As long as the movies and stories let us know if they are in continuity or not, I couldn`t care less about canon! And I have a hard time understanding why it`s so **** important to people to know everything about every little detail about the Galaxy, it`s fiction, fill in the blanks yourself. The Thrawn triology is great, but I don`t care if it`s canon or in its own alternate universe. It`s up to the audience or viewer to decide if it counts or not, everyone will interpret it and view it differently and put different subjective meanings to it, no matter what you call it, canon or legends. Who cares? The RPGs sure aren`t canon and non of our games are! It`s all just fiction anyhow! There are countless versions of Batman and superhero stories and as long as we know which stories are in continuity with eachother, it`s all good, non are worth more than others... Peace

... It`s all Kanan!

Edit:

I understand that the movies have to be in continuity, the series too. What I don`t get is why anything that isn`t in the movies, series or official material has to be written in stone. The same with anything in the background, why do we have to know what it is? Why does there have to be canonical answers to that? I like the Galaxy more when some of it is open to interpretation.

I guess it`s like this: continuity and story canon = yes. Unnecessary background canon = no!

We live in a world where the existence of Jar-Jar Binks is absolute and the existence of Grand Admiral Thrawn is unknown.

Canon is important.

We live in a world where the existence of Jar-Jar Binks is absolute and the existence of Grand Admiral Thrawn is unknown.

Canon is important.

For this very reason I would say it`s not.

Because most of the EU is garbage. I want to start my stories from a solid base, not some polluted power dream invented by people who have no sense restraint.

Because most of the EU is garbage. I want to start my stories from a solid base, not some polluted power dream invented by people who have no sense restraint.

So there goes half of canon too...

But that`s my point. Base it on what you like, why does we have t know what is part of canon or not? If you only know the movies, stick to the movies. People know the movies are in continuty, so base you foundation on that and choose whatever you like or ignore whatever you want besides that.

Because most of the EU is garbage. I want to start my stories from a solid base, not some polluted power dream invented by people who have no sense restraint.

You mean to say you don't enjoy the Yuuzhan Vong and Darth Krayt?

Because when starting a game it helps for everyone to have a common ground. If some people at the table want thrawn and others don't want Jar Jar and still others want Baron Fel...It is helpful sometimes to stay we are starting with Canon and going from there.

Because when starting a game it helps for everyone to have a common ground. If some people at the table want thrawn and others don't want Jar Jar and still others want Baron Fel...It is helpful sometimes to stay we are starting with Canon and going from there.

I agree that it`s helpful! ...Just not **** important..

The primary reason any of this is discussed is that a new licensing company did not want to have to deal with keeping everything straight, particularly for their authors. By throwing it all away except the movies, they gessoed the canvas so that their artists can paint a clear vision without being bogged down in a morass of jigsaw puzzle pieces trying to make everything fit. If they go back and pull something in from the expanded universe because it will make a great storyline in the future, then it will be pulled back into canon.

Just from what I have attempted in games and writing over the last ... eh... too many decades, I completely understand this decision. You can become paralyzed by analysis instead of being able to tell a great story. If they threw out the movies and did a reboot, well, there are other franchises that have been successful in doing that, but it would have slowed down further development. I'm glad they kept the initial intellectual material and are adding to where we are going.

As a GM, I can always add in any source material I want. It's my universe. If I want to throw weird timehole gaps and shifts in, then it is up to me to make it rational and believable to my players. No big deal.

My only hope going forward is that this is an attempt to improve upon what has happened. Perhaps we will get some things told from a different perspective, or retold from different characters. I'm still interested in the galaxy-at-large even when major things shift around. Not only that, I'm having the most fun I've ever had in the Star Wars universe through the FFG Roleplay games. If they don't re-use a past plotline that was on the cinematic side of things, even better, cause I might reskin it and use it myself...

I prefer the Robin Hood methodology: everything is canon. Every last word. Where did Vader and Luke first meet? Bespin? Domina Tagge's home? Mimban in the Kybber Crystal temple? Cymoon 1? It's ALL true. But how can that be? See the story has been told and retold and gotten bigger and bigger every retelling. Details are lost, names are changed and soon every planet and moon are going "Yeah, Vader and Luke? They first fought here! All those other stories are bunk!"

