Remember that it took decades before we found out actual details about the Clone Wars, something given reference all the way back in 1977 in the first film. Nor did we have any information about how the Empire came about or the Emperor came to be in power. We also had no detail on Luke's father other than the brief summary that Obi-Wan gave us the same film, and in 1980 no idea what had happened to turn this former hero into the monstrous Darth Vader. It wasn't until many years later that we got answers to those questions.

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

IMO, the fewer official answers the more flexibility I have in my own campaigns.

Remember that it took decades before we found out actual details about the Clone Wars, something given reference all the way back in 1977 in the first film. Nor did we have any information about how the Empire came about or the Emperor came to be in power. We also had no detail on Luke's father other than the brief summary that Obi-Wan gave us the same film, and in 1980 no idea what had happened to turn this former hero into the monstrous Darth Vader. It wasn't until many years later that we got answers to those questions.

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

Agreed -- The Prequel Trilogy utterly failed to live up to what I had imagined might have gone on in that era.

[..]

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

IMO, the fewer official answers the more flexibility I have in my own campaigns.

This is how I feel about Ahsoka and Asajj. Before certain pieces of newer Star Wars media, their stories were up in the air, and I could use them however I wanted, but not so much now.

Not that it matters too much for me, because I like throwing canon out of the window. But still...

And just whom is the resistance resisting?

And just whom is the resistance resisting?

The status quo. Because that status is NOT quo.

And just whom is the resistance resisting?

Angry fanboys and fangirls

And just whom is the resistance resisting?

Good question.

I guess they're supposed to be "resisting" the FO in the region outside the "New Republic"... but to say you're a "resistance" gives the other power an extra bit of "legitimacy".

Remember that it took decades before we found out actual details about the Clone Wars, something given reference all the way back in 1977 in the first film. Nor did we have any information about how the Empire came about or the Emperor came to be in power. We also had no detail on Luke's father other than the brief summary that Obi-Wan gave us the same film, and in 1980 no idea what had happened to turn this former hero into the monstrous Darth Vader. It wasn't until many years later that we got answers to those questions.

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

Agreed -- The Prequel Trilogy utterly failed to live up to what I had imagined might have gone on in that era.

I thought you were critical to TFA for not answering enough of your questions...?

Remember that it took decades before we found out actual details about the Clone Wars, something given reference all the way back in 1977 in the first film. Nor did we have any information about how the Empire came about or the Emperor came to be in power. We also had no detail on Luke's father other than the brief summary that Obi-Wan gave us the same film, and in 1980 no idea what had happened to turn this former hero into the monstrous Darth Vader. It wasn't until many years later that we got answers to those questions.

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

Agreed -- The Prequel Trilogy utterly failed to live up to what I had imagined might have gone on in that era.

I thought you were critical to TFA for not answering enough of your questions...?

TFA didn't need to answer everything immediately and fill in the entire setting post-RotJ in the first 5 minutes.

When I watched ANH it didn't give me that "wait, what?" feeling continuously. It gave enough of the right details, organically in the course of the story, to make sense. TFA has a ton of "wait, what?" moments, even though I don't need anything about the general Star Wars setting explained to me at this point.

The Prequel Trilogy just plain failed to live up to what my imagination had built up from the references in the OT, from reading the WEG RPG materials, etc.

Most people seem ti think of Star Trek IV as one id the good ones, especially with the V being the final frontier.

The commentaty about modern hubris of humans being the only intelligent life (on Earth) still holds true. The thing I love about the old Trek is it often had a message. Much of the old sci-fi had 'hidden' messages and commentary.

Besides, as egregious you may find Star Trek: Into Darkness, it is not comparable to Nemesis.

The best Star Trek Movie is VI, followed closely by II.

At least Nemesis had a decent space battle. Every space battle in Abrams Trek involves ramming attacks or boarding parties because he idea of a hero ship facing an enemy vessel that can't cripple the hero ship in one shot is unthinkable to the writers.

