Star Wars to me is the entire universe of material out there with a LucasArts/Film/etc attachment. I'm old enough to have seen the movies before the prequels were released and am a big fan of the EU video games and novels as it gave me more than 6 hours based on the original movies of material to get immersed in. And lets be real - the anti EU movement for Star Wars only came about because of the prequel movies and people disavowing themselves from them. That doesn't mean that all of the other material available is bad.

To make some arbitrary line at 'movies only' is hipster, elitist, self-righteous, and anti-geek. If you really think that you are spending too much money, fine, that's a different story, but to try and claim some purism as a reason to stop buying is arbitrary. You're just sequestering yourself, everyone else is going along for the glorious ride.

Star Wars to me is the entire universe of material out there with a LucasArts/Film/etc attachment. I'm old enough to have seen the movies before the prequels were released and am a big fan of the EU video games and novels as it gave me more than 6 hours based on the original movies of material to get immersed in. And lets be real - the anti EU movement for Star Wars only came about because of the prequel movies and people disavowing themselves from them. That doesn't mean that all of the other material available is bad.

To make some arbitrary line at 'movies only' is hipster, elitist, self-righteous, and anti-geek. If you really think that you are spending too much money, fine, that's a different story, but to try and claim some purism as a reason to stop buying is arbitrary. You're just sequestering yourself, everyone else is going along for the glorious ride.

To keep a game going you have to keep investing in it. Both as a player (though not really as important) and as a company. EU was coming. When you think about it though the game itself is EU. Boba Fett never flew with Howelrunner as an escort. 70% of the pilots are EU.

I will agree that there are some EU ships that I don't care for. I HATE the E-wing. Or at least I did. I just didn't care for any of the space battles from Dark Empire, and any of the ships they invented for that comic book. I didn't really care for the TIE Phantom. I had never heard of it before I heard of the expansion (Aren't ships with cloaking devices supposed to be bigger than the Falcon "No ship that small has a cloaking device.") Oh and the TIE Phantom is the dumbest looking ship ever to join the TIE famly.

But I have to admit, FFG has done a pretty good job of making me want to by these ships. I don't think I will buy more than 2 of each for a while, but I am excited for Wave 4.

To keep a game going you have to keep investing in it. Both as a player (though not really as important) and as a company. EU was coming. When you think about it though the game itself is EU. Boba Fett never flew with Howelrunner as an escort. 70% of the pilots are EU.

I will agree that there are some EU ships that I don't care for. I HATE the E-wing. Or at least I did. I just didn't care for any of the space battles from Dark Empire, and any of the ships they invented for that comic book. I didn't really care for the TIE Phantom. I had never heard of it before I heard of the expansion (Aren't ships with cloaking devices supposed to be bigger than the Falcon "No ship that small has a cloaking device.") Oh and the TIE Phantom is the dumbest looking ship ever to join the TIE famly.

But I have to admit, FFG has done a pretty good job of making me want to by these ships. I don't think I will buy more than 2 of each for a while, but I am excited for Wave 4.

I'm just a casual player, but I've been a big Star Wars fan my whole life.

When I first bought into X wing miniatures I figured I might stop buying ships after wave three. But once I had all the OT movie ships I realized there wasn't enough options for me yet. I want more ships.

I never went too deep into the EU. I did read a few books and played the games.

I think I'm more excited for wave 4 then I was wave 3, and I was really excited for the bombers. I don't know how long they will be able to keep me interested in EU ships. I would like to see some Shadows of the Empire ships though.

I might stop once I start feeing overwhelmed with pilot and upgrade cards, but since I'm a Star Wars collector and I love the game, I might not be able to stop buying EU ships. =p

Oh and the TIE Phantom is the dumbest looking ship ever to join the TIE famly.

Really?

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060307211946/starwars/images/9/95/TIE-M1_XWA.jpg

Could be we please stop using the "if you don't like the EU, you shouldn't use X"? It is such a terrible argument, only meant to provoke someone who apparently doesn't like something you like.

Seems like a completely valid logical extension to me. If the rationale for not getting any Wave 4 stuff is solely "I hate the EU and refuse to get any of the Wave 4 stuff because it's contaminated by EU", then you shouldn't be using:

ANY named interceptor pilot (they're all heavily EU)

Maarek Steele

The Imperial Aces minis

Captain Jonus (no film appearance)

Kath Scarlet and Krassis Trelix

Otherwise the logic doesn't hold up.