Canon isn't that important, especially when it's dictated by a corporation that recently bought the licence.

According to Disney there are live action star wars movies written by Lucas that are no longer Canon.

I prefer the Robin Hood methodology: everything is canon. Every last word. Where did Vader and Luke first meet? Bespin? Domina Tagge's home? Mimban in the Kybber Crystal temple? Cymoon 1? It's ALL true. But how can that be? See the story has been told and retold and gotten bigger and bigger every retelling. Details are lost, names are changed and soon every planet and moon are going "Yeah, Vader and Luke? They first fought here! All those other stories are bunk!"

So, like, Captain Harlock.

If I had to choose, at this moment I prefer some of the old stuff to the new. Not to say it matters that much, especially in regards to my game. I will unapologetically use whatever I want from both sources without any regard for continuity. Well, some.

I prefer the Robin Hood methodology: everything is canon. Every last word. Where did Vader and Luke first meet? Bespin? Domina Tagge's home? Mimban in the Kybber Crystal temple? Cymoon 1? It's ALL true. But how can that be? See the story has been told and retold and gotten bigger and bigger every retelling. Details are lost, names are changed and soon every planet and moon are going "Yeah, Vader and Luke? They first fought here! All those other stories are bunk!"

There's certainly a lot to be said for taking it in like that. It's funny that we forget that our past is littered with history that was comprised of a story from one side's viewpoint. Over time things shift and change and are forgotten or rediscovered. But then again, we are losing our abilities as storytellers as a people... and the stories of common sense that once were important take too long to tell so fade from our global consciousness...

Canon isn't that important, especially when it's dictated by a corporation that recently bought the licence.

According to Disney there are live action star wars movies written by Lucas that are no longer Canon.

Thank the Force!

I prefer the Robin Hood methodology: everything is canon. Every last word. Where did Vader and Luke first meet? Bespin? Domina Tagge's home? Mimban in the Kybber Crystal temple? Cymoon 1? It's ALL true. But how can that be? See the story has been told and retold and gotten bigger and bigger every retelling. Details are lost, names are changed and soon every planet and moon are going "Yeah, Vader and Luke? They first fought here! All those other stories are bunk!"

I prefer the Discworld methodology: everything is canon!.. Thief of Time

I think it's only importance is inspiring nerd rage debates. I've been enjoying Star Wars stories in various forms since I was a kid. The quality and canonical relevance has varied vastly but it was never about any of that to me, it was about being transported to a galaxy far, far away. As long as I was(am) being engrossed in a Star Wars story I was(am) a happy padawan! It's the reason I have only GM'd Star Wars games for the past 21 years.

I enjoy (and have enjoyed) much of Legends, and I enjoy the new canon. I enjoy fanfic, Infinities, and all sorts of alternate universes and parodies. I love gaming in alt-U, especially. What irks me is when people treat Legends as canon in a discussion where canon actually has bearing. It's like we're discussing The Hobbit (the novel) and then someone comes in and says, "Well actually, blah blah spinning axe dwarves in barrels, you have to accept that that actually happened." And it's like...dude...no.

So...canon isn't important to me in the least, except when it needs to be important. In the fictional universe that is Star Wars, Canon is basically the stuff that did happen, and Legends is basically stuff that could've/might've happened. It's important to me to be clear on our terms so we can have an actual discussion instead of talking past each other.

The problem with the statement "everything is canon!" is that everything isn't canon. Canon is a very definite term in the Star Wars mythos, so please let's at least be clear on our terms. Especially if you're gonna treat Legends as a source to support your argument, at least call it out as such. Don't confuse the poor newbie fans that haven't had any exposure beyond the 6 films. Be considerate to them, at least

Canon isn't that important, especially when it's dictated by a corporation that recently bought the licence.

According to Disney there are live action star wars movies written by Lucas that are no longer Canon.

Which ones?

