Foremost are the movies. And I'm strict by the movies. It's what we actually see on the films not what someone else has interpreted for us. That way, it allows personal GM interpretation instead. I'm thus allowed to have my desert Stormtroopers be just regular Stormtroopers in hot weather gear and not some elite corps, for example.

The EU is love hate for me. Some of it I love, some of it I hate. Thus, I cherry pick it. My players have never been EU encylopediacs so I get to slip in what I like and sometimes I later have to explain it wasn't actually my creation.

To be honest, one of the best things you can do is not tell your characters what EU is being used and what isn't - this way, they will learn to not take things for granted; they also won't be tempted to metagame (how can they, if they can't be sure that their OOC knowledge is still accurate?), and will have more room to help modify the galaxy themselves based on character action.

But yeah, just my stance on it.

I include whatever I like and works. Honestly we are all making EU by playing the game. I use what's there I like. I make up a great deal of my own. I don't feel the need to take off on a reboot of the historical timeline as we are talking about a conflict spanning a galaxy. I find it completely likely many involved would never meet one another. My players will never meet the icons of the rebellion, however, I have my own ideas about what my players will be doing. I have my own ideas on the operational manner in which the Alliance waged their conflict and it brings all elements of all three books together. In the end I would just tell someone use whatever leads to a good time around your table.

I'm running skewed universe campaign, so a lot of the EU doesn't necessarily apply. For those unfamiliar with the concept of a skewed universe, it takes a single point in the past of the star wars universe and changes it. In my campaign, the detail that changed was that there was one additional survivor of the battle of Ruusan (approximately 1,000 BBY).

It basically was a large thought experiment to see how that single event would ripple through the next 1,000 years. We're currently in the second campaign of a three campaign arc I have planned in this setting. My players love it as they don't have to stand in the shadows of the cannon characters.

For example, in Campaign 1, the PCs were part of the group that went to arrest Poppa Palpy. Though the players manged to survive that ordeal, Yoda, who accompanied them was not so lucky.

I consider everything I've ever read or watched to be cannon, and anything on Wookiepedia, basically I use it all.

We even had our Wookie leave the group to go back home to Kashyyk for Life Day *ouch*.

If I don't know it, it doesn't exist. If I do know it, but don't like it, it doesn't exists.

LIKES! All the Likes for you!

Honestly, with the Gordian Knot that is Star Wars continuity, for me it's pretty much the 6 movies, the Thrawn books and the Holiday Special. That's pretty much all I can keep track of these days. . . .

I actually find the giant base of Star Wars stories super helpful. One of the things I've found most valuable in establishing a believable world is history. So when we're going to a new world, I'll read up on its history and culture to help build a unique feeling that makes the world memorable.

An example is Onderon - there's the tomb of a Dark Lord of the Sith on its moon Dxun that our Force Sensitive could feel, and felt drawn to. There's these tribes of beast riders in the planet's jungles that make for an interesting story point. There's a large Imperial Ordnance Center on the planet that's going to be destroyed in a major battle in the future - the PCs might be the one who discover the base's purpose and make contact with the local Rebel cell. So essentially it's a great way to find Star Warsy hooks.

When it comes to the events of the films - these are giant galaxy-shattering things that barely connect to the party. Like my party is going to unknowingly help the rebellion find the flight path of the shuttle that contains part of the Death Star plans. And that's as close as they'll ever get to interacting with the Death Star, it's a big universe and they're just a few people living in it.

But yes, some things that I find dumb do get ignored. Like did you know that in 15BBY the Emperor ordered the extermination of all Gungans in the galaxy? No? Well it happened, and was very successful.

I actually find the giant base of Star Wars stories super helpful. One of the things I've found most valuable in establishing a believable world is history. So when we're going to a new world, I'll read up on its history and culture to help build a unique feeling that makes the world memorable.

I agree with this sentiment. While multiple authors over decades can make a shared work of fiction horribly convoluted, it can also provide for an invaluable database of story ideas and random factoids. The challenge (and the fun) is to separate the wheat from the Jaxon the Space Rabbit chaff.

I actually find the giant base of Star Wars stories super helpful. One of the things I've found most valuable in establishing a believable world is history. So when we're going to a new world, I'll read up on its history and culture to help build a unique feeling that makes the world memorable.

I agree with this sentiment. While multiple authors over decades can make a shared work of fiction horribly convoluted, it can also provide for an invaluable database of story ideas and random factoids. The challenge (and the fun) is to separate the wheat from the Jaxon the Space Rabbit chaff.

Captain Bucky O'Hare...?

Anyway. It could be fun to take the core ideas behind the EU as broad strokes and incorporate it into your campaign. Use it, in essence, as chances for your players to become directly involved in shaping history. If your players get involved, then they become the main characters of that particular tale; if they don't, then it happens more or less as described elsewhere. That would also help you figure out what your players really want to do in the game by seeing what EU stories they focus on.

Do it sparingly, though. Just one EU upheaval in a while, rather than a parade of changing history.

I love the EU and try and incorporate it to create a realistic and full world. For example if you were to go to Mos Eisley, you could indeed go into Watto's store to buy parts, since he is still around and kicking by 0 BBY. I do keep to established canon as much as I can but attempt to shape and twist it a little so the PCs become embroiled in not every single event, but occasionally have a part to play or hear the fallout of events across the galaxy.

My campaign takes place JUST before the Battle of Yavin, a few weeks before it in fact. In 'Long Arm of the Hutt' they have just heard from one of the part guests through small talk that Alderaan was destroyed, and although the HoloNet is fuzzy on the details, he suspects the Empire (seeing as he is pro-Rebellion).

I also have an adventure coming up where the PCs will be employed by Seinar Systems to acquire the X-wing schematics from the Incom Corporation headquarters on Fondor. This will lead to them being employed by the Rebellion in a 'counter intelligence' move. If the PCs help Biggs Darklighter and his team steal the X-Wing prototypes, they will provide a distraction for the PCs to steal the schematics. They will then deliver it to Seinar for a big and immediate payoff. Or they can give it to the Alliance who will then alter the schematics with a virus, ask the PCs to deliver it to Seinar systems personally and report back if they see anything about this 'Interceptor' project Seinar Systems is working on.

Canon is still maintained, Biggs and his team still steal the X-Wings, they just have a helping hand from some scoundrels.