Because its a cartoon and they want to keep it simple for the likes of people like you that have difficulty grasping more complex things like the Imperial Military.

the game really needs a basic stormtrooper to fill the low level mook role the Imperial Army dudes are currently occupying.

There is one, they're right in the Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook right along with all of the other low level mooks . Stuff like this is why Maelora keeps asking you if you actually play EoTE at all...

I actually think stormtroopers are about right now.

They are weak enough to one-shot with a good weapon, and replicate the role they have in the films as iconic bad guys.

But Brawn and Agility 3 makes them a bit tougher than a standard minion, and relatively good armour and weapons also helps. Facing a bunch of them could still make the players pause. But they can still gun them down fairly easily, and feel heroic... but they shouldn't get cocky either.

And if I want an elite or an officer, I can use the tougher versions in EoE or even AoR.

So: minions, there to make the players look heroic - but also versatile, iconic, and potentially dangerous.

Sounds about right to me.

(Our FSEx slaughters these by the truckload, and yet, with her Brawn 2 and no armour, one good shot from them could still ruin her day...)

Also, I gave a lot of thought as to what stormtroopers should be in my game, thematically. The players expect to face them, they are iconic, and the skull-masks and sheer numbers can make them scary at times. A hero might not find them so, but your average citizen is going to feel pretty intimidated by them.

They are tougher than pirates or swoop-gangers. Facing them should make even the PCs feel that the level of game has changed. While I wouldn't expect them to be scared of minions (they are still the heroes), they should certainly feel they have stepped it up a level when the Empire shows up. They are disciplined, will follow orders and use tactics, and are fanatically loyal.

I use stormtroopers=clones, and this I feel makes them scarier. They are not the equal of heroes individually, but what good is a kill count in the hundreds when the Empire can throw billions of them at you? And they are bred for it, not feeling doubts or hesitation. Interrogating one of these guys was an unsettling experience for the players, even if they could shoot him afterwards without feeling too bad about it.

It underlines a key fact for me - the Alliance won't ever beat the Empire using numbers or a war of attrition. A meat-grinder is always going to be an Imperial win; they have to get creative and think outside the box to win this.

And finally, as I should point out this is a thread on a game board everyone has the right to decide what stormtroopers mean to them in their own games.

Think they should be a genuinely elite force that the players should fear? Use the Nemesis-level trooper in AOE and stress the PCs should be very wary. In this setting, they are more like 40K Space Marines.

Want them to be the incompetent clowns from the Holiday Special, falling over their own feet? Set stats to 1 and skills to 0 and have lots of friendly fire and ass-whuppings from teddybears.

We have the power, remember, not Disney. Our games are what we want them to be.

I tend to reserve Imperial Army to large battles. I see them as being trained for large, conventional engagements. More specialized and small skirmish matters are better handled by stormtroopers. In truth, everything could be better handled by storm troopers, but there's not enough of them to cover everything.

How dare you!

I tend to reserve Imperial Army to large battles. I see them as being trained for large, conventional engagements. More specialized and small skirmish matters are better handled by stormtroopers. In truth, everything could be better handled by storm troopers, but there's not enough of them to cover everything.

I've considered them the same way. I know the obvious equation is "Marines" for Stormtroopers, but Army Rangers vs Army Infantry may be more appropriate.

I can't help but feel that at some point in the future Mr. Filoni is going to be lynched by a mob of angry 501st cosplayers.

To be fair, Stormtroopers are fairly high end minions stat-wise.

Which we now have confirmation does not properly reflect their role in the setting.

No evidence.

Also lol as if one show, set on one planet sets the tone for the entire rest of the setting universe. Lol that stormtroopers occupying one planet means ONLY STORMTROOPERS DO ANYTHING EVER. If you think that's legit logic, I don't even understand.

It's clear nobody in this thread aside from you thinks Rebels is that relevant to the RPG. It's certainly not more relevant than the examples of IA in G-canon, which you seem to enjoy ignoring just to back up your opinions, which are incidentally not backed up by any existing facts. Unfortunately you seem incapable of honestly reflecting on your own methods of forming opinions. There's really no point in talking to you and expecting legitimate discourse.

Want them to be the incompetent clowns from the Holiday Special, falling over their own feet? Set stats to 1 and skills to 0 and have lots of friendly fire and ass-whuppings from teddybears.

That's quite the trick, anchoring yourself that way. You'll be alright once some of your fellow troops arrive. In the meantime I can't have you following me so you'll just have to hang about for a while.

I've explained it to my group in no uncertain terms that the Storm Troopers they will face will really be the elite murder machines they should be. I'll run them as Rivals straight up. Almost wiped out the group in Mos Shuuta...until they roasted a couple of Troopers with a flamethrower (picking up another 5 Obligation in the process).

It's clear nobody in this thread aside from you thinks Rebels is that relevant to the RPG.

Well they should. As I understand it the effective policy now is that the movies and the clone wars show are canon and everything else isn't. The new regime have dumped the idea of canon levels and say that going forwards they want to work to make sure all the stuff that gets made ties together better.

As such, you can probably safely assume that the version of things shown in the Clone Wars and Rebels is what everything made from this point forwards is going to be based off.

