I don't think I've every had this with a roleplaying game, it just gets better the more I play. I think my experience with almost every other game has been the opposite: an "oh, that's pretty cool" followed by ever more disappointment. I'm not sure anybody's interested in play-by-play, I just hope nobody minds if I let it out here...

My son's character needed to pick up something on Geonosis, coordinates to be received once in orbit. The coordinates get called in, but the sender sounds worried, and ends transmission. The droid sidekick tries to reestablish contact. The evil GM (me) flips a Destiny Point (because others could be listening), and wouldn't you know the result is Despair: the ship's comm system fries.

The pilot keeps heading towards the coordinates, while the droid tries to make repairs. My son flips a DP, and wouldn't you know the result is Triumph: not only is the comm system quickly fixed, but the source of the problem is discovered: the listening device installed by the Hutt who had the repairs made to the ship (one of the extra Obligations taken on) caused a short circuit. Important for future events.

The pilot makes his way to the coordinates, an otherwise normal roll, but:

"Can I use my 4 advantage to find a decent hiding spot?"

"Sure, you find a mesa a bit lower than the others, with a good view of the canyons running in every direction."

Soon the high whine of a speeder being pushed to its limits is heard, and low cloud of something gyrating over one of the canyons is seen. Pull out the binocs...is that dust? No, it's a mass of flying Geonosians chasing the speeder bike that's careening over the canyon floor. The speeder is carrying some kind of crate poorly strapped to the back. The path levels out and the driver gains a bit on the Geonosians, despite the random shots from their sonic blasters, but if the driver has to climb the mesa she will be swarmed.

The pilot takes off and pulls away from the chase with the door open. The speeder come screaming into the ship--one success and several Threat--and does a rough crash landing in the entry, completely bending the speeder's frame. The pilot tries closing the doors, but the closest Geonosian minion group tries a blaster shot...Triumph!--and the speeder takes a direct hit blowing the engines and knocking the speeder rider flying (to go unconscious) while the crate on the back tumbles off and spills its contents all over the floor.

After getting to hyperspace, the pilot runs back and checks out the girl (an Umbaran) and the crate contents: a bunch of round orange-coloured fruit-like objects about the size of...an orange. Anybody who's watched TCW knows what these are and how dangerous they might be. But the pilot doesn't know, he just tries to find as many as possible. He thinks he's found most of them, but he does find the empty shell of one...

...anyway, had to get that off my chest...

First, great story, you clearly have the spirit of this game totally down.

Second, you are a great GM. Kudos to you, sir!

I love how this game system supports contextual improvisation. In a lot of games a GM and players can do the same thing, but let's face it...it gets tiring after even a single a long session let alone months/years of running the same game. The mechanics of FFG's warhammer and star wars games go a long way toward giving everyone at the table just enough of a nudge to keep those creative juices flowing.

@whafrog it's cool to read that your son (the pilot?) is already thinking of the wide open expanses of "other" stuff to do with piles of advantage beyond "well I guess I'll just add a boost die and regain some strain...". Kids are truly awesome in that regard. In my second group, the 11 year old not only thrived on her first RPG experience but she flat out became the idea-gal for the entire group (me included).

I agree 100% with the op. I have been playing a lot of different systems lately and this is the only one that feels "good". Im stuck on it but the only problem I see is if you really want to run everything as said in the book you have a lot of work to do as there is a steep learning curve and info is spread all over the place and not easy to find quickly.

It really is a great system that keeps every session feeling really fresh. Not to mention the humor and/or edge of your seat tension this mechanic helps generate!

1) Brilliant story, that's exactly how this game is meant to work!

2) You seem like a great GM

3) Your son appears to be an awesome player! Keep up the good work

I just want to know... what was in the empty shell? (and I as a person have no idea what the orange things are so you can spoiler me if you'd like.)

I'm guessing little zombie-maker worm eggs.

Thanks for the comments. Yeah, my son has embraced this style of roleplaying wholeheartedly. We've been playing since he was about 13, but the enthusiasm has dwindled, partly...probably...because of my old-school style of GMing, and partly because we both can't stand the Saga/D20 game design. This game solves both problems.

Yes, the orange balls are little eggs of zombie-maker worms. Basically they turn you into an agent of a Geonosian queen. Most of them are to be delivered to a restaurant which serves them as a back-room delicacy to a certain insectivore clientele. But the Umbaran is an Imperial double-agent, so a handful of them will be destined for a secret lab where the zombie-making nature can be investigated and perhaps "modified". My son knows what the eggs do. His character doesn't (which makes for good roleplaying opportunities). Neither know the rest...muwaahaha...

Yeah those brain worms are great fun, I used them for our Halloween game, great write up you should let us know how it turns out.

This sounds like a great session. Definitely captures the Star Wars "feel".

It sounds like you both have discovered how to make the game mechanics work for you rather than against you.