Society.

Do those five scenarios and then take your newly minted agent on a quick jaunt down the Spirit Road, round the bend in Katapesh (watch out for lions), and then finish off with a quick Baldigtrek.

Boom, you're one scenario short of 4 and you can dive into the ocean and swing by the Ekkeshikaar to complete the arc. Infinite level 4 agents without even touching bounties, quests, or other 1-time scenarios.

[Watery Soup]

TwilightKnight wrote:

unnecessarily confusing to the casual player (as demonstrated by Watery Soup upthread)

To be clear, I don't think I'm a "casual" player - I've played all of Season 1 except two Quests, 8 of the first 10 Bounties, and maybe 75% of Season 2.

So either I'm pretty unperceptive (I'll admit it's a definite possibility), or it's pretty confusing even to non-casual players.

The only third explanation is that I've never played SFS - so if this model was piloted in SFS, maybe most players are used to it so it was more confusing to me specifically.

[NielsenE]

The "Intro" system did roll out in SFS before PFS2 by a couple of months (PaizoCon US, versus PaizoCon Europe), but looking back through blogs I couldn't find one that talked about it. So I don't think you've missed anything you could be expected to see.

Personally, I like the idea of the Intro 1/2 evergreen intros. I'm not sure I like the 'aliased' Intro 3 = 3-01 this year, and 4-01 next year, etc model. Feels like that level of indirection will just cause confusion, especially every July/Aug/Sept when people forget that there's new ones coming out that will take over that name,

[Nefreet]

cavernshark wrote:

Nefreet wrote:

HERE you will find Intro #1, Intro #2, and Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries.

I think playing all 3 in order would be great for new players, although #1-01: Absalom Initiation does a great job of introducing the Factions, and #2-11: Pathfinder Trials does a great job of introducing the three Deans.

Probably playing those two before the three Intros would be an all encompassing way to introduce new people to the Society.

Do those five scenarios and then take your newly minted agent on a quick jaunt down the Spirit Road, round the bend in Katapesh (watch out for lions), and then finish off with a quick Baldigtrek.

Boom, you're one scenario short of 4 and you can dive into the ocean and swing by the Ekkeshikaar to complete the arc. Infinite level 4 agents without even touching bounties, quests, or other 1-time scenarios.

While I have advocated for this exact plan in the past, it limits such a character from partaking in the full metaplot of the newest Season. #3-01, for example, is Part 1 of a 4-part arc.

If that's not something you're interested in, that's perfectly fine, but worth explaining in case a newer player might otherwise miss it.

[Ascalaphus]

Also I think two of the bounties are basically a follow-up on Intro 2. But they can only be played at level 1. Plan your route carefully, because together with the Pathfinder Trials it's a bit tricky to all squeeze into level 1.

[cavernshark]

Nefreet wrote:

cavernshark wrote:

Nefreet wrote:

HERE you will find Intro #1, Intro #2, and Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries.

I think playing all 3 in order would be great for new players, although #1-01: Absalom Initiation does a great job of introducing the Factions, and #2-11: Pathfinder Trials does a great job of introducing the three Deans.

Probably playing those two before the three Intros would be an all encompassing way to introduce new people to the Society.

Do those five scenarios and then take your newly minted agent on a quick jaunt down the Spirit Road, round the bend in Katapesh (watch out for lions), and then finish off with a quick Baldigtrek.

Boom, you're one scenario short of 4 and you can dive into the ocean and swing by the Ekkeshikaar to complete the arc. Infinite level 4 agents without even touching bounties, quests, or other 1-time scenarios.

While I have advocated for this exact plan in the past, it limits such a character from partaking in the full metaplot of the newest Season. #3-01, for example, is Part 1 of a 4-part arc.

If that's not something you're interested in, that's perfectly fine, but worth explaining in case a newer player might otherwise miss it.

Oh I definitely wouldn't recommend that path for a new player; they've got plenty of content in front of them. But for second, third, fourth... twelfth characters it's a good way to get off the ground and test something out before you commit too much.