It's just too wrapped up in the rest of the EU. If you greenlight Revan, you greenlight The Old Republic, and that means KOTOR, and then SWTOR, and then all of a sudden people are asking why the Emperor's Palace isn't on Dromund Kaas, and...etc. etc. etc. It's a snowball effect from an IP perspective.

It's a swamp planet that was turned into the Sith Empire capital but it has been abandoned for thousands of years. By this point it's just a swamp planet again, like Dagobah. If you were Palpatine would you rather live there or in a palace on Coruscant?

Isnt FFG putting in some of their own canon in the form of ships and equipment? Not that there is alot of that, but there are some I havent seen elsewhere.

My vote is NEW. There are ways of getting old info, but part of the reason I want to buy stuff is for new characters to steal. I dont pretend to think I make all that good characters on my own, and I actively hate coming up with new names.

My view on the FFG/Disney interaction is that FFG still has the license only because Disney hasnt bothered to look at much other than the movies yet. I expect that if Disney starts doing alot of computer games and has a succesful line of movies that FFG will not get the license renewed, and whatever is the most faddish game company at the time will get the license and use it to turn their ancient, doesnt fit at all game into star wars

Cause that has never happened before

Personally, I think that almost every single thing that has come out of the Disney canon is crap.

There, I said it.

And as long as they continue to cater to the masses rather than work on the actual story, we can expect to continue to see poor products on the Disney EU front.

Of course, I admit that there was plenty of just plain bad things in the old EU, but so far I have seen nothing from Disney that shows that there is any kind of push to rise above that. Right now they are just making things as fast as possible and riding on the Star Wars name to ensure sales.

Be realistic, and don't want for something that isn't going to happen. So the probably of something like Lords of the Expanse every cropping up again is probably almost nonexistence. We'll get exactly what we're getting: a blend of old material, new material, and obscure material.

I think the sector sourebooks are excellent tools; they consolidate a lot of the old EU and new canon material on locations, condensing it into a nice and informative read. If you're unfamiliar with, say, Corellia, you can read Suns of Fortune and learn a lot, and you don't have to binge read God knows how many books and comics to know what something is. Same thing applies to anything else that's older that crops up, such as a hypothetical Tatooine sourcebook. They also slip in new material wherever they can, or take something what was an obscure reference and build it up; Chronicles of the Gatekeeper is a good example, as it includes original material (Arbooine), old material (Korriban/Morabund) and older material that's "virgin territory" (Cato Neoimoidia). But I generally don't recommend the sector books to people if they already have a good head knowledge of Star Wars, or frequently quote Wookieepedia, because they're likely to skip most of the stuff in the book.

Realistically, if FFG were to forced to make a decision to please 50% of their demographic and upset the other 50%, they should just cut to the chase and displease the entire 100%. That works pretty well for me.

Spun out into it's own thread as so not to clog the Statistic thread with side talk. . . .

I don't really blame FFG on the lack of original content. I think for the most part it's the fault of the fanbase. The things people are wanting the most (or at least the most vocal about wanting to get) are things that was covered in previous games and material. No one is creating 10 page long threads demanding that FFG make a planet book full of fresh new planets. They are however creating 10 pages long threads demanding Mandalorian material.

The greater bulk of what people seem to want is FFG stats on old EU/canon material. So FFG seems to be giving us that. They sprinkle in newish stuff. They explore things that were just footnotes before hand. But overall they are pretty much giving us what we demand, stats on stuff we already know about.

Okay Peanut Gallery, lets test this hypothesis (with our admittedly small sample to work from) - lets say that you have two announcements sitting on your desk. One is a Tatooine Sector sourcebook with Jawas and Tuskens and Ryloth and Geonosis and whatnot. (or if you prefer, a Mandalorian sourcebook, or a Corporate Sector Authority coursebook - something that details a facet of the EU)

The other announcement is something like Lords of the Expanse - Not necessarily a "Nobles In Space" game, but an all new region of space with new worlds, new races, new cultures, new politics and intrigues. A fully fleshed out region not featured elsewhere in the expanded universe.

