Other than the setting, why completely different RPG "core rules"? Marketing gimic? If I purchase Age of Rebellion instead of Edge of Empire what am I missing out on?? What is different (other than setting)?

Never mind...I found the explanation. Just publishing the same core rules several times, with setting twists. Could have/ should have just been supplements for the various settings, imo, but I don't own a successful game company either.

Both are set at the same time and have the same cool mechanics, a bonus because you can have a party of PC's from any of the books

The Fluff is all different. one is entered around scum and villainy, the other about the rebellion and the empire.

The PC options are different. Edge has lots of Outer Rim or underworld Careers like Bounty Hunter and Smuggler. Age has Military based Careers like Soldier and Diplomat.

There are different story based game mechanics, EotE has Obligation (The PC's debts to others e.g. drug addiction, Hans debt to Jabba), AoR has Duty (A rough approximation of how much a PC has contributed to the Rebellion [or other large organisation i.e. The Black Suns] and the way in which they contribute, i.e. equipment acquisition, space superiority)

The Universal force Specialisation in each book is theme differently around the setting

The adventure in each of the books are completely different and themes to the setting

basically they knew to get as much detail as they wanted into the books there would be 1 of the following options:

1 basic core book (about 400p) , with 3 themed expansions around 300p, with a further 18 career expansions for each of them (around 150p), plus about another 9-15 adventures and source books (around 200p)

1 core book (about 1000p), with the 18 career expansions and 9-15 adventures and source books

3 themed core books (about 450p), with the 18 career expansions and 9-15 expansions and source books.

im glad they went with the last option, it gives more flexibility to a group, no one has to buy a $250 book, and no one has to buy 2 books to get the fluff they want for 1 of the systems.

Other than setting, there are thematically-driven mechanical elements. So, you'll have Careers and Specializations (kinda like RPG "classes") that fit best in the thematic setting, as well as things like Mass Combat rules and other miscellaneous things in the core book and its supplements.

Each core is set in the same time frame but focuses on a different theme.

I don't think I'd call it a gimmick. It's much more than that. It's a marketing choice, a strategy even...and a very smart one at that! Besides that, it is a choice made also at a user experience level, by people who love roleplaying and love Star Wars. Coming as a player from Saga Edition, I was refreshed by the bold decision to separate the gaming experience at the level they did, and the equally bold decision to focus solely on the Rebellion Era.

I would recommend checking out the Order 66 podcast, because there are several episodes where FFG staff appear as guests to talk about the product. It's clear to hear them talk about the products that they have a genuine passion for the game...and that is why I think it's much more than a gimmick Sorry for the overly long, gushing explanation.

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TL;DR you're not missing out on much if you buy one CRB. They are truly standalone games. But they complement each other very well, and are seamlessly integratable, should you choose to combine them.

The problem is though that there would be some small slice of players that had no interest in playing thieves or soldiers, they wanted force wizards and nothing else. As a result you are going to find that slice of our player base is going to be concerned and query these things. Buying into the game now would have to be daunting from the cost of all the parts.

That said, welcome JediGB, hope you enjoy our litle community and the game too. I echo everything the others have said, as you add the parts the game gets richer. But start where you feel comfortable and expand as you can or want.

Yeah it would be awesome to see him. Even more so because it would confirm that the Alliance uses privateering in the FFG material, something which hasn't been shown yet if memory serves. I know at least it wasn't mentioned in the AOR Corebook. I suppose that I might have forgotten some references to it in EOE or the other AOR books.

Just to focus your games (and good marketing too XD).

Edge= "Scoundrels & Fringers"

Rebellion = "Insurgents and Rebel Forces

F&D= Maelora's sexy drawings... ehem sorry, I mean Force users and traditions XD

Pick up what you need. Some games just focus on "have your cool tunned YT, and have adventures", other just join the Rebelion (or other paramilitar guys) and confront the evil empire. Other just want to pick up a glowing stick XDD

Some people just put all together so, pick up that best option that fits of your game mate

Never mind...I found the explanation. Just publishing the same core rules several times, with setting twists. Could have/ should have just been supplements for the various settings, imo, but I don't own a successful game company either.

There's a history to this, in that developing a new system is always fraught with peril, and there's nothing like real world play testing to work out the kinks. And you definitely want the kinks removed before you tackle the Force in a big way...implementing Force rules has been mostly a failure in previous game lines, but they nailed 95% of it in this one.

Hence the staggered releases. If they'd just dumped it all out in one sitting, we'd only be receiving the first rules now, they'd have had no revenue stream, and the final product wouldn't have been as good.

Yeah, setting is the big one, with difference character options vehicles, adversaries, and some weapons listed in each book.

The business angle is, yeah, more book = more money.

The mechanical difference was the need to keep the Force in check. It puts some people off they had to wait, but the result is a fairly well balanced force section.

By comparison to previous systems it's actually a relief. WEG was good at the start, but you'd hit a point where the force was too good. WotC also had sound foundation, but then made a few bad option and advancement decisions that essentially ensured all force uses would take the same foundation build that gave them an unfair advantage. Force users in the FFG system have some sweet options, but it's at the cost of conventional abilities and talents, and they seem to match up fairly well in the long run.

