Star Wars Appendix N

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I've watched Clone Wars, Rebels, Resistance, and The Mandelorean all the way through. They've all got their strengths an weaknesses. Dave Filloni knows his Star Wars but he's too prone to going down the mysticism and new powers rabbit hole.
 
I don’t really get the people who say there’s new powers. The Disney guys have basically cherry-picked powers from the old EU. Everything in the sequel trilogy, for instance, is all from the 90s.
 
I read this thread in its entirety, and I sat back to ruminate and get past my feelings about "Star Wars" within the window of my current conception of it, and to look at the whole forest of "Star Wars" and really consider when it really became more than just the OT for me. I've read many of the novels, I've played Star Wars from West End since 1e, pretty much all of the video games to completion, Dark Horse (and OG Marvel comics) etc.

I think it pretty much peaked with the Timothy Zahn novels for me (plus all the D6 Star Wars stuff).

Where things really changed my view was Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. I'd played Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 - and SWTOR takes place 300-years afterwards. And it completely elevated Star Wars for me as a setting. The Cold War era of the Old Republic is *fantastically* better than modern OT era. Literally anything is possible. Going to the OT/Post-OT era feels intensely anemic to me and my current gaming group.

I remember last year or so, Star Wars.com did a poll about which character was the most popular out of the EU (Legends) content and it was Darth Revan by a large margin. It's significant because the Old Republic is very siloed in terms of content and characters - it mildly surprised me, especially given the relative lack of material produced for the Old Republic.

But SWTOR is pretty much the only Star Wars I'm interested in. All my games are set in that era with modifications of course.
 
tenbones said:
I'd played Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2 - and SWTOR takes place 300-years afterwards.
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I've only played KotOR I & II, but yeah it's a very open and broad era. The Republic is more of a trading thing, the Jedi live in isolated hermitages on garden worlds and there's lots of unknown planets.
 
I remember having a Han Solo novel back in the 80s. And a Lando Calrissian one. Both from the book fair at school. And Splinter of the Mind's Eye, too. Plus a few of the old Marvel comics. Of which I remember very little, other than lightsabres were somehow powered by the life force of the person using them!

The Old Republic era is cool. I brought it into the between trilogies era by resurrecting the Star Forge and having some people in the Unknown Regions decide to ignore the Sith Rule of Three thing. Fun times in Saga Edition.
 
Despite never having been a 'fan' of Star Wars I still somehow managed to get all the old Han and Lando books. I guess they just looked fun back in the days after the first trilogy was over and more of it seemed unlikely (I kinda wish it had stayed that way).
I only read the first Han book and remember it being entertaining but forgettable (seeing as I don't remember much at all about it).
I'm not sure if I still have them... I meant to give them to the son of a friend, but I don't think I ever got around to that. Maybe I'll dig them out and read another, just to see.
 
Séadna said:
I've only played KotOR I & II, but yeah it's a very open and broad era. The Republic is more of a trading thing, the Jedi live in isolated hermitages on garden worlds and there's lots of unknown planets.
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I don't want to derail the thread (unless everyone wants to talk about the Old Republic and its contrasts/comparison/impact on the modern setting by implication).

SWTOR *really* opens up the world of the Jedi and Sith by allowing you to directly engage in the politics and realities of both sects in actual play. And it's indispensable for any GM that wants to **DIG DEEP** into what Jedi and Sith actually *do* free of the context of the OT - which has barely less than a handful of Jedi/Sith running around. In the Old Republic during the Cold War/Sith War era, you literally have tens of thousands of Jedi (which comparatively is not very many when you consider the galaxy contains trillions of inhabitants and worlds) and the Sith Empire which is likewise staffed by an entire Sith Order on top of a very fully realized Imperial war-machine (often to its own detriment).

Meanwhile, you have the Hutt Cartels in full force, not the overly simplistic Jabba-as-the-sole-example. You get a fantastic feel for just how much power they have. And you still have Black Sun, and the Corporations which work in conjunction with both Empire/Republic forces for their own ends. Plus dozens of other organizations. It truly is expansive and is the sandbox that the modern era simply pales before.

Just the training for the Jedi and Sith give a wealth of campaign ideas alone. And sweet Jesus, the Sith Dark Council... any one of them would smash Palpatine to pulp, and they're *far* cooler than Palpatine. Nevermind the true Emperor himself... he's terrifying like Cthulhu scary.
 
tenbones said:
I don't want to derail the thread (unless everyone wants to talk about the Old Republic and its contrasts/comparison/impact on the modern setting by implication).

SWTOR *really* opens up the world of the Jedi and Sith by allowing you to directly engage in the politics and realities of both sects in actual play. And it's indispensable for any GM that wants to **DIG DEEP** into what Jedi and Sith actually *do* free of the context of the OT - which has barely less than a handful of Jedi/Sith running around. In the Old Republic during the Cold War/Sith War era, you literally have tens of thousands of Jedi (which comparatively is not very many when you consider the galaxy contains trillions of inhabitants and worlds) and the Sith Empire which is likewise staffed by an entire Sith Order on top of a very fully realized Imperial war-machine (often to its own detriment).

Meanwhile, you have the Hutt Cartels in full force, not the overly simplistic Jabba-as-the-sole-example. You get a fantastic feel for just how much power they have. And you still have Black Sun, and the Corporations which work in conjunction with both Empire/Republic forces for their own ends. Plus dozens of other organizations. It truly is expansive and is the sandbox that the modern era simply pales before.

