Star Wars Edge of the Empire?

[jameson (ST)]

I don't generally solicit a whole lot around here lately but I was wondering if any of you folks out there have played Fantasy Flight's new Star Wars game Edge of the Empire? As I understand it there was a box set that had pregens, dice, and an adventure that was 1 part starter set and one part BETA test. That's been out for a while, and the book (which is massive, pretty, and kinda pricey) only just came out. I'm just curious to hear how the system, with its completely unique dice mechanic (something that was a warning klaxon in my mind) actually works, how well it plays, and if this is at all worthy of the hype I have seen elsewhere on the net?

[Matt]

Harlan Ellison said that "we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it’s nothing. It’s just bibble-babble." What follows is not an informed opinion. It is just my opinion after having glanced through the book. Actual playtime could change my opinion.

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Disclaimer aside, I hated the dice mechanics. They appear to be the opposite of what I like in rpg games.

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There are times in games where I have to spend a little extra time figuring out how to handle a situation, but I have often told people that I'll make a quick decision on how to handle something but if it will come up regularly we can find the official rule on it. My goal is to keep the game moving. I want the players focused on the story and their actions, not the mechanics.

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If the dice roll itself is what interests you, then this is the game for you. You can buy extra dice, use stickers or look up your rolls on a chart. It creates a transparent mechanism for actions where players get to roll the beneficial and disruptive dice. If this were a board game I think I would really like it. It provides almost unlimited possibilities to each roll. But for an rpg it just adds another layer for a player to waste their time on.

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I'm not going to say that the system is bad. It simply doesn't appear to fit my preferred play style.

[Joani]

I absolutely love it and especially the dice mechanic is what makes this RPG shine and refreshing as a system in whole. Ever since I stumpled upon Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3E which is the first game to use the dice mechanic I instantly fell in love with it.

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The dice mechanic make looking up rules in the books almost completely obsolete. You don't have to consult tables for special effects etc. You can simply have the dice take over part of the storytelling and now don't get me wrong. It's not a "roll" playing game, what I'm trying to say is - the dice favour creative thinking and unusual solutions and approaches to situations which you won't find in the rules. It gives both the players and the GM a tool to enhance the storytelling. It's not about rolling success or counting failures - you can succeed with your action and still have a negative side effect or vice versa.

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If you get into it, rolling the dice becomes second nature and you actually look forward to the next roll because even if you're not successful with your original plan something else might turn out. And I don't mean totally random stuff - but lets say you take a shot at some approaching Stormtroopers and happen to miss but roll 2 boons the GM might decide you hit something else instead which would give the Stormtroopers a circumstantial disadvantage. Maybe you shot out the lights instead giving you a chance to find or stay in cover before they shoot back, or you managed to halt their approach and give your team mate a clear shot instead.

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Boons and Banes can be easily assigned for ad hoc decisions and ideas. You manage to get the higher ground - I give you two boost dice for that. You rolled two banes on your last attack? I made you slip/lose your balance and increase the challenge of your next attack by one.

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The lights went out? 2 Misfortune Dice on any visual based actions - you tell me you shoot at the worst smelling target instead (because your oppenents are Gamorreans), ok make that just one Misfortune dice.

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The possibilities are endless. SWEotE streamlined the system WFRP3e used (and that was already very streamlined but made extensive use of action cards which is awesome too, but some people simply dislike it) and thus freeing up time at the table for actual roleplaying. When I GM WFRP or SWEotE I don't need any books. Everything is right there at the table. It's so much better than most of the RPGs I've played which during complicated combat situations often required looking up the exact wording of special equipment or Skills/Talents/Spells whatever.

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Call me biased - I love SWEotE - I think it is one of the best designed RPGs made in the last decade. (And of course WFRP3e, too)

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There's one very obvious downside, especially with WFRP3e - it is very, very cost intensive if you are looking for having it all. Since SWEotE is not making use of the components part WFRP3e required (and made so special imho) I believe it'll be more successful. I certainly hope it will -

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(There's so much more I could tell about it, but I think this should provide a general vibe and different opinion. As to for how long I've been playing WFRP3e and SWEotE - I played the beginner's Box Game of SW since it's release and WFRP3e since beginning of this year).

[Gabe OOC]

For the record, I only have read the book so far, but yes, Joani summed it up well. I'll second him on that.

[Matt]

That's great. I'm glad to hear that it plays better than it initially looked to me.

[jameson (ST)]

OK, dice mechanics aside, what about the rest of things? Character creation & progression? Customization of characters? Depth of options? As I understand it this book is basically all smugglers and bounty hunter types without Jedi and soldiers and such, has their approach to the universe made for a situation where you will need to buy into the other books to run a complete campaign without restricting player options?

