Thought I'd get this party started, seeing as how there doesn't seem to be a thread devoted to discussing JUST the RPG that's on the horizon.

I personally foresee a completely new system (ass opposed to a carbon copy of Warhammer FRP &/or 40k) for any Star Wars rpgs they decide to produce. Star Wars SCREAMS for lavish visual representation, which Fantasy Flight have in spades over most other companies (see EVERY GAME THEY PUBLISH)...and if their versions of the BSG board game & Warhammer Fantasy are any sign, they know how to invoke to the flavor of a setting. Even if you don't like the Warhammer Fantasy mechanics, you have to admit...if you've played it...that it reeks of the Old World. Insanity, disease, corruption, fatigue, stress, severe wounds etc. I honestly foresee a game that utilizes both straight-up hardcover rule books and accessory type components (minis, dice, tokens, etc) to give us a game that's both accessible and appealing to people that may be new to rpgs and/or older gamers that want to try something new and refreshing.

Let's be honest, if you don't like where modern table top/pen and paper games are headed (see D&D 4th Ed, WHFRP 3rd Ed, The One Ring....etc) then you can just keep playing the older games that you've been fond of for so many years. It ain't as if there's a shortage of used hard-copies/scanned pdf's out there to pick from.

I'd personally like to see mechanics that incorporate some custom components (i.e. cards and/or dice, tokens etc) but ONLY if the enhance the flavor of the game. Perhaps heavy card-stock dials that display the player/heroes current standing in the force (light/dark side)....just a random idea. Or Tokens that track dark side corruption. Maybe some custom dice, but no dice pools.

As for miniatures support, I'm not sure I see FF going this route with a Star Wars RPG. I have a feeling that the RPG will be playable without minis (i.e. have abstract range increments ala WHFRP) but will most definitely be playable with minis if your group so likes, just like any rpg out there.

What do y'all think/want?

WTF is going on with this thread!? Is no one interested in speculation?

The Star Wars RPG has been a topic of discussion for me ever since FFG announced they had the license. They haven’t really given us much to go on, but FFG usually plays their cards pretty close to their chest. I can’t wait to spend my hard-earned money on this game. I whole-heartedly trust FFG to do a fantastic job. I, however, don’t think we’ll hear anymore about the game until late next year, maybe next GenCon at the earliest.

I’ve loved all the game rules for every FFG game I’ve has the luxury of playing. I wouldn’t really mind too much if they rehashed an old rules set to fit the Star Wars game. That being said, I think FFG would do well to make a new rules engine. I know they wouldn’t do it just for the purpose of making new rules. They could make a rules set that more properly fits the setting.

I want a Star Wars game that doesn’t just focus on Jedi. Jedi are great, but I’ve had much more fun playing a Han Solo type than a Luke type character.
I’d like FFG to incorporate various gaming add-ons, but only if (like was said above) they enhance the gaming experience. I’d love to see cards, custom dice, minis, etc.!

I'll begin by saying that anyone who argues to make a new game for star wars must first believe that game mechanics impact the story. Anyone who believes that any game master can tell the same story with any game mechanics may as well save a lot of money and buy some used WEG star wars rpg books. There is absolutely no point in paying what will likely be an exorbitant price for new books if mechanics don't matter. So I'm operating from this stance as I continue my thoughts on the topic.

The question becomes: how can Fantasy Flight help players tell stories in the star wars universe? The answer needs to be more than 'superior combat rules' - otherwise they can just make a few combat games like they did with Game of Thrones. The rules need not just to work, but also help tell stories! So, in light of this, I make these four commets:

First, I agree with the first poster - that this publication SCREAMS for amazing visuals, new artwork - not just clips from the films that we've been looking at for decades. Art pulls people into the story. I think that's key.

Second, rules need to be cinematic, fast, and dynamic. If FF wants to add anything, they have to do a better job than WotC and WEG. And a rules clone wont solve this issue. It's not just about having a new Star Wars game... it's about having a star wars game where I can negotiate a deal with my smuggler using social combat - and then have a lightsaber duel that captivates my imagination, but where both parties walk away tired but unharmed... and then later have one where I can chop someone's arm off. If the rules don't allow this sort of thing - I may as well run my game in Savage Worlds and pull out some books of Star Wars artwork for inspiration. A good test of a good licensed system is if players could run the stories that the game is based on. Hence, if I cant shoot a rodian under the table while I'm shooting my mouth off - it's a bad system. If I can't have an interesting lightsaber duel without dying or killing my opponent, it's a bad system. If I can't fly my starship into an asteroid belt to successfully avoid pursuit, it's a bad system.