Just the training for the Jedi and Sith give a wealth of campaign ideas alone. And sweet Jesus, the Sith Dark Council... any one of them would smash Palpatine to pulp, and they're *far* cooler than Palpatine. Nevermind the true Emperor himself... he's terrifying like Cthulhu scary.
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I played SWTOR back when it came out, completed one of the Jedi and an Imperial Agent stories. They were great fun. I've pretty much lost all interest in Star Wars but this makes me want to go give SWTOR another play.
 
Back when they came out I read Splinter of the Mind's Eye and at least the first of the Han Solo books. I think I might have read all three Solo books (as he was my favorite characters). In any event, they all were pretty forgettable, as was most of the EU (now Legends) stuff. Unlike some here, I generally find the Disney stuff to be very good and the majority of the Legends stuff to be pretty crappy.

As a fan from 1977, I remember even as a kid being surprised by the many inconsistencies and contradictions within what was (ostensibly) 'canon' back then. I still have a set of the original Topps SW cards that show Luke and Leia being 2 years apart in age, for example. And I believe it was the first Marvel Star Wars Annual that had a thrilling adventure with three protagonists: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader (back when he was a Jedi) and Anakin Skywalker. :crossed:

Stevethulhu said:
The Old Republic era is cool. I brought it into the between trilogies era by resurrecting the Star Forge and having some people in the Unknown Regions decide to ignore the Sith Rule of Three thing. Fun times in Saga Edition.
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It's actually the Rule of Two.
 
under_score said:
I played SWTOR back when it came out, completed one of the Jedi and an Imperial Agent stories. They were great fun. I've pretty much lost all interest in Star Wars but this makes me want to go give SWTOR another play.
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The Sith Warrior story is my 2nd favorite (The Agent was the best). There were a couple of moments in that storyline where it took me aback and realized something really profound in their conception of the Sith and was a powerful callback to the original KOTOR Revan arc with Darth Kreia and her philosophy on the Force... without beating you over the head. SWTOR alludes to some possible alternatives to the Sith without trying to do the stupid Grey Jedi thing... which I've always detested. Anyhow - there is a moment in that storyline I wasn't expecting and it makes you do a real gut-check.

The Bounty Hunter story was just all kinds of fun too.
 
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Majestic said:
And I believe it was the first Marvel Star Wars Annual that had a thrilling adventure with three protagonists: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader (back when he was a Jedi) and Anakin Skywalker. :crossed:
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Well I need to find this now.

Overall, the Marvel comics are a missed opportunity. Imagine how much better the Sequels could have been with the inclusion of a giant green rabbit...
 
In 2000, some fans said that George Lucas destroyed Star Wars and should give it up.

In 2020, some fans said that George Lucas can save Star Wars and should take it back over.

These two groups overlap quite a bit and you can see their delusions all over YouTube.

The majority of fans kept enjoying the content.
 
Endless Flight said:
In 2000, some fans said that George Lucas destroyed Star Wars and should give it up.

In 2020, some fans said that George Lucas can save Star Wars and should take it back over.
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Surprise! It was Foggy Nelson that saved Star Wars!

 
To be honest, thinking about it, if I was to run Star Wars, I wouldn't consume any Star Wars media other than the initial trilogy (maybe, I can be bothered, last time I ran Star Wars I watched the first part of Return of the Jedi).

Otherwise it would be westerns, Kurosowa, World War 2, and maybe find some kind of Flash Gordon stuff.

But then I wouldn't run Star Wars because the players would be all can I play a "Sasketcahwalian". And I would be "No. You have thjree choices, human, human in an alien suit, or puppet."
 
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Reading this thread has made me realize I never could run Star Wars, because there is a metric megaton of SW material I've never had any contact with (all the comics, all the computer games, almost all of the TV shows). Presumably players who wanted to do Star Wars would know it, or some of it, and would be disappointed.
 
Lofgeornost said:
Reading this thread has made me realize I never could run Star Wars...
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Yeah, the one Star Wars game I've played in sagged under a heavy load of dorks arguing over rivets on the AT-ATs... and wanting to replay the plots of the movies. So just put duct tape over the name and write 'Pulp Scifi Game' over it in black sharpie.
 
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Lofgeornost said:
Reading this thread has made me realize I never could run Star Wars, because there is a metric megaton of SW material I've never had any contact with (all the comics, all the computer games, almost all of the TV shows). Presumably players who wanted to do Star Wars would know it, or some of it, and would be disappointed.
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If the movies can ignore all that suff, I don't see any reason you couldn't as well.

This is another reason why I like Star Wars 1st edition, I just hand the players the rulebook and sourcebook and say "only the stuff in there is real."
 
TristramEvans said:
If the movies can ignore all that suff, I don't see any reason you couldn't as well.

This is another reason why I like Star Wars 1st edition, I just had the players the rulebook and sourcebook and say "only the stuff in there is real."
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I find I do that with pretty much every game I run. My players aren’t the kind to argue about minutia, but I find that it just helps to avoid confusion with any assumptions that may come up.

Star Wars: Only the OT is canon.

Marvel Supers: Only the Marvel (not Fox or Sony) movies are canon.

Forgotten Realms: Only the original grey box is canon.

Then I add in the bits and pieces from the expanded material as I see fit.

Works like a charm
 
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