Will this first release not deal with Jedi Characters at all? If so what will the release schedule look like? Why not just have a game that gives the "meat" of the star wars universe to begin with?If we have to wait over a year or two for classic Star Wars elements Like jedi and the rebellion era material then it just will not be worth it. I know this souonds negative but there is only one chance to get this right.

Hi:

This game seems to be centered in the Empire Civil War (Luke & Vader's) era - Episodes IV thru VI. I doubt there's many jedis there except dead ones or in hiding. Not much to do for a force user.

That's an explanation.

L

Don't read too much into it. :-). I'm holding the book right now. Light sabers are fully stated out, and there's an entire chapter on force use and talents. ;-) its just obviously not the FOCUS of the first book. But there appears to be full rules for playing a Jedi in hiding.

GM Chris said:

Rob

+ Bothan, Droid, Gand, Human

So what are we looking at here? Three main books plus a few supplemental books for each book? Also will the final release be a boxed edition.? Will this be treated like WHFRP3 and be released as a boxed set only to be re-released later as hard backs with supplemental material included? Will the main books eventually be released as a combined set? When the items go into reprint mode what will the wait time be? one year? a year and a half?

I only ask these questions because i have seen some of this with WFRP3. I know some things are out of FFG's control but these are questions that need to be answered.

Does the combat system have "mook' rules? Are there ways to take the nameless thugs down for the count? or is it a battle of attrition type thing? Speaking of mooks. How Stormtroopers looking from this game's point of view ?

I was told at Gen Con each book will come out 1 year appart. Ie the force and destiny in 2015.

trunkmonkee1971 said:

My understanding is they are considered "minions" and are handled similarly.

Yancy

I hear you. I originally rejected West End Games' Star Wars RPG because they made every kind of Jedi possible except the real, full-fledged kind.

Nonetheless, I like the approach they're taking, here. WotC's D20 version already did what you're saying, and they really didn't screw it up at all. Yet it didn't last very long, even with the sleek, streamlined Saga edition and everything. I'm of the sort that thinks D20 is too crunchy, too rules-laden. I'm of the sort that ditched D&D4e in favor of Warhammer Fantasy.

This game is going to have plenty of structure, but all according to a narrativist concept. They have to set themselves apart from the previous two attempts at this RPG (can we agree the previous two attempts ultimately failed?). They've decided to hold us to the Outer Rim. If I were a developer, I would be aware that people are used to D20-type stuff, to "gamist" concepts (where combat scenarios threaten to dominate entire game sessions), and I would see fit to really point people in a different direction before letting out with everything.

It might sound like I'm overthinking it, and no I'm not on the FFG payroll, but I am a teacher, and I know that a lot of people are going to pick up that pool of custom dice and throw them down for combat and skill checks like it's any old RPG. Outer Rim-types are unique, and their personal problems are of greater significance to them than empires or rebellions. Maybe by holding them to that kind of campaign at first, players can get the feel for what a narrativist game has that others don't. Not only is the Jedi installment coming later, so is the soldiers and pilots installment. The teacher in me says that people need to shift their habits from a gamist concept to a narrativist concept before taking on stuff like X-Wing battles and AT-ATs, or else it's just going to be more of the same.

Because ultimately, if I were a developer, I would want my game's concept of the Jedi to blow all the others out of space.

I agree on most points Greedo, but would have to say that I think WEG didn't necessarily fail. It still provides a valid and potent platform from which to run Star Wars adventures - my friends and I have been using it for the past 12 years (since I was 11) and have told a vast number of interesting, fun and memorable tales with it. Granted it's not perfect, but the imperfections are a) easy to ignore, and b) present, in some format, in every game.

But to each their own.

Shakespeare, I don't doubt it for a minute. Hell, did the WEG version have a longer run than Wi zards? Of course it all comes down to a creative and well-run game.

I just can't emphasize enough how much I love this generally narrativist turn that new game mechanics are taking. It's all I want to play. Trail of Cthulhu, Sorcerer, (Jedi) in the Vineyard, WHFRP, and now this. I've got a wife, a job and a two-year old. Even if I wanted to figure out all my multi-class feats for a Pathfinder game (which I don't, really), I wouldn't have the time. The fact is that I'm having more fun gaming in my thirties than I did in my teens, and much of it is because of these kinds of games. It's too fun.

