Thoughts on a Star Wars Game...

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Okay boys and girls...I have returned yet again to this forum. The itch to run a game has been growing over the last few weeks, and I've spent a lot of that time figuring out how to get a game going that will, in fact, go somewhere rather than eventually ending due to my own lack of ability to continually update. And, from that, I have a solution. My problem has been rather simple, being too ambitious with too many different ideas; so I've run multiple games at once. So this is the solution...

Below(well, and above) are very vague game ideas. After a week or so of this poll being up, I'll look at it and then take the game with the most votes and work out a story in much more detail. Rather than working on the fly like I normally do, I'll map out as much as would be possible while still allowing player choice in pretty much anything, and then, after another week or so, I'll start a recruiting thread and get things moving. Also, likely to be Saga games, as though I have a deep love for the Revised game(still even more than Saga, actually), I can accept its a good system and want to get it some real play action for myself.

So...the game ideas!

Old Republic Explorers: Likely set thousands of years before the prequels, maybe after the Battle of Ruusan(the last major conflict in the galaxy before the movies) or possibly in the period between The Great Sith War(from the old Tales of the Jedi comics) and the Jedi Civil War(Knights of the Old Republic game). Focus would be on a small group of individuals, maybe with Jedi, maybe with none, working to chart as-yet-unknown portions of the Outer Rim and getting involved in first contact operations with new species, or just exploring new worlds and the hazards that happen to be there.

The Clone Wars: Pretty self-explanatory, this one. My temptation is to not allow any Jedi and, instead, have the characters as 'normal' soldiers(not clones, however) fighting on a distant part of the galaxy. Thoughts lean towards an initial focus on one single world and a covert operation, of sorts, to take the world back from the Separatists.

Surviving the Dark Times: Also pretty self-explanatory, and definitely with a group involving at least one Jedi. Would be after the initial Purge and focus on the characters escaping the arm of the newly formed Empire. Likely no connection to the slow formation of the Rebel Alliance, and rather more leaning towards trying to just stay alive while the galaxy falls apart around them.

The Rebellion: Post-Yavin, pre-Endor. Maybe post-Hoth but not too sure on that just yet. Would center around a small group of Rebel commandos and possibly focus on stealing Imperial design plans for starships or weapons, sabotaging shipyards, or other similar, behind-enemy-lines type of operations.

At the moment, those are what I have working around my brain. There are also even more vague ideas of a New Jedi Order game, but unless there's some sudden demand for that in this thread, I won't worry about it. Hence why its not in the poll.

 

[Ambrus]

My first instinct is to vote "whichever setting allows me to play a droid". Where's that option?

Of the story ideas, I'd have to say that I lean towards the Rebellion game since it's familiar, compelling and sounds exciting and fun.

A Dark Times game is similarly set in a familiar era, but is less compelling to me since it largely involves being reactionary rather than proactive. Continually running from danger can get tedious over time.

The Explorers game appeals for its sense of discovery and for its wild untamed frontier backdrop. Enjoyment would kind of depend on what is discovered though, so it's something of a crap shoot in my mind.

The Clone Wars game appeals to me the least. Playing a military grunt on a far flung world fighting for a dubious purpose simply doesn't get my juices flowing I'm afraid.

 

[Starman]

Hmmm...I voted "Surviving the Dark Times," but "Old Republic Explorers" would probably fun, too, as I love that time period.

In a StDT game, I would be interested in playing a Jedi, one struggling to deal with a growing anger/rage over the events that have happened to the Jedi and Republic. He would be slipping into wanting revenge rather than justice, in danger of becoming just like the evil he seeks to defeat.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

My first instinct is to vote "whichever setting allows me to play a droid". Where's that option?

Heh, technically any of them.

Well, Explorers could arguably be the worst setting for a droid, considering the technology difference and droids just not being very advanced at that point in time. But still, not the point.

Of the story ideas, I'd have to say that I lean towards the Rebellion game since it's familiar, compelling and sounds exciting and fun.

In all honesty, my absolute favourite eras are the Rebellion and the post-Endor New Republic Era(which, for some reason, I didn't come up with any real workable ideas for. Wonder if I'm sick...)

A Dark Times game is similarly set in a familiar era, but is less compelling to me since it largely involves being reactionary rather than proactive. Continually running from danger can get tedious over time.