Third, they need to add quality stuff to the world - in the same way the old WEG game did. They need to have huge star wars fanboys with creative imaginations making new stories in the universe and then allowing us as players to interact with those stories.

Fourth, and this is just a personal preference, I hop they use the expanded universe. The books are a little darker than the movies. Betrayals and intrigue (did I mention social combat) and such. I hope to see a game that includes criminal organizations smuggling spice to addicts and swoop gangs that terrorize neighborhoods... in addition to the whole good vs. evil thing. The books have some shades of gray that the movies downplay, I feel. However, that sort of thing can be added in by individual game masters.

That's my wish list. I will likely buy the first book or two no matter what. But I am highly skeptical of FF's ability to pull this off - although they will definitely do better than WotC, which was largely just a republication of old material with a slightly adapted D&D system slapped on - it was made to make money, and then discarded the moment the profits ceased. FF is at least a company that loves gaming and I think that will go a long way. I just hope its far enough to actually reinvigorate role-playing in the star wars universe.

On a side note - I'd love to see a combat system that seamlessly integrated miniature combat - like WEG did. I loved that. And I own far too many 28mm star wars minis - it would be wonderful to have a superior set of mini rules to use them with. Maybe even buy some new ones.

Being an Star Wars Rpg enthusiast for almost 20 years, and after investing so much money in WEG and WOC books, a question comes to my mind: will be worth this new edition? I mean, will this new incarnation be better than the previous?, or plainly said: would I want to buy my fifth Star Wars core rulebook?

Both WEG and WOC versions had amazing things and others that didn't work so well. But it's my opinion that for this to be the ultimate Star Wars Rpg we must keep all those concepts that made this game so great.

I know that every gamemaster, player, gropu and reader has his/her own style, taste and preferences, well, here are mine:

• True to Star Wars. I don't want a good Rpg, I want a good Star Wars Rpg, so it much catch the feel of the movies, its prime source.
• Character templates above character classes. More that the action or the SFX's, what people really remember about Star Wars are the characters: how cool was Han Solo, Princess Leis spirit or how funny were the droids. The focus should be in character concept rather than in character mechanics and IMO that is better accomplished with Templates in a WEG fashion.
• Faster and more intense. The game should be fast and cinematic with the resolution of actions made in just an easy dice roll in the likes of the d20 version (specially in SAGA) instead of rolling loads of dice.
• Supplements as Reference books. Aside being useful Rpg aids, the supplements should be complete and in depth reference books of the Star Wars universe, suitable for gamers and common readers (how I miss books like the old Rebel Alliance Sourcebook).
• EU ok but.... the focus should be in movies content. I don't want a book wich details EU locations, events or vehicles if movie content have not been properly covered.

That is what I want/wish for the Fantasy Flight version. If the direction of the new game approaches this I'll be faithfully in, if not I would probably stay with any of the older versions.

Thanks for reading and greetings to all.

I would really be excited to play a Star Wars RPG by FFG, specially if they do it similar as they did to WRFP 3rd.

I like the dice pool system, a mix of Storyteller system and Descent. The cards, sheets...

I was actually a fan of Saga edition, until the last year or so of books came out. I think that enough time has passed that a new RPG won't have to live under the shadow of a recent system, but there are some bumps in the road that damaged my enjoyment of Saga that I hope FFG avoids if and when they make their own Star Wars RPG.

1. Please, please, if you are going to give stats for a specific weapon/ship/droid, let us know what era and what context the thing existed in. It's great to mine obscure lore for material . . . we're Star Wars geeks, we like that kind of thing. However, if we don't know that it came from some Dark Times era source and was only used by X, but someone else in the group knows that . . . well, it doesn't ruin the game, but it kind of negates the point of using a cool specific named item in the first place.

