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We'll go to West End Games for this, as they started the Star Wars RPG scene... "You've read novels; you've seen movies; you've watched television. What is it about these things that so compels people to sit down time and again to spend some of their precious free moments? Stories.
We love to watch characters fall into conflict, and can't wait to see how things turn out. Does the inept but lovable protagonist get the girl? Does the secret agent make it out of the villain's lair before the whole place explodes? Does the noble hero sacrifice himself to save his kingdom? The genre doesn't matter. Believable, conflict-oriented stories engage our senses so deeply that we often find ourselves hypnotized by the events unfolding before us.

In this day of virtual reality and interactive television, we can now become involved in these stories that so grip us. We become characters in tales of our own design, stories propelled forward by our actions and reactions and moving ever closer to the inevitable conclusion.

Think of roleplaying then as interactive storytelling. You and a group of friends create alter egos and enter the world of your imaginations, exploring realms limited only by your creativity. One person assumes the role of referee/storyteller - or gamemaster - informing the players of their characters' situations: the environment, the words, and the actions of the other characters present (those characters not controlled by the players) and the results of the players' characters' activities.

With a roleplaying game you can thrust yourself into the heart of adventure, becoming characters in worlds of your own imagination or of your favorite novel, movie, or television show, such as Star Wars, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Tales From The Crypt, Necroscope, or Indiana Jones, to name just a few.

Roleplaying games are a combination of interactive storytelling, improvisational acting, and dice-rolling. You and your friends are writing your own stories, filling them with exotic locales, interesting characters, and evocative scenes. Our rulebooks help get you there. All you need to add is some paper, pencils, dice, and your imagination.

Wizards of the Coast has the most up to date LFL-definition of "space fantasy."

First you have to realize that Star Wars isn't hard science-fiction. Those who write the movies and novels don't worry too much about scientific accuracy, and neither should you. Anything is possible, as long as it makes for a good story and the special effects look cool. Star Wars isn't superscience either. Characters and story are more important to a Star Wars adventure than the newest gizmo -- though cool equipment does have its place. But technology never overshadows the human elements. So although characters might routinely have to buy and repair equipment, they don't usually have to invent new gadgets to save the day and defeat the enemies of the Republic. Whatever they need probably already exists in the universe. Here are some tips to help you incorporate the key elements of space fantasy into an adventure.

Plenty of Action
In a space fantasy story, there's a lot of action, including combat, chases and dramatic conflict. Events happen fast and furiously and they usually involve a lot more reaction than planning. So the Gamemaster should never let the heroes stand around quietly for too long -- that's not in the spirit of space fantasy.

Opportunities for Combat
Every adventure should have at least one combat scene, plus the potential for several more. Combat is action, and it's usually more exciting for characters to blast their way out of trouble than to talk an enemy into surrendering -- although the latter can be fun as a change of pace. So be prepared. Every scene you present may erupt into combat and that's okay. After all, that's space fantasy -- that's Star Wars.

Cool Villains
In most cases, the heroes are the good guys and the villains are exceptionally evil. But they're also cool! Nothing makes an adventure more memorable than a nasty, evil, powerful and ultimately cool villain who threatens the heroes and opposes them at every turn. Of course, not every villain the characters face has to be super-cool. Minor opponents and lackeys of major villains are often weak, cowardly and even outright stupid.

Epic Plots
In space fantasy, everything is bigger, better and larger than life. Overwhelming odds, galaxywide conspiracies, unthinkably large armies, planet-destroying superweapons, masters of ultimate evil -- these elements are present on a grand scale in every Star Wars adventure. Heroes rescue planets from total destruction, cross light-years of distance in a heartbeat and battle weapons the size of small moons as they struggle to save the galaxy.

Clear-Cut Motives
In most cases, space fantasy presents the epic conflict of good versus evil. The good guys clearly have the best interests of the galaxy at heart, while the bad guys simply want to conquer or destroy it. There's room for the occasional shade of gray, but in general you know that Darth Maul is EVIL and that Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are GOOD. So when the heroes encounter a band of pirates, they know they're facing vile thugs who like to hurt people and accumulate wealth (usually by hurting people). And when they encounter battle droids, they know there's no use trying to talk sense into them. They'll have to blast or be blasted.
(Copyright Wizards of the Coast, 2002 under authorization by Lucasfilm, Ltd.)