Contributor
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We now have a whole bunch of repeatable content in Starfinder! But I think that it might be a good opportunity to look at all of our repeatables, and study each of them, both from a 'Play once' perspective and a 'I'm going to play this many times perspective.' What makes a great repeatable scenario is not the same thing as what makes a great 'Play once' scenario. I think that how I am going to do this is by taking them one at scenario at a time, and analyzing how they play out.
I'm hoping (ambitiously) to also link these short analyses to reviews in their product threads, because I think that it can help GMs and future scenario writers to consider what makes a fantastic repeatable, and help everyone with planning out scenarios for their lodges. I'd like to invite others to weigh in on this question, too. Argue with me. Post your own favorites. Talk about why they work as a repeatable, or do not.
One thing that is great is that we now have a TON of repeatable content, so even scenarios that are not great on a replay can be scheduled less frequently, allowing players time to forget some of what happened when they played that scenario last.
Biases of this Reviewer:
Other than conventions or at the start of a new season when people are launching new characters, I tend to avoid most repeatables as a GM and as a player. I like to devote a good portion of my gaming time to following the story of a season and its metaplot. I like adventures to stay fresh and surprising for myself and my players. So I will usually run a brand-new repeatable when it first comes out and no one has played it yet, and then avoid it thereafter.
But I recognize the value of repeatables for bringing a table together who cannot play anything else, or for providing great introductory content to newcomers. It's also great for getting casual GMs to GM for my venue, because most people would rather GM something they already played. Repeatable content is essential to the lifeblood of the campaign in my mind because it helps casual and beginner GMs learn their GMing craft, and it can be important filler when you have players that have played EVERYTHING.
I recognize that it is a bit curmudgeonly of me to have GM who actively avoids repeatable scenarios reviewing repeatable content. So be it. But recognize this is also done out of love of the campaign. I adore Starfinder!
Hmm
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Contributor
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I'd like to open the floor to others. What do you think makes a great repeatable? What makes a TERRIBLE repeatable? Are there special things you look for a repeatable to accomplish? For repeatables with random elements or other variables, what random elements really don't matter and what make a difference?
I'll start.
I often like to compare and contrast two repeatable scenarios that have variable / random elements for what works in a repeatable and what does not. 1-12 Ashes of Discovery and 1-32 Acts of Association are two scenarios that both have variable / random content designed to change how the scenario plays. In one case, this variable / random content really has little impact on the replayer. In the other, the scenario plays completely fresh every single time for me.
So let's give them both a casual look:
★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★
For me, what makes useful random elements is if they actually change how the PCs interact with the story and the NPCs. Cosmetic random elements that only change the surface of the story don't actually make a story feel fresh, and only add needless complexity for the GM that does not have a real impact on replays.
But that's my opinion. What is yours? Do you agree, or do you see things differently? Tell me: what makes a story repeatable (other than the tag)?
Hmm
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I run these scenarios for an ongoing, non-Org Play-complaint home game, which means I by definition am a "run once" GM, but I have run both of these scenarios and essentially I am in full agreement with you. I had a great time pulling random table results into a weird, unique world and backstory for 1-12 Ashes of Discovery, but yes, I can't help but imagine the skeleton of the adventure being very "samey" for repeat players.
1-32 Acts of Association, on the other hand, was for me basically the epitome of an excellent repeatable scenario. You could almost run/play that scenario twice without repeating any content! If I'd had room in my campaign's "schedule" I totally would have run that adventure twice for the same group of players.
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Random thoughts:
The single best game of SFS I've ever played was my 5th game of Acts of Association, where the bar encounter ended in a dance off while the ambassador sang disco in a bad German accent.
Dreaming of the Future has a special place in my Timmy Powergamer heart because it has the best boon in SFS but it's otherwise not especially memorable.
Truth Keepers is my favorite to run as GM - with the caveat it always goes over 5 hours. Very varied experiences that are all a lot of fun. And about a 50% chance of TPK if the party is noobish, or 5 players on the low APL end and the GM is merciless.