Greedo is Good said:

While I do agree with your point (WEG was a great game, and remains so…), it ALSO comes down to the fact that Lucasfilm sold them a 10 year license for practical pennies (not understanding what a hot RPG IP it was) by industry standards… LOL. Lucas has not made this error again. ;-)

I had a lot of fun with WEG back in the day, but there were a couple of things about it that frustrated me to no end and that will prevent me from going back to it. Still, being the first Star Wars RPG, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Greedo is Good said:

Apologies for the necro, but some

WEG not only got a great license at a decent price, at first, but they also were the most wide-spread source of "Expanded Universe" data…

There were few novels when they started…

3 Han Solo novels (HS at Stars End, HS's Revenge, HS & the Lost Legacy) by Brian Daley
3 Lando Calrissian novels (LC and the Mindharp of Sharu, LC and the Flamewind of Oseon, LC and the Starcave of ThonBoka), by L. Neil Smith
Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster
And 3 novelizations of the movies

During their run, 6 Jedi Prince books and about 6 other books were released. As were the Dark Empire graphic novels.

There was no internet to search for more info… you went to the game for its sourcebooks.
There was very limited marketing of setting info books other than WEG's.
There was no ready outlet for fan-writers, and WEG gave a good one (SWAJ).

They added value to the property just as the marketing wave from Jedi was peaking… and when they lost it, the whole industry was in a slump, but they'd inspired a bunch of people to remain active fans.

TSR/Wizards simply couldn't compete with the internet as a source of data for fans. So the only thing they had going was the engine… And the engine put off many fans of SW… including some who liked d20 in general.

WEG's SW Sourcebook was as much for fans as for gamers. No shortage of gamers started because they noted game stats in the gorgeous book of setting data.

We can't expect FFG-SW to be as influential as WEG-SW… the WEG model won't work due to competition with free websites, and loads of soft-canon stuff like the guide to the Falcon.

Some of the design decisions for era and how much there is for jedi in the first game may have been influenced by what has happened with the license. There has been at least one rumor/report that I have seen that FFG knew about the possible merger and possible upcoming films. So they may have been told by Lucas Films or decided it makes sense to do it they way they are, especially if the rumors of the Live action TV show "Star Wars Underground" set between the prequels and the original trilogy, gettting looked at again as a possibility are true. As well as the rumor of the original series getting new prints and brought back into the spotlight. The above is just speculation on my part given some rumors/"reports" that are out on the web. I don't work for either FFG or Lucas film. Either way I think it makes sense to do it as they are. It is a natural starting point given where the franchised stopped, especially if they knew the possibility of the upcoming films ahead of time, meaning before the annoucement of the rpg. The first two games let you play in the "rebellion era" and in the blurb of the third game FFG seems to be telling us that's the one with the tools to play jedi. It is speculated that the third book will come out in 2015, if the one game a year is true. Speculation is the first of the new trilogy of movies will come out in 2015. I image given where "Return…" ended there will be jedi in the new film. Anyway I look forward to taking a look at the new game after seeing the BETA book then deciding if it's something I want to invest in. So far it looks like I might. Yes I would like rules for playing full fledge jedi and other force users off the bat but can see the possible reasoning behind why they are doing what they are doing. Even if that reason is "our rules for jedi aren't up to snuff yet." The main concern I have is how compatable will the differant games be once they are all out? I would like to be able to use them all together once they are all out with no to minimal fuss/conversion. Don't really care if they are differant power levels (I hope they are) only that the stats are the same or that there isn't multiple systems that contradict what was done in a previous game. Especially don't want differant dice for each game or new dice introduced for each game.

For me as one of the players who is Force Sensitive its not that overpowered or gimped. Looking at other career's in the game you wouldent want to make the force too powerfull because nobody would play anything else. I hope we get a few more power's or talents to keep them on par with other specializations but thats up to ffg. If all else fails im sure somoneone will mock up something untill we get that. Remember this book is made for a time where if you showed force sensitivity you were captured and tortured by Palpatines inquisitorial squads. So if anyone displayed force powers at the wrong time you immediatlly better get lost. i personally will be happy to have a force rating of 4 or 5 anything after that is almost insta succeed