This Anniversary Core set is written for First Edition D6 Star Wars. Some of you may want to know the difference between this set of rules and those that came later.
First, consider the many rule versions for D6 SW.
1. First Edition Star Wars D6 Core Rulebook
2. Rules Upgrade (This was a four page insert that was provided with most adventures and supplements).
3. The Rules Companion (This is a supplement book that provided various new and altered rules for the game).
4. Second Edition Star Wars D6 Core Rulebook
5. Second Edition Revised & Expanded Core Rulebook
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1E AND 2E?
Any version of the D6 Star Wars game is a fantastic game. I've played them all, and I enjoy all of them. Pick the version that best suits your tastes.
I started with the core book that is part of this Anniversary set. I added the Rules Upgrade, and then I used rules from the Rules Companion. I ran my longest single campaign using the Second Edition rules. It took seven real years to play, where the same players played the entire campaign.
Today, my preference is for 1E. I like the simplicity of it. I like how fast it plays, and I like its focus on roleplaying, fast action. To me, the First Edition rules best emulate the incredible Space Opera action that we see in the original trilogy of films. The Second Edition game--a brilliant game in its own right--is crunchier and more like a standard set of roleplaying game rules. If you will, think of the 1E version of the game as the Lite version, where 2E has all the bells and whistles.
For example, you will throw more dice with the 2E game. There are Character Points and Skill Specializations, and 2E uses the exploding Wild Die. All of this results in bigger handfuls of dice to throw, more to count. 2E also has a larger list of skills, and 2E flat out uses more task rolls (like Initiative). 1E doesn't have this stuff--it's a slimmer, more action focused game that promotes more roleplaying and less rule lawyering.
There are more task rolls in 2E. Initiative has its own roll, as with most RPGs. There's a rule system for using Sensors. You may need to roll for Movement. Space combat count a ship's move using "Space Units". In 1E, all of this is glossed over. Sensors work if its important to the plot. The GM may require a quick roll, but often, the sensors are used by the GM to enhance the drama. "Sensors are being jammed! Pick up your visual scanning!" Space combats are quick and breathless, using a few rolls for this and that. Movement just happens--there's no rolls to make (unless the GM decides that there is!)
When you think of 2E, think of a standard set of roleplaying game rules.
When you think of 1E, think of a quick set of rules that allows you to experience that breath-taking, slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am action that is Star Wars.
Again, both are excellent games. But, don't think of 1E as inferior. It's not. It's my favorite version of the rules. It's just meant for a different style of play--play that is less concerned with rules and more focused on incredibly exciting Star Wars action.
1E is about a swashbuckling hero, grabbing a princess to his hip, and swinging across a metal chasm while a horde of stormtrooper sharpshooters blast away at him. It's not about minute details and a rule for everything (that's more like 2E). It's about breath-taking moments, your GM telling you, "OK, you've got her on your hip! Your other hand has a grip on the rope. Go! Go, man! Go!" And, the blaster bolts zip buy as you feel the rope tighten in your grip and the wind lift your hair!
A NOTE ON CONVERSION
If you compare the stat blocks from a 1E adventure to that of a 2E adventure, it becomes obvious, quickly, that 2E adds a lot of crunch and detail to the game rules. Therefore, it is fairly easy to use 2E materials in a 1E game. You just have to ignore the stuff that is not used in 1E (and, you do have to add a thing or two, like Speed Codes).
But, the reverse is not true. It is much harder to covert from 1E to 2E than it is the reverse.
Edited by player3412539
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