Lit Fantasy Flight Games and the Star Wars TCG

I was thinking about the rules staying the same, not so much the fluff. The FFG games already have inconsistent fluff (the AoR core book uses Legends background that doesn't mesh with the Rebel/Rogue One era book). Besides, when it comes to the fluff, I plan canon compliant campaigns, but steal anything and everything from Legends.

 

I doubt that there will ever be another "official canon" Star Wars RPG, in the sense of "generating" official canon.
The RPG ranks at the bottom of sales of FFG's licensed Star Wars games. While there's an outside chance that they may drop the RPG line entirely, I think it is more likely they will publish a 2nd edition Core rulebook with the NT as the new default setting, a GM screen, and that's basically it.

 

Yeah, I really don't expect the NU's universe to be *ahem* expanded upon in a manner anything like the expanded universe sometimes was. Are they really going to leave it up to a sourcebook or even a series of novels to "fill in the gaps" of, say, Luke's first class when they could do an animated show, or whatever?

Anything important or really interesting will presumably be reserved for bigger projects.

(To be clear, I'm not saying this is necessarily bad. Just different.)

 

Players create their own 'canon' when playing, and there is no reason to demand an RPG conform with the rest of SW media, or vice versa.

As for future releases, I could imagine a 2nd edition that incorporates some of the updates FFG have made to the Narrative Dice system in their Genesys line

 

True, Ulicus. But I have a radical view of canon nowadays so I'm not particularly concerned about whether it's "official" canon or not.
My concern is this:
1) StoryGroup has been rather tight with licenses, even those not considered "official canon". There's zero chance, for instance, that FFG could ever develop their own RPG that deviates from the current SW universe in any way, even if they wanted (which I doubt). Licensed RPGs that are reduced to only covering existing material tends to be the worst of the bunch (see: Decipher's LOTR and Star Trek RPGs).
2) with all the different Star Wars games put out by FFG and their RPG being at the bottom of the priority list, they are probably going to just do a bare-bones 2nd edition, and unless sales are stellar, ignore it thereafter .

It's a shame, too. Cubicle 7's licensed RPGs, like their Middle-Earth one, are superb.

 

I'm still blown away by how popular FFG's table top miniature games are. If you told me five years ago that I'd be on the 8th or 9th wave of Armada and that nearly all Rebel and Imperial ships seen on screen in the OT would have models, I'd have called you crazy. If you told me it would ALSO expand into non-film ships and eventually the Clone Wars, I would have laughed in your face.

I give FFG tons of credit. They have used their license wonderfully.

--Adm. Nick

 

Tons of credits more likely given their pricing is the only thing one can complain about!

I get rpg books are higher priced and the beautifully highly detailed epic art is worth it (and wasted on tiny cards of the card game!). The highly detailed minitatures are perfect in quality, but their pricing is a bit high still. The problem is not just FFG though, their core price is high but stores take way higher prices adding their cuts, especially outside of english speaking countries. Even in germany where we have a local license holder sell german versions of anything FFG, the prices are ridicolous. You could rather buy twice as much online including shipping than getting stuff in a store here.

Still doesn't stop me from getting a lot (not all though). But overall, the same also is true for FFGs board games and boxes. I don't even mind their unreliable release date schedule, that damn slow boat or them using chinese work standards way below western civilisations morals and standard (though it worries me).


PS: We need an FFG artbook, heck an entire series of them large scale UHQ art of the FFG illustrations for those are worth it. I found most so far from artists online directly in UHQ on artstation and deviantart. But an official book would be nice, like Marvel did for its covers.

 

Look what is on the water...



--Adm. Nick

 

I haven't posted some in awhile, but here is my latest paint job, an MC85 star cruiser from Mel Miniatures!







This baby is my flagship. I'm super proud with the final product!

--Adm. Nick

 

Looks like the FFG RPG's not dead yet: a new "Starships and Speeders" book is incoming. Looks like some good stuff (Starhawk-class stats, anyone?), but no new starship/vehicle combat rules. Release in 1Q 2020 per the article.

 

While a lot of reprinting old stuff, I do like the books that put a lot of same stats (NPCs, gear, ships, etc.) in one place for easy reference. Will be getting this one. Nice to see it has exclusives in the form of famous franchise ships and such.

 

They've been putting out these typical 'secondary' guides for a while - equipment, characters, etc.
I doubt they will be abandoning it completely, but it is pretty clear they are gearing for a 2nd edition reboot refocused on the NT era. No more adventures or era sourcebooks .

 

I'm just over here waiting for the Sequel Trilogy sourcebook. I'll bet money that March 2020 we'll get the announcement. I just want stats on Snoke and Starkiller Base

 

I'm hoping for an alien sourcebook, myself. I'm dying to play a proper Morseerian smuggler one of these days.

 

Don't think there's any evidence of a reboot as of yet.

 

Is it just me, or does it seem like every time a new book is announced people's reaction is "Look, more evidence the end is nigh!"

 

Kinda does. Like I said before, there isn't iron-clad evidence of a reboot on the horizon (it could happen, sure, but it hasn't been proven to be in the cards yet).

 

While I wouldn't want to see the line go in the direction of a reboot or second edition, the system could definitely stand a little "freshening up." Along with an alien guide, I'd love to see one of these "black cover" sourcebooks be a rules update along the lines of the old WEG first edition Rules Companion, providing better vehicle and starship combat rules, clarified rules on Force power usage and minion groups, and other bits of crunch. That and more adventure / campaign type material would be just what the medical droid ordered to breathe new life into the RPG.

 

Until this most recent announcement, we had - for the first time - a period when there were no new RPG books in the works. The pace has very much slowed down. Other RPG lines have been maintaining a steadier pace. Historically, the game is due for a 2nd edition, and I think it's a safe bet that they want to refocus the base era to the NT - which they can't do until next year at the earliest. StoryGroup doesn't appear to give them any special previews of unpublished material.
From a friend that's a general manager of a game store, I know that the RPG is the least profitable of FFG's Star Wars licenses.
This is not to say that I think that FFG is going to abandon the RPG line; and I still respect FFG's production values. While I don't plan to purchase any more of their Star Wars RPG, I don't have any particular investment in its success or failure - just commentary generated by being an avid PnP roleplayer since the late 70s.

 

I'm still shocked that Armada does as well as it does. It isn't a cheap game, though I suppose the fact that they are selling quality, pre-painted capital ships in a mature game that caught on at a tournament level helps.

I haven't heard any news on the Clone Wars expansion to the game, though I suspect that is at least a year off. I think after the Starhawk and Onager that we'll have a bit of a dry spell.

--Adm. Nick

 

Starhawk preview

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2019/11/19/rebel-might/

 

FFG: Onager-class star destroyer preview

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2019/11/25/the-siege-breaker/

 

It's a shame the reference books for the RPG are only quasi-canon because they're REALLY good; some of the bigger ones are almost Essential Guide-level in their depth. They give a lot of insight into the life of ordinary citizens of The Galaxy rather than just focusing on big heroes, and have smoothed over a good number of inconsistencies between TCW and earlier continuity - clarifying for instance the Bardottan-Phuii discrepancy (the Phuii are a colony of Bardottans) and the exact relationship between the Separatist Parliament and Separatist Council (the Parliament are the legislative branch, the Council the executive cabinet).