Future Rulebooks

By Alisair Longreach, in General Discussion

Let's discuss which future rulebooks for Star Wars we would like FFG to publish the next couple of years.

Let's start with the career splatbooks. The Explorer book is out now, the Hired Gun book is in the pipeline. We all assume that FFG will publish six career books for the Edge of Empire line, then another six for Age of Rebellion and finish of a last set of six books for Fate & Destiny.

Are we willing and able and wanting to buy 18 career splatbooks over the next three years?

Would enough of us do that so FFG is able to make a profit and continue publishing Star Wars rulebooks? Or would we get supplement fatigue and stop buying?

Many of us have bought or will soon buy the Explorer splatbook, many look forward to the Hired Gun splatbook. Many of us also want the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler splatbooks. But are we quivering with anticipation for the Colonist and Technician splatbooks?

Would you buy Moisture Farming, the Colonists Guidebook? Or would rather save your money for the Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook, the first AoR adventure or the next regional sourcebook?

Next summer, do you buy the AoR Core Rulebook and continue your Star Wars campaign or might you go for the next Shiny Thing like for example D&D 5th ed.?

Do many of us really want 18 career splatbooks? Or would we rather prefer only 4 career splatbooks for Edge of the Empire (Explorer, Hired Gun, Bounty Hunter, Smuggler) and then a single but big (160 or 256 pages) military career splatbook for Age of Rebellion and a splatbook with alternative Force traditions for Fate & Destiny?

What about regional sourcebooks? How many? Which regions?

What about adventures?

Anything else?

I honestly think that 2-3 book releases a quarter is just about right. 5e hasn't interested my group when we did the beta test for it, so other than a break over December and January, my group are happy to continue with the system right now.

As for the classes my group doesn't play as, I'm still picking them up incase anyone in the group wants to try a new class or the GM info/equipment list is useful.

One supplement I would really love to see is a 'race' splatbook robots with stats and information on the various robots in the star wars universe.

We haven't completely sunk our teeth into the temporary beta campaign I'm running this month, so I can't say if we'll get the splatbooks for it. It really just depends if they like the style of missions, greater focus on ship combat and the new specializations.

Personally I really like the beta book and will be buying the full release in July. However, the only line I won't be supporting is F&D as I don't want to run Jedi campaigns.

The brilliant thing is that SWR, like all good RPGs, is a system that doesn't require you to buy into sourcebooks - well, not for anything outside of new races, anyways. So if you don't want the 18 career books, then you don't need them to run a fantastic campaign; if you do want to save up and buy them, then you'll only be doing your game a service by adding new content.

Keep publishing FFG, and I'll keep buying when I can.

I've found one of the secrets of enjoying the 40k rp line is to only buy the books you are interested in.

Especially once they get all three games up and running and putting out supplements there is likely to be a lot of stuff and you will probably fine you don't want all of it. That is fine. Be selective.

Hers also hoping they renewtheir liscence when it runs out.

Hers also hoping they renewtheir liscence when it runs out.

A BIG +1 for this! Based upon what I've foreseen, FFG will do the Star Wars line a great, great service by retaining the license.

It's a good question. I don't know about you guys, but I can get pretty psycho about getting every book in a line. I bought every SAGA book, and I think I played that game all of three times. Now I look at them on the shelf and think, "was that really necessary?"

I don't really notice the cost, month-to-month, but looking ahead at the piles of books that might come out is pretty daunting. Not to mention, I'll probably never actually play the game... I just love buying Star Wars rpg books. I used to justify the purchases by imagining my son would get into rpgs when he got older, but now he is older and doesn't really seem inclined that way (**** social stigmas!).

Still, I can't help but get excited about each new announcement... even if everything's just gonna end up in a box in the basement. Tough call! :D

Let's discuss which future rulebooks for Star Wars we would like FFG to publish the next couple of years.

This one:

HTGSourcebook.png

I'm pretty much going to buy all the books they produce.

My name is Paul and I'm a Star Wars addict.

Like I. J. I bought all the SAGA books but have never run it. They are Star Wars role playing books, I've just got to have them!

So yes, I'll probably buy all 18 career splat books and a new bookcase for them :)

I'm pretty much going to buy all the books they produce.

Me too.

Shut up and take my money, FFG!!!!

Edited by Maelora

But are we quivering with anticipation for the Colonist and Technician splatbooks? Would you buy Moisture Farming, the Colonists Guidebook?

Well, to be fair, 'Colonist' here means 'Core World type', not 'frontier settler'.

So it could cover any kind of character who doesn't have a combat focus, not just nerf herders.