I'll run that one by you again. If you're going EU free, you don't get named Interceptor pilots. Or Royal Guard pilots for that matter. Avenger Squadron Pilot is the best interceptor you're getting.

Oh and the TIE Phantom is the dumbest looking ship ever to join the TIE famly.

You're kidding, right? The TIE phantom's one of the few EU TIEs that actually looks like a TIE. Based off an old Lambda concept art if I'm not mistaken.

I too am old school and Star wars to me is IV, V, VI. I enjoyed aspects of the prequel trilogy, mainly the political manoeuvring by Palpatine but on the whole they were a disappointment. The HWK was a new ship to me but following buying it I have read about it a little more. My EU experience was really with the X-Wing and Tie Fighter PC games and the Thrawn trilogy; the Z95 and the Tie defender are very much on my radar; The defender was possibly the first ship outside of the original trilogy that I liked. I love the game and all the upgrades and pilots and so forth that go with it so I will be buying wave 4 and I guess the e-wing and the phantom are two more ships to read up on. The main change in buying will be that I won't get too up tight about trying to get them on release day...

...he says.

I haven't read endless novels, but I played West End's version of the RPG years ago, so that's the extent of my knowledge on anything outside the movies. The bonus here is if an EU ship is released, it's all new to me. And I'm quite keen to see how they play. The apparent inconsistencies that various pilots that shouldn't be fighting alongside each other is disregarded and is a refreshing change from some of the more restrictive historical games I've played in the past. There is no restricting fleet list that dictates how you pick your squad. Choose the ones YOU want and fight the game. That's the beauty of this game. I've never seen the E-Wing or Phantom before, but probably going to get 1 each as they look like fun to game with.

When this game progresses to the point where players are no longer using X-Wings, Y-Wings, TIE fighters, Interceptors, The Falcon, Slave I, or any of those iconic ships from the movies, I think then you could have an argument about EU taking over. Until then, I think the EU is taking its place within the game alongside the iconic starfighters.

I want an Escape pod!!!

"Look Sir, DROIDS!"

I grew up with EU just as much as the movies, probably more so since EU content is infinitely more vast than what can be covered in three movies. I probably spent more time just on the TIE Fighter PC game than I have watching the original trilogy and even prequels combined, and that's just on game. To me, Star Wars is the EU, as no movie trilogy could never hope to match the world building that a long line of novels, games, and the like can.

The Z-95 and TIE Defender are the ships I have been waiting for to make my collection "complete," but I would be willing to keep buying new ships as long as they appealed to me (and that list is getting pretty short). If they never released another new ship for the game I would probably be satisfied, although I would like to see a wider variety of pilots and upgrades for the ships that currently don't have many to choose from.

I'll admit that the TIE Defender, the Phantom and the E-Wing don't really appeal to me. I also loved the PC games and I loke (some of) the EU well enough, but these struck me as a stretch that snapped my suspension of disbelief. While I love being an Empire player, I don't think I'll get them.

Also, while it's straight out the movies, I won't be (planning to) add the Firespray to my fleet. Why? Because I don't see it having a place in an Empire fighting force. The relationship with Boba Fett was an incidental one in order to do bounty hunting, not fight in the Imperial Navy.

Yes, I enjoy the game, but I want the game to represent a story.

My entire childhood was centered around the original trilogy. But then that trilogy ended and I moved on. It wasn't until the 90's and the birth of the EU that I remembered how much I loved Star Wars. If it wasn't for Heir to the Empire, Dark Forces, and Tie Fighter Star Wars would have been relegated to just childhood memories. So for me some of these ships have as much nostalgia value as the ships from the OT.

Sure it can be said that the worst of Star Wars is in the EU. But I would also say some of the best of Star Wars is in the EU as well. You're missing out on a lot of great stuff if you stick to only the movies. The EU is where Star Wars grew up with us and matured. The movies never did that as the Prequels showed very well.

But for those who really have to stick to the movies, there's no reason to stop collecting. FFG is still releasing repaints as the Imperial and Rebel aces boxes have shown, as well as the huge ships. And soon enough they'll be releasing ships from Episode VII and beyond.