I agree that it's weird that EotE and AoR are different games. The only difference there is, do you work for the Rebellion or do you work for yourself? There is plenty of overlap there as I'm sure Rebels would hire EotE scum to take care of some distasteful missions. However, since it's the general feel of the careers and adventures they they are looking for, then I'll buy the need for them being different books.

I'm glad that F&D is a different game. Force users are something that can make a game go sideways quickly and by making it a different game line it's easier for a GM to not use the content instead of feeling like a **** for saying no.

As for content, sure a lot of the crunch is duplicated between all of the books, such as the game rules and most of the personal weapons and equipment. What you do get is 6 new careers with 3 trees (18 total trees) each as well as new vehicles, 7 species, and an adventure. Splat books "only" give 3 new trees, a Signature Ability tree, 3 races, and equipment and vehicles. The core rulebooks have at least (if not more than) double the content for about double the cost of a splat book. I think the value for a core rulebook is worth it for the crunch content when compared to the splat books. It's not just some scheme to get you to buy more rule books.

I think probably everyone here, scumm hater, rebel haters, force haters (if have the money) would want to buy the three books and all the supplements XDDD

Geeky DNA

I also love having 3 (or more ) copies of the rules so my players (none of which actually buy their own books) can thumb through them.

I also love having 3 (or more ) copies of the rules so my players (none of which actually buy their own books) can thumb through them.

That can be helpful. I actually bought a second copy of EotE for that very reason.

The business angle is, yeah, more book = more money.

Ergo, more book = mo problems?

The business angle is, yeah, more book = more money.

Ergo, more book = mo problems?

Only if you have to lift them all.

I've seen it both ways. Fans will also complain when a game releases a single core and then big setting supplements that could be their own games (i.e. "why do I have to buy two books to play this game?").

If FFG's sinister plan is to get more of my money by making a lot of great products that I want to buy, then more power to them.

If anyone wants an answer listen to Episode 13 of the Order 66 podcast. Steve Horvath, SVP of Communications and Digital Productions for FFG lays it out there.

The short version is that they had a lot of internal debates and discussion about how to do a SW line and they decided on focusing on depth and creating a specific experience so it made most sense to do this in multiple installments as it would give them more space to do both of those - depth for different aspects of the setting and specific mechanics that provided an experience appropriate to a core theme of the setting.

Steve Horvath also states that they deliberately decided to focus on the rebellion era and that the decision to do so was all theirs (e.g., no restrictions from LucasBooks or whoever).

I'd have preferred more breadth than hyper focusing on depth (were supplemental books are also all Rebellion Era focused) but it seems obvious to me that they've made a system that can be played in any era (though you'll need to step outside the line to get helpful fluff information). I hope this is something they deal with at some point - maybe even a line just dedicated to dealing with other eras.

Yeah you take a book the size of a career or region book and add a larger gear, vehicles, and ships section getting a decent era sourcebook Even still have room for newly created equipment and ships/vehicles in many eras since most don't have much gear in the EU.

This is just one of those perennial issues which will come up once in a while when someone new comes into the game. You can't please everyone.

In a few years they'll have nothing left but adventures and region books to do. Adding some era books would be a great way to lengthen the lifespan of the system

In a few years they'll have nothing left but adventures and region books to do. Adding some era books would be a great way to lengthen the lifespan of the system

Some of that depends on approval by the mighty mouse about what can be used. The amount of history in the Star Wars universe got truncated when Disney set what is canon.

In a few years they'll have nothing left but adventures and region books to do. Adding some era books would be a great way to lengthen the lifespan of the system

Pretty sure that's part of the plan. When the new movies start dropping it'd be madness not to tie into them at least a little...

In a few years they'll have nothing left but adventures and region books to do. Adding some era books would be a great way to lengthen the lifespan of the system

Some of that depends on approval by the mighty mouse about what can be used. The amount of history in the Star Wars universe got truncated when Disney set what is canon.

This is true: everything the produce is approved (before they can announce it) by Lucasfilm.

And I'd image there has to be a clause somewhere in their license agreement that they can't come back and say, "Well we wanted to do X product, but Lucasfilm wouldn't let us."

So if something doesn't get produced, it could well be that we'll never know in the first place whether it was ever on the table or not

In a few years they'll have nothing left but adventures and region books to do. Adding some era books would be a great way to lengthen the lifespan of the system

Some of that depends on approval by the mighty mouse about what can be used. The amount of history in the Star Wars universe got truncated when Disney set what is canon.

That depends on a lot of factors. RPG supps have been EU/Legends from day 1, and they don't limit film making in any way because by nature the core content of an RPG is just raw materials, but no actual story. That's why RPG stuff is also some of the first things to become new canon after the wipe. The new story writers just pulled the raw materials like any other GM.

Lucasfilm certainly has to keep everybody on the same sheet of music, but while a novel with a story affecting featured film characters has to also follow the dance steps, an RPG supplement typically won't have any story or featured characters (in a way that establishes their development or story) and so it's free to do that crazy interpretive dance routine and get away with it.

The thing about different time periods is that they don't really need much in the way of crunch. Blasters are blasters, armor is armor, and the Force is the Force. Take your Stormtroopers, call them Clonetroopers and you are good to go.