Starfinder Starfinder video game might be incoming?

[Ixal]

Just speculation with a good dose of circumstantial evidence.

Owlcat Studios, best and pretty much only known for the previous Pathfinder video games (Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous) have put up a website teasing their next project.

Coming soon

whatisnext.owlcat.games

That website, if you do not want to see it for yourself so far only features a newsletter registration and a background animation showing multiple planets and an asteroid field, indicating a sci-fi setting and not fantasy.

In addition a small game studio in Russia which often worked for Owlcat had, for a short time, listed a Starfinder game on their website.
So its not only wishful thinking, there is some reason for speculation.

The website from Owlcat itself doesn't show anything hinting at Starfinder itself though. The planet could be Bretheda based on the color but that link is rather far fetched.

 

[Reynard]

That would be super cool.

 

[JThursby]

This would be great honestly, both Owlcat games have been excellent. They really like making complicated sub-systems so I hope they end up revamping the Ship building system that comes with base Starfinder.

 

[GreyLord]

We had another hint of this earlier this year. I can't recall the exact spot, but it showed some of the Starfinder races I believe, including a Vesk.

Can't remember the exact website though.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I think it is possible. Star Wars and Star Trek should start to worry because a new rival has arrived to the city.

 

[Ixal]

And now Paizo denies that this is a starfinder game.

I can't think of any Pathfinder IP which would fit that picture (not to mention announcing Pathfinder when people expect Starfinder in imo rather suboptimal). So either its a original IP or some other license.

Its of course likely that it is Starfinder and Paizo just doesn't want it to be known too early but based on the strong no I doubt that.

Edit: Some now speculate it will be for the Ruins of Atzlant AP. I mean I guess it could fit and show the original meteor impact which sunk Atzlant but imo not a good communication strategy to use pictures which are more associated with Starfinder for a Pathfinder game. That raises the completely wrong expectations.

 

[kenada]

Another Pathfinder 1e AP game would be a little disappointing. I’d like to see them do something with Pathfinder 2e.

 

[Ixal]

Another Pathfinder 1e AP game would be a little disappointing. I’d like to see them do something with Pathfinder 2e.

For that they would need to rebuild the engine and I doubt that Owlcat will do that just after they modified the current engine for 3D.

 

[Jer]

Edit: Some now speculate it will be for the Ruins of Atzlant AP. I mean I guess it could fit and show the original meteor impact which sunk Atzlant but imo not a good communication strategy to use pictures which are more associated with Starfinder for a Pathfinder game. That raises the completely wrong expectations.

Unless, of course, Owlcat wanted to gauge the reaction to a Starfinder game to convince Paizo that there would be interest.

 

[Reynard]

Given that PaizoCon is happening as we speak, I imagine that if there is a new PF or a SF game in the works, we'll know soon enough.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

For that they would need to rebuild the engine and I doubt that Owlcat will do that just after they modified the current engine for 3D.

They wouldn't have to rebuild their engine. An engine would have no bearings on matters as precise as how actions in combat or skills work; these are systems. They would have to rework several systems.

 

[Ixal]

They wouldn't have to rebuild their engine. An engine would have no bearings on matters as precise as how actions in combat or skills work; these are systems. They would have to rework several systems.

Considering that the entire flow of real time combat would need to be changed for the 3 action economy and Pathfinder 2 and that actions can require a different amount of actions I have my doubts that its possible without at least heavy modification.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

Considering that the entire flow of real time combat would need to be changed for the 3 action economy and Pathfinder 2 and that actions can require a different amount of actions I have my doubts that its possible without at least heavy modification.

The things you mention are not handled by the engine per say, but by tools and systems built inside it. An engine takes care of things that are much more low-level than this: data handling, rendering, physics, audio, profiling, level creation, possibly networking, etc.

For example, the Pathfinder RPGs are developed on Unity. Unity does not offer anything related to a combat system, an action economy or even things like having a character move on the screen. This all comes from systems built inside the engine. Unity is not even open-sourced and modifications to it are very limited, as opposed to Unreal Engine.

 

[Green Onceler]

Edit: Some now speculate it will be for the Ruins of Atzlant AP.

I'm running that AP currently. I really like it. Paizo's last great AP, I would say.

 

[GreyLord]

Another Pathfinder 1e AP game would be a little disappointing. I’d like to see them do something with Pathfinder 2e.

They might have to do some convincing to make me switch. It was a relatively easy thing to accept the Second PF game they made (even though it didn't run on Linux...er...) as most things were the same (like going from BG to IWD to BG2).

A bigger switch to the system could be harder to swallow though (like going from IWD to IWD2).

 

[Ixal]

By now I am thinking they are not doing any finder game at all.

If it were Starfinder which Paizo just not want to announce yet they still wouldn't, imo of course, say flat out that its not SF as that would tank their credibility.

And for a Pathfinder game, even one with more SciFi background like Iron Gods, it looks way too SciFi, especially as the UI also has a SciFi look. And people don't like bait and switch so from a marketing point of view its a bad idea.

So either a completely new IP or someone else hires Owlcat for a SciFi game.

 

[Ixal]

By the way, tomorrow the next Owlcat game is announced.
Its not Starfinder according to Paizo, but maybe its Pathfinder. There are some more SciFi inclined Pathfinder APs after all.

 

[Ixal]

Small update, Owlcat is not doing a *finder game at all but a video game implementation of the Rogue Trader RPG.

 

[Reynard]

Small update, Owlcat is not doing a *finder game at all but a video game implementation of the Rogue Trader RPG.

Link: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, a Classic-Style RPG, Announced by Pathfinder Developer Owlcat Games - IGN

 

[payn]

Another Pathfinder 1e AP game would be a little disappointing. I’d like to see them do something with Pathfinder 2e.

Not me. I think the PF1 era games have been much better. Now taking a PF1 era AP and applying PF2 rules I wouldnt mind.