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

[billd91]

Anyway, to me the Jedi are the 'focus' of the whole Star Wars universe. If you leave them out what's left is just another Space Opera setting. It's the Jedi that make Star Wars Star Wars.

I don't think so. It's a step more general than the Jedi themselves. It's the Force that makes Star Wars so different. It happens that a couple of Jedi provide our primary introduction to the Force and that puts a big conceptual stamp on it. But they also have foils in Vader and Palpatine to provide another view of the Force.

As others have pointed out, Edge of the Empire does have Force sensitive options.

 

[Vigilance]

I agree. The more I see from Edge of the Empire the less it looks like a Star Wars game. It is another version of Traveler or Firefly or even Ashen Stars. I'm really surprised on how much that is Star Wars from the movies is not in this book.

You can make every character in the movie Star Wars with this game.

That seems pretty star wars-y to me.

 

[Vigilance]

I adore Edge of the Empire, in part because they give you rules for the Force but no Jedi.

Jedi should be super rare until after Return of the Jedi.

Also, it's not a game about the heart of galactic politics but those on the fringes- again, I like this. It's Star Wars ground that hasn't been trampled to death.

 

[Remus Lupin]

You can make every character in the movie Star Wars with this game.

That seems pretty star wars-y to me.

You can make Obi-Wan? Because without a full fledged set of rules for handling Jedi, I don't see how you can make a good representation of him? Same with Vader and Palpitine.

 

[Vigilance]

After reading the book I can say that they have really focused on a minute section of what Star Wars and it has nothing to do with the movies. This game is designed around the Expanded Universe of Pre New Hope. The books about Han, and Lando, and Fett that take place before the original trilogy is what the game seems to embrace. I am surprised by how much Expanded Universe is in here and with some people saying they like the book but don't like Expanded Universe that surprises me. There is also stuff in here for the prequels and we know how well people like those.

Also, and this really surprised me, is that if we just use the dice sets made for the game you don't have all the kinds of dice you need. I figured if they are going to make special dice packs that they would include everything.

You can make every character in Star Wars using these rules.

Leia is a Colonist with the Politico Specialization.
Han is a Smuggler with Pilot specialization.
Chewie is a Technician.
Luke is a Colonist with the Force User specialization.
Obi-Wan is a hired gun with the Force User Specialization (I would argue NPC).

You could make both R2 and 3PO as well.

 

[Vigilance]

You can make Obi-Wan? Because without a full fledged set of rules for handling Jedi, I don't see how you can make a good representation of him? Same with Vader and Palpitine.

What does Obi-Wan do with the Force in Star Wars?

He uses a lightsaber. Check, that is in Edge of the Empire.

He does the Jedi Mind Trick. In there.

He distracts some Stormtroopers. Check.

Yes, you can make Ob-Wan. He is old and washed up.

Everything he ACTUALLY DOES in the movie Star Wars is covered in these rules.

 

[Remus Lupin]

OK, well that comforts me to some degree. I'm still going to hold back until I have a chance to see how the whole game is structured. I think I just have a different philosophy of both what makes Star Wars Star Wars and what makes a well designed role-playing game than FFG used in this case. Nothing wrong with that, and in the end I may end up throwing in with this version. Time will tell.

 

[Vigilance]

Again- I would argue Obi-Wan is as much a PC as Darth Vader myself. He keeps the story moving, provides exposition, then goes off on a side mission while the last remaining member of the party is introduced (Leia) and then, his function in the adventure over, he conveniently dies.

 

[Vigilance]

OK, well that comforts me to some degree. I'm still going to hold back until I have a chance to see how the whole game is structured. I think I just have a different philosophy of both what makes Star Wars Star Wars and what makes a well designed role-playing game than FFG used in this case. Nothing wrong with that, and in the end I may end up throwing in with this version. Time will tell.

I would give it a shot myself. I've been running it regularly, and it has everything my PCs have wanted. And one of my PCs is playing a force user- and he is very happy with the Force rules.

There are full rules for how the Force works and a Rogue Force User character specialization.

 

[billd91]

Again- I would argue Obi-Wan is as much a PC as Darth Vader myself. He keeps the story moving, provides exposition, then goes off on a side mission while the last remaining member of the party is introduced (Leia) and then, his function in the adventure over, he conveniently dies.

Meh. From the point of view of the original trilogy, i would never consider Vader to be a PC.