anyone still play West End Games d6 Star Wars?

[Henry]

Last time I played was for a one-shot, about two years ago. I still have the 2nd edition book (so that counts as one I forgot for my "forlorn on my shelf" column in another thread) and could still play it by heart, because the rules were so darned simple. Heck, I could probably still play it without books even now.

Jedi were hideously powerful at higher power levels, though. That was my least favorite part of the game. My second least fave was the higher dice pools overall at higher power levels. Anywhere from 0 to about 60 character points the game played quite well.

 

[The_Universe]

I played a some D6 Star Wars with my current gaming group for my birthday in january - it was my first (original, cut-my-teeth-on-it) game, and I wanted to share it with all of them.

It's got it's strengths - character creation is a breeze, and it's INCREDIBLY easy to learn. It share a common mechanic with D20 in that you're adding modifiers and die rolls to beat a target number.

However, I will vehemently disagree that it is resistent to powergaming. The ability to totally focus on a single (or a few) skills to the exclusion of all others can make the game nothing but powergaming: specialize in a specific blaster pistol, for instance, and suddenly you can snipe Vader himself.

Also, it's hard to mesh Jedi and non-jedi - Jedi are either too weak, or they're the gods that the other PCs must worship.

All that being said, I still love the system, and if I could get back my original gaming group with all of our extensive houseruling intact, I'd consider running or playing in another campaign.

 

[The_Universe]

Jedi were hideously powerful at higher power levels, though. That was my least favorite part of the game. My second least fave was the higher dice pools overall at higher power levels. Anywhere from 0 to about 60 character points the game played quite well.

Lightsaber duels were among the worst offenders in this regard - rolling Sense and Lightsaber skills together often meant (even at mid-range characters) that you were rolling huge amounts of dice.

 

[Warehouse23]

In my mind, the D6 Westend Games StarWars is the one true StarWars game. It's best at low power levels, where rolling "attribute" dice instead of "skill" dice allows players huge flexibility in their ability to perform cool, cinematic tasks. The role of "force points" also allows for amazing stunts and breathtaking scenes-- all using starting characters. That being said, D6 StarWars favors players and GMs who want to run exciting, story/character-driven games, rather than number-crunching min/max combats.

For those who love the StarWars trilogy, I vote strongly in favor of dusting off the D6 books. You can't get more space opera than the game they give.

(I also cut my teeth as a gamer on the West End StarWars books, so I'm a little biased).

 

[kenobi65]

Jedi were hideously powerful at higher power levels, though. That was my least favorite part of the game. My second least fave was the higher dice pools overall at higher power levels. Anywhere from 0 to about 60 character points the game played quite well.

We played SWd6 for many years...and our experience was pretty similar to what Henry describes. Once you start getting skill ratings above 9D or so, combat really grinds to a crawl, because you're rolling huge quantities of D6s, repeatedly (especially when you're on a Force Point).

"OK, I have 10D in Blasters...I spend a Force Point, so that doubles to 20D...so I take 10 shots, each at 11D...."

Oh, and each attack usually resulted in 4 separate die rolls:
- Attacker makes his attack roll
- Defender might make a dodge roll to try to avoid the attack
- Attacker rolls weapon damage
- Defender rolls to resist damage

Oy! It got to the point where I, as the GM, knew I couldn't write more than one combat into an adventure...because it took so darn long.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

In my mind, the D6 Westend Games StarWars is the one true StarWars game. It's best at low power levels, where rolling "attribute" dice instead of "skill" dice allows players huge flexibility in their ability to perform cool, cinematic tasks. The role of "force points" also allows for amazing stunts and breathtaking scenes-- all using starting characters. That being said, D6 StarWars favors players and GMs who want to run exciting, story/character-driven games, rather than number-crunching min/max combats.

For those who love the StarWars trilogy, I vote strongly in favor of dusting off the D6 books. You can't get more space opera than the game they give.

(I also cut my teeth as a gamer on the West End StarWars books, so I'm a little biased).

Funnily enough, the first RPG I ever played was d6 Star Wars...and I prefer d20 to it in every way. My games aren't number-crunching min/max combats.