It would be like Star Wars if every space battle was a rehash of the fight between Devastator and Tanitive IV. Once it is cool but repeat over and over and I get sick of it and I think most of you would as well

My Favorite Trek movie is II followed by VI

I am ashamed to say that my first foray into Star Trek movies was 4...

I lost all interest instantely.

Mine was II though I don't remember the first time I saw it very clearly due t how young I was. I remember the eels scared me though.

For all the good and bad both about them, I'd watch either Abrams Trek before watching ST V again. That's the one Trek I've never owned and never will.

V is my third least favorite Trek film after Into Darkness and Nemesis.

This is how I feel about Ahsoka and Asajj. Before certain pieces of newer Star Wars media, their stories were up in the air, and I could use them however I wanted, but not so much now.

Not that it matters too much for me, because I like throwing canon out of the window. But still...

I think it goes back to when it felt like 'ours' and not 'theirs'.

The early EU was fun because almost everything was up for grabs. Even in the early days, you didn't really know what 'Clone Wars' or 'Dark Lord of the Sith' actually meant.

I know there's a few RPG settings (the Forgotten Realms again springs to mind) where the fans said that they feel it's far too detailed, there's too much history and backstory to absorb, everything is explained so there's no mysteries, and NPCs are already doing all the cool stuff that the PCs should really be doing.

This is how I feel about Ahsoka and Asajj. Before certain pieces of newer Star Wars media, their stories were up in the air, and I could use them however I wanted, but not so much now.

Not that it matters too much for me, because I like throwing canon out of the window. But still...

I think it goes back to when it felt like 'ours' and not 'theirs'.

The early EU was fun because almost everything was up for grabs. Even in the early days, you didn't really know what 'Clone Wars' or 'Dark Lord of the Sith' actually meant.

I know there's a few RPG settings (the Forgotten Realms again springs to mind) where the fans said that they feel it's far too detailed, there's too much history and backstory to absorb, everything is explained so there's no mysteries, and NPCs are already doing all the cool stuff that the PCs should really be doing.

I have a few Forgetten Realms books to mine for generic inspiration when I'm stuck... but I'd never run a game there unless the players fully agreed that I had carte blanch and embraced that they'd never meet the "big name" NPCs.

FR is so vast AND so dense. Every 5 miles is another country, another culture, another **** world... for 1000s of miles in any direction. It's exhausting just reading about it, and there's no room to fit in anything of your own.

Remember that it took decades before we found out actual details about the Clone Wars, something given reference all the way back in 1977 in the first film. Nor did we have any information about how the Empire came about or the Emperor came to be in power. We also had no detail on Luke's father other than the brief summary that Obi-Wan gave us the same film, and in 1980 no idea what had happened to turn this former hero into the monstrous Darth Vader. It wasn't until many years later that we got answers to those questions.

I wish we never got the answers to those questions as the actual answers were way less cool than the answers I had imagined.

IMO, the fewer official answers the more flexibility I have in my own campaigns.

Well, as the GM, nothing is stopping you from disregarding the official answers and coming up with your own for your own campaigns.

From the sounds of it, Maelora's running some really fun campaigns and she's pretty much deep-sixed the entire canon.

Personally, I think the core idea of the answers provided by the prequel were more or less fine, it's just the execution of those ideas that was sorely lacking. Lucas may be an amazing idea guy, but he works best when there are other people around to help refine those ideas, and if need be tell him "no George, that's a lousy idea."

This is how I feel about Ahsoka and Asajj. Before certain pieces of newer Star Wars media, their stories were up in the air, and I could use them however I wanted, but not so much now.

Not that it matters too much for me, because I like throwing canon out of the window. But still...

I think it goes back to when it felt like 'ours' and not 'theirs'.

The early EU was fun because almost everything was up for grabs. Even in the early days, you didn't really know what 'Clone Wars' or 'Dark Lord of the Sith' actually meant.