And maybe, just maybe, some of the ships you scoffed at will be appearing in the sequels and suddenly, they'll seem "official" to you as well.

For me though, the movies were a great foundation, but they never truly lived up to their potential. Mostly because they were meant for kids (yes even the OT). But the Star Wars universe is so interesting, it just seems like a waste to leave it at that.

I'll admit that the TIE Defender, the Phantom and the E-Wing don't really appeal to me. I also loved the PC games and I loke (some of) the EU well enough, but these struck me as a stretch that snapped my suspension of disbelief. While I love being an Empire player, I don't think I'll get them.

Also, while it's straight out the movies, I won't be (planning to) add the Firespray to my fleet. Why? Because I don't see it having a place in an Empire fighting force. The relationship with Boba Fett was an incidental one in order to do bounty hunting, not fight in the Imperial Navy.

Yes, I enjoy the game, but I want the game to represent a story.

Wow, that's hardcore. Do you also only allow Biggs to fly with Luke during a Death Star trench run battle?

The Slave I may be a unique ship, but the Firespray isn't. Even if you disregard the EU Boba Fett isn't a ship manufacturer so obviously he bought it from somewhere. If you do count the expanded universe, or even just the fluff on the cards in this game, then the Firespray is a prison transport and system patrol craft. Who has more prisons or more systems to patrol than the Empire?

Obviously you should do whatever is most fun for you. But Star Wars is supposed to spur your imagination, not limit it. That outlook just seems weird to me, where exactly copying the movies is more important than using your imagination to create your own stories.

I personally don't understand the whole purist versus EU thing. I mean, sure, some of it was weak, but it added far more then it detracted. I mean, I get if you want to excise some elements, like ignore the NJO stuff, or ignore some of the goofier Dark Horse stuff.... but to restrict things to the movies strikes me as odd. I mean, canon is so muddied, with the new OT, and the weirder elements of the prequels/clone wars.... I feel like, Star Wars is huge, dun restrict yourself to any part of it. Its like life, always best to be open to new things. I'm rambling a bit, but this has seriously always baffled me.

Not to say I'm judging, if your thing is your thing, that is all good. It is just a perspective I have trouble seeing, personally, as even though I grew up on and loving the trilogy, I was always thrilled to discover new adventures, even if they were sometimes a letdown.

Early on the Thrawn trilogy left me with a sense of wonder, and even converted me to Imperial. Later, the Legacy Era gave some amazingly fertile ground for roleplaying adventures. Heck, even the Kevin J. Anderson stuff has some fond elements in my memory, even if I do loathe the author, and honestly, much of the story.

Uh, further rambling aside. I'm psyched to see ships from the EU, particularly the Defender. I'm in on this game for as long as they make it well.

I REALLY want them to take the Imperial Knights from the Legacy comics and put them into the Sequels.

The Slave I may be a unique ship, but the Firespray isn't. Even if you disregard the EU Boba Fett isn't a ship manufacturer so obviously he bought it from somewhere.

EU aside, that isn't obvious at all. As far as I can tell, just relying on the films, I think he obviously inherited the Slave I.

Nah, there were always people who felt the EU was just profiteering. It predates the prequals by quite a bit.

The EU predates ESB by quite a bit. .

Han Solo at Star's End is even older than ESB.

I never minded the EU as a whole. There's stuff there I don't like, there's stuff that's nostalgic and there's stuff that makes the OT movies better (tales of the bounty hunters for instance, instead of a random collection of creatures aboard a star destroyer, you know have names and back stories to them, making them more menacing).

I REALLY want them to take the Imperial Knights from the Legacy comics and put them into the Sequels.

Mister Whimsy, I like the cut of your jib. A lot.

Super love Legacy. Like. A lot a lot.

So, read through bout the SW canon / holoron contintuity stuff. WOW

Thing is, so much stuff made that expands 37 years, i mean sheesh. what do you count? But good news, thanks to disney, POOF never exited

But good news, thanks to disney, POOF never exited

Not really, all they've really said is that they are not bound by stuff that's described outside the six movies. Which is fine, as this is the same as what George Lucas has always stated: where the EU and movies conflict, the movies win out, even if they have come out later.

This doesn't mean that already established characters and events may not come back.