2. Please don't make "buffet" sourcebooks. WOTC had books that had 75% Clone Wars relevant stuff with 10% Rebellion era stuff and 5% KOTOR era material and another 10% vague stuff from weird sources. I got whiplash trying to follow what was suppose to be in a given sourcebook. I realize that WOTC was trying to be all things to all people, but I really wanted to have a coherent focus on a specific topic in a sourcebook, not someone trying to make sure that players got as much out of the book as GMs, and KOTOR GMs got as much out of a book as Legacy era GMs, because, in the end, that meant that all types of people buying the book got about 20% useful information in the book and a lot of stuff they didn't really want.

3. If the 40K books are any indication, this should be a problem, but don't skimp on the lore! WOTC was very minimalist when it came to lore in the Saga books, and the cited reason was that there were other sources that go into detail about X and Y. That is true, but sometimes you want to see a lot of that lore compiled in one place, ready to be read and to inspire, instead of being vaguely hinted at so that you can spend your pages on blank white space, reused art, and new PrCs or talent trees that make the GM pull his hair out because they invalidate previous material due to power creep or general rules overlap.

4. I know that this will be heretical to some old time SWRPG types, but can we get away from Sense, Alter, and Control popping up in Force abilities? For some reason the terms come up in every SWRPG set of rules, because they were a part of the WEG version, but they aren't ever referenced in any form in any lore except for RPG rules. I know, it's a pet peeve of mine, but I can ask, can't I?

5. Saga had much better actual rules for playing (until rules bloat hit hard with the last handful of releases), but d20 Star Wars had some great rules for running an actual campaign in its sourcebooks. I know it's not easy, but try to do both well.

6. I am certainly not advocating a level based system, but whatever the system is, try not to design a system that isn't suppose to do what it appears to do. What do I mean? Saga had 20 levels, but characters were capped at 20 across the board. If you had 20th level characters, Palpatine would have to have a bunch of 18-19 level buddies hanging out with him to give the PCs a run for their money (and the same holds true of Malak or any other important villain NPC you care to insert here).

You also had the silly situation arise in the adventure path for Saga where an inquisitor had to be more powerful than Vader to be a challenge for the PCs in order to make the adventure path run from 1st to 20th level. Stuff like that shouldn't happen. Granted, if you have a game where GM rules are different than PC rules, that changes the equation, as does not having a level based system, but it's a situation I'd like to not see come up again.

Since now the d6 system is open, would like FF to use that system?

I hope they give us soon some hint about the direction of the Rpg, that speculation is killing me.

I would like to reiterate most of the wishes here, and add some of my own.

I never played D6, but did play the Saga D20 system. It was not a perfect system... at all. So here's my wish list

1) Using the Force and being a Jedi should not break the game! Whateer you have to do to make this work! Make using the force a separate rule. Don't tie to to a skill rule or an ability, which can then be increased. For example, in the D20 system, use the force was a skill, the same as climbing rocks or jumping. And then you could further train or focus your skills to add an additional +10 to your use the force skill. It's a great theory until you realize that jumping and climbing interacts with inanimate objects, but the force interacts with NPCs. A +10 to jump doesn't break the game. A +10 to mind wipe someone does.

2) Keep it Simple! Saga got very convoluted with specilizations, multiclassing and prestige classes. It got cumbersome. Keep the system simple.

3) Keep it Open! Star Wars should allow for exploration, daring adventures, davd vs goliath moments, open war, political battles, smuggling, raids, and a host of other conflicts and campaign possibilities. Don't just focus on sith vs. jedi (even though it's probably what we all love most about Star Wars)

4) Support! in Saga, each sourcebook added more classes, more rules, and more cumbersome weight. Instead think about later books that add stories, adventures, equipment, and other stuff people can use to enhance the story they are playing in.

Personally, I like the extended universe stuff. The movies are 30 years old. How much more can we set in those 3 original stories?

Definitely allow rules for cinematic battles that mirror the movies though.

I have played all the RPG systems produced under the Star Wars IP. I enjoyed the in depth detail and versatility that West End Games had with the D6 system, I enjoyed the WOTC D20 system under the 3.0 and 3.5 rules set even though there were some balancing issues between force users and non force users. When WOTC went with teh 4th edition format in the Saga edition i really did not like how it became overly simplified and mirrored WOW with a Star Wars skin.

