The product page makes it pretty clear that The Force Awakens Beginner Game will be a standalone product not followed by a rulebook of any kind. It looks like there's no sourcebook in here (besides the adventure) to really inspire a lot of latitude with the new Disney Content. The career paths are reused from EotE and AoR (Colonist and Soldier are both visible) and I wouldn't doubt there's a FaD career in there as well. What interests me is the one alien depicted, who is of a race that exists in the new movie and not in the old ones as far as I can tell. Do you think that means they're going to provide some new species for use in the expanded games? Do you think there will there be an online downloadable mission companion like with the other beginner games?

I'd like to discuss, rather than gripe about, the potential this Beginner Game will offer for players who pick it up as an actual introduction to Star Wars Roleplaying, and who wish to pursue their campaigns after The Force Awakens. What do you think?

I'm hoping for a sourcebook. Perhaps three. Covering species, equipment, vehicles and any useful background from each movie. Not forgetting BB-8 droids.

That's really all I want. They could release The Force Awakens sourcebook sometime after the Beginner Box. The next about six months/a year after Episode VIII. Then the final book after Episode IX.

If FFG did that I'd be very happy.

There are possibilities for a few books. But I'd rather they just release books that cover EVERYTHING from a movie.

I've procrastinated a lot about getting into the RPG side of things because of the sheer volume of books. I've limited space and limited budget, with X-Wing and Armada collections to build. Three books with the Beginner Game isn't that daunting a prospect.

After hearing about Disney Infinity I'm hoping for some expanded details on the First Order!

Maybe stats for those trooper transports, can't see them involving the Finaliser but I'd love a map of that crashed Corvette!

I know FFG isn't as vulnerable as Disney Infinity is but after JJ's mystery box extravaganza well you can understand I'm worried!

I know FFG isn't as vulnerable as Disney Infinity is but after JJ's mystery box extravaganza well you can understand I'm worried!

I can understand. Disney and video games have had a rocky history, while Disney and tabletop games are a new relationship. I think that FFG is large enough to make strong, convincing arguments for good quality high-volume sales products. Electronic entertainment media sits very close to home with Disney and they like to have a lot more direct control over it. I'm not intimately involved but I think Disney's involvement with FFG is largely ensuring they don't have any information to spoil / don't spoil anything for their upcoming releases and of course to sell, sell, sell. Besides the role-playing games lines, FFG has several very popular Star Wars tabletop products including X-Wing, Armada, Imperial Assault and the epic-scale Rebellion board game. Not too big to fail, just doing much better than Disney Infinity was (because for all its merits it was a second-tier Skylanders in the eyes of consumers).

I'd be more happy if the beginner sets didn't have as many inconstancies with the main rules,

My take-away from this product is that they will have a TFA line of support products for the Core games. Over time (and especially after more movies) I'm sure we'll get adventures, settings and equipment unique to the new trilogy.

My take-away from this product is that they will have a TFA line of support products for the Core games. Over time (and especially after more movies) I'm sure we'll get adventures, settings and equipment unique to the new trilogy.

Right now the word from on high, that being a direct answer from Sam Stewart (head of FFG's RPG department) is that this is a stand-alone product, and is not the lead-in for yet another Star Wars RPG line.

Given that it's a direct answer about the possibility of future products, when the response to such questions in the past is "we can't comment on that," I'd call it a pretty clear indication that chances for dedicated TFA support in the RPG is slim at best.

I know FFG isn't as vulnerable as Disney Infinity is but after JJ's mystery box extravaganza well you can understand I'm worried!

I can understand. Disney and video games have had a rocky history, while Disney and tabletop games are a new relationship. I think that FFG is large enough to make strong, convincing arguments for good quality high-volume sales products. Electronic entertainment media sits very close to home with Disney and they like to have a lot more direct control over it. I'm not intimately involved but I think Disney's involvement with FFG is largely ensuring they don't have any information to spoil / don't spoil anything for their upcoming releases and of course to sell, sell, sell. Besides the role-playing games lines, FFG has several very popular Star Wars tabletop products including X-Wing, Armada, Imperial Assault and the epic-scale Rebellion board game. Not too big to fail, just doing much better than Disney Infinity was (because for all its merits it was a second-tier Skylanders in the eyes of consumers).

Going along with the Infinity digression for a moment....