I'll admit that the TIE Defender, the Phantom and the E-Wing don't really appeal to me. I also loved the PC games and I loke (some of) the EU well enough, but these struck me as a stretch that snapped my suspension of disbelief. While I love being an Empire player, I don't think I'll get them.

Also, while it's straight out the movies, I won't be (planning to) add the Firespray to my fleet. Why? Because I don't see it having a place in an Empire fighting force. The relationship with Boba Fett was an incidental one in order to do bounty hunting, not fight in the Imperial Navy.

Yes, I enjoy the game, but I want the game to represent a story.

Wow, that's hardcore. Do you also only allow Biggs to fly with Luke during a Death Star trench run battle?

Ah, I think you mistake my meaning, though I don't mind being considered 'hard core'.

At present - I've only just gotten into the game - I'm just playing little 100pt games, with the small handful of minis that I've purchased (5 TIEs, 2 X-Wings, 1 TIE/x1, and the YT). However, I do think that this will start to bore me if I don't start embedding my games into a story arc of some sort. I'm still looking for avenues to do that.

But when I do start expanding my selection of minis, I'm going to be looking to get the ships that appeal to my sense of story. Yes, in the first order, those include the TIE bomber, and the TIE Interceptor, and possibly a Lambda (though I hear it's not very good). On the rebel side, I am definitely jonesing for the Z-95, because it's a ship that makes a lot of sense in the SWU, while the TIE Defender and the Phantom really don't.

The Slave I may be a unique ship, but the Firespray isn't. Even if you disregard the EU Boba Fett isn't a ship manufacturer so obviously he bought it from somewhere. If you do count the expanded universe, or even just the fluff on the cards in this game, then the Firespray is a prison transport and system patrol craft. Who has more prisons or more systems to patrol than the Empire?

You're quite right that the Firespray is a common-ish vessel. Also, I imagine that in some of the Outer Rim sectors, the Empire has to do what it can to procure ships, and those may not be narrow regulation craft. But on the whole, I see the Empire as a regime that greatly prizes uniformity and its standard order of battle. The standard system patrol craft is this vessel called the System Patrol Craft. I really hope that FFG puts one out as one of their future expansions, as well as the Skipray.

Obviously you should do whatever is most fun for you. But Star Wars is supposed to spur your imagination, not limit it. That outlook just seems weird to me, where exactly copying the movies is more important than using your imagination to create your own stories.

I don't see it as limiting my imagination at all, though I can see how you might read it as such. I'm the kind who likes to figure out how a gameworld is structured and how it makes sense. On the Rancor Pit forum (devoted to the Star Wars roleplaying game by West End Games), my cohorts and I spend countless hours figuring this stuff out.

I'd just like for my X-Wing activities to fit together with all that.

But for right now it's not like I'm refusing to play with anyone who brings that stuff to the board. I just haven't bought any of it, and time will tell if I will in the future.

It's funny: I wanted an E-Wing and Tie Defender more than I wanted an A-Wing or Tie Bomber. So it's possible that I'll hit a point where I just can't bring myself to care about the next wave of ships- ships to which I will have had no previous attachment. But Wave 4? Wave 4 is the wave I've been waiting _years_ for.

I think I'm different than OP, though. I think I've spent 20 years with Star Wars being a constantly growing and evolving universe. For me it didn't end with Jedi, but merely went on hiatus until Heir to the Empire. Since then, I've read and played some outstanding Star Wars.

At this point, I'm not even sure the Original Trilogy makes my top 10 best Star Wars stories.

I think I'm different than OP, though. I think I've spent 20 years with Star Wars being a constantly growing and evolving universe. For me it didn't end with Jedi, but merely went on hiatus until Heir to the Empire. Since then, I've read and played some outstanding Star Wars.

I'm guessing this is a generational thing. I'm probably closer in age to the OP, though I did grow up with the PC game as well as the Heir to the Empire trilogy. Those and the D6 roleplaying game.

It's amazing how the SWU really has exploded these last 20 years. It's been hard for old fogeys to really keep up with it anymore. There's also such variation in the quality of the products (as there always was... Holiday Special anyone?), that it's hard to know what to absorb and what to shy away from.

At this point, I'm not even sure the Original Trilogy makes my top 10 best Star Wars stories.

Now you're just talking heresy.