I have hopes the Fantasy Flight will do what is good for the IP and really like to see the inclusion of the extended universe and of the era's that can be utilized for play such as the Old Republic, Rise of the Empire, Rebellion, New Republic, New Jedi Order,and Legacy. I wouldn't mind seeing a percentile version of the Star Wars RPG similar to Dark Heresy and Rouge Trader.

I too want the books to be more focused on one setting instead of having bits and pieces from many eras. I'd also like to see jedi and non jedi balanced in a way where every archetype has its advantages. What I don't want to see is a game based solely on the player's imagination. I like a good amount of mechanics and customization of my characters to make them different from the next. For this reason, I do not wish to see the Star Wars RPG to be a clone of Rogue Trader. I dislike being forced to choose from a list of abilities governed by class and level. If I want to play a Jedi that uses a blaster it should be possible without waiting until some high level to achieve this. I don't want it to be level based at all. I rather the system be based around skill vs skill like the WEG Star Wars (but better balanced) .

From a money making standpoint I can see why WotC put stuff from multiple eras in each book. From their perspective I'm sure they thought that they would net more buyers if they appealed to a broader audience with each book. But the problem with that line of thinking is that it does not take into account the fanboy factor. I have the full library of both editions of WotC's SWRPG runs and not because every book was useful in the campaigns in which I was involved. I bought them because they were Star Wars books.

I would assume that the first book will either be set in the Rebellion Era or the Clone Wars Era, seeing as how those are where the movies are based. That's fine. I would like to be able to play eventually in both the Old Republic Era and the Legacy Era, though. I have had a lot of fun reading/gaming in the expanded universe over the years.

What does not draw me to an RPG is a bunch of materials beyond the books. I know that some people don't mind it and others actually like it, but for me it's a bit of a turn-off. I'm a grognard for sure, and one of the reasons I have steered away from the Warhammer 3rd edition is that I don't like having a bunch of fiddly bits being necessary to my game. I prefer a a game where you're considered well-equipped when you have a piece of paper, a pencil, and a set of dice. I feel that if you need counters, cards, special dice, etc, perhaps the rules system is too complicated which often leads to it getting in the way of the storytelling and the role-playing. In the middle of a combat if I have to move a dial on a counter, flip a card, find the blue combat defense die, and then draw a card to complete an action it can easily draw you out of your imaginary world for what is essentially unnecessary bookkeeping. But that's just me, an older crotchety gamer.

I will close this with saying that no matter what form FFG's Star Wars RPG takes, I'll buy at least the basic rulebook/box. I'm that hopelessly devoted to Star Wars.

This actually caught my eye. Until recently I'd never though Star Wars would draw my attention but after looking at some of my old d20 Revised Edition books it got me thinking over all about our various games and characters back in the day. I did some homebrewing with other systems that are open but I'm a big believer in the mechanics of a game fitting the setting intended for it.

Having read some of the above posts I have to agree with the major ty of points. Especially KnightErrantJR. While I have an older pen & paper mentality concerning miniatures and the tactical side of things It's been a growing interest of mine for awhile and While I'd prefer a straight Pencil & Paper RPG for Star Wars, the idea of a game that includes stuff like the WHFRP 3rd Edition box wouldn't be out of the question.

So here's a short wishlist of ideas and thoughts

1. Jedi cannot be overpowered in comparison with the other classes: I cannot stress this enough. By this I mean a character without force abilities should be able to match a Jedi played by the same person at the same XP and or Levels or whatever advancement mechanic they use. I don't want jedi to be nerfed so to speak but The original Trilogy was about someone becoming a jedi in a society that had regulated them to "Crazy Mystic" territory. I think it helps to remember that this would probably be the natural response of non-force using races, only the pre-emminance of the Jedi Order in the canon helped that issue.

2. Unified Universe Perspective. While I agree that the d20 games went through too many editions (A game or two we he conversion issues) It did cause my interest to wain. While I'm not against the idea of sourcebooks covering specific eras of the canon, I'd like to point out that Star Wars in all it's incarnations had large followings, Comics, EU Novels, Video Games, and The Original and Prequel Trilogies.

