Off topic, sorry. I discovered FFG through X-wing Miniatures. But I've grown happily familiar with FFG since. XWM is my first foray into tabletop gaming and I've loved it. I'm curious now, what are Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion? 1) Are they basically D&D a la Star Wars? 2) What's their relation to one another, are they different games? What do you actually need to play? I know absolutely nothing about this style of play and am curious to getting involved. Thanks much!

I have Edge of the Empire, its similar to D&D but uses a different set of dice.. not sure why .. but they did it..

It's just an RPG ..

The rebellion aspect I think is a different time frame from the Edge comcept..

Sorry for the short answer, but I've played neither and only have Edge as a friend is supposed to run a game soon.. so I'm still leaeningnit myself.

Age of rebellion is just that, your characters will be rebel agents and such. Edge of the Empire is the smuggler, slicer, BH, grimy side of the universe... Same game and time frame to my understanding, just differing sides of the galactic war.

Cool.. I stand corrected.. awesome..

How exactly does an RPG work? Games I take it aren't "won" but your characters endure? Does the GM get to play as well? There are three of us who play SW games a lot. From what I've read, it sounds incredibly complicated. Maybe somebody can say why they enjoy RPG games and what they offer?

"Basically just D&D" is a rather vague way to describe D&D. It is a tabletop RPG like D&D, but the rules are different on various fronts. If you are unfamiliar with tabletop RPG's in general then these differences won't bother you.

The two games are stand-alone, but they can be used alongside one another. Edge of the Empire is more smuggler/bounty hunter flavoured while Age of Rebellion focuses on the Rebel Alliance fighting the Empire. Each book has different races, classes, ships, items and some minor differences in thematic rules (EotE has rules about your debt to various patrons a-la Han's debt to Jabba while AoR's thematic rules are more about duty). You can buy whichever suits your and your groups tastes best.

What you need to play is the rulebook and two sets of dice. I say two, because one set usually means you'll find yourself re-rolling dice a lot, two sets keep the game flowing faster. Aside from that, pencils and erasers and you're set to go. the Game Master set is an optional extra, but does contain quick references for the Game Master in the screen.

Typically the GM is the controler of the game, and the players react to situations he creates.. so with 3 people one GMs and the other 2 are players.. that said I know many games where people GM and have a character in the game.. but not a main character, just one of the guys..

Plus the GM has a bunch of NPCs he can use (non player characters) they are his cast of characters for the game..

RPGs are both incredibly complicated and very simple.

To answer your question briefly, yes, they are like D&D.

More complex answer. RPGs are games of "Let's Pretend, "Cops and Robbers" or "Cowboys and Indians" for grown-ups (and older kids). They are played around a table and involve basically group storytelling. The rules are meant as a framework to help resolve actions fairly and consistently, no "I shot him" "No you didn't"...

The game master gets to play, but not "play". He or she sets up the situations the player characters (PCs) get into, he runs the bad guys and creates the world, but he doesn't normally have a player character of his own. It is important to note that, even though the GM controls the bad guys, he is not playing against the PCs. The GM's job is to make sure the players have fun and are challenged, not to beat them.

IMO, RPGs are the absolute bast kind of game, they are fun and engaging and make long lasting friendships. They do tend to involve a lot of work however, especially for the GW. The task of thinking up a storyline, the villain, all of the henchmen, all of the innocent bystanders, all of the vehicles and planets/cities and so on and assigning stats to the important ones can be daunting.

There are forum sections for both Edge and Age, you can probably get more in depth answers to your specific game questions there.

How exactly does an RPG work? Games I take it aren't "won" but your characters endure? Does the GM get to play as well? There are three of us who play SW games a lot. From what I've read, it sounds incredibly complicated. Maybe somebody can say why they enjoy RPG games and what they offer?

RPG's, or to use their full name "Role Playing Games" are exactly as the tin describes: You and your friends create characters and play out your own episode of Star Wars. The fun of the game is in the creativity of thinking up your own way of handling the story the GM lays out for you. Every session is different and if you've got a good group you'll be cracking jokes, cheering when a stunt you thought up on the spot goes your way and crying out in despair when your carefully laid out plans are foiled.

The GM does play, but in a different way. The GM is the storyteller. He controls all the monsters, stormtroopers, merchants and any other person in the game. Where other players are essentially blind to the story, the GM knows the core plot from front to back. It's an entirely different way of playing the game, but it's far from passive. Players can and will react to the story you are telling them in unexpected ways, and it's your job as GM to be quick on your feet and respond to their actions.

The rules sound incredibly complicated, but RPG's are very much a "learn as you play" experience. I recommend the starter set if you are entirely unfamiliar with RPG's in general. The quick start rules will get you on your feet with some basic rules and a small adventure, readying you for the full rules.

So, it appears that one covers Rebels, one covers Neutral Fringe and that one (that is not released yet?) will cover Empire.

Nope. The third core book will not cover playing Empire characters. It is "Force & Destiny" and will cover Force using characters in-depth. Force users were only touched on in the previous core books (one career in each) and no advanced Force powers, lightsaber combat, etc. F&D will cover all of that more fully.

The Beta book for F&D should be released at GenCon (the previous two Beta books were) with the full book coming late next Spring.

Jim

So, it appears that one covers Rebels, one covers Neutral Fringe and that one (that is not released yet?) will cover Empire.

Nope. The third core book will not cover playing Empire characters. It is "Force & Destiny" and will cover Force using characters in-depth. Force users were only touched on in the previous core books (one career in each) and no advanced Force powers, lightsaber combat, etc. F&D will cover all of that more fully.

The Beta book for F&D should be released at GenCon (the previous two Beta books were) with the full book coming late next Spring.

Jim

I do hope they'll reveal an Empire-centric book eventually though. I'd like some official support behind my Imperial campaigns.

If you've ever played video games like Skyrim or WoW, then you've played an rpg. In the tabletop form the Game Master (GM) fills the role the the console/computer does, and the Player Characters (PCs) are the players (obviously). The real difference is the tabletop style alows for far greater flexibility, one GM might favor set story paths, while another keeps it freeform, reacting on the fly to the actions of the PCs. I GM'd Edge of the Empire and thought it was one of the best rpg systems I've ever played (I started in the 80's with first edition D&D), it's fast paced, and the dice system really makes it cinematic. The dice are simmilar to x-wing, with success icons which are canceled by failure icons, but where x-wing uses focus icons, the rpg has advantage & threat icons that cancel eachother. Players can spend advantage results to activate weapon abilities, talents, or interject story elements, and the GM csn do the same with threat results. There's also Triumph and Despair icons, which count as success & failures, but add a dramatic element, so you might fail to hit that stormtrooper you were firing your blaster at, but with the Triumph, one of your stray shots hit the control pannel next to him, shutting the blast door so reinforcments wont arrive for a few more rounds.