I’m building a campaign based around the beginning years of the Galactic Empire. The PCs will be part of the first waves of new recruits tasked with the protection and enforcement of the New Order. They will be stationed in the Bright Jewel Sector where they will start small, protecting civilians from threats, stopping organized crime and expanding opportunities for the Empire. They will have a main quest to find and extract a rare element used in the creation of hyperdrive motivators, in preparation for an expanding Navy. A crime boss catches wind of the Empire’s need for this rare material, but if the PCs can find and extract it first, it will be an unnecessary expense for the Empire and they will be greatly rewarded.

I’m trying to wrap my head around the mentality of Clones during this era. Especially after the effects of Order 66 and the implanted brain chip that made them turn against their commanding Jedi officers. Did they black out during Order 66 and don’t recall what happened? Did they remember, but experienced a loss of control? Did they just “believe” they were in control of their own actions as the events played out?

I like the idea of the Empire giving them full exoneration if they desire it, with many of them deciding to continue their service after the war. What are they like? How do others treat them? What do you think? I need some ideas.

My impression of o66 is that a biochip overwrote their own personal feelings and tendencies. Apparently rex and some other clones removed their chips and were contrite over their actions and weighed down by remorse. However I have the impression that the others who did not discover or remove their chips were not and hence stayed on in the grand army of the Empire with full honors.

I believe the idea is that the clones know exactly what they did and how they acted. the control chips overrided any emotional attachment to the jedi and forced them into killing the jedi. After that, they remembered the event and if they still had their chips, probably still didn't like the jedi (since they were now branded traitors and the chips in the clones would still be active). The clones were effectively abandoned by the Empire not long after the end of the Clone Wars. Few remained in service to the Empire, others were left to fend for themselves. They wouldn't have known about the chips unless they learned about it somehow afterwards, tho if they still had them in it's possible they couldn't do anything about it once they were active. Star Wars has kept it pretty vague tbh.

One thing to keep in mind is there were way more Clones than Jedi and a very small percentage were likely actually involved in doing anything to a Jedi or even being near one when Order 66 happened. Personal remorse is probably very rare among surviving clones. Anger, confusion, and concern are far more likely attitudes among the majority of them which is likely why they were ditched. At that point is when they become individuals, they either believe the Jedi were traitors or they don't, enter the PC and their own decisions on how to play their clone character.

Another possibility, depending on how much value you place on adherence to the latest canon, is that there never were any chips. To my knowledge, the idea was never broached until it came up in the Clone Wars series; possibly because someone thought that it was necessary in order to continue marketing clone trooper toys as 'good guys'. Earlier Legends sources indicated that Order 66 was nothing but a contingency order which the clones were taught, and that they followed it because they'd been conditioned from birth to follow orders without question or hesitation.

After having read the Kanan comic and a recent short story in From a Certain Point of View, it's safe to say that in canon, the Clones don't realize that what they did was wrong. They believe they were fully correct in killing the Jedi. As far as they're concerned, the Jedi went rogue, and they were ordered to wipe them out by the big man himself. They did what they were bred to do. Follow orders. After that, many continued serving in the Empire (All the way up to A New Hope, 19 years after the Clone Wars). They no longer constituted the main force of the Empire, with the sheer volume of new recruits coming in, and many eventually aged out. But those that stayed in good enough shape likely kept serving until they died, with little to no remorse over their actions during Order 66.

Jaknow, of all the can(n)on changes, that's the one that bugs me the most. I always prefered the super-loyal, unquestioning of The Authority trooper. No brain altering chip required. The Emperor says "jump", they say "may we come down sir?"

The change felt kinda necessary after four seasons of The Clone Wars building up the clones as having much more personal identity and agency than was previously assumed. The clones we got to know would never have turned on the Jedi just because they were told to; they had way too much personal agency to give into that sort of order blindly, and a lot of them had very strong attachments to their Jedi Generals.

The Umbara Arc was a pretty good example of what TCW's version of the troopers would do in response to authority that they disagree with.

The clones are slaves, really. They don’t do what is right, they do what they’re told is right. While a few have managed to develop independent thought, (Slick, Cut, Rex, Wolffe, Gregor, Fives, etc.) the ability was mostly taken from them by the Kaminoans. They were chastised from birth against developing independent thought, and really only those who were taught to think for themselves (Serving under a guy like Anakin or being separated from the rest of the army) could do so.

So most of them believe exactly what they’re told.

29 minutes ago, Tom Cruise said:

The Umbara Arc was a pretty good example of what TCW's version of the troopers would do in response to authority that they disagree with.

Well, that was sort of different.

a. As I mentioned before, I think those serving under Anakin developed a different mentality because Anakin had such a different mentality, and cared for them more at the personal level.

b. Krell was a traitor. They had reason to believe that Palpatine would wish for them to disobey.

I guess my issue with that is we never see the "normal" clones. Every clone we have any real exposure to has developed a heightened level of agency, personality and personal values that goes way above the idea of an indoctrinated slave. Even the rookie clones we see in the rookies arc are pretty independent, and they haven't really had the long-term exposure to a compassionate master that the 501st had.

I believe the Clone Wars Animated Series May be throwing me off. I love the series, and I love the personalities that the clones have, and I want to incorporate that aspect into my story. I think 2P51 made a great point about the number of clones involved with executing Jedi, and I think that I may forgo the “biochip” idea altogether in favor of the Clone’s natural bred devotion to Duty and chain of command.

The way I see the beginning stages of the Empire can be described as politically cautious. The Emperor May have full control, but doesn’t have the true power to conquer the galaxy until 19 years later. He is still making an effort to appease the worlds of the galaxy, therefore, the clone project in my story will have a graceful and honorable descent with most of the surviving clones continuing their service until their rapid aging catches up with them. They will be highly honored, respected and often feared.

This is helping so much, thank you!

The Clones wars Animated series, season 6, episode 1-4 deal with Clone trooper Tup being "infected" and killing a jedi. Later revealed to be the chip. If I remember correctly, in those Episodes Tup has no recollection of killing the jedi, so I guess its possible clone troopers wouldn't even be aware of executing order 66.

Frankly speaking, each game of Edge of the Empire is almost its own version of the Star Wars universe. This means the GM is free to establish his own canon within universe. (For example, my party seems intent on acquiring super-weapon plans because they discovered Sheeve has over a dozen projects in the works.). If you go with established canon clones had chips and were not aware of their actions during Order 66. In Legends Canon, I’m pretty sure clones were made trained to be exceedingly loyal to the chain of command, and then they were told that the Jedi were attempting to overthrow the Republic (something the Emporer had conditioned them to believe) and then they responded accordingly.

28 minutes ago, HadesHerald said:

Frankly speaking, each game of Edge of the Empire is almost its own version of the Star Wars universe. This means the GM is free to establish his own canon within universe. (For example, my party seems intent on acquiring super-weapon plans because they discovered Sheeve has over a dozen projects in the works.). If you go with established canon clones had chips and were not aware of their actions during Order 66. In Legends Canon, I’m pretty sure clones were made trained to be exceedingly loyal to the chain of command, and then they were told that the Jedi were attempting to overthrow the Republic (something the Emporer had conditioned them to believe) and then they responded accordingly.

Exactly.

Wait, did you just answer your own OP question, with the only answer that really matters? (Its my game so I can do what I want). I approve.

Nani?

Oh hah! Stupid FFG avatars. Nope, am a different person. :|