3. Starship Rules including Ship Creation. This honestly was my biggest gripe with d20. Ship Combat was alright, it was tactical and d20 and I was able to make it work for the most part, but the lack of ship creation rules, and the rarity of the following "Starships of the Galaxy" sourcebook made it annoying to deal with anything other than statted out ships. Now of cource this can be handwaved but if you're a setting geek like I can be you like to have specific things when possible. Also Ship Map Record sheets would be loved if the game goes into a tactical direction.

4. Varied Weapons. While I understand that the Star Wars Universe is a old place that has a long history of the cooperation of various species, and that galactic goverment tends to impose standards in equipment, it always struck me as odd that there seemed to be Blasters, Ion Guns, Vibro Weapons and Lightsabers only for the most part. I'm not saying have some crazy surfeit of stuff, but something like the xenos weapons from the 40K books would be nice. A small selection of more exotic and rare gear.

5. The Force: Dark Side Corruption should have some sort of system you can attach, and both light and dark sides should be covered to a fair degree. I can't really suggest a mechanic though the old d20 revised Ed. did an okay job of it in my opinion.

Sorry for repost

Greetings people!

Someone mentioned the wish of a specific systems that suits perfectlly in SW. Other game editions like D6, D20 or Saga, where pretty good, but where "only" patchs or addons from other systems. Not designed for SW.

An specific system designed for SW univers will be really impressive and trully adapted to SW universe.

Take care people!

PS: One question, anyone here from Wizards Community?

I admittedly never really played the Star Wars RPGs. The WEG edition was before my time and when I finally psyched myself up to get into the d20 edition, WOTC released Saga. As for Saga... people say the rules run smoother then in the previous WotC edition, I'll have to take their word for it because I never played it. The instant I read that they were removing the Tech Specialist my interest died. Yeah it sounds petty but at the same time who in their right mind releases a PnP sci-fi RPG without a techie? Then when they realized their error they released a solution that never really satisfied me, sci-fi games practically scream for a dedicated engineer or computer specialist available from the start...

Anyway, enough ranting. My wish list for the inevitable RPG on the horizon:

- Force vs. NonForce: Please, do not make the Jedi/Sith more powerful then the nonForce users or at least give the mundane characters some decent perks for not dedicating their lives to the mystery of the Force. While the Force is cool, I always found the bounty hunters, troopers, and smugglers more interesting and more wonderfully ambiguous. If you're a Jedi or a Sith then it's pretty much a given how you're going to act while the other characters had a lot more moral greys to them.

- System: Whether you make a new system or just convert the latest edition of the 40k RPG rules doesn't really matter so long as it still only uses dice. Nothing against the WH3rd system, I just like keeping the amount of things I can easily lose to a minimum.

- Classes/Careers: While classless would be better for the player, it's also more difficult to balance. And if you decide to go with classes... please make sure we have the sci-fi RPG staples (soldier, scoundrel, techie, and some kind of Face) somewhere inbetween all the Jedi, smugglers, and bounty hunters. Yeah a mechanic class isn't all that glamourous but it has its advantages, especially when the party's ship breaks down in the middle of enemy territory.

- The Universe: Some folks want the game to focus on the movies, others want it to focus on the world described in the books. I say, if time and resources allow why not shoot for everything?

I had a buddy of mine comment on what to expect from any Star Wars game... and his word was "a mixture of awe and disappointment"

I remember walking across the quad at college the week the Episode I trailer came out and an aquaintence of mine was walking in the other direction, so fixated on something I thought he was high (point of fact, he was sober and was not really a fanboy).

"Are you okay?" I called out to him.
"Huh?" he muttered, and then he looked at me. "Have you seen it?"
"Seen what?"
"The trailer, man! Have you seen the trailer. It's all I can think about" And then he wandered off.

The memory sticks in my head as to how important Star Wars is to so many of us who grew up on it. It strangely defines just a bit of who we are. I mean it's no coincidence that Eastern Religions have become wholly acceptable by our generation (via the Jedi rhetoric which is largely quoted from Buddhism) and Pluralism is largely accepted as well (because Star Wars is pseudo-based on the "mono-myth" from theologian Joseph Campbell's epic work 'Hero of a Thousand Faces"). Hell, a small but noticeable portion of the American population registered themselves as "Jedi" on the last census.

