#RPGaDAY Day 18: Favorite Game System
You see, this is where I think of Barking Alien as my "RPG Brother from Another Mother," because we both picked the same game for "Favorite Game System."
West End Games' Star Wars the Roleplaying Game, Second Edition.
The rules so perfectly captured the loose, occasionally over-the-top action coupled with light humor of the movies perfectly. Editor's note: when I say movies, I mean the original trilogy. The prequel trilogy and the Clone Wars cartoon series both have Jedi being much more overpowered than this ruleset does.
In addition, the archtype PC creation (a little innovative for its time) allowed people to drop into the game with characters that were focused more on character than utility. Even though they might be less useful than others, you wanted to play the Kid or the Protocol Droid because you knew you could have fun doing it (and they were a little useful). There's a point in the rules where they are describing typical gameplay and it features a party planning on sticking an Ewok PC in an R2 unit shell to get him past some guards and the Ewok player is talking about trying to play a flute to make the appropriate noises. That pretty much exemplifies all you need to know about this game.
I just want to add that this was a game I felt was ruined by the internet as an early casualty of power gamers being given a public platform. You go out there into the wilds of the interwebs and look for info about this game and you'll find people bitching about how its broken and munchkins talking about what a good idea it is to have one or two Dark Side points. Let me just say, you guys suck. This isn't a game you play to see how powerful a character you can get, and any player who takes on Dark Side points for game effect rather than plot should be tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail.
West End Games' Star Wars the Roleplaying Game, Second Edition.
The rules so perfectly captured the loose, occasionally over-the-top action coupled with light humor of the movies perfectly. Editor's note: when I say movies, I mean the original trilogy. The prequel trilogy and the Clone Wars cartoon series both have Jedi being much more overpowered than this ruleset does.
In addition, the archtype PC creation (a little innovative for its time) allowed people to drop into the game with characters that were focused more on character than utility. Even though they might be less useful than others, you wanted to play the Kid or the Protocol Droid because you knew you could have fun doing it (and they were a little useful). There's a point in the rules where they are describing typical gameplay and it features a party planning on sticking an Ewok PC in an R2 unit shell to get him past some guards and the Ewok player is talking about trying to play a flute to make the appropriate noises. That pretty much exemplifies all you need to know about this game.
I just want to add that this was a game I felt was ruined by the internet as an early casualty of power gamers being given a public platform. You go out there into the wilds of the interwebs and look for info about this game and you'll find people bitching about how its broken and munchkins talking about what a good idea it is to have one or two Dark Side points. Let me just say, you guys suck. This isn't a game you play to see how powerful a character you can get, and any player who takes on Dark Side points for game effect rather than plot should be tarred, feathered, and run out on a rail.
Yeah boy! Star Wars is in the house. We got the notorious W-E-G all up in here!
ReplyDeleteNo, really we do.
I am in agreement with everything you said here, especially the last paragraph. Good grief! Who in their right mind is min-maxing Star Wars D6? What kind of lonely, sad, unfulfilled life you must lead. I weep for you.
The Star Wars D6 internet community does have some redeemable features however. Key among them The Star Wars Artists Guild - http://www.swagonline.net/ and stats for some of the cooler elements of The Clone Wars CGI animated series.
It's not all bad.
No, I agree there's lots of good content out there too. I was just surprised when I began to run into people either saying "hyur hyur hyur you should totally do this thing with Dark Jedi PC hyur hyur hyur," or people complaining about the shortcomings of the game. They remind me of people who immediately create the most broken army lists every time a new Warhammer 40K book comes out.
DeleteYes, those archetypes were amazing innovations back when they first appeared - so many options that our group never would have thought up, but seeing it right there in front of you made it seem like yet another cool option. Some people cal them "limiting", but without them we would have ended up with a party of mercenary soldier types all with massive gun skills and not a whole lot else.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the powergaming thing too - what's the point of min/maxing this, or Marvel Super Heroes, or quite a few other games for that matter?
I remember around the time the game came out a friend decided to run a home-made sci-fi RPG with a point-buy system. He got four Han Solos: guys who could talk, fly, and shoot. The archtypes nudged you in different directions.
DeleteGot to third Robb and BA on this. This was my first game I GM'ed and I think much of the advice and even a bit of the mechanics have stuck with me ever since.
ReplyDelete