It's the age old question, really. There are still people playing the WEG D6 version and loving it. There are people playing with the d20 Revised Core (shudder at the clunk of that thing) or Saga. I've played all, and all have their merits and their problems. One thing I did really like about Saga, which I know is not everyone's cup of tea, was the fact that the mechanics were streamlined enough for fast teaching of the system and fast play. If you've got to stop to check rulebooks, then you lose the rapid pace space pulp adventure feel that is Star Wars.

I for one hope that the system here will keep the fast paced play from WEG and Saga, and from what I've seen so far (my Beta was shipped off this morning, and can't get here fast enough!) that seems to be the approach they've taken.

Also, in direct response to the opening assertion that it's way more expensive to play this than Saga, I call bollocks. For a start it's a totally indefensible position up until the time that the actual book comes out and we can see what's in it and what isn't. Secondly, what makes you certain that this core system will not have the same level of flexibility? Sure you could have played a Legacy or Old Republic era game with the core Saga rules, but WotC still released sourcebooks for them. I imagine the exact same thing will apply here. You can do anything with the core book (there are rules for Force powers and lightsabers, Jedi *are* covered) but additional material might well be warranted.

On a related point, I own all the iterations of the 40K rpg to date, and they all (well, maybe not Deathwatch…) are top notch. The thing I loved most about it was that you could essentially play whatever characters you want using Dark Heresy (except marines, really), but that the other books gave their own flavour to things. I think that is a concept that has done FF well in the past, and they're sticking to it because it works. Why even bother to release Only War? You can do the same power level with DH. That said, having read the beta for Only War, it feels dramatically different because of the way they've updated the system.

Scum and Villainy, the focus of Edge of the Empire, will *feel* significantly different to a more guerilla warfare and capital ship combat oriented second game.

Ultimately though, these arguments all boil down to the one thing: either buy it, or if you have a problem, don't. Damn, that was simple wasn't it?

I've seen this argument in D&D now for decades. It boils down to this: pick the edition you like, and go play. There's no need to make some kind of contest about which one is better, because each of us has his own preferences.

There is room in the Star Wars RPG community for all of us, gents.

My only thought is, "Cool, have fun playing Saga."

I have never understood why people who are not interested in a game go to said game's forums and explain why they are not interested.  

Doc, the Weasel said:

Agreed.  To answer your question though I can give a few ideas.

1.  Misery loves company

2.  The misguided belief that their input will somehow reverse the entire process and they will instead get a revised version of whatever system it is that they like the most.  Lets face it, the beta will be open to small changes but a complete rules overhaul isn't fiscally possible, especially considering there are many out there that are genuinely excited by the new line.

3.  Trolls

4.  Influence from the dark side of the force.

Loved D6.

Saga is great and I'm playing Dawn of Defiance now. It's the 4th Saga campaign I've played or GMed and each has run about a year.

I'm looking forward to giving EotE a chance.

One thing that could really set EotE apart from Saga are published adventures. Those were too few and far between for Saga.

I'm not sure if this is a licencing issue but some good published adventures from FFG would go a long way toward making my next campaign use their rule set--and having my players buy the books.

cd8dman said:

You, sir, are wise. Very, very wise. 

Doc, the Weasel said:

Agreed. I hated Star Wars d20. That is why we stuck to D6. No reason to go and moan out it.

Dude… Look at the bright side… you now have a finite about of products… collection can be completed! Get all the books, and game on. If you love it, sweet!

Like many of you, I've played every iteration of a Star Wars RPG that's been published, and I see each of them as having various pros and cons in terms of how they align with the things that I like in a game. I do feel like, though, the words "hate" and "sucks" get thrown around a lot more often than they ought to. In fact, so do words like 'awesome", "epic", "love" and "best".

Maybe the internet is so crowded that people think if you don't speak in extremes, nobody will hear you or pay attention.

A little mediation and balance would be nice in our dicussion of Star Wars RPGs, as it would any other interaction on a forum. Wishful thinknig perhaps, but there are some encouraging signs here.

Yeah, that is what is awesome. No reason you cannot stay playing the various d20 games. Me and my friends all got our interest peaked in playing a SW campaign again after SWTOR came out. Being the DM I started looking over both d20 versions and decided D6 was the way to go… but that is just me.

Point is to have fun! Go with what makes you happy.

usgrandprix said:

Completely agree. As an aside, you say here that there were few published adventures for Saga, but I was only aware of Dawn of Defiance. What other ones are there? I'd be keen to check them out. :D

 To answer the OPs question, WEGs system was a fairly simulationist style (don't hold me to that it's been a few years). Saga was a strongly Gamist style of game.  FFG's vision is narative. Play the game that suits your group. I like narrative gaming so am justifiably excited. 

For A brief summery of GNS theory check Wikipedia: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNS_Theory 

Im getting the beta to give it a look through.

I did not like the WEG d6 version (even was friends with one of the game designers personally on Facebook and she even admited the game broke down at higher levels and became bucket o dice.

I enjoyed the OCR d20 and really loved and still do love RCR d20 in my opinion the best system yet.

I tried SAGA and hated it.

The only thing I can kind of KIND OF see what the OP is saying about the cost is lets say got all the SAGA rulebooks at full price and paid $400 you got 12-14 books.  Just to get 3 core rule books you will be spending $180 almost half for a quarter of the amount of books.  $180 is a lot of money for the core rulebook set for any game.  Then lets add on the cost of the dice (assume $14) your up to almost $200.  Now thats half the cost of the entire SAGA system for a quarter of the books.

In this economy that is a lot to spend for just 3 books.

There's also that maybe for some people there still isn't a version of the game they feel fits their style best.  Clone Wars style stuff and era and TOR fan?  Hate d20?  WEG doesn't really do much for you either.

Some of us were hoping this would be a game out the door to cover Star Wars as it is now.  And in 3 years, it may well be.  But there is a definite disappointment we have to wait 3 years to get the game we were hoping for.  And still no option to be able to play the style of Star Wars game we wanted.  However, there is always hope, even if it is unlikely, that if enough people make a big enough stink, then maybe something Jedi supporting will land sooner.  It is still early in the process after all!

I have all the SW RPGs. When WOTC made OCR, everyone complained something was missing and it wasn't WEG's D6. If there is anything missing, the community will create custom rules or classes until an official one comes about. WOTC RCR came out with more stuff and fixed things and then later SAGA. FFG's version will have its issues, but the community will fill the gaps until the next book. I have all the old books as reference now, or I can go play them. I don't regret buying any of them. I did the same with The Lord of the Rings. I have a ton of MERP books of both versions and I use them as reference in all my other LOTR gaming from miniatures or the new The One Ring RPG.

After reading the original post, I guess I shouldn't buy the book, but I love the SW Universe. I will support the FFG,my LGS, and whoever else to make this a successful product and a license. I'd rather have 10 years of products than have none at all. I already bought the book.

Armenius Orson Carrick said:

There are adventures in Scum & Villainy, Galaxy of Intrigue, and Galaxy at War. None are that great.

"Iridonian Darkness" is a decent KOTOR adventure that was a download on the Wizards site.

Wizards brought "The Betrayal of Darth Revan" to a con. It's a fun KOTOR adventure you can run for a good one shot.

That's about it.