Because when starting a game it helps for everyone to have a common ground. If some people at the table want thrawn and others don't want Jar Jar and still others want Baron Fel...It is helpful sometimes to stay we are starting with Canon and going from there.

I agree that it`s helpful! ...Just not **** important..

Not to you.

I had a player that made a bounty hunter, and he was Mandalorian. He loved the Karen Traviss(isty) books. I have not read them, but what I do know of them...Let's just say I feel no need to read them. When we starting gaming, and I told him that I hated Madalorians, and what they have become, and I hated Boba Fett, who is (was?) my favorite character since I was literally three years old. I have the vaguest remembrance of watching the Holiday Special on TV... So anyway, here we have a player who is saying things in Mandalore to me, and I don't really care.

While it didn't ruin the game, it did ruin part of the game for him. I talked with him about it, and instead of him really being in the culture of the Mandalore, we had him create his own identity, and he became his own bad ass bounty hunter.

I was very happy when I heard that Disney was not going to adhere to the EU. Many people weren't. Some people like Ewoks, some don't. You can't make everyone happy. The funny thing with EU, was while moist people won't accept it, it was never truly cannon. You had all these different levels of canon. G-level, TV-level, crap-level... And only G-level canon ever really ever mattered. The Maker always said that if he wanted to tell another Star Wars story, he was not going to worry about some book that came out in 1998, or issue 134 of Dark Horse Comics Dark Spawn of the Savage Thing and Dark Sider of the Week comic book. To some people it is important to kn ow everything about it all. Many people are still upset that Yoda's species has never been named, and I hope they never will be named! So, blow it your canon!

Canon isn't that important, especially when it's dictated by a corporation that recently bought the licence.

According to Disney there are live action star wars movies written by Lucas that are no longer Canon.

Not that I have ever seen or heard of. I would like to see you cite your source please, preferably in APA format.

At least until the movies get around to naming it, the Mandalorian language is Mando'a, I believe. Just saying.

I prefer the Robin Hood methodology: everything is canon. Every last word. Where did Vader and Luke first meet? Bespin? Domina Tagge's home? Mimban in the Kybber Crystal temple? Cymoon 1? It's ALL true. But how can that be? See the story has been told and retold and gotten bigger and bigger every retelling. Details are lost, names are changed and soon every planet and moon are going "Yeah, Vader and Luke? They first fought here! All those other stories are bunk!"

You might have liked the early days of Legend of the Five Rings. My understanding is that they purposefully made the maps different, stories not match up, and events be contradictory, because information changes depending where you get it. Who's to say what's real?

Many of the fans were upset...

Canon isn't that important, especially when it's dictated by a corporation that recently bought the licence.

According to Disney there are live action star wars movies written by Lucas that are no longer Canon.

Not that I have ever seen or heard of. I would like to see you cite your source please, preferably in APA format.

I'll be dead and in my grave before I give up on The Ewoks Adventure and The Battle For Endor!

I enjoy (and have enjoyed) much of Legends, and I enjoy the new canon. I enjoy fanfic, Infinities, and all sorts of alternate universes and parodies. I love gaming in alt-U, especially. What irks me is when people treat Legends as canon in a discussion where canon actually has bearing. It's like we're discussing The Hobbit (the novel) and then someone comes in and says, "Well actually, blah blah spinning axe dwarves in barrels, you have to accept that that actually happened." And it's like...dude...no.

So...canon isn't important to me in the least, except when it needs to be important. In the fictional universe that is Star Wars, Canon is basically the stuff that did happen, and Legends is basically stuff that could've/might've happened. It's important to me to be clear on our terms so we can have an actual discussion instead of talking past each other.

The problem with the statement "everything is canon!" is that everything isn't canon. Canon is a very definite term in the Star Wars mythos, so please let's at least be clear on our terms. Especially if you're gonna treat Legends as a source to support your argument, at least call it out as such. Don't confuse the poor newbie fans that haven't had any exposure beyond the 6 films. Be considerate to them, at least

As usual, Awayputurwpn has summed up my exact feelings better than I ever could.