Both are otherwise equal - same page counts, same quality of writing and art we've come to expect from FFG. Same price point - just the content is different. Which announcement makes you more excited?

I think your thought experiment has been defeated

At any rate it's not that I think people wouldn't buy a book that was nothing but new material. I think FFG is at that sweet spot where pretty much anything they publish will sell out. Regardless of content. I just think (from my observation of these forums) that the more vocal customers (who may honestly may just be a vocal minority) crave older EU/canon material over anything else. Questions on products seem to circulate over what item or material from X canon/EU source has made it into Y book. Focus of discussions on products don't seem to spot light the new info in the book but more the older info.

If you ask people I'm sure they will say they want new material. But if you observe their behavior in various threads you'll notice they don't ask about the new content as much as the old (with the exception of mechanics). And honestly it may be unconscious. We all have aspects about Star Wars that we love and want to see brought into this game. So it's only natural to want to ask about what from the past made the cut.

And something to keep in mind. They are giving us new stuff. Like Toydaria, Like the stuff from Force Awakens. I just think it will be an item here and item there. Not a whole book. But maybe after they finish the lines maybe they would do a campaign setting like lords of the expanse. I just think their current goal is to complete the initial supplements.

Personally, I think that almost every single thing that has come out of the Disney canon is crap.

There, I said it.

And as long as they continue to cater to the masses rather than work on the actual story, we can expect to continue to see poor products on the Disney EU front.

Of course, I admit that there was plenty of just plain bad things in the old EU, but so far I have seen nothing from Disney that shows that there is any kind of push to rise above that. Right now they are just making things as fast as possible and riding on the Star Wars name to ensure sales.

It's not to my tastes. But I see why they did it. It's been carefully put through as many focus-groups and studio audiences and marketing gurus, to maximise visibility, return old fans to the fold with warm fuzzies and compete with products in a similar genre. It's a machine for producing merchandise and in that, it's doing exactly what Disney wants. If I was them, I probably wouldn't do any different. Playing it safe has earned them a lot of $$$.

As a gamer, as a fan of the old-school Star Wars, it's not to my tastes at all.

FFG products are usually of a high standard and the creators are clearly Star Wars fans rather than bean counters. They seem able to sneak the odd EU reference in here and there, and that will have to be enough for us. Just don't expect to see 'The Old Republic Beginners Boxed Set' anytime soon.

You could probably go to gamernation con next year and talk to whoever from ffg who shows up and pitch an idea to do a campaign book of some sort. Like lords of the expanse. If done roght they might gonfor it.

I'm still trawling tinterweb for a full pdf scan of that LucasArts guide to WEG about producing stuff for D6

Personally, I think that almost every single thing that has come out of the Disney canon is crap.

There, I said it.

And as long as they continue to cater to the masses rather than work on the actual story, we can expect to continue to see poor products on the Disney EU front.

Of course, I admit that there was plenty of just plain bad things in the old EU, but so far I have seen nothing from Disney that shows that there is any kind of push to rise above that. Right now they are just making things as fast as possible and riding on the Star Wars name to ensure sales.

It's not to my tastes. But I see why they did it. It's been carefully put through as many focus-groups and studio audiences and marketing gurus, to maximise visibility, return old fans to the fold with warm fuzzies and compete with products in a similar genre. It's a machine for producing merchandise and in that, it's doing exactly what Disney wants. If I was them, I probably wouldn't do any different. Playing it safe has earned them a lot of $$$.

As a gamer, as a fan of the old-school Star Wars, it's not to my tastes at all.

FFG products are usually of a high standard and the creators are clearly Star Wars fans rather than bean counters. They seem able to sneak the odd EU reference in here and there, and that will have to be enough for us. Just don't expect to see 'The Old Republic Beginners Boxed Set' anytime soon.

