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No I cannot afford it, I had surprise financial emergency this month.
But seriously, either make the whole thing free or paid, don't get my hopes up only to dash them like that.
The rules are free. The stories are paid. I think that is more than fair.
Also, if it's anything like Pathfinder there is a vast resource of free monsters and rules that allow anyone to quickly assemble campaign materials themselves. Alternately there are third party adventures as well, though many are also behind paywalls on Patreon and other funding sites to, you know, compensate creators for doing the work.
Pre built campaigns are important too though because GMs need to know what they're supposed to look like before they can make their own.
This is more of a dig at FATE because I couldn't find any starter adventures for it lmao.
I don't think I've ever played an official story from any system? Why would I want to do that when I can make my own? I'm not going to look down on those that choose to run official stories, but I absolutely am going to look down on those who think the games are unplayable without them.
I haven't run one of their stories, but I've bought a few to get the structure for my own down. Making sure I have things like levels, traps, challenges, and rewards lined up with time spent in the adventure. But as far as storylines go, I love writing my own too much.
For someone who hasn't DMd before, a premade adventure makes it a hell of a lot easier to learn how to structure it. For someone who has DMd before, a premade adventure makes running the game a lot easier
I compare it to using MechJeb in KSP. If you can't do without it, use it. If you can do without it but you want to save the time and energy, use it.
I do like to have an adventure that shows me how basic beats of the game are supposed to sync up and how its suppsoed to be balanced, instead of having to guess based on the theory. Do you also look down on people who say your kid's first bike should have training wheels?
No. But I would look down on people that say that any bike that doesn't have training wheels is unrideable.
If we're specifically talking about kid's first bike, which the starter set or quickstart is an equivalent to, then looking down to people who want training wheels sounds like an asshole move.
Paizo ain't wizards, they give you lots of information about how to run a game, even down to the general amount of money they should have or the amount of events they should fight in a day.
The experience can be useful for a type of campaign you haven't run before i suppose, I'm doing sevenfold conspiracy and it has lots advice on running an investigatory whodunit. Although i wouldn't look to the paths for hard balancing advice, the wrath game I'm in is exceptionally easy (until it suddenly isn't) and the game I'm running is pretty easy too (but it's not based around combat).
FWIW, it's not a starter set, it's a playtest. It's stress testing things, and leaning on Pathfinder assets. You're not missing out on the full meal deal right now.
I feel like that actually makes it worse. Making people pay to be playtesters? Last I knew playtesting was a job.
I haven't really looked into it at all because I'm not interested, but do they at least state that you'll get the updated material that you paid for when it releases?
You're misreading. The starter set (aka the free bit) is part of the playtest
Right, but the OP says the starter adventure is behind a paywall.
Adventures aren't that tied to the exact rules. You'll still be able to use it with the final system when it comes out.
BYOA - Bring your own Adventure
This is completely standard, Paizo have always given the rules for free and made you pay for the stories and lore.
It's not even a starter set, it's the playtest, so you already need to be familiar with Pathfinder 2e in order to use the rules. Definitely not a place for a group to test the waters, they're looking for serious dweebs to obsess over the maths and mechanics so they can refine it - the playtest adventure(s) are just playgrounds for them to do that it.
I know some of the union leaders at UPW, including one of the Paizo writers that may have worked on the starter adventure (I don't know for certain). They're incredibly passionate about their work, and honestly would understand your frustrations about capitalism. They likely pushed to make as much as possible free, so folks in your position would still be able to share the joy of their work even if they can't afford the starter adventure.
I know none of this will make your frustration go away, but I hope you know that they didn't do it out of malice.
Thait is reassuring, thank you
Yeah, I guess they should have just locked all of it behind a paywall so entitled people don't get worked up over not getting everything for free.
back in MY DAY gamers used to pick themselves up by their bootstraps and get a second job if they wanted to game!
(in case you need it /s, this casual ableism is gross. if you wanna push that the artists deserve to be paid for their work that's one thing, attacking OP for being frustrated that they can't afford it is another one entirely. do better.)
I think if it was all behind the paywall I would just shrug and move on, ironically. If it was free I would be setting up a one-shot with my players. This way I got excited only to be reminded I'm poor and every nerdy interest purchase is a decision I have to seriously weight and first thing to give up if anything happens. Guess it made me overreact a bit.
Are there no free adventures for it online? Surely someone has released something in the system for free?
someone posted links to official free adventures, so yes, there are
edit: nevermind, its for pathfinder and op is talking about starfinder
I don't see the issue. Just make your own, it's way more fun.
Happy to gift you the society moduls, DM me
You are a real one.
Sent the DM
There are free adventures, though.
https://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/society/resources
https://paizo.com/store/pathfinder/adventures/standalone/freeRPGDay
Also, there are often handfuls of sets available on humble bundle for dirt cheap.
op is talking about starfinder though
Oh, wow. My brain totally read it as pathfinder. Thanks.
yeah mine too, i only realised it wasnt pathfinder after i saw another comment talking like it was a different system and i double checked
edit: and also the post is talking about a starter set for starfinder, which doesnt exist (they were probably talking about the playtest but said starter set for some reason)
Can probably just pirate it.
This is a wild take.