I know there's a few RPG settings (the Forgotten Realms again springs to mind) where the fans said that they feel it's far too detailed, there's too much history and backstory to absorb, everything is explained so there's no mysteries, and NPCs are already doing all the cool stuff that the PCs should really be doing.

This one of the reason I actually liked the EU being shuffled out of canon and made into its own thing.

For the first time in a long time, there's a lot of ambiguity about what's happened outside of the films, in particularly between RotJ and TFA. Thus far, we've gotten bits and pieces, but there's still plenty of room for a creative GM that's not afraid to put in a bit of effort to play around in.

While down in Texas at the most recent GamerNationCon, I got to play in a module that Christopher West (he of Maps of Mastery) wrote that was set in the TFA era, and focused on a team of Resistance operatives sneaking into a secret First Order training base to steal the primary data core for the FO's training simulators, including not only the scenarios run but the results of said scenarios so that General Leia would have a better idea of what sort of tactics and tech the FO would bring to a potential battlefield. I doubt any of that will ever be canon, but it was certainly a lot of fun (even if my poor little BB unit got the proverbial snot beat out of him).

Still I think Abrams did a much better job with Star Wars then he ever did with Star Trek.

That's a really low standard...

No. No it`s not....

It's low enough an ant wouldn't trip on it.

From the sounds of it, Maelora's running some really fun campaigns and she's pretty much deep-sixed the entire canon.

Heh, last week one of my players said that my game was what 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies' was to the original Austen book. I'll take it as a compliment

Personally, I think the core idea of the answers provided by the prequel were more or less fine, it's just the execution of those ideas that was sorely lacking. Lucas may be an amazing idea guy, but he works best when there are other people around to help refine those ideas, and if need be tell him "no George, that's a lousy idea."

Good point, particularly in the prequels, when he needed someone to but the brakes on.

That happens with a lot of musicians too, the first few albums are great, when studio time is expensive and they have to get it right. When they get wealthy and successful, with their own studios, that's when self-indulgence creeps in and you need a good producer to step in and curb the excesses.

This one of the reason I actually liked the EU being shuffled out of canon and made into its own thing.

For the first time in a long time, there's a lot of ambiguity about what's happened outside of the films, in particularly between RotJ and TFA. Thus far, we've gotten bits and pieces, but there's still plenty of room for a creative GM that's not afraid to put in a bit of effort to play around in.

Another good point. I'm not entirely convinced by 'Legends', but I understand completely why Disney had to clear its decks for the new movies.

I guess, in some ways as you say, that makes it a bit more 'ours' by the fact that the old EU is now 'stuff that may or may not' have happened. It might make it easier to play around with the material for those who don't want to completely change the canon.

Don't expect answers how the FO obtained funding, trained legions of soldiers from childhood, etc, to come from anywhere, ever.

"The details that would make a plot coherent mean nothing compared to the power of The Spectacle." -- Darth Abrams.

The Empire was huge, with lots of rich and powerfull supporters. All that didn't just disappear because they lost the war...

I like JJ. The character focus and interaction was just perfect. The movie was good. I do find myself want ing more and looking forward to the next one. JJ made me care about these guys and that's what matters in this introduction to a new star wars movie series. For hard core SW fans there are a lot more to go on, but this is a movie for everyone else too, as it should be.

You do not get both cards. Either the first order appeared small, than having lots of star destroyers which you can put several imperial class star destroyers within is suspicious well founded, mass drafting is suspicious as well, because it suggest yet again significant founding. Besides we do not even know if anything of the empire still exists or not, we do not know what happens to the old empire. Do they still exist, do they pay the first order? Is the first oder the remnant of the old empire? Are they just terrorist with empire sponsoring. We do not know, the only thing we do know is that they are considered now threat to the new republic, while the new republic is so demilitarized that losing the fleet in a single system cripples them hard.

Edit: Wrong topic...