It's clear nobody in this thread aside from you thinks Rebels is that relevant to the RPG.

Well they should. As I understand it the effective policy now is that the movies and the clone wars show are canon and everything else isn't. The new regime have dumped the idea of canon levels and say that going forwards they want to work to make sure all the stuff that gets made ties together better.

As such, you can probably safely assume that the version of things shown in the Clone Wars and Rebels is what everything made from this point forwards is going to be based off.

Why is it so important for you to make them see that ErikB? Just an honest question.

Why is it so important for you to make them see that ErikB? Just an honest question.

I don't know why you guys bother trying. If he hasn't figured this stuff out by now, he's not likely to do it any time soon.

Why is it so important for you to make them see that ErikB? Just an honest question.

I don't know why you guys bother trying. If he hasn't figured this stuff out by now, he's not likely to do it any time soon.

Please leave me out of your squabble or whatever it is. I asked a straight question to ErikB, who if he wants will answer.

It's clear nobody in this thread aside from you thinks Rebels is that relevant to the RPG.

Well they should. As I understand it the effective policy now is that the movies and the clone wars show are canon and everything else isn't.

And... that affects me... how?

Oh dear, I hear Disney at my door, demanding I come out with my hands and house rules held high.

You can have my dice when you pry them from my cold, dead hands! You'll never take me alive, Disney!

And finally, as I should point out this is a thread on a game board everyone has the right to decide what stormtroopers mean to them in their own games.

Absolutely irrelevant on a Beta game's thread.

For real play, sure, but this is a playtest, not the full up version.

Stormtroopers are already minions. This thread was started by someone who thinks that FFG needs to kowtow to how stormtroopers are going to be presented in a cartoon that hasn't even been done yet. He purports to know what is going to be the future of Star Wars and what Disney has planned. He has no clue, just as we all don't.

So if you want to keep this game related, then the question becomes "Are stormtrooper minion stats et al representative of what people feel stormtroopers are in Star Wars?" If not then you need to say so and why in order for this to be helpful to the designers. Saying that they are not because of a few words from a developer of an unreleased cartoon is not helpful.

Personally, I think they are fine as they are. I think they are representative of stromtroopers and the new stats in the AoR beta are a nice expansion.

Please leave me out of your squabble or whatever it is. I asked a straight question to ErikB, who if he wants will answer.

"My" squabble? I never wrote a word on the subject before, and if this is the attitude you're going to cop, I never will again. Have a nice life.

So if you want to keep this game related, then the question becomes "Are stormtrooper minion stats et al representative of what people feel stormtroopers are in Star Wars?" If not then you need to say so and why in order for this to be helpful to the designers. Saying that they are not because of a few words from a developer of an unreleased cartoon is not helpful.

Personally, I think they are fine as they are. I think they are representative of stromtroopers and the new stats in the AoR beta are a nice expansion.

Without change to the minion mechanic, they're as good as they need to be.

An extra level of skill would feel right, but dinks with the mechanics.

More to the point, if you're like me and not seeing their Brawn and Agility scores as substantive "upgrades", then the Minion rules mean that the basic stormtrooper is just a well-geared Minion... and if you can take 'em intact, then that becomes your players' gear.

Please leave me out of your squabble or whatever it is. I asked a straight question to ErikB, who if he wants will answer.

"My" squabble? I never wrote a word on the subject before, and if this is the attitude you're going to cop, I never will again. Have a nice life.

You too! Happy gaming.

Please leave me out of your squabble or whatever it is. I asked a straight question to ErikB, who if he wants will answer.

It's not so much squabble as ErikB is an internet troll of the sort that 4chan's /b/ would be proud of. He's rarely (if ever) shown an actual interest in intelligent and/or informed discussion, and has thread-crapped enough times to get several threads that were quite informative closed or derailed so badly that the folks who were involved in the discussion simply gave up on the subject.

If you do manage to get an actual straight answer, I'll be surprised, given the content of his posts can be summed up as "spew nonsense and stir up the pot while ignoring what anyone else says." He did the same sort of thing when he posted under the handle of AlumninumWolf, even getting banned and his account deleted for highly inappropriate posts he made.

Why is it so important for you to make them see that ErikB? Just an honest question.

Because its true? If FFG doesn't get its licence terminated by Lucasdisney the game is going to end up integrating Rebels information at some point. And I think Rebels is likely to draw a lot of people to the game so I think it behoves FFG to make sure the RPG will appeal to such people.

Plus the sooner people realise that cheering for the Empire is a losing proposition and defect to the winning side the sooner we can all have fun punching Space Nazis.

Why is it so important for you to make them see that ErikB? Just an honest question.

Because its true? If FFG doesn't get its licence terminated by Lucasdisney the game is going to end up integrating Rebels information at some point. And I think Rebels is likely to draw a lot of people to the game so I think it behoves FFG to make sure the RPG will appeal to such people.

Plus the sooner people realise that cheering for the Empire is a losing proposition and defect to the winning side the sooner we can all have fun punching Space Nazis.

Or, and this is a scary proposition for you I'm sure... but maybe people can just play whatever style of games they want, and you can stop trying to force your style of play as the only 'right' way to play.

Maybe we could do that instead. That'd be fun for everyone.