Serial Numbers would have been quite suitable. They'd make a point of no names.

Tie/fo legendary pilot FN-22567...a must have...

Serial Numbers would have been quite suitable.

Perhaps the TIE pilots don't have SN's they just have a squadron name and #? Like Omega 2 though Omega 12, and the leader is called Omega Ace.

Yeah Phasma comes in a big toy version of the Special Forces TIE, so I'm sure we'll get a version of her when it comes out or around Episode 8 (which she is in-or a least signed on to appear in--maybe a clone of her if the other Phasma was killed in the trash compactor/Starkiller explosion).

We do not know Phasma's fate yet. It was only implied in the movie. And yes! I believe we will see clones of known character(s) somewhere in the next movies... could be a cool thing for our X-wing game.

Isn't the whole point of the Empire/First Order to be uniform and dull?

The only people that appear to have any uniqueness to them are sith or Cpt Phasma. Being a special snowflake runs contrary to everything that the F/O and Empire stands for. A pilot, even a great pilot is nothing more than a number designation. Breaking uniformity in such an organization wouldn't merely be frowned upon it would be punished harshly. Uniqueness belongs to the Rebel Alliance/ Resistance because they are intended to be the ideologically the opposite of the Empire/FO. In the environment of the current trilogy it appears to be clear that the FO has doubled down on the Empire's fascism and Nazi Germany motif as such those who don't fit the mold of what is "acceptable" are to be exterminated. Thus, to me attempting to distinguish yourself in any way that could be viewed as "different" would be unwise lest ye be targetted too.

I would have been fine with this if they did it from the get-go. But they didn't. They have set a precedent that the non-generic pilots have original names or call signs that make them very distinct from all other pilots. The thematic element of the game struggles for me personally when I am flying Epsilon Leader, Zeta Leader and Zeta Ace instead of pilots with awesome call signs like Backstabber, Dark Curse and Howlrunner.

Now I understand why it happened this way. Doesn't mean I have to like that it did. The frustrating thing is there is no way we have the time table to get all these ships original pilots before the ships are released, so it seems inevitable that this will be repeated, possibly for both factions.

I guess I am just going to have to invent some idea in my mind similar to what Maniacmcgoo mentioned here though. Somewhere along the way, the First Order determined that having these "nicknames" weakened pilots resolve and gave them too much of an identity, and through this, gave them reason to believe they were more than just another pilot which was expendable as the rest. So they did away with it completely.

Tie/fo pilot A-113

I would have been fine with this if they did it from the get-go. But they didn't.

Who didn't? Lucas never had names for the TIE pilots in any of the movies. Those didn't come around until the EU expanded on things.

They have set a precedent that the non-generic pilots have original names or call signs that make them very distinct from all other pilots.

Again, that's EU stuff, and quite frankly non-canon stuff now. Until Howlrunner is actually mentioned in a canon source, she may not actually exist.

The frustrating thing is there is no way we have the time table to get all these ships original pilots before the ships are released

A number of the pilots named in the movie are in the game now, there were no named TIE pilots so we have none in the game. It took years before there was ever a named TIE pilot in the EU.

I would have been fine with this if they did it from the get-go. But they didn't.

Who didn't? Lucas never had names for the TIE pilots in any of the movies. Those didn't come around until the EU expanded on things.

They have set a precedent that the non-generic pilots have original names or call signs that make them very distinct from all other pilots.

Again, that's EU stuff, and quite frankly non-canon stuff now. Until Howlrunner is actually mentioned in a canon source, she may not actually exist.

The frustrating thing is there is no way we have the time table to get all these ships original pilots before the ships are released

A number of the pilots named in the movie are in the game now, there were no named TIE pilots so we have none in the game. It took years before there was ever a named TIE pilot in the EU.

I was not speaking of Lucas Film at all. Just Fantasy Flight specifically. If they had decided from the beginning of the game to give all Imperial "named" pilots "____ + Ace/Leader" call signs, as were given to the Tie/FO pilots, this wouldn't bother me as much, as it would just be status quo.

