This may simply be a symptom of my introduction to modern games occurring through the Star Wars TCG, but I actually like the importance of dice in this game, as well as in X-Wing . Since we don't have access to a mystical energy field, the most critical moments in the story of our playthroughs can only be decided by pure chance. If you trust Obi-Wan, luck doesn't exist in the galaxy far, far away, but it does in ours.

Dice can be good or bad in a game.

Too much reliance on them, too much focus on them, and the game is hurt due to it's random nature. When the player's strategy and input can be undone by the dice, the dice have too much power.

But dice can also simulate the unpredictability of real life.

X-wing takes a lot of skill to pilot the ships, plan your strategy, anticipate the enemies moves. You have to use skill to give yourself the best chance with the dice, but the dice still represent the reality of trying to shoot lasers at fast little ships flying through space. You might get lucky and crit hit their engine, or you may not and fail to do any damage at all.

A game without that small random factor of the dice becomes far too formulaic and predictable. People only move into combat when they know statistically they won't suffer any losses, or know exactly what they will lose and deem it worth the gain. It becomes a game of mathematics at that point and the theme can be sucked dry.

Sure, a Gozanti, and 4 TIEs should easily crush an X and a Y wing. Using statistics or some diluted trading system you'd scrap the two rebel craft and trade a TIE for it. But with dice, that Y wing might take out the assault carrier's shield generator and the X-wing that was shot may go crashing into it taking out the carrier. With an unlucky first round roll from the Ties, that Y wing survived and was able to retreat, but now those TIEs are stranded without their carrier.

Situations like that can be amazingly fun, even when you get snubbed by the dice. There are hero soldiers from Axis and Allies games from decades ago that still get talked about today. They were named, given ranks, and stood up to stacks and stacks of German tanks. To this day, some of those names can still send chills down the spines of the generals that lead troops against them.

I also find my enthusiasm abating.

While I don't doubt that it will be a great standalone epic game (which is what its purpose is, of course), I guess I want it to be something more - something to integrate my other games (Armada, X-Wing, and, occasionally, Imperial Assault).

I also find my enthusiasm abating.

While I don't doubt that it will be a great standalone epic game (which is what its purpose is, of course), I guess I want it to be something more - something to integrate my other games (Armada, X-Wing, and, occasionally, Imperial Assault).

Well it isn't like those game integrate on their own either. Clearly I am super excited about this and the game is going to be amazing on its own. I mean you can't ask for much more in a game. Of course it isn't for everyone because its going to be LONG, but I am glad they are bold enough to make a more 'hardcore' game that has all the mass appeal of the SW label. But as for intergration purposes it leaves a LOT to be designed.

If you have the inclination, which I do, and the gaming group, whose enthusiasm for the project isn't as high as mine but I will break them yes I will break them, you can turn all these games into an EPIC game battle. It takes a lot of tweaking and turning dials but 4 vs 1 empire on the grandest of scales. We open on Endor an Imp Assault mission to destroy a comm jammer. The rebs fail so as they make their escape Imp TIEs are inbound. X-wing dogfight to escape, except they failed to destroy the jammer so they cannot discuss their moves. A win here grants new intel for the rebs so they get a free mission card. etc, etc. Using each individual game to build in a reward for the next match completing a large scale narrative that is focused around the heroes like Imperial Assault. So i am doubling excited that I can add this game to the already batshit crazy prototype in my head.

*Granted my insanity knows no bounds, as I have dreamed of multiple theaters of war, requiring like 4-8 players per side. Things like where an Armada game run by the 'Admirals' is played out and when the fighters deploy a side table begins with an X-wing match with the 'heroes'. Ground assault being run by generals and so on and so forth.

I also find my enthusiasm abating.

While I don't doubt that it will be a great standalone epic game (which is what its purpose is, of course), I guess I want it to be something more - something to integrate my other games (Armada, X-Wing, and, occasionally, Imperial Assault).

Well it isn't like those game integrate on their own either. Clearly I am super excited about this and the game is going to be amazing on its own. I mean you can't ask for much more in a game. Of course it isn't for everyone because its going to be LONG, but I am glad they are bold enough to make a more 'hardcore' game that has all the mass appeal of the SW label. But as for intergration purposes it leaves a LOT to be designed.

[...]

*Granted my insanity knows no bounds, as I have dreamed of multiple theaters of war, requiring like 4-8 players per side. Things like where an Armada game run by the 'Admirals' is played out and when the fighters deploy a side table begins with an X-wing match with the 'heroes'. Ground assault being run by generals and so on and so forth.

At some point I hope you put your mind to rephrasing some of that for clarity and specificity. It sounds like you have interesting ideas, but I'm not sure I understand what they are.

If you are worried about the random factor of dice, watch the Dice Tower playthrough. There are a couple of great battles that illustrate a few things.

The battle with the death star is a major one in my opinion.

Sam had a small fleet compared to Tom's. Tom had a couple star destroyers, the death star, some tie fighters. Sam had a Mon Cal, some corvettes, and like two tie fighters. Sam crushed the Imp fleet by wiping out both star destroyers and taking out the death star. All he lost was the Mon Cal and an X-wing.

How did something like that happen? The dice cap kept the Imps from having enough fire power to level the Rebel fleet, which allowed them to withdraw after the first round preserving their remaining fleet. While the rebels rolled well, they also had a leader that granted them several tactic cards which supplemented their roll allowing them to remove both star destroyers. Tom didn't commit a leader as he wanted to keep his leaders for other actions, this meant he had no cards, and because of that he didn't have a way to block any damage. 1 card that blocks 2 damage would have saved both star destroyers. At this point, Sam could have committed to another round to finish them off, but that would have meant more losses. The death star assault was also helped by a card in Sam's hand that gave him an easy victory.

So a combination of the right leader, the right fleet, a daring plan, the right drawn cards, and a little luck allowed Sam to pull off a major military victory. It also created this very interesting and thematic moment in the game that increases the entertainment level.

Yeah, it wasn't really the random factor of dice that won that battle, it was the random factor of drawn cards from a shuffled deck.

Yeah, it wasn't really the random factor of dice that won that battle, it was the random factor of drawn cards from a shuffled deck.

It was a combination of factors.

Dice, cards, the decision to use or not use leaders, which leader, what forces to commit, and ultimately when to make that play. Those forces could have been used earlier, or drawn back further to defend the base. Both those scenarios would have been worse for the Rebels.

Without the cards, Sam still would have had enough dice to kill two tie fighters and wipe out 1 star destroyer. If memory serves, he might have been able to wipe out another tie fighter or two instead of the 2nd destroyer. The attack on the death star would have still been a pretty good chance with 3 dice and a reroll from Luke. So the ultimate difference would have been 2 more ties, 1 less star destroyer gone with an off chance that the DS survives.