I would give them the benefit of the doubt, that they needed to play it safe in the first movie, because if they had given us a movie along the lines of Phantom Menace, Disney would have to write off $4 billion. Which would have the side effect of definitely killing this game.

My litmus test is going to be Rogue One. The first movie that has nothing to do with a Skywalker. That movie should show us parts of Star Wars that havent really been explored. If that movie is even middiling good, I will call it a win. If it blows, well maybe our grandchildren will get some good sci fi at some point.

I think Disney gets far too much shade for only having done a handful of projects with Star Wars. Considering the canon under Lucas wasn't always good I think Disney is doing just fine. There were some truly horrendous stuff in the EU. So all things considered Disney isn't doing all that bad when you take in the EU as a whole as opposed to the choice and cherry picked bits that you might personally enjoy.

Im for new stuff and in fact we are getting some, just not a lot, remember everything they make has to get run through LFL, whether or not that makes Weik,from Nexus of Power, canon or not, I have no idea, but so far the info on Weik is the best material they have done thus far.

Im for new stuff and in fact we are getting some, just not a lot, remember everything they make has to get run through LFL, whether or not that makes Weik,from Nexus of Power, canon or not, I have no idea, but so far the info on Weik is the best material they have done thus far.

• The Star Wars original trilogy films—Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
• The Star Wars prequel trilogy films—Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
• The Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series and film
• The Star Wars Rebels television series and its supplementary source material
• Star Wars Insider fiction, beginning with "Blade Squadron" in Star Wars Insider 149
• Information found in the StarWars.com Databank
• Information previously found in the now-defunct StarWars.com Encyclopedia
• All officially-licensed source material released following the September 2, 2014 novel A New Dawn.

Episodes VII-IX will also be canon. I assume Rogue One is, and probably the new Han Solo film.

However, the FFG RPGs are not officially canon. Lucasfilm senior editor Jennifer Heddle said they will "figure it out" whether it will be considered canon later, but for now it isn't.

Novelizations of the canonical films and cartoons are themselves canon except for the parts of the novels that conflict with the films and cartoons. Usually a person writing the novel is given material early so that the novel can be released around the same time as the film, but the film will change at the last minute and there is no time to fix the novel before it is released.

Interestingly, material about the Old Republic is also in an uncertain status. Heddle said that it's probably not canon but they're "wondering about" it and said "I guess we'll see" if it is or not later. I'm doubtful but hopeful.

I'm not entirely sure about that. I seem to remember reading that the main job of the new Story Group at LFL was to ensure that everything approved from here on out is canon, whether it's novels, movies, games or whatnot. Things might have changed since I read this, though; this was back before TFA came out.

Honestly as long as they keep giving me more fun new starship designs I don't care. I'm all but certain that FFG has now introduced more of my top 25 Star Wars Starship designs the any other table top game line, novel or comic series, video game series, cartoon or movie set.

I honestly hope the RPG stays in the Legends category. Being Legends gives them more freedom to pull from old stuff than being canon would allow. And honestly since none of our home games are going to be canon I don't think the info presented in an rpg book needs to be canon to be useful for people to run games with.

I'd like to see the corporate sector... which honestly speaking, there isn't that much info about (and I have the WEG "Han Solo and the corporate sector" source book)... and there are thousands (at least) of inhabitable star systems in the corporate sector... so create a few new planets and new mega corporations talk about the criminal underbelly of the corporate sector and avoiding the espos, put in some modular smuggling or hired gun or corporate espionage encounters that can be strung together into a one session mini adventure with some additional fluff (an adventure like the ones that come in the gm screens, not a beyond the rim or mask of the pirate queen) which involves playing one to 3 of the new mega corporations off each other. Some new species, ships, gear maybe even a new universal specialization related to being an agent/trouble shooter for a mega Corp (something with talents where you can pull in the weight of the corporation for information or contacts... i'm thinking something like a hybrid of quartermaster enforcer scoundrel and recruit... has negotiation, coercion, skuldugery, stealth as the 4 career skills, 1 rank of well rounded and *maybe* "basic combat training" but no other gain career skills talents, some black market contacts, the thief talent that lets you bypass security systems, some talent that helps you break legs and use physical violence or the medicine skill to help you coerce or negotiate, maybe some sound investments, some bought info, 2 resolve, a grit, a toughened, maybe nobody's fool, convincing demeanor

That universal specialization, which has no need to be universal (and ffg seems to want to limit universal spec to the minimum necessary), seems too good to be true and has too many nice things.

