The guys get right to it and talk about a programming board game called Colt Express (01:20).
The main discussion starts with how completely Star Wars has penetrated popular culture (06:12) and Stu explains how the RPG kept Star Wars alive. (07:40). The Ewok Movie comes up (08:20). Stu theorizes that the initial appeal of the Star Wars RPG laid in the fact that the books gave you access to more material from the movies (09:28).
Stu explains the basics of the system (10:31) and how the game gave birth to the Expanded Universe (11:13). Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy comes up (11:53) and Stu explains how those books paved the way to the larger Star Wars’ modern pop culture explosion. Hambone runs through some of the various editions of the rules (13:50).
Conversation turns to the game’s approach to universe building (15:00). They discuss adventure modules, the Kathol Rift campaign (16:38) and the Galaxy Guides, which brings the guys to the topic of toys (17:27) and the joy of weird aliens. There is the inevitable comparison to Star Trek (19:57) and that segues to a quick chat about angry Star Wars fans (20:54) and inclusivity (23:43). Stu talks about his up and down relationship with Star Wars (25:00).
Hambone shifts the gears out of the heavy stuff to talk about how the game handles Jedi (26:30) and a digression into miniature play wraps things up (28:00).
Finally, we end on a happy note, as Hambone is excited that his copy of the Big Trouble in Little China board game finally arrived (29:00)
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Correction: Stu has a tick and keeps calling it the Star Wars Extended Universe. While that word usage isn’t wrong, the moniker is actually the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Clarification: When Stu says that the Star Wars RPG is cinematic, he means that in a literal, mechanical sense – there are a number of storytelling tools for game masters that mimic film making techniques. This will be explored more in a later episode.
Clarification: In the first edition of the rules, the ability to use the force is bound to your starting template – there is no clear way described in the rule for a character who doesn’t start with some affinity to the force to gain it later. The second, revised edition introduces the concept of force sensitivity – characters can start as force sensitive, or buy it later with character points.
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Tune in two weeks from now for the next episode. Until then, may the dice always roll in your favor!
