TarlSS,

When I said "minority" it was in reference to FFG's RPG, not the WotC versions.

The skeptic in me says that large part of the reason the WotC minis line sold so well was simply the "collectible" aspect which drives up sales of pretty much anything, especially for the folks that want/need to have the full set of each expansion. And whether you want to acknowledge them or not, there were complaints that the WotC version was too focused on maps and minis.

When EotE was released in Beta, there was a lot of relief that FFG had moved away from the "maps and minis and fiddly bits" approach for their Star Wars RPG (and a number of folks glad that it wasn't a WFRP3e clone). And no matter how much you might dislike it, the main point of EotE is that it's a NARRATIVE system. The dice themselves are all about influencing the narrative, the lead design team make reference to this being a narrative system. You can try to be as cynical or ignorant as you want about that fact, but the fact remains that this game, at it's core, is a narrative system. No battle maps are required, no minis are required, distances are left nebulous rather than being strictly codified.

As for selling product, FFG is a "for-profit" company just the same as Evil Hat, White Wolf, Green Ronin, Paizo, and any other publisher. They're in business to make money, pure and simple. If they didn't have an interest in making a profit off their RPG products, they wouldn't be in business.

For me, I would argue that..hey, the point of EOTE is NOT a narrative based system, or whatever highminded hipster RPG ideals anyone has, it's to sell books and promote Star Wars.

I'm just going to leave this here. Skip to 3:00 if you're impatient.

I also think that, in a narrative game, you really shouldn't need to ask the gm if so and so is in a position to let you do such and such. Its a shared narrative. You only need to say something like, "As the goon cones around the corner, I throw a crate from a nearby stack at him."

Personally I think this takes the game to a more freeform/GM-less place than it's intended. It's a shared narrative, yes, but it's not like 1001 Nights or games like it where there's no GM at all to adjudicate the setting. I usually just ask on the assumption that if it's setting-appropriate, the GM may have just forgotten to mention it and would be ok with the addition, where if it's setting-inappropriate (e.g. crates in the middle of a gala) that might require Destiny, or finding a different item to implement the idea.

True but I, and I'm guessing TarlSS, actually prefer more of a tactical focus. I enjoy the character systems, and adore the new ships and equipment but I'm hoping Age of Rebellion, being more war focused, will include options to make battles more tactical focused.

Battles can already be very tactically-focused. I assume what you want is for there to be options for concrete distances (in meters, or whatever) for weapon ranges, movement, etc.

I'm all for FFG giving those options to people who want them, but I would hate it if concrete range was changed to be a system cornerstone, replacing the range bands and abstracted distance we have now. I'm so sick of precise-movement-distance games that require someone to make a map to be able to play accurately. In my years of experience with a variety of systems using that mechanic, they frequently cause a lot of wasted time and slowdown.

But hey, if that's your bag, I hope they give it to you as an optional add-on for the core system. I just don't really expect them to.

For myself I am greatly relieved the game was not designed around minatures combat.

I am not opposed to using maps and minis or tokens for the sake of giving players a sense of scale but a rule system incorporating them or requiring them in a narrative RPG is a money sink and often clunky resulting in slower gameplay.

For me, I would argue that..hey, the point of EOTE is NOT a narrative based system, or whatever highminded hipster RPG ideals anyone has, it's to sell books and promote Star Wars.

I'm just going to leave this here. Skip to 3:00 if you're impatient.

20 credits says he just brushes it off as the designers blowing smoke and it just being a prettied-up sales pitch