An Open Letter to Fantasy Flight and Cubicle 7 -- Cut the "Foreplay" and Give Us the Good Stuff

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Reading EotE has made me never want to touch Saga Edition again, so I'd say that the designers did their job quite well.

While I agree it's well done, I think there's room for both versions since they will still cater to different play styles, and there's something to be said for mechanical similarity between games. For example, while I think that The One Ring did a fantastic job of replicating Tolkien, for a pickup Middle Earth game I'd still probably use the d20 system because it's just easier for me to run with it. I find EotE's dice system to be confusing -- specifically the symbols as they modify outcomes, not the dice pool approach itself.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Oh please: "I would like to play the character that is iconic is exemplary of what the entire setting is about" is not "I am a munchkin." This is an easy equation: People who don't want to have jedi should not be forced to have jedi, and people who want to have jedi should have the option to do so. A game system is a tool box that should allow players to inhabit the game world. Edge of the Empire fails for me on that basis, and will apparently continue to do so for an extended period of time.

I, on the contrary, have seen a handful of people who really don't understand what makes Star Wars distinctive continually mistake it for Firefly.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Oh please: "I would like to play the character that is iconic is exemplary of what the entire setting is about" is not "I am a munchkin." This is an easy equation: People who don't want to have jedi should not be forced to have jedi, and people who want to have jedi should have the option to do so. A game system is a tool box that should allow players to inhabit the game world. Edge of the Empire fails for me on that basis, and will apparently continue to do so for an extended period of time.

I, on the contrary, have seen a handful of people who really don't understand what makes Star Wars distinctive continually mistake it for Firefly.

And I don't think that your views on what is iconically Star Wars is necessarily a universal truth. I read EotE and I read a game setting that hits the nail on the head about what is authentically and iconically Star Wars. Having ubiquitous Jedi is not it.

 

[Remus Lupin]

And I don't think that your views on what is iconically Star Wars is necessarily a universal truth. I read EotE and I read a a game that hits the nail on the head about what is authentically and iconically Star Wars. Having ubiquitous Jedi is not it.

Yes, and the whole point of this thread is the FFG decided to make a Star Wars game that only catered to one of our sets of preference about what is iconically Star Wars, and in that regard they made a game that, from my perspective, fails on an important front.

I can't help but notice that throughout this entire thread there has been a lot of scorn and mockery heaped upon people who might want to/like to/have the option to play a jedi. I've seen no such similar scorn (I mean, absent my immediately preceding fit of snark) heaped upon those who don't want to play Jedi. I get it, you don't want Jedi. Fortunately, this game caters to you. For those of us who do want to play Jedi, who want to play in the Star Wars universe, and would like to play the current system, FFG has dropped the ball. I fail to see why this opinion should meet with quite the level of negative reaction that it had, particularly repeated invocations of "Driittz with Purple Lightsaber," regardless of how any one did or could have played Jedi in the past.

If your only understanding of how the Jedi can be played is as a superhero who blows the rest of the party away, then I think you've had an impoverished experience of what Jedi can be like if played well in a SW campaign.

 

[Crothian]

Reading EotE has made me never want to touch Saga Edition again, so I'd say that the designers did their job quite well.

That would be a great point if I was coming to this from the point of view that Saga edition is the best and perfect system. I do appreciate that you are at least not as rude TrippyHippy. It is great that you think EotE is better then Saga and it very well may be. I don't doubt that if my group plays this we will have fun and enjoy it. But that doesn't mean it should be free from criticism. It seems like that the people defending the game can't understand that I can like the game and still not find it perfect.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Yes - I am scornful of people who only see Star Wars as being about playing fully fledged Jedi. Very scornful. Immensely scornful.

Those gamers who want to play such characters, without any of the slow, progressive character development shown by Luke Skywalker (who did not start out as a Jedi), no sense of the themes of the Original Trilogy whatsoever and who simply want the opportunity to play a light-sabre wielding, kick-ass dude 'cos its the only 'iconic' thing they can relate to in the entire series - I am entirely scornful of.

So sue me.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUkCJDkG3fg

 

[Remus Lupin]

Yes, your scorn is evident, and I can only say: I'm sorry you've had bad experience playing with people who like to play Jedi. I'm sad for you that you haven't had better experiences with it, and I think you should be free to play a game in which that is not an option.

I on the other hand have had generally positive experiences playing Star Wars games that involved Jedi, was not in games that were overburdened with super heroic Jedi, think the Jedi can be well balanced with other party members and would like to play a game that includes them. Frankly, I think your scorn is blinding you to the fact that this is a perfectly reasonable point of view.

But frankly, it's Sunday morning, I'm drinking my coffee, and if all you have to offer is scorn, then I see no need to continue engaging you on this matter. Let me know if you'd like to put your scorn aside in order to make an actually reasonable point that acknowledges differing points of view.

 

[Crothian]

Yes - I am scornful of people who only see Star Wars as being about playing fully fledged Jedi. Very scornful. Immensely scornful.

Those gamers who want to play such characters, without any of the slow, progressive character development shown by Luke Skywalker (who did not start out as a Jedi), no sense of the themes of the Original Trilogy whatsoever and who simply want the opportunity to play a light-sabre wielding, kick-ass dude 'cos its the only 'iconic' thing they can relate to in the entire series - I am entirely scornful of.

So sue me.

Who said that is what they want? All I've seen is people that want Jedi as an option. No one but the people on your side or the argument has said that Jedi have to be a certain way. You keep making proclamation of munchkinism and other claims that just are not true.

Edge of the Empire takes place prior to Episode 4. When exactly we don't know. During that time Jedi are rare as they are being hunted and killed. Where would these Jedi go? They would travel to the Unknown Space and the Galactic Rim the very setting of this game. I think it would be great to tell some stories of Jedi in hiding that join with other criminals and refugees at the edge of space and try to survive. How do they blend in with people that would turn them over to the Empire for the Bounty on their head. Do they forsake the Force knowing it could lead their enemies to them? Or do they use it to help others and try to still hold on to the code that is no one else cares about.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Well said, Crothian, which of course means that Trippy Happy will ignore it completely and make up a completely different argument to respond to.

 

[Umbran]

Yes - I am scornful of people who only see Star Wars as being about playing fully fledged Jedi. Very scornful. Immensely scornful.

Oh?

You know we expect you to show respect of people, their playstyles, and opinions, right? That's all part of Rule #1 of EN World - Keep it civil.

So, while you are allowed to have your own opinions, do try to keep your scorn down to a dull roar. Thanks.

If you've got any questions on this, please drop a line to one of the moderators.