I've managed to harbor interest in my friend circle surrounding setting up an RP group using EotE/AoR/FaD, and before I go making any rash decisions, I'd like to ask the community a few questions.

QUESTION #1:

My research has shown that you can indeed play as an Imperial, although the information o

I've found is sketchy at best. Is it possible? How hard is it to do? Anyone with experience to share?

QUESTION #2:

I'm totally new to RPGs, and I do know that there is some reliance on maps/deck plans. How much reliance is there? How can I make deck plans and maps easily? Can I have a basic rundown of why maps are important for combat?

QUESTION #3:

I know this is a multiple Rulebook system, so I'm wondering which beginner game and Rulebook to start with?

That's all. I can't wait to get started with what appears to be a decent game.

1) I've not done it but I can't imagine there is much difficulty at all. Laminate Armour = Stormtrooper Armour; Pilot = Tie Pilot, etc.

2) In this RPG? Maps are not very important at all. Just describe the location and the elements within it that are important to your story.

GM: "You enter a dimly lit cantina. The air is thick with smoke and dozens of bizarre aliens fill the room. A bar runs the length of the far room and there are doors to the refresher ahead to your right. There's a green pig-guy with ugly tattoos up his forearms in a booth - he scans the room occasionally but it's clear it's not you he's waiting for. This may be your target."

Then tell the players they can add any details they like, as long as they don't disrupt the theme.

PC1: "As the waitress passes by with a full tray of drinks I knock it out of her hand, sending them over the Gammorean with the gang tats."

You haven't said anything about a waitress but it fits and is a fun way to start a bar brawl (or whatever - I'm not sure what PC1 is playing at).

3) The three rulebooks share the same rules but highlight different aspects of the Star Wars universe. Wanna be a smuggler constantly in trouble with the underworld? Edge of the Empire is your destination, sucker. Wanna struggle against a monolithic war machine? Age of Rebellion needs you! Wanna go crazy after swallowing swamp water and try to murder your dad with space magic? Force and Destiny is for you.

Personally I like Age of Rebellion as a starting game as it's easiest to structure - the PCs have a lot of freedom but will often be given objectives to achieve by superiors.

QUESTION #1:

My research has shown that you can indeed play as an Imperial, although the information o

I've found is sketchy at best. Is it possible? How hard is it to do? Anyone with experience to share?

Really, Military is military regardless of how you dress it up. So if you wanted to do an Imperial game, get the AoR book and go find a copy of the old WEG Imperial Sourcebook. Those two publications should get you everything you need.

If you want to play Imperials, and therefore a more military-based campaign, the AoR beginner game and core book will serve you well. Personally I think while the AoR beginner game is "decent", the free PDF followup (available on the product support page) is the best of the three.

QUESTION #1:

My research has shown that you can indeed play as an Imperial, although the information o

I've found is sketchy at best. Is it possible? How hard is it to do? Anyone with experience to share?

There's a couple methods, but the basic framework is:

Develop a basic "imperial" character concept and story concept.

Select the appropriate Core with the appropriate careers and specs (Typically this will be AoR, but the other two have legitimate options as well)

Select the Character mechanic most appropriate for the character (typically this will be duty)

Select the appropriate level of play (Inquisitors may feel more interesting starting at Knight Level)

Make adjustments if any are even needed (usually they either won't be or will be very very minor).

Most characters will require no special modifications, other then perhaps some renaming of things. Rebellion-centric Duty options will have to be renamed to be Imperial-centric, likewise with Rebellion talents. The actual mechanics need not change. There is an "Imperial Duty" chart in circulation.

Equipment may or may not require modification depending starting concepts and level of play. For example, a "Stormtrooper" can be equipped with all the base kit of a scout trooper using starting credits without any problems. If you want to start with more that's an option. Also level comes into play here too. A Knight Level game will have enough credits to start that a Stormtrooper can get fully kitted out.

