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

[Morrus]

No, there are zero. They are movies not an RPG game. If it was an RPG game why couldn't Obi-Wan Kenobi be a PC? PCs do die in campaigns. They also can have complex histories and train other PCs. Vader and the Emperor is the only one I would say can't be a PC because they are the bad guys. Yoda would be a great PC. Sure he doesn't get as much screen time and interact with all the other characters but it would be a fun character to play for a short while.

You're welcome to any preferences you like for your game. I was merely pointing out that the OP was not speaking for everyone and that I, for one, am happy to see the Jedi on the back burner for a while. The fact that you feel differently isn't going to change that.

Edge of the Empire also brings in it seems plenty of Expanded Universe options. Aren't there other Jedi during that time introduced?

Haven't the foggiest. I haven't read any of those books; just seen the movies. If they have lots of Jedi Drizz'ts running round waving purple and yellow lightsabers, then I guess I wouldn't like 'em too much.

It always seemed very silly to me to think that every Jedi was successfully hunted down and killed.

Whereas I find it not silly at all, and like that very much. It makes Luke mean something. Like I said, the OP doesn't speak for everyone; some folks, like myself, like this approach.

 

[Crothian]

Whereas I find it not silly at all, and like that very much. It makes Luke mean something. Like I said, the OP doesn't speak for everyone; some folks, like myself, like this approach.

Why isn't it better to have the option though? You could be happy by easily saying no Jedi, I could be happy by having Jedi. Take D&D for instance. In the many years of 3e and now Pathfinder I have never seen a Barbarian played at our table in any campaign. That doesn't mean I'd be having if they were not in the books at all. It is great that they are there for the people that want them but for groups like the ones I have had that never used the class we can do that too. Everyone is happy.

 

[Morrus]

Why isn't it better to have the option though?

That's not what I was disagreeing with. I don't object to you having stuff you want. As I said, I merely state that the OP doesn't speak for everyone, and I, for one, like the product line.

(Though given a given page count, adding options means reducing other content, so it's not quite the same).

 

[VictorC]

...why couldn't Obi-Wan Kenobi be a PC?...

You understand asking this question in the context of "A New Hope" would be like asking your Forgotten Realms DM why you can't play Elminster. Yeah, why can't you play the uber-powerful character that's already mastered the mystic arts of the setting.

Maybe that's why they split the party, you know. Sent the powerful mystic off on his own while the party (Luke, Han, Chewie and the Droids) played through the adventure.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I don't think many of the JEDI NOW! crowd would want very much to play in my games. I treat Jedi like paladins in Ravenloft(D&D reference). Every slope is slippery, and falling to the dark side is incredibly easy. The Jedi are an order of ascetics for a reason, and players that try to go the whole EU superheroes with laser swords route will quickly find their characters being used as a GM controlled antagonist.

As far as the new Fantasy Flight game goes... well I have the EotE book, and I assure you that there is nothing but good stuff in there.

 

[VictorC]

Take D&D for instance. In the many years of 3e and now Pathfinder I have never seen a Barbarian played at our table in any campaign. That doesn't mean I'd be having if they were not in the books at all.

This isn't the same as asking why Yoda and Obi Wan aren't playable out of the box.

You can start the game as a force user, but don't pretend the game is somehow deficient because you aren't Mace gawddamned Windu from character creation.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Want! Demand! Geek-squeek!

The original Star Wars trilogy wasn't proliferated with Jedi - hence "Return of the Jedi" got it's name.

The Edge of Empire is aimed clearly at running Hans Solo type narratives, which I believe is pretty popular in itself. If they didn't have Force sensitive options, the OP may have a point, but the fact is the game is being faithful to the setting where Jedi are so rare after being hunted to a point of extinction, that the people living in it think that the Force is just some "hokey religion".

They'll make new games with different aspects in good time, but in my view the D20 versions of the Star Wars games were deeply flawed on the grounds that nobody wanted to play anything that wasn't a Jedi! And Star Wars has more to offer than that - a point that may be shown if people actually play the new game with an open mind. Star Wars doesn't have to be a power fantasy to be cool.

In the case of The One Ring, I just think that the pace of supplements has been slower than hoped as Cubicle had to juggle a lot of other games and business issues in recent months. And lets face it, the Middle Earth setting needs a lot of detail and attention if it going to be done well. My only issue with The One Ring as it stands is that you can't play a Gandalf wizard figure in it - for reasons of canon, unfortunately. The rest of the material will come out in due course, and should not be rushed.

 

[alien270]

I for one really appreciate the amount of detail that was put into Edge of the Empire. Yes, it's just the "fringer" aspect of Star Wars, but the book's nearly 450 pages! In two years Jedi will get that same attention to detail. But more importantly, people will have been playing the game for 2 years, and thus the designers will have a much better understanding of exactly how the game works in practice, and how best to balance the Jedi. Since they've, you know, been problematic from a balance perspective in every other incarnation of Star Wars.

I'm all for waiting for a product if it means "getting it right." And if I don't like how Jedi are implemented? Whatever, I can stick to EotE and AoR (which DO have Force users in them).

 

[amerigoV]

This sounds just like when 4e was released: "Waaah, I cannot run my LN Gnome Barbarian that loves to craft mood rings right out of the gate! Why should I have to wait to play what I want?!?!?"


Yes, I am equating Gnomes to Jedi. Like Gnomes, the only good Jedi is a dead one - and even then they are like a pesky telemarketer - you just cannot get rid of them since they are always talking to you from beyond the grave. Its especially apropos given I am listening to the Imperial March right now. Go Vader! All hail the Emperor! Long live the 501!

 

[TrippyHippy]

You could equate Gnomes with Ewoks, quite possibly....

Waaah, I cannot run my Force sensitive Ewok Barbarian that loves to craft mood rings right out of the gate! Why should I have to wait to play what I want?!?!?