Disclaimer: I am the author of one of the adventure volumes played in Season 4 of this podcast and am an employee at Paizo. I also have developed a friendship with some members of the cast since becoming a fan. My views are my own. I have listened through episode 11 of Non-Standard Action’s playthrough of Starfinder Fly Free or Die (season 4). Tom is a skilled and energetic GM who weaves powerful tales using vivid imagery and compelling storytelling. He knows exactly how to motivate the cast to dig deep into their characters, and the podcasts are often chock full of tense and exciting moments as a result. His attention to details and game mastery also keeps things moving at a good pace, something I see other liveplays struggle with. I really enjoy how Tom’s games become a great mix of roleplaying and action. The cast itself is composed of talented Starfinder players who are also exceptional and skilled roleplayers. A “rogues with hearts of gold” description doesn’t do the nuanced acting and charisma between these streamers justice, but it’s what has endeared me to them every session. Nic as Sloane presents us with a complex and intriguing starship captain who stays true to her motivations enough to be plausible, but with enough emotional curve balls to keep it interesting. Nic’s deep understanding of the Starfinder system also makes them a skilled player who supports the GM and keeps things moving. Nic also has an uncanny ability to make Sloane respond with some great one-liners, almost as if the show was scripted. (Narrator: it’s not.) I often find myself laughing out loud because I didn’t expect Sloane to personify the “brigand with a moral compass” so well. If you don’t watch/listen and fall in love with Gus, the nuar nanocyte, I suspect you don’t have a soul. Jet infuses so much authentic joy and wonder into the character, at times I find myself reflecting on moments in my life where I demonstrated his childlike innocence. He just makes you want to hug and protect him, like a big Minotaur teddy bear. Gus is loyal and reliable, and Jet allows the character to be manipulated and influenced just as you might expect, leading to some beautiful roleplay moments. If you love Firefly, you’re going to get Mal and Kaylee vibes from these two characters with a good measure of other fan favorites sprinkled in. You could listen for these two performances alone, but… That would overlook the amazing work and talent of the other three streamers. Liz’s Auntie Noona is an exceptional and rare character who shows us that speculative fiction should present powerful women over the age of thirty more often. She serves the crew as caretaker and scoundrel, a difficult role to do well in my opinion. But Liz’s ability to know when to act like an older sibling and when to go rogue seems intuitive, making Noona seem so very real. I have seven older sisters and Noona reminds me of all of them. She’s extremely relatable. I simply love the character so much, I wish I had written her. Simon’s roleplay of Meraioth is exactly what Starfinder’s diverse setting deserves. You might think it sounds odd for me to say that watching a sapient swarm explore the galaxy with a child’s sense of wonder often leaves me reflecting on why we as a society do what we do, but it does. Simon leans in to exploring culture, art, war, violence, politics, and other complex themes through the 70,000 sets of eyes of Meraioth, often offering humorous responses that also reflect a layered and complex intelligence. In my opinion, the character gives us just the right blend of strange and familiar, providing a powerful lens from which to examine society. He makes me laugh until I find myself thinking “Wait, there’s something else there.” Those are the same kind of feelings I get watching Data on Star Trek: TNG or River on Firefly, two characters I’ve always loved. Like the rest, Leif’s performance of Katch is phenomenal. But what makes the character truly sing in my opinion, is Leif’s choice to give him moments where his “tough” veneer lowers to reveal his deeper motivations. I often watch a scene thinking I know exactly how Leif is going to make Katch respond, only to find myself enjoying a new complication. When I think of the moments when I laughed or cried the hardest while enjoying the stream, Katch was often involved. Leif is also a skilled Starfinder player, and their ability to help Tom find and interpret rules while mastering the stream’s sound production is uncanny. I could honestly go on and on. I have listened to my fair share of ttrpg podcasts in my day and Non-Standard Action is easily my favorite. While I gave them a rating of 5 stars, I should also say that the group’s commitment to inclusivity and representation is commendable. (And rare in my opinion.) They begin every session with an icebreaker where they restate their personal and character pronouns, and you can see their commitment to making games a safe space for all come through time and time again on camera. I honestly can’t gush enough about them. Listen to this podcast. Watch it on YouTube or Twitch. If you like Starfinder or ttrpg liveplays, you won’t regret it.
