Goodness I ask a lot of questions. But I have another! Is it normal for new PCs/players to not really describe the things they want to do? does that come with lots of prodding on the gm's part? So for example, I am GM, and am GMing for plays 1,2,3.

GM: There are three storm troopers in each group, and two groups, The Leader of One groups yells out a command, causing the group that is at long range to ready rifles, while the second group unsheathes vicious vibroknives and breaks into a charge.

PC 1: I pull out my vibro axe and prepare for combat.

PC 2: I shoot with my blaster rifle at the farther group

*rolling of dice* I fail. But with two advantage.

GM: Well what happens? how did you shoot? where did the shots go?

PC 2: they missed.

They also can never figure out what to do with their advantage, (but then neither can I. I usually let them spend it on strain or advantage dice)

So how do I get them used too the cinematic nature? and how do I spend the advantage and threat cinematically? does that come with practice?

Guidance is on.....err... BRB....

.... pgs 206 & 207 for combat...and isn't there guidance for buying/selling in Fly Casual?

TBH (and it sounds corny) go back to the films and watch them as if it's and Edge campaign... things like.. Ep IV.. Han rolled a Despair there but got 2 advantages the tie fighter scene/escaping docking bay 94.... Luke gets a Threat.. (being followed to Docking Bay 94)

Honestly, after a while it becomes second nature... I've transferred it over to the LoTR trilogy AND The Hobbit.. I drive my wife nuts

tell the players this is NOT d20 hit or miss combat - it's STAR WARS, it's WESTERNS IN SPACE - leaping over bars while shooting their 6 shooters, I mean laster pistols, Flash Gordon, Swashbuckling - hanging from ropes/chandaliers, running and firing at the same time (Han on the Death Star), It's 633 Squadron dog fights, Battle of Britain, the Dambusters....

they should GET IT early on.. if not, their homework is Eps IV to VI,, (episodes 1 - 3 optional) PoTC trilogy, Flash Gordon (the one with the Queen soundtrack) The Clint Eastwood Trilogy, the A Team (YES!!!), MacGyver?? Battle of Britain film - don't know year of release, sorry, the Post WWII films from the UK, some were written, directed or starred veterans of WWII...

New players who come over from 'Feat Tax To Do Something Cool/Cinematic In Combat Or Add It To A Skill Roll To Make Me A Super Cool Orator/Face For The Group/Spellcaster/ FRPG (a.k.a. D&D 3.5/Pathfinder) will be stumped the first few sessions. I admit I was but when I got my head around it. All those Feats you need in D&D 3.5....you ALREADY HAVE THEM AND THEY ADD BOOST OR SETBACK DICE.. simple...

People are free to disagree with me... if you do I will go off and sulk and play Red box D&D instead and tell my mommy that you're all horrible and stuff and smell and you don't play nice. SO THERE... and you cheat and use weighted dice and stuff

They also can never figure out what to do with their advantage, (but then neither can I. I usually let them spend it on strain or advantage dice)

So how do I get them used too the cinematic nature? and how do I spend the advantage and threat cinematically? does that come with practice?

It comes with practice, but even then most of the time I'm defaulting to Strain, boost dice, and criticals, eg:

"You missed and the troopers running towards you flinch and dodge aside...giving the guy with the vibro-axe a good clean shot. Add a boost die to your next melee roll..."

"You missed and your shot goes wild. It hits a stack of crates and they tumble in front of you, giving you cover the next round..."

The other thing you can do is narrate a "miss" as a change of plans:

"You didn't miss. You see you can't make the shot, so instead you shoot an exposed pipe. Sparks flare, giving them setback on their next round..."

Practice doing your own and eventually they will catch on.

ALso give the skill monkey a listen. Goes over every skill with examples of advantage triumph threat and despair.

Positive reinforcement. When they describe their actions in an entertaining way give them a boost die to their next action, or have them recover a point of strain. Do it immediately and it'll sink in quickly that being descriptive and bringing excitement to the game is a good thing. Soon enough they should be doing it for the fun, not reward.

Goodness I ask a lot of questions. But I have another! Is it normal for new PCs/players to not really describe the things they want to do? does that come with lots of prodding on the gm's part? So for example, I am GM, and am GMing for plays 1,2,3.

GM: There are three storm troopers in each group, and two groups, The Leader of One groups yells out a command, causing the group that is at long range to ready rifles, while the second group unsheathes vicious vibroknives and breaks into a charge.