While I'm sorry to see it go (and now have to resolve to pick up whatever figures I want to get while they're available, I'm hoping this opens the door for Star Wars (and Marvel) content for Lego Dimensions. Dimensions has some good, fun ideas and integration of multiple licensed properties (the Doctor and Doc Brown, complete with TARDIS and DeLorean in the same game ? How can you not love that?) and seems much more playable than Infinity was. Infinity's big claim over Skylanders was the Marvel and Star Wars properties, which Disney kept for themselves, rather than licensing to Lego, too. Plus, on a goofy, fun note...I want them to license Star Wars and Marvel to Lego so I can have Emmet, Owen Grady, and Star Lord available to me to play in the same game.

I'd like to discuss, rather than gripe about, the potential this Beginner Game will offer for players who pick it up as an actual introduction to Star Wars Roleplaying, and who wish to pursue their campaigns after The Force Awakens. What do you think?

First I'm going to get Bloodlines.

Need to do some reading up on the galaxy roughly 5/6 Years before the Awakening. That book is 6 Years previous so fits well.

Second I'm going to get The Force Awakens Beginner Game.

Because I need to find out if I have to house rule T70s and all the First Order stuff. Already got a plan for the Tie/fo and Tie/sf but the Resurgent is going to need a lot of scribbling and play testing methinks.

Third is already being prepared for:

I've got a secret, hidden blog which I'm preparing for the launch of my campaign. This campaign is centred on Edge of the Empire and begins with a.....

.....perhaps I should wait to reveal that once I've got a blog full of information.

Bloodlines is an amazing book. Claudia Gray never fails to impress!

In the short term you can take your cue for T-70's and TIE/FOs from the X-Wing miniatures game. The TIE/FOs have shields and a turret-mounted laser on the ventral side of the main pod. They also have targeting equipment, but they still lack things like hyperdrive. The T-70 also has extra shielding, and is more maneuverable than the older T-65b. Take into consideration, however, that even the T-70's are supposed to be deprecated by galactic standards by the time of TFA. The Resistance gets leftovers, just like the Rebellion did.

The upsilon-class shuttle and the resurgent-class star destroyer would both be nice to have stats for (though the only upsilon-class shuttle we saw in TFA was Kylo Ren's personal ship). Also, the FO troop deployment craft. The most important thing to know about the Resurgent-class star destroyer is that its weapons are powered by kyber crystals, so they'll have a hefty breach quality attached to them. Also, much of FO equipment will have the cortosis quality, as they are very concerned with going into combat against someone with a lightsaber (I wonder why).

I was going to keep it simple for house ruling the First Order:

Tie/fo

Tie Fighter with shields

Tie/sf

Tie Fighter with better shields, a bit extra armour and strain, and a turret with a Gunner who can shoot forwards or backwards.

The Resurgent

This was originally going to be an Imperial with much better armour, strain and firepower. Increased silhouette too. But then my copy of Lead by Example came and I saw a good stand-in:

ASSERTOR-CLASS COMMAND DREADNOUGHT

Silhouette: 9

Speed: 2

Handling: -4

Defence

Fore: 4

Port/Starboard: 3

Aft: 2

Armour: 13

Hit Threshold: 205

Strain Threshold: 105

Massive: 3

Inspiring Presence: 3

Twenty Port and Twenty Starboard Quad Heavy Turbolaser batteries.

Fifteen Port and Fifteen Starboard battleship Ion cannon batteries.

Ten dorsal twin heavy turbolasers.

Ten forward, ten port, and ten starboard quad light turbolaser batteries.

Twenty ventral twin battleship Ion cannons.

Ten port and ten starboard dorsal medium Ion cannons.

Twenty forward, Twenty port, and twenty starboard turret mounted quad laser cannons.

Thirty forward, thirty port, and thirty starboard concussion missile launchers.

Twenty heavy tractor beam emitters.

Phew!

Change the threat level to brown cos I need to change my pants.

Might make some changes to the Assertor, such as homing missiles instead of concussion, but I have to say it's one heck of a beast Certainly a flying fortress. Might actually have to weaken it a little.

You'll need to shrink it, certainly. The Assertor-class is 15k meters long, whereas the Resurgent-class is only 2.9k meters long. A hybrid of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer with the firepower of an Assertor-class Star Dreadnought might be more appropes, but that's just my suggestion. I am by no means a controlling authority in your game!

You'll need to shrink it, certainly. The Assertor-class is 15k meters long, whereas the Resurgent-class is only 2.9k meters long. A hybrid of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer with the firepower of an Assertor-class Star Dreadnought might be more appropes, but that's just my suggestion. I am by no means a controlling authority in your game!

I happen to agree. My original thought was to increase an Imperial Star Destroyer, but I'm likely to go between the two.

Hopefully this won't be necessary. I'm not going to put ink to paper until I know what is in the Beginner Game. If ships and races from the movie are absent, I'll be disappointed and have to commit all my thoughts to house rules.