Why should people with guns have all the fun?

Edited by Maelora

I'd buy the hell out of Technician and Colonist sourcebooks if they were expanded into 'fantastic technology' and 'guide to the galaxy' respectively.

Colonist careers would be a good excuse to have more in-depth chapters about knowledge of the Galaxy and its places, species, history, and a whole bunch of other stuff made relevant to running adventures. Specializations could include entertainers, diplomats (lots of social skills), and maybe former journalists, business execs, or plain old colonists (with a broad range of general skills).

A Technician book could delve into jury-rigging and new equipment and attachments, new droids and ways to mod/upgrade them. Lots of new ships and suggestions for situations where extensive repairs are needed. Adventure hooks for obtaining new equipment or dealing with a busted ship.

Let's discuss which future rulebooks for Star Wars we would like FFG to publish the next couple of years.

Let's start with the career splatbooks. The Explorer book is out now, the Hired Gun book is in the pipeline. We all assume that FFG will publish six career books for the Edge of Empire line, then another six for Age of Rebellion and finish of a last set of six books for Fate & Destiny.

Okay Let's!

I think you are right for AoR, but I doubt there will be a career structure like that in Force & Destiny. Have to wait and see I guess.

Are we willing and able and wanting to buy 18 career splatbooks over the next three years?

Hell yeah. I love everything released so far and would buy double that amount of career books if they came out. I'm a geek like that...

Would enough of us do that so FFG is able to make a profit and continue publishing Star Wars rulebooks? Or would we get supplement fatigue and stop buying?

Never experienced such a thing... Come on, they are books AND it's a game. 2 of my hobbies roled into one!

Many of us have bought or will soon buy the Explorer splatbook, many look forward to the Hired Gun splatbook. Many of us also want the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler splatbooks. But are we quivering with anticipation for the Colonist and Technician splatbooks?

Only like, a lot! I think those two actually are the most interesting career choices...

Would you buy Moisture Farming, the Colonists Guidebook? Or would rather save your money for the Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook, the first AoR adventure or the next regional sourcebook?

Not really sure why anyone would have the idea such a book would ever be released... But if you'd read thecareer description of the colonist you might be pleasantly surprised. it is nothing at all like being a moisture farmer, not that there's anything wrong with that...

Next summer, do you buy the AoR Core Rulebook and continue your Star Wars campaign or might you go for the next Shiny Thing like for example D&D 5th ed.?

Or both!?!? Oh and I'll keep playing 4th on the side.

Do many of us really want 18 career splatbooks? Or would we rather prefer only 4 career splatbooks for Edge of the Empire (Explorer, Hired Gun, Bounty Hunter, Smuggler) and then a single but big (160 or 256 pages) military career splatbook for Age of Rebellion and a splatbook with alternative Force traditions for Fate & Destiny?

I wouldn't. I'd want it all. I'd also find it very weird if they would only make such career books for only 2/3 of the careers... That would just be them telling the players those other 2 are uninteresting...

What about regional sourcebooks? How many? Which regions?

Loads! All of them...

What about adventures?

If Beyond the Rim is anything to go by I'd appreciate more premade adventures and will probably run them all.

Anything else?

Yes please!

As a side note, I too bought all the Saga books, and within a very short time at that, and only played the game twice. I do not regret having done it though because I still have 60 years to live at least (only 38 now) so there is always tomorrow. Plus, I carried around one of the books pretty much everywhere I went for months and had a lot of enjoyment from them.

Buying a splatbook every month or so really doesn't bother me at all. There are a lot more expensive hobbies out there.

Edited by DanteRotterdam

27120200.jpg

I'm a big Star Wars fan and a compleatist, with a fair amount of disposible income, so, yeah, I'll be buying everything.

On the other hand, I DO wish they'd combined splatbooks and maybe done two careers per book: Bounty Hunter/Hired Gun is a natural, and I think Explorer/Smuggler and Tech/Colonist would have worked.

On the other hand, I want to see what they're going to do with the Colonist besides Book, Inara, and Simon.

On the other hand, I want to see what they're going to do with the Colonist besides Book, Inara, and Simon.

Well we have Simon already :)

I was thinking of something of something along the lines of Book or Inara... Some kind of religious leader like the Agitator, but also with a bit of leadership thrown in. Someone who can stir up crowds and tend to the mental well-being of others.

For Inara, I actually was thinking someone like the Asari Consort Sha'ira in Mass Effect. A courtesan, but beyond that also.

Maybe a general 'entertainer' would fit? We see a lot of bands and musicians and dancers in the movies, after all. It would make a hell of a cover for a fringer or criminal character.