PC 1: I pull out my vibro axe and prepare for combat.

PC 2: I shoot with my blaster rifle at the farther group

*rolling of dice* I fail. But with two advantage.

GM: Well what happens? how did you shoot? where did the shots go?

PC 2: they missed.

They also can never figure out what to do with their advantage, (but then neither can I. I usually let them spend it on strain or advantage dice)

So how do I get them used too the cinematic nature? and how do I spend the advantage and threat cinematically? does that come with practice?

Well, there is several ways to spend advantage, wit two you may recover strain, perform free maneuver (take cover, stand, prone, move, draw another weapon, open/close door, assist...) just remember that you have limit of 2 maneuver per turn. You may also give next allied character blue dice, or to your target black die to next check. Allso with 3 advantage you may give your self +1 mele/range defence. Also with 3 advantage, you may say that stormtrooper, panicked when blast pass beside him and he drop weapon...

You'll get it eventually. During Saturday's game, I had a player roll both a Triumph and two Despairs during an Athletics check. I would have freaked out a year ago trying to narrate that action. This campaign, the result was one of the most interesting sequences during the game. (The PC managed to swing himself - at a 90-degree angle - into a control booth, while crashing through a window, but three modified cam-droid bombs followed him into the booth and exploded in his face.)

As your players get into it more, they'll also be willing to offer up suggestions for how to apply advantages and disadvantages. My players have come up with ideas that were better than mine.

This has been a problem with my games in the past, too. This is why I like (as others have said) that there are mechanical ways to spend advantage. This is great for those who are "less creative." Sometimes there are just people in the group who can't come up with something snappy and the mechanical interpretations work great for that. Maybe marry the two (creative and mechanical) and don't be shy to make suggestions (at least until they start doing it themselves). I once suggested, "[Player A], you tell [Player B] to shoot this idiot because he's got a clean shot on him...if you want...giving him a Boost Die on his attack."

This is my opinion, of course, but I think it's also a point that not every interpretation of advantage need be something spectacular. If it fits the scene, by all means allow it, foster it to grow. If not, then a good ol' Boost or Setback Die or an extra manuever works just fine.

This is my opinion, of course, but I think it's also a point that not every interpretation of advantage need be something spectacular. If it fits the scene, by all means allow it, foster it to grow. If not, then a good ol' Boost or Setback Die or an extra manuever works just fine.

Totally agree. Don't worry about making it "spectacular." Just make it appropriate.

I will admit to the crutch of simply applying strain for every net disadvantage on knowledge checks. "Ow, trying to remember what I know about Cloud City really stresses me out!" is kind of lame but I haven't come up with a better idea.

Welcome to EotE!

Sometimes the players will encounter a rule or mechanic they don't know what to do with, and so the GM will have to demonstrate things a little, the Advantages/Threats mechanic being a fantastic example.

The others have given great advice, listen to Skill Monkey! as fiddleback goes through pretty much every skill in the game and gives examples of how to interpret dice roll. Practice, you can do this on your own. The next time you're waiting for the bus look around, come up with something for you to try, and think about every dice result possible for the attempt.

Also make a copy of the Advantage expenditure table and keep it handy for the players to reference, and remember, it's a sampling, not a hard table, if you come up with something crazy, figure out it's effect, compare it to the table and determine the cost to make it happen.

When the players get stuck, come up with something yourself and go with it, the players will figure it out soon enough.

PC 1: I pull out my vibro axe and prepare for combat.
PC 2: I shoot with my blaster rifle at the farther group
*rolling of dice* I fail. But with two advantage.
GM: Well what happens? how did you shoot? where did the shots go?
PC 2: they missed.

GM: OK...you unleash a torrent of fire, just blasting as fast as you can at the troopers, you're not really aiming, so nothing really connects, but the overwhelming fire causes the stormtroopers to momentary worry more about their lives then your death, They will take a setback on their next check.

Do that a few times and the players will catch on...

They also can never figure out what to do with their advantage, (but then neither can I. I usually let them spend it on strain or advantage dice)

So how do I get them used too the cinematic nature? and how do I spend the advantage and threat cinematically? does that come with practice?

[...]

The other thing you can do is narrate a "miss" as a change of plans:

"You didn't miss. You see you can't make the shot, so instead you shoot an exposed pipe. Sparks flare, giving them setback on their next round..."

Ah, a simple piece of out of the box thinking that hadn't actually occurred to me before. Thanks!