A character like that can be easily done by mixing a few specs, actually it sounds like a private detective that can rely on the Megacorp backing for intel and support.

But i agree that a Corporate Sector book would be great.

That universal specialization, which has no need to be universal (and ffg seems to want to limit universal spec to the minimum necessary), seems too good to be true and has too many nice things.

A character like that can be easily done by mixing a few specs, actually it sounds like a private detective that can rely on the Megacorp backing for intel and support.

But i agree that a Corporate Sector book would be great.

The private detective that can rely on the Megacorp backing for intel and support was pretty much what I was going for. And we don't have a detective spec. As for why a universal spec... after the bounty hunter book comes out there probably won't be any more career specs for Edge of the Empire, a private detective doesn't really fit as a bounty hunter imo, and it does fit the theme of a corporate sector book, and I can see FFG transitioning to universal specs as a way to introduce new content, and the little of several good things means it could be used for other purposes like a trained interrogator.

It does as I mentioned have a little of a several good things but it's not a combat focused spec (other than perhaps something like a natural brawler talent to help them break legs or perhaps basic combat training) and combat was primarily what I worry about when suggesting it. The "why wouldn't I take this" for a lot of people would be a it's not combat spec and also you can't attach a signature ability to it.

The intel and support talents would be "once per session" talents that may require the expenditure of a destiny point (I'm thinking 20 xp (intel) and 25 xp talents going down that (edge of the tree) column would be 2 ranks of sound investments, bought info, the intel talent, and the corporate support talent. Next to the intel talent would be the medicine interrogation talent named something like "trained interrogator" which would do something like, once per interrogation check you can spend a triumph to add a number of successes+advantages to an interrogation check equal to ranks in medicine. The successes could be enough to make an unsuccessful check successful and the advantages gives you additional info. you could fluff it as "monitoring physiological responses" (pulse, skin conductivity, etc) or "enhanced interrogation techniques" (like sleep deprivation) or maybe it could require the expenditure of a stim pack and straight out grant a number of successes+advantages that decrease like the number of wounds normally healed by a stimpack (which also keeps the recipient from using stimpacks to heal wounds). If trained interrogator required medicine (or was based of knowledge xenology instead of medicine) then the well rounded would be maybe a 15 or 20 xp talent and would be next to or above "trained interrogator" so that you could get medicine/xenology as a career skill. maybe instead of a well rounded would be a talent that made knowledge lore and knowledge xenology career skills (assuming trained interrogator worked off of xenology instead of medicine). Above or bellow trained interrogator would be some coercion and/or negotiation talent (maybe a re-roll talent) called something like "trained negotiator."

Marshall sounds like a good investigative spec. If you mix it with thief you get a well rounded private detective. I don't see the need of a universal spec for it. But the idea of giving out more universal specs is interesting, however it think that after the BH book is out, there won't be anymore specs for Edge.

I think there was even a section at the end of FH that said that Marshal/Thief would make a good private detective

I think there was even a section at the end of FH that said that Marshal/Thief would make a good private detective

That's where i took the suggestion from.

In the U.S., we're in an election year for President. We often hear campaign promises of what any given candidate promises to do in their first 100 days in office.

I wish FFG would reveal a larger map of their intended content. However, I also realize how Disney may want to constrict access to new information. I believe Disney profits off movies more than their license with FFG SW RPGs.