Note that I still wouldn't prefer this option though. I rather enjoy the named pilots, even if they are just from non-canon EU sources. I would have also enjoyed made up names for the Tie/FOs, even if they were never made official in book, movie, comic, video game, or fan faction for all I care. I just want each pilot to feel as original as possible, source material or no source material. Unfortunately, this seems to have been impossible in this situation with the timing of the release of the product and the film, as it would have spread rampant false speculation about these pilots being those in the movie.

And your final point seems to be reasserting mine. I am aware that pilots which are named in the movie are in the game now. But there still wasn't enough for a full release of named pilots. The worry isn't as much about the Resistance as it is about the First Order, which, as the antagonist faction, is much less likely to get a plethora of named pilots in the films to support future releases. Just as you mentioned, the 30+ years of the EU is what we have to thank for almost all of these names. We don't have that sort of time with these releases.

The issue will be that the packs were looking at now were developed, layed out and printed long before the film came out.

The lead time on plastics production is nothing like it used to be back in the day with rapid prototyping sculpting processes but its still not as quick as making a lead miniature (you can go from green to cast mini in hours) and the cardstock will have had a siginificant lead time too.

So FFG probably had to make up the packs with *nothing* to go on in the way of names other than the small amount of info allowed to licensees by Disney.

A lot of the time the licensee will have to pretty much guess the extent the named item appears in the films.

So while the script and 'cast' is out for half a dozen named resistance pilots, the dev brief for the new core set probably only had 'poe dameron' and colour based squadrons, likewise for the FO ties greek designations. As others have said, no way they'd let them set a precendent by expanding potential back story/abilities until they have fully explored them in film.

I've seen a lot of 'dead ends' with the new film with some 'force friday' merchandise releases having minimal or no role in the films.

Prime example is Phasma who was hyped up in merch but actually does very little, but at least she does *something* unlike:

First order snow speeder... it a toy or two and a lego set... we saw it parked up!

Constable Zuvio... again an action figure who must have been onscreen for three seconds, i dont remember him

First Order snowtroopers and flamertroopes... the flametroopers have a second or two at the start, the snow troopers we see them lined up, thats it.

Guavian Enforcers, not in it for very much really but seemed to merit an action figure over named characters like the 'older' original heros.

You know they just have to work with what the licence feeds them and until the films are all out i imagine it will be quite tight

_{Epsilon Ace = Ego Ace}

First of all. whats the dull difference between epsilon, zeta and whatever squadrons? Nothing.

T-70 has Poe Dameron and Ello Asty; it'd be nice to throw in Snaps Wexley, too.

Not to mention:

• Nien Nunb
• Jess Pava

Given both of them, Poe Dameron, Snaps Wexley, and Ello Asty, we actually had five named X-Wing pilots. Why only two in the game at the moment, I can only guess.

(I suppose the most obvious guess would be that FFG is planning ahead to another T-70 release. Maybe the 'black squadron' repaint? And then using one or all of the remaining named pilots for that one...? It'd be a shame if we didn't have them merely because Disney would not let FFG even know the names for such minor characters.)

T-70 has Poe Dameron and Ello Asty; it'd be nice to throw in Snaps Wexley, too.

Not to mention:

• Nien Nunb
• Jess Pava

Given both of them, Poe Dameron, Snaps Wexley, and Ello Asty, we actually had five named X-Wing pilots. Why only two in the game at the moment, I can only guess.

(I suppose the most obvious guess would be that FFG is planning ahead to another T-70 release. Maybe the 'black squadron' repaint? And then using one or all of the remaining named pilots for that one...? It'd be a shame if we didn't have them merely because Disney would not let FFG even know the names for such minor characters.)

It would also be a bummer if they were forced (no pun intended) into flying other ships. I can see that happening if for some reason there isn't another X-wing release for some time and they want to get the named characters into ships ASAP.

