Recent Star Wars Saga chat session with designers

[Flexor the Mighty!]

This sounds sweet. I hope you really re-did the force mechanics since I thought they blew before. The skill changes sound promising as well.

One question about the recharge force powers thing...does that mean that say if a Jedi uses move object, or its new equivalent, that he can't use it again for awhile after that? I'm thinking of the Dooku/Yoda fight where Count D was using telekinesis left and right to throw stuff at Yoda.

 

[RodneyThompson]

This sounds sweet. I hope you really re-did the force mechanics since I thought they blew before. The skill changes sound promising as well.

One question about the recharge force powers thing...does that mean that say if a Jedi uses move object, or its new equivalent, that he can't use it again for awhile after that? I'm thinking of the Dooku/Yoda fight where Count D was using telekinesis left and right to throw stuff at Yoda.

Sadly, I can't say. Far too close to the realm of breaking NDAs.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Sadly, I can't say. Far too close to the realm of breaking NDAs.

Fair enough. As long as characters can do the cool stuff from the movies that is the key, for me balance isn't necessarily the be all end all of Star Wars gaming.

 

[Ranger REG]

BTW, will weapon proficiency groups remain the same?

Will the Craft subskills be reformed and reduced in number?

Will Perform subskills be similar to d20 Modern version?

Will Computer Use be the prime skill to operate most starship functions (with the exception of Pilot and Heavy [Starship] Weapon Proficiency)?

 

[Pbartender]

One question about the recharge force powers thing...does that mean that say if a Jedi uses move object, or its new equivalent, that he can't use it again for awhile after that? I'm thinking of the Dooku/Yoda fight where Count D was using telekinesis left and right to throw stuff at Yoda.

I'm curious to see this mechanic as well... Recently, I'd been thinking that Iron Heroes' token pool mechanic would be a great way to handle many Force abilities.

 

[RodneyThompson]

BTW, will weapon proficiency groups remain the same?

No, but I can't be more specific.

Will the Craft subskills be reformed and reduced in number?

Will Perform subskills be similar to d20 Modern version?

I can make no comment on either of these.

Will Computer Use be the prime skill to operate most starship functions (with the exception of Pilot and Heavy [Starship] Weapon Proficiency)?

You'll be able to do most non-piloting and non-weapons functions with the computer skill, but we've tried to make it easier for non-pilot and non-super computer techie characters to actually do things on a starship during combat. Sort of how Leia is able to help run the Falcon while Han and Chewie are off doing more technical things on the ship. Sadly, I can't be more specific than that.

 

[Remathilis]

Pure Speculation

Just a thought....

Perhaps the three levels of mastery akin to something like this...

Unskilled: 1d20 + Attribute (for something you know absolutely nothing about. These are any skill not on your class list)

trained: 1d20 + 1/2 class level + attribute (for skills you have on your Class list, but aren't mastered.)

master: 1d20 + class level + attribute (for skills you have "mastered". You have a number of them equal to your old skill points/level).

Multi-classing.

Each class has to pick its class skills separately. If you wish to keep a skill mastered, you must re-select it for each class.

Example: Yub Yub the Ewok is a scout5 with "mastery" in sneak (1d20+5+dex) and Alertness (1d20+5+wis). He takes a level of jedi after finding he's FS. He designates Alterness off the Jedi class skill list to keep mastery in (1d20+6) but neglects Sneak (1d20+5(1/2)+dex). So his alertness will continue to max out, but his sneak will fall behind (but is still higher than other trained skills he never mastered in).

I'm not sure what mechanic you can use to simulate learning new skills without multi-classing yet though...

 

[Morgenstern]

I had considered that, but that leads to my concern, which is about Trained skills, not Mastered ones - 2 equally undesirable answers come to mind~

1) My "Trained" skills suddenly become "Untrained" when I change class - as if I had never known them at all. Suck.

2) My "Trained" skill stay trained forever - in which cass I can probably achieve "Trained" in every class in the game in 3 levels with stratigic selections. This might be considered acceptible in the setting, but I have my doubts.

I'm guessing there is some sort of 1.4 - 1.6 solution in which Trained skills fade over time and with multiple levels of neglect. I'm just curious what that solution looks like and how it is managed without a PITA level of bookkeeping ("I was a scoundrel 2 -no- 3 levels ago so I think I'm still Trained in Bluff...") that's gonna leave me pining for the simplicity of skill points :\.

I doubt the designers can answer, but that's a more concise description of my reservations.

 

[RodneyThompson]

You're right, we must remain mum. However, I can say that while some ideas you guys have tossed out in this thread come close in part, some are way off the mark. It's really much more straightforward in a lot of ways, but versatile enough that it works for Star Wars.

 

[EditorBFG]

What sucks is, people pipe up more when they don't like something than when they do. I've looked at the Saga changes a couple of times and thought "Oh, that's a good idea," and being content with the direction I didn't post anything. Human nature I guess. When BFG puts out a product and there's not a lot of discussion on message boards, the publisher and I say that's how we know people like it. If people hated it, we'd hear about it.

A question: In this version, it seems the Lightsaber styles will be in the main book. Will the Lightsaber style requirements be reflected in the characters who are listed in EU and canonical sources as having them? Our group did homebrew styles, and then when the Hero's guide came out it seemed some published characters couldn't qualify or wouldn't benefit from styles they were supposed to be masters of, and that seemed kind of lame. If styles are rolling with the Core, it would be nice for a character like Mace Windu to actually have Mastery of Form VII reflected in his stats right off the bat.

I look forward to seeing the skill changes and new damage system.