No more Star Wars RPG - It's Official

[kenobi65]

I would expect that once the license expires, not only will there no longer be any more new articles, but all the old articles will be taken down, as with the Call of Cthulhu pages. Then the Internet Archive will be your friend.

My understanding is that the license isn't technically expiring. WotC has, for the past year, been using the "RPG" license to cover the Miniatures line (and, apparently, with Lucasfilm's blessing). They're keeping the license; they're just using it to cover other products.

The distinction with the recent announcement* would seem to be that, rather than the stance WotC's had for the past year (there are no RPG products planned, but the line is not discontinued, so we're still going to provide some small amount of support on the web), that the "no new RPG products planned" is a firmer statement.

*- it's still not really an official announcement from WotC. While the announcment WRT Living Force has been pending for some time, WotC still has not made an official announcment on the RPG...and the information that August notes still sounds an awful lot like the stance WotC has had on the RPG for the past year.

 

[kenobi65]

The second edition cleared up a lot of problems, but it remained very flawed (IMO), in addition to being released too soon after the first edition (also IMO).

Bear in mind that the timing of the Revised Core Rulebook wasn't WotC's idea. Lucasfilm forced a revision in 2002, so it would have content from AotC. WotC took advantage of that opportunity to fix a bunch of rules that weren't working in the original rulebook.

 

[delericho]

Bear in mind that the timing of the Revised Core Rulebook wasn't WotC's idea. Lucasfilm forced a revision in 2002, so it would have content from AotC. WotC took advantage of that opportunity to fix a bunch of rules that weren't working in the original rulebook.

Oh, I knew that. I didn't bear WotC any ill-will for releasing the RCR. I just didn't buy it (until I got a chance to pick up a cheap second-hand copy). I was, however, disappointed that it didn't fix the game to my satisfaction. (And, yes, thought it was too soon - regardless of who made the decision.)

Actually, I think I would have felt considerably less disappointed about it all if the RCR had not updated the rules, but rather just added the AotC material - so I could ignore it completely. Then, round about now, they could release a 'proper' second edition. Of course, that only works if WotC hadn't cancelled the line; given that the line has been ended, I prefer the current state of the RCR to the alternative.

 

[Crothian]

Absolutely. I worked on the official Crothian d20 rpg, and the licensing process was awful. That's why it failed.

No, it fialed because you couldn't keep up with my posts and incorperate the brillaince of them into the game!! That and we couldn't get permsision to use the Oozemaster......

 

[Dr. Harry]

The problem w/ SW and LotR worlds is that game companies can only publish what they get permission for and that usually equals only what is in the books and movies. Since the story in the books and or movies is only a snap shot of the world as a whole and there is already an epic struggle going on, it makes the worlds difficult or dull to play in.

Yeah, I don't know if anyone remembers the old Marvel Star Wars comics series (currently I beleive that these have been reprinted in collextions by Dark Horse, or something), but the restrictions about what could or could not be done with the characters really killed the strip in its last 20-25 issues.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I'm the pot???

No. But the context was that WotC was finding Lucasfilm difficult to work with.

That would be the pot and kettle.

 

[Dragonblade]

Here's to some company picking up the RPG license and getting it right.

Not gonna happen. WotC's license incorporates both minis and the RPG game. They have the rights tied up for several more years. From my understanding, they are only allowed to produce so much stuff and the minis game is far more profitable than the RPG line.

No other company can make an RPG as long as WotC holds the license. And WotC won't let the license go as long as they make money off the minis. And no other RPG company has the dough to offer Lucasfilm to entice them to force WotC to renegotiate.

But I think there is one potential silver lining. I think that when the TV series comes out, if there is a massive resurgence in SW interest, I think WotC may revive the RPG line. But for now, its pretty much going to die in terms of new products. I think WotC may keep the website around and will probably keep at least the core rulebook in print as long as it sells.

 

[Nomad4life]

True20 is the best system to run Star Wars under anyway.

 

[Breakdaddy]

True20 is the best system to run Star Wars under anyway.

Eh???!?!?!?!?! Nay, I say Spycraft 2.0, sir! Although, True20 would not be a BAD system to run it under.

 

[Pbartender]

Eh???!?!?!?!?! Nay, I say Spycraft 2.0, sir!

There's already some promising conversion material taking shape over on the Alderac boards...

My Star Wars/Spycraft 2 campaign is scheduled to begin in about a month.