So we had another great session on Saturday. I ended up using the adventure that was in the beta corebook- Operation-Shell Game. My wife found the beta at a used bookstore for cheap and got it for me. I appreciated it, but don't have any use for the BETA, so I photocopied the adventure and she returned the book. I know, I am a sorry SOB, but she got some Berenstain Bears books for my little girl, so all worked out
SPOILERS FOR OPERATION SHELL GAME
As written, I liked the premise (infiltrate imperial base as an Imperial Survey crew needing emergency repairs on their Shuttle- steal or destroy prototype gunboat that could wipe out rebel fleet), but it seemed really difficult even for a normal 4-6 PCs..with just 2, I had to water it down.
At the table, it was one of those adventures that reads better than plays..It felt a little too linear/railroady once we got going. That said, we had some great roleplaying moments as the PCs tried to talk their way through security checkpoints and explain why they were messing around near the Tractor Beam.
The dice mechanic really had me on my heels as there was a preponderance of failure with advantage on both sides. My Son's poor Soldier PC rolled more failures and advantage than anything.
The PCs disabled the Tractor beam, made it through the security checkpoints first by smooth talking**, then running over security and engineers/techs with a hovercart full of engine parts , stole the ship, and then were jumped by a group of TIEs. We were running low on time so I condensed the TIE battle so the X-Wings that were to show up as support could show up a bit sooner. The pc pilot was trading "gain the advantage" maneuvers with the TIE Pilot back and forth but finally gained the upper hand and the TIE was destroyed as the XWings screamed in to break up the TIES.
** At one point, they knocked out a security guard who was being hailed on his comlink and rolled several THREAT.....I went straight to the source...
"TK556, what is your situation? Why aren't you at your post? TK556, REPORT!"
And the Soldier replied without a second of hesitation...
"Uh nothing wrong here, uh...situation under control... just had a slight malfunction..uh...situation here with a hover-cart and some shuttle parts...everything is fine here..." I was quite geek-proud of my Son at that moment
I felt a little flat at times, but after a session ends I always ask " well, what did you guys think?", and was answered with "awesome...more fun than last time" and "yeah, felt like we were in Rogue One or something" I was surprised, but happy.
I think for the next session I will introduce some elements more like EotE. In the pre-gen character's bacstories, the soldier was a galaxy-wide famous athlete, and the pilot had some imperial ties- I am thinking that security cams/systems were able to identify them when they were on the Imperial Base, and now they are on the Imperial's Most Wanted Lists and have a large bounty on their heads. Still brainstorming.