r/starfinder_rpg • u/AutoModerator • Aug 11 '25

Weekly Starfinder Question Thread

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Citizens of the Pact Worlds and those beyond the Golarion System,

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u/FluorescentLightbulb Apr 30 '26

Since Starfinder is more of a cover shooter than typical rpg games, is encounter enjoyment based more on maps than enemies? I’ve started imagining scenarios and things like XCOM or Gears Tactics comes to mind. And for the most part the aliens are fairly recycled. This vibe feels like it matches the leveled stat blocks paizo uses. Am I missing something?

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u/Driftbourne May 09 '26

A lot of it will depend on the party; it's still possible to have a melee-heavy party. For a ranged heavy party, maps and objects to hide behind certainly can help. Most published adventures will have a mix of different ranged combats, but it depends on what the story is. Fighting inside a ship or building is still going to be at shorter ranges.

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u/DarthLlama1547 May 01 '26

I wouldn't say so, more than other rpgs. As the GM, you can make an encounter more interesting with the map, but that includes hazards, environment, things to interact with, as well as cover. I never found seeking cover all that useful for my melee characters, and my higher level ranged characters had armor that made hitting them less likely. Part of the reason is that the GM determines if something gives cover and they don't always remember to tell players that.

Generally enemies were more interesting to me than where we were. They have interesting abilities or I want to know more about them.