Jay Little talks dice in Edge of the Empire

[Fiddleback]

Hi guys,

Jay Little, designer of Edge of the Empire, stopped by The GSA to talk about the dice mechanics in the game and a little something called Terminal Outcomes. You can read about it here: http://gsa.thegamernation.org/2013/01/16/nerd-numbers-terminal-outcomes/

Enjoy.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

It's an interesting concept but on paper it sounds like it is so complex that it would be difficult to adjudicate. I haven't had a chance to try out Edge of the Empire so maybe it quickly becomes second nature. But it seems overwhelming at first glance.

For those who have played it, how difficult are the dice mechanics?

 

[GreyLord]

Not difficult at all.

 

[Fiddleback]

What he said.

It's really pretty slick. Opposing dice cancel each other out. Read results, narrate.

Most people seem to have it wholly grasped in about 30 minutes.

 

[Fiddleback]

Jay has posted a follow up article that answers some reader questions. http://gsa.thegamernation.org/2013/01/19/nerd-numbers-a-follow-up/

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

I agree it looks really daunting on paper, and felt the same way as you do Wednesday Boy. But once you see it in action, the dice are incredibly easy to adjudicate. Both times that I introduced a group to the game (1st time without the Beginner Box), the players got the hang of the dice within the first 15 minutes of actual playing. Honestly, having the dice roller app (pricey as it may be) has proven a sound investment, particularly if you have a tablet that the multiple players can make use of, especially with the dice not yet being available for individual sale.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I agree it looks really daunting on paper, and felt the same way as you do Wednesday Boy. But once you see it in action, the dice are incredibly easy to adjudicate.

Cool! I look forward to trying it out!

 

[vegaserik01]

It only took a couple of rolls to get the hang of it when we started playing Warhammer, so I'd expect the same from Star Wars. It's a really slick system with lots of possibilities for story involved with the results.