Living ENWorld for Star Wars?

[Pbartender]

An ENworld living Star Wars campaign could be real interesting. Allow me to make a few suggestions...

First, for this to work and be successful, we'd need to keep it simple. That would mean sticking with the well-established Star Wars history and EU that everyone is familiar with. It also means keeping the setting and characters from contradicting anything already published.

That's easy enough... As some have already suggested, we make the setting for the game a remote sector, far-removed from the Empire and most of the major goings on. Characters affect the course of history in this particular sector, but don't affect the major events of the galaxy altogether.

Here's my proposal...

Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion is on the run and the Empire is hunting for them. Far out on the edge of civilized space is the recently discovered Morrus Sector (I really like that name). The vast majority of planetary systems in Morrus Sector remain unexplored (that way, we can make up systems as we go along), and only one planet, Enworld, is heavily populated. The Rebellion is searching the sector for a suitable spot for a new HQ base, now that Yavin has been abandoned. The Empire has only a small outpost, and is working (almost futilely) to establish order and civilization in preparation for full-scale colonization and exploitation. The smugglers, pirates and mercenaries hang out there, because any authority has only the most tenuous hold there.

We could establish an orbital station or shyhook in orbit over Enworld, much in the same manner of the Red Dragon Inn from the D&D LEW. In 'Freeport' anyone is welcome, any object can be bought for the right price, and any job can be found for the right salary... Not unlike Starforge Station, for those of you who are familiar with it.

Think of it almost as the wild west of the Star Wars universe.

The rest of the galaxy can do what it likes, but Morrus Sector takes care of itself.

Edited: Because I was thinking one thing, but typing another.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I think I tend to lean more towards Pbartender's idea...though just take that and insert "Battle of Yavin" where "Battle of Endor" is. I think the feel of Star Wars is just so much better(in the RPG at least...and this is from experience) when you have the Empire as big and powerful as it was around the time before Hoth. It makes it something to be feared...after Endor, its almost too much chaos everywhere.

 

[Pbartender]

I think I tend to lean more towards Pbartender's idea...though just take that and insert "Battle of Yavin" where "Battle of Endor" is.

Ooops... I actually meant Battle of Yavin (you'll notice I mention the evacuation of Yavin, not Endor, which wouldn't make sense). I agree with you wholeheartedly. Consider it edited.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

As I've said a few times(and others have said) this is going to take a little more work to develop than LEW. If maybe three or four of us got together designing a BASIC outline for the system and such, it might help. I'm not sure that leaving this as open as LEW is a good idea...

 

[Starman]

I'm not sure I would like it if it were restricted to one system. Sure, it would make things simpler, but part of the appeal of Star Wars is that it is a big galaxy with a lot of cool locales. I want to visit Hoth, Tatooine, Yavin, and other planets seen in the movies and mentioned elsewhere. I want to make the Kessel Run. I want to bartar with Jawas on Tatooine. I want to explore the swamps of Dagobah. I want to make a grand speech before the Repubic Council. I want to I want to potentially encounter major NPC's who are out there and would never make it to some backwater system that barely registered a blip on the radar. I want to be a part of the Star Wars universe.

I also think that if you want to keep it simple that you should throw out most of the EU stuff. Not everyone has read all of it (not to mention liking all of it). The GM's of this could decide on perhaps a few things they liked and wanted to keep out of the EU. I, however, would suggest not using most of it.

Starman

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Any more than one system(at least initiatially...probably overall) is far too much work. Yes, its fun and all to go off exploring and going to familiar places, but in this kind of set up...it really isn't possible without more work than neccisary. I mean, even Living Force doesn't use the entire galaxy...

Its great to WANT to do a lot...hell, that's the perfect thing TO want. The key would be to make most of those wants possible in the system avaliable. One system with an Imperial Garrison could provide the possibility to run into someone from the movies...same with a Rebel base on another planet.

 

[Pbartender]

A-PG, I don't think it'll be nearly as bad as you think. It all depends on how detailed you want to be.

The advantage to playing in a thinly populated, frontier sector is the fact that settlements will be sparse and small. We can have a single well-developed high-population central system. All the other systems are either uninhabited, or colonized by or or two simple, small outposts of one type or another. These sorts of frontier systems can usually be fully described in one or two short paragraphs. The details can be filled in by the GM as you play.