Finally, how about an actual 'colonising' Colonist? A tough frontiersman with survival and maybe Talents that make the low-tech weapons better? Have a reason to use truncheons and slugthrowers?

On the other hand, I want to see what they're going to do with the Colonist besides Book, Inara, and Simon.

Al Swearengen off Deadwood is clearly a colonist/politico.

As for the adventuring possibilities of moisture farming, cowboys are technically farmers. Any western involving ranching or cattle driving should port directly to Star Wars.

Open Range is about the conflicts between settled stockholders and free grazers who roam around. So maybe moisture farmers hate it when someone drives a herd of banthas near their vaporators because the animals suck all the water content out of the air and tank the moisture farmers yeilds.

Also, guarding a tanker of water taking the harvest of a moisture farm to Anchorhead for sale against sand people, bandits or Jabba's protection racket enforcers.

Edited by ErikB

Are we willing and able and wanting to buy 18 career splatbooks over the next three years?

*looks at sagging bookshelf full of WEG and WotC books*

Yes.

But are we quivering with anticipation for the Colonist and Technician splatbooks?

As I play a Politico? Yes. Every time they announce a new book, I'm crushed that it ISNT a Colonist sourcebook.

Next summer, do you buy the AoR Core Rulebook and continue your Star Wars campaign or might you go for the next Shiny Thing like for example D&D 5th ed.?

Dude, until FFG's engine turned my head, I still played the WEG from nineteen hundred and eighty six. That's the LAST FREAKIN' CENTURY. My Episode One era padawan game ran from 1998 to 2006. I suspect we'll still be playing this stupid thing in 2021.

What about regional sourcebooks?

Yes please.

What about adventures?

Yes please

Anything else?

Yes please

I'm not seeing the colonist in the age of rebellion beta? I don't seem to be missinf pages. Perhaps we should limit our conversation to the proper game line?

I understand where the original poster was going, but the game lines are technically separate. I see edge of the empire having more sourcebook diversity. We only have so much leeway to add in new stuff for the rebellion as I see it. We have stats for all the fighters the rebels use.

I would like to see an imperial sourcebook (if you don't like this idea, you know who you are, please don't complain about it... it has derailed threads before) detailing running an game from the imperial standpoint.

I would like to see a campaign about rebels trying to free their world. It would be kind of neat to do it as a boxed set similar to risk legacy where depending on the outcome you open up a sealed envrlope with a randomized scenario. A pipe dream I know, but could be fun.

I would have preferred they double up (at least) the career books - 6 books per core release is way decompressed especially when interspersed with other books (adventures, regional setting books, equipment books, etc), especially when mechanics and power creep render the earlier career books less useful then the later ones.

Another possibility - combine books. Your technician book has all you modifications and gadgets (effectively doubling as a gear book), the smuggler book has more ships (ship book), trading mechanics, etc, the hired gun book has more weapons/armor, etc. (for AoR this would translate to your Ace having the vehicle/ships, your commando having the weapons/gear, your commander having some sort of abstracted mass combat/skirmishing etc).

Edited by Bahamaat

A ship book maybe?

Could really use one with floor plans perhaps some like another company did for B5 or the YT-1300 deck plans in the Beginner box set and maybe expand on the details with an adventure and a couple of variant designs like the Corellian Corvette?

Would you buy a release that allowed you to use a usable map for a CR-90 for a game with the possibility of switching it for another variant like the fighter one they occasionally mention (or was that on another thread here or in the edge one?)?

my last pre-EOTE Star Wars game was using WEG 2E. At that point, a 25 year old game.

It did one thing far better than EOTE/AOR does, and for the same reason it did it better than WEG 1E - squadron of PC's.

It easily and naturally used a non-gridden minis movement rule (that could be easily transitioned to gridded play) that allowed you to know rather quickly who could shoot at A, B, C, or D.

Big battles (and AoR is the system that should support them) need the kind of range accuracy that the simple range band system currently in use doesn't do well.

I would have preferred they double up (at least) the career books - 6 books per core release is way decompressed especially when interspersed with other books (adventures, regional setting books, equipment books, etc), especially when mechanics and power creep render the earlier career books less useful then the later ones.

I think I'll wait and see what the books offer. This just seems like jumping to conclusions to me...

I think I'll wait and see what the books offer. This just seems like jumping to conclusions to me...

Which part do you see as a conclusion jump?

Well for one there is no reason to assume it will in fact be decompressed. The books might be very comprehensive.

And "especially when mechanics and power creep render the earlier career books less useful then the later ones" seems pushing it a bit as well.