Poll: Heavily Non-Canon Star Wars

[Umbran]

This was exactly what my son warned me of. "Everyone who play for three years in the other will play this one. No-one else will.

Perhaps there's some wisdom in what he says, then.

 

[aramis erak]

As long as I play the Jedi who kills Darth WoobyWooby (evil Luke Skywalker).

I'd rather kill Darth Jar-Jar....

 

[Willie the Duck]

One of my biggest issues with IP where a small group saves the universe, is that my character isn't part of that small group. This nicely sidesteps all of that.

This is the fundamental problem with the Star Wars IP as a game setting, and this does address the situation.

The way I would do it is set the game during the rebellion, and state that -- while Han and Luke and Vader are out there in this universe, them being the focal point of the entire universe isn't inherently true. There's other important developments like the Death Star and other important super-henchmen to the emperor just like Vader (possibly looking and acting a lot like Vader). And if it turns out that the PCs end up taking down the emperor, well then the tale of some farmboy turning his emperor-loving father back to the forces of good and destroying a couple of death stars (uh, and slaying one of the emperor's best body-doubles) turns out not to be the most important part of the rebellion.

 

[el-remmen]

I think this would be the only way for me to enjoy a Star Wars game.

I do love the original trilogy and bits and pieces of everything else - but for an RPG campaign? I want gaps and changes.

The few Star Wars things I have run have been in the gaps that did not change (much) of what had been established, but this was before or during the Prequel era, and somethings would not work anymore.

For example, I ran a one-off where the PCs were Rebel spies already in the Death Star and had to covertly help Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie escape. They were the ones who originally got the Death Star plans to the rebels (Rogue One kind of ruined that - then again I think Rogue One was overrated and unnecessary and mostly boring).

I ran another mini-campaign that was a Jawa Revenge Squad making terroristic assault on Imperial Outposts on Tatooine.

 

[Blue]

This is the fundamental problem with the Star Wars IP as a game setting, and this does address the situation.

The way I would do it is set the game during the rebellion, and state that -- while Han and Luke and Vader are out there in this universe, them being the focal point of the entire universe isn't inherently true. There's other important developments like the Death Star and other important super-henchmen to the emperor just like Vader (possibly looking and acting a lot like Vader). And if it turns out that the PCs end up taking down the emperor, well then the tale of some farmboy turning his emperor-loving father back to the forces of good and destroying a couple of death stars (uh, and slaying one of the emperor's best body-doubles) turns out not to be the most important part of the rebellion.

That works, but for me the OP's take was better. Using a known IP or setting is a shorthand shared lore between everyone at the table. This is "they are all out there" and leaves what lore the players know that is now misleading as unknown. With the OP, there's a clear division. Everything you know of Luke up to that point is canon to the new game, and everything past it like the Jedi Academy is not. We know about a bunch of others from Leia to Jabba, and have a clear point about where we know our lore ends.

 

[aramis erak]

I think this would be the only way for me to enjoy a Star Wars game.

I do love the original trilogy and bits and pieces of everything else - but for an RPG campaign? I want gaps and changes.

The OT (E IV-VI) has lots of gaps, especially since it makes it clear there's been a bunch go on in between...
The IV-V gap is long enough for the Alliance to have built the Hoth base, staffed it, Han and Leia to have had some adventures on Ord Mantell... and have been making a difference ... enough to be actively pursued.

Another gap, albeit much shorter, hides in ep IV... Where are the fighter squadrons from the Death Star? Its fighters should have reached Yavin IV well before... That gap got filled in one campaign by the PCs leading a massive furball while the Death Star comes inbound...

The V-VI gap, there's been long enough for Luke, Leia, and Lando to establish firmly that Boba Fett sold Han to Jabba. And to arrange the subterfuges. And for Luke to have done a lot of upping his abilities with the Force. We also are told in the opening crawl that some time has passed.

VI does appear to have some notable gap time inside. not a lot - between Luke heading to Yoda; Leia, Han and Lando to meet back up with the fleet...

All those interludes, plus the actual war going on, leaves huge gaps to fill without being the ones saving the universe. And plenty of other threats that could combine with The Emperor/New Order that PCs can take down. Like Darth Maul - he survived being chopped in half...

 

[TwoSix]

All those interludes, plus the actual war going on, leaves huge gaps to fill without being the ones saving the universe. And plenty of other threats that could combine with The Emperor/New Order that PCs can take down. Like Darth Maul - he survived being chopped in half...

I think a lot of published RPGs based on settings assume that the existing canon is inviolate, and the PCs can play a B-team somewhere in the setting cracks.

But there's also nothing wrong with giving canon a toss and letting the PCs be the big damn heroes.

 

[Belen]

I voted no mainly because I just would not play in a SW game that was too close to the movie timelines. I do not want to deal with that baggage. My last SW campaign was set 1000 years in the future. The Jedi Order has become "The Order" after a Jedi Civil War (4 centuries before) that pitted "Gray" Jedi against Light-side Jedi.

The real Jedi lost and the entire galaxy was broken into zone controlled by groups of Order Warlords that often fought against each other...

 

[el-remmen]

The OT (E IV-VI) has lots of gaps, especially since it makes it clear there's been a bunch go on in between...
The IV-V gap is long enough for the Alliance to have built the Hoth base, staffed it, Han and Leia to have had some adventures on Ord Mantell... and have been making a difference ... enough to be actively pursued.

Another gap, albeit much shorter, hides in ep IV... Where are the fighter squadrons from the Death Star? Its fighters should have reached Yavin IV well before... That gap got filled in one campaign by the PCs leading a massive furball while the Death Star comes inbound...

The V-VI gap, there's been long enough for Luke, Leia, and Lando to establish firmly that Boba Fett sold Han to Jabba. And to arrange the subterfuges. And for Luke to have done a lot of upping his abilities with the Force. We also are told in the opening crawl that some time has passed.

VI does appear to have some notable gap time inside. not a lot - between Luke heading to Yoda; Leia, Han and Lando to meet back up with the fleet...

All those interludes, plus the actual war going on, leaves huge gaps to fill without being the ones saving the universe. And plenty of other threats that could combine with The Emperor/New Order that PCs can take down. Like Darth Maul - he survived being chopped in half...

So you agree with me. Cool.

 

[aramis erak]

I voted no mainly because I just would not play in a SW game that was too close to the movie timelines. I do not want to deal with that baggage. My last SW campaign was set 1000 years in the future. The Jedi Order has become "The Order" after a Jedi Civil War (4 centuries before) that pitted "Gray" Jedi against Light-side Jedi.

The real Jedi lost and the entire galaxy was broken into zone controlled by groups of Order Warlords that often fought against each other...

At that point, why bother with invoking Star Wars at all?

(Edit: to be clear, It's a serious question, not a snark. I don't get why people do things like that.)