There are few other pieces of modern fiction that have had that kind of impact on our hearts and imaginations. We all have that spark inside of us that feels like we know what Star Wars is. It's deeply meaningful to us.

Soooo.... a new game that allows us to tell stories in that universe cannot help but make us feel a sense of childhood awe and wonder, but also the inevitable disappointment as the game's failure to capture ALL of what we love so much about the Star Wars stories. Thus, everyone has their favorite version... various expectations... etc.

This is a long road to say - I think the game needs to b MODULAR - with a simple core rules set and a bunch of crunch that can be over-layed or ignored. It needs to be crunchy for the crunch lovers - rules-light for the rules-light folks. It needs to have lots of rules for weapons and the Force for those that get into that - and have streamlined generic equipment for those who don't find that the gripping part about the system.

I think a MODULAR game is the only way to please almost everyone.

Josep Maria said:

Hi Josep

I'm from the WoTC forum, but I didn't post there that much.

I don't see why we can't start in the movie eras, but then expand.to others. There's a lot of rich story telling, just take a look at the Old Republic video games.

WoTC's failure was trying to make their source books too similar to those video games and miniature games though. The Force Unleashed book, for example, throws the game so far out of whack it's unbelievable. All because the video game was insane. Hopefully LucasFilms or whoever dictated those kinds of decisions won't do so here.

zeke023 said:

You know, it's interesting that you mentioned this, since WotC seems to be taking this EXACT approach with the upcoming 5th edition of D&D. I think this would be a wonderful idea for a star wars game. The original WEG D6 version of the Star Wars RPG had this exact type of thing going on...a simple core system that was easy to expand upon...which they did. The original WEG Star Wars "Adventure Game" boxed set, was little more than a basic rules intro to the game...later on they released the full on Core Rulebook and then a Companion Rules book that expanded them.

GoblynKing said:

Yeah, I'm really interested to see what they can do with D&D 5th edition. I liked the options for 3rd ed published in Ars Magica and such. I was a little disappointed in 4th ed, but not as much as some of its big critics seem to be.

Also - now that WEG d6 is open - I think it's an option to get rules updates and go back to that if FF disappoints by making the game to gimicky.

I'd personally like to see FF take the old D6 OGL and tweak it a bit. Give it their own spin and visual flair! They could even take a page from Cubicle 7's recent Lord of the Rings RPG - The One Ring, by including custom D6's that could easily be substituted with normal six siders.

The One Ring core set includes a set of six sided dice and a single twelve sided die:

These custom dice add a nice visual kick to the game, but can easily be replaced with normal store bought dice.

Think of the 12 sider as the "Wild Die"

Instead of the Gandalf and Sauron rune, imagine a rebel alliance and imperial symbol in their place.

Using this prototype, FF could easily revamp the d6 system, keeping the best parts, while adding a nice visual edge, which the company is so good at doing.

I'm certainly interested in seeing what FFG does with the SW RPG (really really hoping that they actually use that aspect of the licence for starters). Unfamiliar with their other rpg systems I can't comment on them repurposing those systems for SW other than to say I'd give it a chance.

Having a new system built for the SW RPG specifically would be very exciting, and if they took that route I'd hope for something mechanically streamlined and fast paced. A modular approach talked about earlier could be a very good idea.

If they were to use a previous system to build off of, I would certainly vote for the d6 system to be updated. As a SW system it offers, in my opinion of course, the most potential.

Count me as another who'd like to see a d6 Star Wars revival of some sort. I think there's some merit to the system, and, with some tweaking, it could be even better. However, if I had to choose a newer system, I think I'd look closely at FATE. The mechanics work smoothly and it wouldn't be hard at all to flavor it towards Star Wars ...

I think that a Star Wars RPG based on the 40k rules would be pretty awesome, and honestly, would be a lot of fun.

Dak Rogers said:

I'd be fine with this so long as they find a way to allow alien races. That's something that the 40k system does not have really. I wouldn't want to see Wookie as a career any more than I would want to see a Human scoundrel looking the same as a Rodian one.