I had a great time working on this one! Really fast turn around on the announcement too! (Probably more than slightly because of what I believe was just a cover proof being revealed at GenCon accidentally). My section was pretty much all of the standard Chapter 1 stuff traditionally in class books. Getting the Xexto in the book was something I campaigned for. As for fitting into a cockpit, consider that Chadra-Fan and Xexto are both pretty tiny, and Dressellians aren't exactly tall, either.

I had a ton of fun writing up these three species, and I'm really curious how many of my bonkers ideas fleshing them out made it to print. None of them had all that much written canonically, so I got to invent quite a bit.

Good to hear, Keith, even if I'd like more humanoid races next time!

As I understand, the early writers for WEG d6 contributed a large amount to the EU, including names and characters we take for granted as 'canon' today. It's great to see the game's writers being given their artistic licence and carry on this tradition of RPGs actually adding to the SW universe.

It was fun to be part of the writing team too. Glad to work with Andy, Keith, Sterling and Jason on it.

Just want to say thank you to the guys that write and playtest this stuff. FFG Star Wars is my favorite RPG.

This one was indeed fun to playtest.

It was difficult not to say anything about it to Kieth or Sterling at Gen Con.

Wahoo, the first of the AoR splats! Ace is pretty iconic to the Rebellion so I can see why they'd want it to go first. We don't do much in the way of space combat at my table, but it looks like a great choice to pick up for the extras if we do start swinging that way.

Chandra-fan Beast Rider. You can be a tiny bat riding a giant bat.

The thing with working on a project like this, we might get some insight as to what some others are writing, we really only know our own sections. Among the stuff I worked on that has been mentioned in the announcement article was the Beastriding rules, the riding beasts themselves, astromechs, and starfighter battles.However, I know some stuff was tweaked after some playtesting, so I won't fully know how it will look until the final book is released. So in that sense, I am looking forward to it myself, because I can't wait to see how the whole book works together.

I was hoping if such a book was announced it would include new slightly-more-tactical space combat rules...maybe even (shudder) a way to use X-Wing movement...but I'll still probably buy it

For the record, Maelora is off of any first contact team.

Also, the only bug-eyed race we have are gand.

I gotta say, this was a fun book to playtest.

Really looking forward to the art in this book. LOVE that Xexto in the flight suit!

Oh hells yeah.

I'm eager for a chance to play an Ace/Hotshot character

GAHHHHH!... .Wallet deflector shields failing!!!

Well, it looks like it's time for this GIF again. . . .

(A pic of the Death Star blowing up a wallet instead of Alderaan)

I was hoping if such a book was announced it would include new slightly-more-tactical space combat rules...maybe even (shudder) a way to use X-Wing movement...but I'll still probably buy it

It does detail starfighter battles with a bit more detail...

I gotta say, this was a fun book to playtest.

Really looking forward to the art in this book. LOVE that Xexto in the flight suit!

Oh hells yeah.

I'm eager for a chance to play an Ace/Hotshot character

Xexto Hotshot...

I gotta say, this was a fun book to playtest.

Really looking forward to the art in this book. LOVE that Xexto in the flight suit!

Oh hells yeah.

I'm eager for a chance to play an Ace/Hotshot character

Xexto Hotshot...

/Archeologist?

I am still waiting for FFG to make some other race besides the Corellian Human that can train a skill to 3 at character creation. Every time I see a new race not have something like this it bugs me that the Corellians do have it.

I thought it was cool that they have something unique. Especially as an alt-human, it seems like the designers had to do something particularly unusual to really differentiate them from regular humans.

Anyone know what the fighter on the cover is?

Looks a bit like an arc-170, but no s-foils.

Also, it looks much larger, with a gunner in the nose. A long range bomber.

I look forward to seeing the other ships.

Anyone know what the fighter on the cover is?

Looks a bit like an arc-170, but no s-foils.

Also, it looks much larger, with a gunner in the nose. A long range bomber.

I look forward to seeing the other ships.

It kind of reminds me of a Mandalmotors Kimogila Heavy fighter but its definitely not, maybe something new.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/M12-L_Kimogila_heavy_fighter

Possibly something from SubPro (RogueCorna crosses his fingers in hope) or Incom given the similarities to the Z-95, ARC-170, and X-Wing

Anyone know what the fighter on the cover is?

Looks a bit like an arc-170, but no s-foils.

Also, it looks much larger, with a gunner in the nose. A long range bomber.

I look forward to seeing the other ships.

And, more importantly, when will we see it in X-Wing miniatures?

Anyone know what the fighter on the cover is?

Looks a bit like an arc-170, but no s-foils.

Also, it looks much larger, with a gunner in the nose. A long range bomber.

I look forward to seeing the other ships.

And, more importantly, when will we see it in X-Wing miniatures?

Are you sure about the gunner? I'm not seeing one there but I could be missing it. I also don't see any turrets so IMO it would be kind of odd for a Star Wars fighter to have a gunner if all of the weapons are fixed mounts. Personally I hope there's not a gunner since in most cases I prefer one pilot or one pilot and an Astromech fighter models to the two or three crew models in Star Wars. (And yes I know the second crewmember gives major advantages in the FFG system but that doesn't effect my preference.)

While I am not sure, since I don't even know what the ship is, it does look like there is at least roon for one pilot and two gunners. There is a dorsal ball turret behind the cockpit and going by the colour of the cockpit glass (transparisteel),it looks like a gunner at the very front, at the lower tip of the nose.

I assume this ship is less fighter and more traditional bomber like an Avro Lancaster

For the record, Maelora is off of any first contact team.

But the bug-eyed monsters are stealing the jobs and wimmin of decent, non-bug-eyed creatures!

… at least the four-armed thing will settle the arguments for the munchkins who think that four arms gives them double attacks per round …

Now that this humble munchkin has its four-armed thing, I hereby second Maelora's motion for Togruta and … (what else did you suggest?). They've GOT to be in F&D, don't they?

P.S.: Just for the record, some munchkins care a lot more about the image of a techie hanging upside down from some pipe in a spaceship working with three hands on the hyper flux compensator and still waving around that fourth hand at three rest of the crew complaining "Always me", or "What would you do without me" than about double attacks.

P.S.S.: No offense taken and none meant.

Time to go to Onderon

But the bug-eyed monsters are stealing the jobs and wimmin of decent, non-bug-eyed creatures!

Togruta are in farce and destiny. Mostly 'pretty' races in there.

So the Force-guys get to look smexy.

Meanwhile, the Alliance continues to resemble a Furry Convention, seen under the influence of mind-altering drugs...