So, they have Night Beast on the table here at Celebration, so I asked after FFG's aversion to errata. A staff member informed me that it's not a strict aversion to errata so much as that those kinds of changes have to go through licensing. Whether Night Beast will ever be fixed is anyone's guess at this point, but it does explain why the cloak fix took so long to implement.

That's an interesting little insight. Sort of keeping tabs on the brand, I suppose; it was probably part of some umbrella clause inasmuch as if FFG were to change anything, Lucasfilm would have to get a heads-up. Thanks for sharing!

Nice bit of info, thanks!

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

I think I can understand why this is so. Like it or not, an erreta is basically a correction of a mistake. Whenever we do that with an external client at work, we have to:

- Explain the mistake

- Explain the correction

- Detail all future steps to ensure that the mistake will not occur again.

- Do followups, etc

In short, it's a lot of annoying paperwork

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Do I want to wait a year to fix the next cloak-like level of meta dominance?

The clause is probably intended to prevent world-shattering errata.

"Errata:

Luke Skywalker's fancy droid hand grants him one extra astromech slot."

Stuff like that just cheapens your whole brand.

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Do I want to wait a year to fix the next cloak-like level of meta dominance?

Why would Night Beast be errata'ed?...

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Do I want to wait a year to fix the next cloak-like level of meta dominance?

I'm pretty certain that their turnover rate for approvals from LFL is a bit quicker than that.

I suffered through Jace 2.0 and Stoneforge Mystic, and it burned me out on Magic for a year or two. I don't think FFG could afford to do that to their player base if they were intentionally ponderous when it comes to rules changes.

Why would Night Beast be errata'ed?...

You don't get to use his pilot ability when it makes the most sense to, i.e. when you're already stressed.

I'm pretty certain that their turnover rate for approvals from LFL is a bit quicker than that.

Probably. I was being hyperbolic.

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Time has nothing to do with how good the errata is. GWS was/is infamous for taking forever to errata really broken stuff and then making it even worse afterwards.

Night Beast ... what?

Really?

Would be cool.

What about Winged Gundark?

Night Beast ... what?

Really?

Would be cool.

What about Winged Gundark?

He really needs to be range 1-3 I think. Or at least range 1-2.

Or something like "All hits to crits" or "A blank to crit" ...

Honestly, this isn't too surprising. Everything Star Wars related needs to be approved. Even the smallest, tiniest, igsignificant thing.

At the very least, they aren't giving design directives. That is what ruined a lot of the Episode I stuff Decipher was forced to do.

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Time has nothing to do with how good the errata is. GWS was/is infamous for taking forever to errata really broken stuff and then making it even worse afterwards.

A staff member informed me that it's not a strict aversion to errata so much as that those kinds of changes have to go through licensing.

I think I can understand why this is so. Like it or not, an erreta is basically a correction of a mistake. Whenever we do that with an external client at work, we have to:

- Explain the mistake

- Explain the correction

- Detail all future steps to ensure that the mistake will not occur again.

- Do followups, etc

In short, it's a lot of annoying paperwork

Honestly, this isn't too surprising. Everything Star Wars related needs to be approved. Even the smallest, tiniest, igsignificant thing.

At the very least, they aren't giving design directives. That is what ruined a lot of the Episode I stuff Decipher was forced to do.

It's probably just a bureaucratic process to protect the IP. I doubt that Disney cares about the game mechanics as much as Lucasfilm Story Group wants to make sure that story isn't being added where they don't want it added. At some point, rules-changes such as tweaking Night Beast or the cloaking rules will just be a rubber stamp, if it isn't already.

Well anything relating to a trademark has to go through the trademark owners themselves. As for errata do you really want changes to come out constantly like patches in video games? To me I think this system is better because you can't just patch a table top game day 1 release. Making errata limited and far between forces developers to ensure the game functions properly before releasing it.

Time has nothing to do with how good the errata is. GWS was/is infamous for taking forever to errata really broken stuff and then making it even worse afterwards.

I think in this case it was because they were being deliberate about it.. First make sure it's a problem and then playtest a variety of options. Then, once change is decided, wait for an appropriate time to release (like waiting until after the peak store championship season).

True, which is the best way to do it really, but Night Beast has been an issue that could/should have been handled a long time ago. This is not a Decloak-level change we're talking about.