It is true that, generally, it would be reactionary...but, then again, depending on the direction the ideas go from that initial short concept it could be a little more than just 'run run run'. There are, of course, possible ideas that would require acts going into the heart of the Empire, comparable to Yoda and Obi-Wan returning to the Jedi Temple to deactivate the beacon that was calling all Jedi back.

The Explorers game appeals for its sense of discovery and for its wild untamed frontier backdrop. Enjoyment would kind of depend on what is discovered though, so it's something of a crap shoot in my mind.

This is probably the one that's the MOST vague in my mind right now, but I feel like could have the most potential. In this time period, the Known Galaxy is basically the Core Worlds and the Mid Rim, with the entirety of the Outer Rim, where most of the movies take place, completely unknown or thought to just be Sith Territory. Possibilities are pretty much endless, so I can understand the weariness of it.

The Clone Wars game appeals to me the least. Playing a military grunt on a far flung world fighting for a dubious purpose simply doesn't get my juices flowing I'm afraid.

I've only run one Clone Wars game before, and it was all Jedi and, while fun...probably would have been MORE fun with less, or no, Jedi at all. That's really where this idea comes from, and I may have described it a bit off from what's in my head, as direct military grunt isn't really what's running around in my mind. In fact, thinking about it, its almost comparable to the game idea for the Rebellion during the Clone Wars and centered on a single planet. Sort of.

Hmmm...I voted "Surviving the Dark Times," but "Old Republic Explorers" would probably fun, too, as I love that time period.

In a StDT game, I would be interested in playing a Jedi, one struggling to deal with a growing anger/rage over the events that have happened to the Jedi and Republic. He would be slipping into wanting revenge rather than justice, in danger of becoming just like the evil he seeks to defeat.

That's actually exactly the kinds of characters I'd had in my head when thinking that game idea out. If there was a Jedi, or more than one, it seems only natural to have them at least on the edge of the Dark Side. I'd personally want to veer away from direct evil or actually falling if possible, but I'm not usually the kind of person to limit options.

 

[Starman]

That's actually exactly the kinds of characters I'd had in my head when thinking that game idea out. If there was a Jedi, or more than one, it seems only natural to have them at least on the edge of the Dark Side. I'd personally want to veer away from direct evil or actually falling if possible, but I'm not usually the kind of person to limit options.

I think it would be a fascinating character to explore. If I did play this character, I would want to go to the edge to see what happened. Hopefully, he wouldn't fall ( ), but you never know and for me this is where a game/universe like Star Wars truly shines - finding the line between black and white, good and evil.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Personally, I'd love to get in on a SWRPG game. I don't have SAGA, but I do have a lot of the D20 books.

 

[Blackrat]

Of the SW games around here, I think I'm in all except for one so I'll hold off for now. But I voted for Rebellion in the of-chance that you don't gather enough players without me . There's already two dark-times games here and two old-republic games, so that leaves clone wars or rebellion. Clone wars could be interesting in actually playing a group of clones, possibly led by a jedi commander but the idea you had for that era isn't tingling my spine. Rebellion on the other hand is.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Personally, I'd love to get in on a SWRPG game. I don't have SAGA, but I do have a lot of the D20 books.

Its honestly hard for me to decide which system to run, as I do have a serious love for the Revised edition. But I think this one's going to end up going Saga if only, as I said above, to get at least one of these going for myself. Though I'm still kind of wavering back and forth again and again and again.

Clone wars could be interesting in actually playing a group of clones, possibly led by a jedi commander but the idea you had for that era isn't tingling my spine. Rebellion on the other hand is.

The idea of players as clones kind of bothers the part of my mind with a firm grasp on that horrible thing called canon. There's just too many difficulties and leeways that have to be made, and I find that the best Star Wars games end up fitting seamlessly into the universe with more minor tweaks to established canon. But that's just me, I'm odd like that when it comes to Star Wars

 

[Yeoman]

I voted for the Old Republic Explorers option, but the Surviving the Dark Times option sounded almost as good to me. The idea of the high adventure aspect of the Old Republic, and the wild frontier aspect of "known" space is really appealing, but the thought of being a jedi who survived Order 66, and who is on the run from the newly formed empire is really appealing as well!

I'd love to give it a shot if you do decide to start something up. I only own the newer SAGA system rules though.

 

[drothgery]

I voted Rebellion mostly because although I love my KotOR era, I'm running a ~250 years post-KotOR PBP already, which is a spinoff of my ~150 years post-KotOR tabletop game.