[Joani]

OK, dice mechanics aside, what about the rest of things? Character creation & progression? Customization of characters? Depth of options? As I understand it this book is basically all smugglers and bounty hunter types without Jedi and soldiers and such, has their approach to the universe made for a situation where you will need to buy into the other books to run a complete campaign without restricting player options?

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Well that's the downside I mentioned in my "review". Even though you don't have to drop 100€ or 100$ for the core set, like they did in WFRP3e you still get just one Part of the setting. Character Creation is very neat imho introducing a nice mechanic called obligation which help develop your PC. You can either roll them randomly or choose if you have created a specific background. These obligations, depending on how severe/important they are can be used by the GM to forward the general story arc of each personal PC. You can even try to interweave obligations establishing a stronger bond between the PCs straight from creation/beginning on (they did something similar in WFRP3e with the Party-Sheet). You are of course rewarded if you take obligations (more starting XP, money or special gear). I think it is fairly balanced and doesn't make for overpowered PCs straight from the beginning by overburdening on obligations.

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It is not a merits and flaws system, btw. Obligations are personal character plot hooks and should arc over several sessions and maybe a PCs entire career. Han's debt to Jabba the Hutt for example was a pretty heavy obligation (given as example) - it basically determined most of his actions (how do I scratch up the money to pay up?)

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As to the problem with limited options at the beginning. SWEotE is one of three core books in development. The recently released one focussing on the outer Rim shady figures, criminals and those who survive from day to day. Most of them barely notice the war in the galaxy between the Rebel Alliance and the Imperium. As you slowly progress in your PCs story you'll sooner or later get entangled with one side or the other. That's when the second Core book will be released (I hope this year around X-Mas) which will contain mostly Rebels vs. Imperials material.

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You can choose to play Human (or near Humans), Bothan, A Class 4 Droid, Wookie, Trandoshan, Twi'leks, Rodians and Gand. That's seven species. And choose from Bounty Hunter, Colonist, Explorer, Hired Gun, Technician and Smuggler Careers which each have 3 specializations you have to choose from. You can also choose to be force sensitive right from the beginning (but you're not gonna be a Jedi... yet)

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Then there are a boatload of Talents to develop which also can be improved in Ranks/Tiers giving you more bonusses as you specialize.

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The last installment which I suppose will be released in 1Q or 2Q 2014 will be the Force Users Core book.

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I know people will cry and whine about this "rip off" of breaking up the core book into three parts/books. But SWEotE alone has a whopping 450 Pages of material, rules and stuff you can start right away with. Your first campaigns just won't include Rebel Pilots (as PCs) or Imperial Stormtroopers or Agents from the beginning. Ruleswise everything will be compatible so you're not forced to relearn or "convert" your PC from one book to the next. Everything is created using the same mechanics. So once the Rebel/Imperial Core book is out, you'll be firmly set with the rules and get more options for your campaign.

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As to how a PC may "change" his career from lets say a Smuggler to a Rebel General or what ever Careers they'll introduce I cannot say. But I believe it's not going to make you regret your first choices much. You start out with a very wide variety of options and they have already put out an Explorers Career Sourcebook with even more options for that career. Expect to have one extra Sourcebook for each career I suppose. FFG has good design and production quality but they'll also milk this license to its full potential.

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I'm already hooked - I can keep you updated if you want

[Matt]

It takes place in a time where the Jedi are mostly dead. Characters (excluding droids) can be force sensitive, which allows then to purchase talents and powers.

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Joani beat me to it about the other books.

[Matt]

Joani, would you be willing to write up a detailed review of the game?

[Joani]

I suppose I can give it a try. But it'll take me some time before I got it done. I would also ask for someone to proof read it for me.

[Matt]

I'll be glad to help with the proofing and formatting.

[jameson (ST)]

Do the rules support using standard numeric dice via reference tables or somesuch?

[Matt]

they do.

[jameson (ST)]

Small favors I guess. I cannot imagine that makes said mechanic less annoying in my eyes since from what I saw of the dice they are not something that would be quick to memorize like using d6s as Fate/Fudge dice is.

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OTOH it would at least allow for online play via a standard dice roller.

[Matt]

I could make a dice roller if there is interest/need for one.

[jameson (ST)]

I wouldn't rush out to do that until such time as it becomes a need.

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I'm mostly curious about this whole thing because I have been seeing & hearing a lot about it online, but nothing approaching a full review and nothing from people I know well enough to calibrate to my personal tastes.

[Joani]

If you want to get a feel for what EotE is about Check out this link: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/07/29/top-of-the-table-star-wars-edge-of-the-empire.aspx?PostPageIndex=1

I will write a personal review by the end of August if you are more inclined to have my own opinion on the game.