T-70 has Poe Dameron and Ello Asty; it'd be nice to throw in Snaps Wexley, too.

Not to mention:

• Nien Nunb
• Jess Pava

Given both of them, Poe Dameron, Snaps Wexley, and Ello Asty, we actually had five named X-Wing pilots. Why only two in the game at the moment, I can only guess.

(I suppose the most obvious guess would be that FFG is planning ahead to another T-70 release. Maybe the 'black squadron' repaint? And then using one or all of the remaining named pilots for that one...? It'd be a shame if we didn't have them merely because Disney would not let FFG even know the names for such minor characters.)

It would also be a bummer if they were forced (no pun intended) into flying other ships. I can see that happening if for some reason there isn't another X-wing release for some time and they want to get the named characters into ships ASAP.

Not so sure we are GETTING "other ships". I dunno, especially given how close the TIE/fo and TIE/sf are, my sense is that the new caretakers of the franchise are going for 'easily and recognizably iconic' for the looks they are using, rather than risking anything actually new.

So my best guess would be that the T-70 is going to be it for the new movie waves. IE., maybe we get the 'black squadron' T-70 with Jess Pava (and a few generics) as an upcoming release. Then later, when episode VIII comes out (only 2 years away - about 4-5 waves at most), perhaps an 'Episode VIII' combo pack like the Aces/Veterans kits that brings us Snaps Wexley. etc.

(Which could explain why Ello Asty arrived in *this* wave. IIRC., he was the only 'named' T-70 pilot to die in the movie, so he plainly isn't going to show up in the next two episodes, while Jess, Snaps, and Nunb might well do so.)

I see it as an opprotunity to devise our own names!

"Omega Leader" is "el Presidente"

and so on

Where did this come from? I've seen it on the forums before, why is he called that? I don't mind it's just a bit odd.

Why only two in the game at the moment, I can only guess

If that is so, then I direct you to Gadge's post #34, 3 posts before yours, fir the answer.

I'm frankly dumbfounded at the number of people who seem to think that FFG had a representative in the studio meetings while the script was being written taking notes on character names.

I'm honestly surprised that we got a second named x wing pilot.

Why only two in the game at the moment, I can only guess

If that is so, then I direct you to Gadge's post #34, 3 posts before yours, fir the answer.

I'm frankly dumbfounded at the number of people who seem to think that FFG had a representative in the studio meetings while the script was being written taking notes on character names.

I'm honestly surprised that we got a second named x wing pilot.

That post really isn't relevant, here. Action figures, that will have unique casts, are one thing. In this case, we are talking about pilot names. Nothing else - not even a picture, not a description, absolutely NOTHING unique to the film at all. Just a name.

And as that poster noted, Disney was actually providing quite a bit of character names (including appearance, specifically for the purpose of making action figures) without any detail on that character. Ergo, action figures for characters like Constable Zuvio who were actually cut from the movie entirely.

The most likely explanation is that they did the same thing with the X-Wing pilots that they did with all the other characters (including Zuvio, etc). "Here is such and such character, looks kinda like this, here is a one-line background blurb for him, go forth and make toys!"

Given that (and almost certainly nothing more than that), I'd imagine FFG *was* given all five pilot names, and simply spaced out releases.

(The 'none or very late notice' theory on this just isn't going to make any difference to FFG. So what if, after months of playtesting, they only found out a day before going to press that one of the X-Wing pilots was named Jess Pava. Are they going to be, like, "Oh, nuts, not Jess Pava! Geez, we were going to go to press calling the X-Wing pilot that could use the hard-turn when boosting as 'Blue Ace', what do you mean there is a character named Jess Pava in the movie!? Now we've got to start over playtesting from scratch, using the named 'Jess Pava' instead of 'Blue Ace' for the pilot that can use a hard turn when boosting! FROM SCRATCH!!")