For example...

YAVIN 4: Yavin 4 is a small moon orbiting a large orange gas giant planet. It has a standard oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere and a water hydroshpere. Its climate is tropical, and the land masses are covered primarily in deciduous jungles and swamps, with corresponding fauna. In places, ruins of ancient temples and ziggurats can be found. Archeologists believe they were built by an long lost race that worshipped the gas giant as a god. The Rebel Alliance briefly maintained thier secret headquarters here, until the Battle of Yavin, after which, they abandoned the base. Occasional looters and treasure hunters have stripped the temples of anything valuable, and salvaged anything useful the Rebels left behind. Otherwise, Yavin 4 is uninhabited by intelligent species.

Starman, I fully appreciate wanting to meet the Stars of the Movies, visit the locations and so on. But in my personal experience, that sort of thing simply causes more trouble than its worth. Trust me. Besides, why ride on the coattails of the Skywalkers, when you can be the hero of your own story and save your own personal corner of the galaxy?

Though I do agree with you that this should not be restricted to a single system. Doing that would cut out such a large portion of a starpilot's job... Astrogation and hyperspace. But the setting also can't be so large or complex that it gets unweildy.

So I guess what I'm saying is... Yes, we develop one system thoroughly and a 'home base'. But at the same time leave other systems in the sector open and unexplored... That's the 'Living' part. The sector will grow in detail bit by bit as the characters adventure through it.

 

[ES2]

I think we should start the game in one sector and just expand as the game goes on, and see where it takes us.

I really hope we are going to be using the Revised rules. So many options.

Should we at least take down a possible list of races and classes for each of us so when we do start we'll have some kind of idea as to what we are playing? Also, what level should we begin at?

For me: Human male, possible classes -> Force Adept, Fringer/Tech Specialist, or Scoundrel/Noble Gambler.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Alright...I've got an idea that would keep hyperspace possible.

Instead of just a System of planets...we broaden it to a Sector. *checks map in the Revised Book* It would be POSSIBLE to get Tatooine close if we threw the Morrus Sector in Wild Space between Tatooine, Geonosis, Ryloth, Roon, Kamino, Gamorr, and Pzob. There's a nice little open spot carved right in there. Close to major planets, but at the same time, we could handle a few systems of our own.

I still think we'll need some detailed structuring of this...maybe a person in charge of the different Systems or so...just arranging who's where and what's there. Again, I think we may need a little more than just a board to know where everyone is...Star Wars always ends up being a lot larger than its first planned to be...at least, in all the games I've seen/played in it is.

 

[Pbartender]

Should we at least take down a possible list of races and classes for each of us so when we do start we'll have some kind of idea as to what we are playing? Also, what level should we begin at?

I would suggest using the creation guidelines similar to the LEW... 1st level characters, 30 pt. point buy, maximum starting cash, Revised Core Rulebook only.

Alright...I've got an idea that would keep hyperspace possible.

Instead of just a System of planets...we broaden it to a Sector.

Heh... I thought that's what I'd suggested to begin with.

*checks map in the Revised Book* It would be POSSIBLE to get Tatooine close if we threw the Morrus Sector in Wild Space between Tatooine, Geonosis, Ryloth, Roon, Kamino, Gamorr, and Pzob. There's a nice little open spot carved right in there. Close to major planets, but at the same time, we could handle a few systems of our own.

That, sir is an absolutely excellent idea. We could put the sector not too far away from the Corellian Run. But just for fun, make the sector a star cluster that's far above (or below, depending on your point of view) the galactic plane.

I still think we'll need some detailed structuring of this...maybe a person in charge of the different Systems or so...just arranging who's where and what's there. Again, I think we may need a little more than just a board to know where everyone is...Star Wars always ends up being a lot larger than its first planned to be...at least, in all the games I've seen/played in it is.

If this is indeed the route we want to take, and no one has any objections, I'd volunteer for that. I've got a bit of extra free time for the next two and a half months. Plus, I've got spare web-space we can use, if need be.

Imperial Governor Pbartender reporting for duty.