Live Adventure Extreme is kind of fun for what it is and has a few amusing twists, but I think after the 3rd or 4th replay, you've seen everything.
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Thoughts on Starfinder Society Intro 1 The First Test; random biomes. If this had been a Pathfinder game it would have been more impactful beyond just adding a change of scenery. In pathfinder just surviving in a desert or arctic zone can be a challenge, in Starfinder your armor's environment protection takes care of a lot of that. Maybe just adding some survival or obstacle check unique to each biome to get to the next part of the adventure would make this section play out more differently.
One way to update all the old repeatable or maybe just the intros would be a PDF like the Drift Crisis chapter AP's in Crisis. This doesn't have to be Drift Crisis related, but could be, it could also add other options for running the Scenarios to give GMs an official source of variation and NPCs to add to repeatable Scenarios. Including some way to vary how or where a Scenario starts might help too.
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Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
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I quite like #3-10: Live Adventure Extreme! from a variety perspective. There's a lot of different encounters here that it won't get stale soon, but the total lack of skill challenges is a big turn-off. It's just a big meat grinder. There's no real method of expressing yourself, no reason to talk in-character. That's a big miss, in my book.
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Was wondering if the page count affects the quality of the randomness, or just how many pages dosse good randomness take. I don't own all of them so just filled in what I could.
Intro 1 The First Test 24
Intro 2 For The Factions 31
1-01 The Commencement 24
Quest Into The Unknown 38
1-12: Ashes Of Discovery 24
1-16: Dreaming of the Future
1-25: The Beacon Code Dilemma
1-32: Acts Of Association 37
2-03: The Withering World
2-07: Four for the First
2-10: Corporate Interests
2-19: Truth Keepers
3-10: Live Adventure Extreme 50
3-11: Into the Veskarium
3-19: Rat's Repentance
Intro Year Of The Data Scourge 30
4-05: A Waltz Through Myriad Worlds
4-12: A Festive Operation
Sounds like Live Adventure Extreme has good random combat encounters, but just the encounters take up 32 pages of 50.
Sounds like Acts Of Association has good NPC RP randomness, the random NPC section takes up 11 pages of 37.
I do agree that random NPCs are likely to have the biggest effect on the felling of the game being different each time.
I don't mind the random scenery tables they can change the feeling of the setting, but can't be relied on by themselves.
The ones I like least are the same monster, and random special ability, they feel more like trying to catch the payers off guard than creating a new encounter.
Another issue is dose it even matter to the scenario that the characters know it's a repeat. For Live Adventure Extreme, I'd say it doesn't matter in character if it's a repeat, it's just needing to pay off Zo! again. In the First Test, on the other hand, why would you go to find a distress signal in the same place twice, so for this one you really need a deeper level of randomness, I think it's doable if you expand it from 24 to 37 pages.
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Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Boston
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I don't have enough experience with SFS to comment on the quality of any particular repeatable, but from the PFS2 side a couple of things stand out to me.
Changing the goal in a particular scene tends to give a good amount of value (find the McGuffin, convince an NPC to join you or beat a fight) even if all options might always be present in the scene. People engage with the content differently.
Changing the order, but not the content, of scenes tends to not be worth the random. Often the box-text assumes one order and modifying it to fit the other order can be challenging, and nothing really changed anyways.
Introducing an M choose N mechanic for opposing teams/npcs/factions tends to give a decent amount of replayablity, especially on the roleplay side since the interactions between groups can give a multiplicative aspect of the variability. It still can get a bit stale if there are "bests" (as in either mechanically, easiest to bring to life, simplest to prep) options that GMs gravitate to. It can also fall flat, if there isn't really any interaction between them -- ie if every run with option A is the same, regardless of if B, C or D is also present, its lost the benefit from M choose N.
"Reskinning" style changes are harder to group into good/bad categories:
if its swapping one or two skills around in a skill challenge, its often not impactful enough. Good GMs might invent much more sophisticated take, but in practice I seem most GMs (even ones I consider good) just rushing though those in a more rapid fashion, since the scenario didn't give enough hooks/guidance to make it interesting.
