Star Wars Saga Edition [SECR] Preview #2 is Up

[Sir Brennen]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starwars/article/SagaPreview2

All 'bout skillz

 

[Shalimar]

Contrary to their reasoning I never actually maximized most of my skills in Star Wars, you didn't have to, I would get myself to the point where I could take ten to accomplish the type of things I wanted my character to do and doing that for multiple skills. They are right that it took a long time, but all characters of a given class having the exact same amount of skill without any gradiations is hard to swallow.

 

[iwatt]

Interesting. They of course left out exactly how you buy trined skills, and how multiclassign will affect things. Other than that, I like it.

They did go whole-hog in consolidating Perception though. Just merging Spot and Listen into Notice has made it a very attractive skill in my True20 games. Throwing in Search and sense Motive will make it a "must" in my games...

 

[Sir Brennen]

They are right that it took a long time, but all characters of a given class having the exact same amount of skill without any gradiations is hard to swallow.

Part of the "gradiations" will come in the form of stat bonuses, and, by the sounds of it, other things which aren't just static values to add in, like a re-roll talent or feat, or talents/feats that allow for taking 10, etc.

One very interesting tid-bit: Initiative is a now skill, so high level characters will more than likely get the drop on low-level dweebs, and scouts even moreso with their re-roll ability. (I think it's the Saga Edition's way of saying "Han shot first!")

 

[molonel]

(I think it's the Saga Edition's way of saying "Han shot first!")

That added a wry chuckle to my day. Thank you.

 

[Greg K]

Contrary to their reasoning I never actually maximized most of my skills in Star Wars, you didn't have to, I would get myself to the point where I could take ten to accomplish the type of things I wanted my character to do and doing that for multiple skills. They are right that it took a long time, but all characters of a given class having the exact same amount of skill without any gradiations is hard to swallow.

My sentiments exactly and the idea of adding 1/2 character level just makes it even worse as far as I am concerned.

Furthermore, I think that based on the previews and tidbits revealed, the final nail may have been placed in the coffin with regards to my purchasing any more WOTC products. I have been disenchanted with the majority of WOTC supplements for DND and d20Modern for some time, but I held off on this decision based upon Rodney and Owen's work on Dragon Magic which showed me that they were capable of producing a product that I liked. However, with exception of the decision to use a more d20Modern approach to classes and the rerolling of skills, everything they have revealed has been, imo, a wrong decision.

 

[jonrog1]

I think you may be generalizing off the preview. They have a similar system to this in Green Ronin's Blue Rose, and you certainly don't wind up with identical characters in the same class. And that's even without feat and talents. The trick is to stop thinking of classes as "classes" and think of them as "talent collections." True 20 and Blue Rose do this with "paths". So, for example, using the Expert "class", you can build a ranger or a rogue. Two entirely separate versions of what we traditionally think of as "classes."

I like this, as it's a nice shift in game design -- what are we trying to do with this game mechanic, as opposed to a game mechanic servicing how we perceive they should work. It's also a bit more respectful of the player -- essentially "you know what you want to build, we're not going to make you spot-weld it into OUR definition of soldier." Definitely a different rules style, but I dig it.

Also, IMHO, looking at the SAGA book, in general, I'd say they owe the folks at Green Ronin at least a nice lunch.

 

[Relique du Madde]

[qoute]Along the way, we removed some skills that were rarely used in most games. For example, we removed Craft, because traditionally the Repair skill was used to build droids, starships, and so on.[/qoute]


WTF are they thinking? YOU CAN'T remove craft without loosing its write in flexability. Are they saying there are no artisens or artists or hobbiests in the future? I loved the distinction of the Craft/Repair duality.... because it IS realistic (you could a) know how to build things b) know how to fix things c) spend time to learn how to fix and repair things), getting rid of one of those skills doesn't seem right..


I also wish that they didn't get rid of skill ranks. Unfortunately I don't see how they could have stream lined the rank system without going the true20 route.

 

[Relique du Madde]

I think you may be generalizing off the preview. They have a similar system to this in Green Ronin's Blue Rose, and you certainly don't wind up with identical characters in the same class. And that's even without feat and talents. The trick is to stop thinking of classes as "classes" and think of them as "talent collections." True 20 and Blue Rose do this with "paths". So, for example, using the Expert "class", you can build a ranger or a rogue. Two entirely separate versions of what we traditionally think of as "classes."

But you forget that true20 still uses ranks but without the whole "class skill/cross class" distinction. You either take a skill at one skill point per rank or you don't.

The change that they are hinting at is actually taking skills out of their current D20 state and more into the realm of how skills were done in other rpg systems.

 

[jonrog1]

I'm not reading that they're ripping skill ranks out, just arbitrary assignment of skill points. Essentially creating a default setting. But I may be completely misreading the preview.

Personally, getting rid of Repair OR Craft made sense. Who the heck can repair a TV, but doesn't know enough about the working parts to build one? Who can build a house, but then needs separate training in how to repair it? Again, I think people may be freaking out at the idea of options disappearing, when instead it's granularity that's going by the wayside. And not character choice granularity (which is good), but game mechanic granularity.