I know it ultimately depends on the players at the table, but I still like to avoid making decisions in a vacuum. Last night my group ran the "Lessons from the Past" adventure. After being chased around the ship by the Basilisk War Droid as they explored the wreck, they finally made it into the training room. This is where I had Agent Garai plasma torch his way into the ship through the floor of the room, the Basilisk smashing and slowly clawing through the locked doors of the room. Everyone knows where this is going, but I also popped some dark destiny points and had a pirate crew cut through hull of the ship from the roof of the room to initiate combat. Ending with a four way showdown between the droid, players, garai/droids, and pirates.

I ended the last adventure in a similar fashion, with lots of over the top combat cliches, like jumping from a moving skiff the ramp of a moving YT 2400 freighter, etc, etc. So I guess my question boils down to: How often do you all space out these over the top encounters? I know they're a part of star wars story telling, and the players seem to enjoy them. But I don't want it to become so common place that they lose their appeal. Do you wait a set amount of sessions between? Or just whenever it makes narrative sense?

There are no heroic over-the-top action sequences in my game, so I really can't answer this. No one leaps, swings, dives, hangs, or any other sphincter-puckering verbs.

I'm actually quite envious if your players are leaping from a racing speeder to the lowered ramp of a nearby ship or similar in every session.

The only problem I can foresee with the scenario of too many "over the top" scenarios is the great potential to fail and thus have a TPK. Leaping from a skiff to a freighter how high? What if they don't generate any successes? How many times can the pirates and the imperials show up to tackle the PCs at the same time, shoot down two PCs, and then turn on each other because the GM realizes he's about to wipe them out?

Over the top encounters are great and fantastic. They really keep the players coming back, and any encounter that they actually breathe a sigh of relief afterwards is memorable, whether that is talking their way into freedom or blasting past a Star Destroyer. However, what makes those interesting is the high degree of failure. Are you prepared then to entertain the idea of "What happens if they fail?"

Star Wars is a pretty lethal system when you boil it down. How many of your party can take a 2nd hit from a blaster rifle? a 3rd? And in a ship it's even tighter, since the entire party can get vaporized by a lucky turbolaser hit, especially since you roll out in the open for the players to take advantage of the threat and despair when getting shot at. I would just be cautious of giving the party too much to handle.

I'm actually quite envious if your players are leaping from a racing speeder to the lowered ramp of a nearby ship or similar in every session.

Not every session, it was just the finale after about two prior sessions of build up and preparation.

Star Wars is a pretty lethal system when you boil it down. How many of your party can take a 2nd hit from a blaster rifle? a 3rd? And in a ship it's even tighter, since the entire party can get vaporized by a lucky turbolaser hit, especially since you roll out in the open for the players to take advantage of the threat and despair when getting shot at. I would just be cautious of giving the party too much to handle.

I flirted with this one a bit too much last night, giving Garai a dead man trigger connected to explosives on his ship after the PC's boarded and captured it. I was very lucky an overzealous PC didn't wipe out half the party right there, so I've learned that lesson.

How much is too much? If the players and GM finish the game and keep talking about how fun and awesome it was, or the events get brought up later as examples of awesome, then it wasn't too much. It was just right. If the session ends and people just go home and say, see you next time, maybe it wasn't enough. If afterwards people grumble about how completely ridiculous that setup was, or how that enemy had way too much of X, or how that session was entirely player Y's show and no one else got to do anything, then it was probably too much.

So really, the question is answered by your group. If they enjoy what is occurring, keep that style going, and accept constructive criticism and feedback and adjust as necessary.

"Jumping the shark" as often as you like is fine, "nuking the fridge" kills the suspension of disbelief

My players are pretty tame compared to yours, I kinda envy you! Star Wars IS over the top, it's part of the fun. I say go nuts, find your own limit.

My players are pretty tame compared to yours, I kinda envy you! Star Wars IS over the top, it's part of the fun. I say go nuts, find your own limit.

Couldn't agree more!

And if it all goes horribly wrong just say "It's not my fault" your guys should pick up on that, have a laugh while you watch the conversation veer off course