If it changes the combat tactics or the social interactions of an NPC, it tends to add to the replayabilty. If it adds a "cool" thing, but not something that actually changes things, it tends to fall flat. Often the interesting 'quirks' fall into the latter category, they just weren't given enough word count/interactions.
Finally, when there's multiple 'arcs' through the story it really helps to make sure they all make sense. A lot of times it feels like a couple were more loved by the author/editors and a couple are less developed and included just to bulk up the random chance table.
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My local weather report called for morning brainstorming...
1: Are repeatable scenarios even needed anymore?
2: Where they need more when Starfinder was new?
3: What type of repeatable scenarios are needed or get used the most?
4: Is there a better replacement for repeatable scenarios, if so what?
5: How many times does a repeatable scenario need to be repeatable?
6: How often does a repeatable scenario need to be or is likely to be played?
7: How many new characters does the average, above average, or fanatic SFS player make and play in a year's meta plot cycles.
8: How many times does a GM start a new group through a year's meta plot cycles.
9: Do repeatable scenarios need to be or does it help them to be tied to a meta plot?
10: Playtesting repeatable scenarios, can you play repeatable scenarios 4, 6, or 8 times back to back with the same group and still have fun?
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One advantage Acts of Association has is the 8th choice for the random
dignitary is: Random humanoid species. Create description and name of colony in the Vast. But not all options are as easy to let the GM decide and still fit in with organized play. In the case of Acts of Association, letting the GM pick their own location would lead to needing to create an entirely new encounter. The other issue with the create your own options is not everyone has the time or interest in doing so, but I think it's a great option to have when it fits in well.
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Contributor
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Introducing Starfinder and Starfinder Society to new players?
My top choices:
1) Into the Unknown by the amazing Ron Lundeen.
It has 2 starship combats in it that are short and very different from one another, and is a great one for a GM and players to learn the Starship system.
2) Starfinder Society Intro 1: The First Test by the fun and quirky Jason Keeley.
It sends the group out on a simple mission / dungeon crawl, and has adorable details. Incidentally, I consider this one a 'not very repeatable' repeatable because the variations add complexity without shifting the plot much. Also, it is sort of a mystery, which is less fun when you already know the answers. But it's a great story, and I love doing it at Conventions with fresh players. Bonus: you can pick up the Starfinder Society Subdermal implant in this scenario.
3) Starfinder Society Intro 2: For the Factions by the glorious Kate Baker!
A better set of plots than Intro 1, with a short and snappy Starship Combat, and a good introduction to the most common factions.
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Contributor
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My local weather report called for morning brainstorming...
Let me return to this post, because the answers depend on the size and activity level of the group you regularly play with. I'll tell you that in my little Dreamers Starfinder group I have four of the most obsessed Starfinder players ever. They own all the books. One of them plays every scenario as soon as it comes out. They all have multiple characters at different levels.
Having repeatables is needed sometimes if we have run temporarily out of new scenarios to play. It can be good to have an adventure that everyone can play.
I'll come back to this in a bit with more details.
Hmm
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Introducing Starfinder and Starfinder Society to new players?
My top choices:
1) Into the Unknown by the amazing Ron Lundeen.
It has 2 starship combats in it that are short and very different from one another, and is a great one for a GM and players to learn the Starship system.
2) Starfinder Society Intro 1: The First Test by the fun and quirky Jason Keeley.
It sends the group out on a simple mission / dungeon crawl, and has adorable details. Incidentally, I consider this one a 'not very repeatable' repeatable because the variations add complexity without shifting the plot much. Also, it is sort of a mystery, which is less fun when you already know the answers. But it's a great story, and I love doing it at Conventions with fresh players. Bonus: you can pick up the Starfinder Society Subdermal implant in this scenario.
3) Starfinder Society Intro 2: For the Factions by the glorious Kate Baker!
A better set of plots than Intro 1, with a short and snappy Starship Combat, and a good introduction to the most common factions.
Would you run them in that order, or does that not matter?
I ran Into the Unknown first because I and my players were new to Starfinder, and it functionally serves as a series of rules tutorials as well as adventures. But you could just as well place it last of the three.