Developing the story concept should probably be a group effort. What kind of themes and tone do you want? Is is a heroic-imperial campaign, bringing peace and order at the barrel of a blaster? Maybe a gritty campaign, where the players are bad people doing bad things because the galaxy is a bad place? Maybe an unheroic one where the players are expected to defect? How's the Rebellion going to be presented? A bunch of crazy paramilitaries? Good people in a bad spot?

After that it's largely the same as any other campaign in execution.

QUESTION #2:

I'm totally new to RPGs, and I do know that there is some reliance on maps/deck plans. How much reliance is there? How can I make deck plans and maps easily? Can I have a basic rundown of why maps are important for combat?

This system isn't as map heavy as others (I rarely use maps myself) because the mechanics allow the players to introduce features into encounters.

Typically maps are important to A) show the players where everything is, and what is and is not present on a battlefield. And B) illustrate conditions needed for various powers and abilities.

The way the mechanics work here, the biggest thing to be illustrated is ranges. After that anything else is just fluff.

If you do want to use maps you don't need super detailed ones. A white-board some markers and 3 minutes should usually do the job. "The room is this shape, there's a thing here, and one of those there, and you're over here and they're over there."

QUESTION #3:

I know this is a multiple Rulebook system, so I'm wondering which beginner game and Rulebook to start with?

Talk to the players and find out. Edge is fringer/criminals/outcasts, Age is Soldier/Spies/Dipolmats, F&D is Force users on a quasi- spiritual journey (And Jediness...).

So if you want to run an Imp campaign, you'll probably be looking at AoR, though if the inquisitor sounds like a job for you F&D is probably needed as well.

First of all, thank you. I really appreciate the help, questions #1 and #3 are no longer an issue.

Question #2 has been partially answered though. I will most likely have to visualize the battlefield and the ships for them. So, I now know that maps aren't important, but are there:

a) specific ways of making GOOD maps and deck plans (programs, apps, etc)?

b) tutorials?

Again, I appreciate all answers so far.

Question #2 has been partially answered though. I will most likely have to visualize the battlefield and the ships for them. So, I now know that maps aren't important, but are there:

a) specific ways of making GOOD maps and deck plans (programs, apps, etc)?

b) tutorials?

There are lots of maps and deckplans already out there. Wookiepedia has some of them, but you’ll also find them on sites like the Star Wars Deckplan Alliance, ColonialChrome, DeviantArt, and others. Google for “star wars deckplan” and the name or type of the ship you’re interested in, and you’re likely to turn up a number of hits.

For example, you’ll get lots of hits with both “Millenium Falcon” as well as “YT-1300”, as far as the name or type is concerned. Same with “Outrider” versus “YT-2400”.

The best maps and deckplans I’ve seen have usually be created with something like PhotoShop, and the artist created all of his own objects on the map. Obviously, if you’re not that talented, then that doesn’t help you very much.

There are some map-making tools out there, but the ones I’ve seen have been platform-specific, and at least I haven’t been able to figure out how to use them.

If you have a decent paint or drawing program, you can kind of cheat a little — take existing deckplans that have components you want to re-use, and then cut-n-paste those onto a different silhouette or image for a different ship.

If you buy the “Maps of Mastery:Deck Space Series” PDFs, they include some bits that you can cut-n-paste onto your maps to help make them look better, but they don’t have all the components that I would like to see.

As for tutorials, I think that would largely depend on what program you’re using.

Hmm. Looking at my own archives of things related to this game that I’ve snagged over the years, I see that “Maveritchell” has posted some pretty nice collections of PNGs for various props that you might use in creating building maps.

We should check to see if he has created anything new since the last time I checked in.

EDIT: Indeed, he has. Lots of good stuff can be found on his site at http://thompsonpeters.com/eote/misc/

EDIT: Oooh! Ooooh! Oooooooh! He now has a “Starship Construction Kit” available for sale! Sold!

Looking around a bit more, I found a copy of the “CPreksta Elements” folder at http://swmini.free.fr/Files/205_cpreksta_mapelements.zip

Might want to grab that one while you can, since it includes JPEGs, PNGs, and PSDs for the elements he designed and released.

Combine that with the stuff from Maveritchell, and you might have a pretty good show going!