I run exciting, story/character-driven games with SWd20. It has nothing to do with the system, as I know both of them very well. But the d20 game just captures the feel of SW so much better for me, while not making Jedi so god-like and allowing for specializing like Universe mentioned.

And considering I run tons of SW PbP games here on ENWorld with different groups of players that all end up loving the games, I must be doing something right, and d20 can't be all that bad.

 

[GlassJaw]

the d20 game just captures the feel of SW so much better for me

Hmm, I feel quite the opposite about the d20 system in general. It's great if you want a very precise and tactical game but it doesn't handle the loose and cinematic style very well IMO.

I prefer d20 to it in every way. My games aren't number-crunching min/max combats.

Perhaps not but by its very nature, the d20 system lends itself to that moreso than non-level-based systems. I've run and played in d20 games that are less-number intensive and while it is certainly possible, it takes a greater level of understanding from the players.

while not making Jedi so god-like and allowing for specializing like Universe mentioned.

I found that Jedi in d20 SW have a very high potential to completely over shadow non-Jedi. I've seen more than one GM disallow Jedi in their d20 SW games just to keep everyone on the same playing field.

It's best at low power levels, where rolling "attribute" dice instead of "skill" dice allows players huge flexibility in their ability to perform cool, cinematic tasks.

It got to the point where I, as the GM, knew I couldn't write more than one combat into an adventure...because it took so darn long.

I agree that d6 SW is best with less-experienced characters but I don't think it's much different than d20. Heck, I've played in battles in 3ed that have taken complete sessions. The accounting required in d20 gets pretty severe at the high levels.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

I would if I still had my books. Sniff. I so loved that game.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Hmm, I feel quite the opposite about the d20 system in general. It's great if you want a very precise and tactical game but it doesn't handle the loose and cinematic style very well IMO.

Well, that's obviously going to be an individual opinion on that one. The fact that I've run and played in SWd20 games with a very cinematic style proves that its possible.

Perhaps not but by its very nature, the d20 system lends itself to that moreso than non-level-based systems. I've run and played in d20 games that are less-number intensive and while it is certainly possible, it takes a greater level of understanding from the players.

Yes, d20 lends itself to min-maxing...but d6 does, too, just in a different, but just as specialized, way. Its all about perspective.

I found that Jedi in d20 SW have a very high potential to completely over shadow non-Jedi. I've seen more than one GM disallow Jedi in their d20 SW games just to keep everyone on the same playing field.

Well, in my experience with the system, and I've been playing since the release of it, that's not the case. Jedi are balanced perfectly with the other classes, so much to the point that there are many, many more discussions of them being UNDERpowered. The Vitality cost for Force Powers is not something to be ignored, and it does a huge amount in balancing out the Jedi's abilities.

I agree that d6 SW is best with less-experienced characters but I don't think it's much different than d20. Heck, I've played in battles in 3ed that have taken complete sessions. The accounting required in d20 gets pretty severe at the high levels.

Well, like all d20, combat can be slow if you aren't too familiar with the system. However, high level SWd20 combat is NOTHING like high level D&D combat. Force Powers and feats don't cause the same delay that high level spells and such do.

I've found that there is very little accounting required for SWd20. There are Jedi powers and a few Class abilities that provide bonuses to attacks and such, but they are no where NEAR as common as with D&D or other fantasy d20 games.

SWd20 is a very different beast that D&D 3.0/3.5, even though they use the same basic d20 system.

 

[Narfellus]

I never had the pleasure to play d6 Star Wars, but i really like d20, even though i haven't played it in over a year. I want to try a different slant though, aside from game rules: the d20 books are gorgeous, some of my favorites that WotC puts out. It doesn't hurt to have vivid full color stills from the movies. That's what i like about the books, they can take individual images from the new movies (which i loathed) and make them interesting.

But one time in practice combat we had a 10th level Jedi kill Darth Maul in 2 rounds. I'm not sure how to have the long, drawn out duel in game terms that was exhibited at the end of Phantom Menace.