Have we already seen FFG test new waters of an expanded universe with its TFA:Box? We get teased with a new species, but FFG soils the bed by not including actual statistics for them. Do you believe we exist in a world where creativity suddenly dries up when writers penned Bormo? Plastics manufacturers put in more sculpt work on the Abednedo than FFG did on one sheet of paper with words. I believe Disney has some censorship rights on what/when certain content gets released. How else might we explain revisiting old, unchanging content (do we expect any major bombshells about Jawas that will forever skew the galaxy?) over committing to new content.

I think the lack of commitment from FFG tells us all we need to know about any future EU content.

Strike One: TFA:Boxed set, with no plans of adding to it.

Strike Two: TFA:Boxed set lacks details on a playable species, with no indication if Abednedo will ever be published crunch.

Strike Three: FFG grasps at straws for new fans (who've been waiting over a hundred days for any word on new EotE content- gutsy to ignore a fanbase), and clumsily crafts stories - NO RULES - about smashing together X-Wing and AoR for a game/campaign. Did someone owe someone else a favor at FFG, for this content to continually slide through editing? Do the editors play the game, to see how poorly the premise is established to forcible mate these two different products?

I'll be happy to see the Force-using career splatbooks see print, but am not holding my breath because of possible delays (real-world print/shipping problems) and lack of support from the Vampire Mouse.

Strike One: TFA:Boxed set, with no plans of adding to it.

Strike Two: TFA:Boxed set lacks details on a playable species, with no indication if Abednedo will ever be published crunch.

Strike Three: FFG grasps at straws for new fans (who've been waiting over a hundred days for any word on new EotE content- gutsy to ignore a fanbase), and clumsily crafts stories - NO RULES - about smashing together X-Wing and AoR for a game/campaign. Did someone owe someone else a favor at FFG, for this content to continually slide through editing? Do the editors play the game, to see how poorly the premise is established to forcible mate these two different products?

I hate Disney too, but I sort of see where FFG are coming from here.

1) I think the Force Awakens boxed set is a compromise, between a dreaded '2nd Edition' three years in, and shilling some sort of content for the new movies. This way, they appease Disney with lots of pictures of Daisey Ridley, but don't render all our existing books redundant. They can draw in new players who are interested in the new movies without angering their existing player base. After one film, there's not a great deal to put into a sourcebook anyway. The boxed set gives us stats for the new stuff, and there's enough there to play a Force Awakens game using the existing rules if you are so inclined.

2) It's a boxed set; none of the others have had new species in them, so it's no great surprise this one doesn't. They are easily reverse-engineered if you really want. Also, Abednedo are ugly, so there's a 100% chance we will see them shortly anyway

3) No content for EoE is sad. And yeah, the recent 'buy moar spaceship minis' articles have been diabolical, and I really wish they would stop. At this point I assume Brian Young has incriminating pictures of Christian Petersen in compromising positions with an ewok, so we'll just have to put up with them, awful as they are.

How else might we explain revisiting old, unchanging content (do we expect any major bombshells about Jawas that will forever skew the galaxy?) over committing to new content.

I don't disagree, but 'nostalgia' is the big seller amongst geeks and nerds of late. Which is why we get a safe reboot like the Force Awakens movie. Everyone's scared of doing new stuff.

Same with D&D - all we see are retreads of old adventures and a visceral fear of new content. Temple of Elemental Evil, Ravenloft, Against the Giants, Tomb of Horrors... All that was great, in 1983. Over thirty years later and Strahd's just a really dull villain, an evil guy doing bad things for the Evuls. And they can't update it for a modern audience just because WotC hate 'Twilight'.

This is what we will get for the next decade or so - companies selling us something we already have, because we're terrified of new things. Go figure <shrug>

I'd also like to see an * adventure * book (maybe in the Force and Destiny line or Edge of the Empire) set in the Tapani sector, get stats for lightfoils (Second rate lightsabers) and if it's in Edge of the Empire maybe a saber rake (non force sensitive lightfoil duelists) universal spec with some F&D style lightsaber talents in them and some stuff related to being rich spoiled nobles. honestly a diluted makashi duelist spec would work pretty decently.