/tg/ - Traditional Games

For running a game in a setting like Star Wars, think of what you want to do in the setting. Political game? Jedi game? Smuggler game? Military game? Any of these are possible in Star Wars. If you don't know what kind of theme or tone you want for your campaign, ask your group what they would find fun and go from there. Do some brainstorming with them. Have a campaign brainstorming/character creation session zero.

The best way to prepare storytelling in a game is to get the PC's backstories first, and then start developing potential stories for the campaign. When you make the PC's backstories and characters an intrinsic part of the story, it gives the game a very strong narrative drive from the get go.

Don't railroad or try to control the PC's. Don't suffocate their creativity or agency.

Remember: the agency of the player character is sacrosanct.

>Additionally, what are some good rules of thumb for keeping things loose and not being a slave to canon when working with established universes?

are the guys in your group absolute star wars experts and complete neckbeards and know everything about the canon and what's been established?

if they aren't, do you think they're gonna care?

Pick a part of the setting/time period that you're familiar with and think is rife for potential adventures. Only put as much emphasis on what's canon as you want to. George Lucas isn't there at your game table.

Remember rule zero. The most important thing about playing tabletops is that you're having fun. You're playing pretend with dice, enjoy it.

>For running a game in a setting like Star Wars, think of what you want to do in the setting. Political game? Jedi game? Smuggler game? Military game? Any of these are possible in Star Wars.

>The best way to prepare storytelling in a game is to get the PC's backstories first, and then start developing potential stories for the campaign. When you make the PC's backstories and characters an intrinsic part of the story, it gives the game a very strong narrative drive from the get go.

Definitely more planning my next go around with my party. In the current one, I basically just threw them together in a prison in proper TES fashion but they dont have much tying their group together yet.

>Don't railroad or try to control the PC's. Don't suffocate their creativity or agency.

>Remember: the agency of the player character is sacrosanct.

This gets me thinking; whats the general concensus on lightside/darkside? Some seem to think of it as an all corrupting slippery slope that if you dip into it, youre fucked, yet even in canon some jedi dip into it without succumbing. Whats the best way to depict the dichotomy in-game? I dont want to accidentally push someone into being a sith edgelord or making the darkside too unattractive.

Pic related, currently the system+homebrew mix Im looking at suggests dangling the darkside around like a tempting shortcut, but cutting off certain lightside techniques and requiring more darkside stimuli to get the same result. Is that about a good middleground or does it not treat the darkside as dangerous enough?

>are the guys in your group absolute star wars experts and complete neckbeards and know everything about the canon and what's been established?

Tbh I think Im the only person knowledgeable about it in my group beyond the movies but even I have a shit ton of reading to do. I imagine that just works to my advantage though, since if it comes down to it I can bullshit things to some degree and my players wont know it or care enough to know it.

>It's easy, just understand how things work and don't incorporate major figures and events at every turn. It's a big galaxy, and the 6 films+cartoons+EU covered relatively little of it. A bunch of spacers fighting a crime lord, some rebels running a series of ops against an Imperial wunderwaffe, a unit in the Clone Wars (or any war for that matter), or virtually anything between Russan and the Clone Wars has little risk of any conflicting with the knowledge of even the most seasoned of experts.

Yeah, I think running it in a (relatively) small stakes backwater sector should be sufficient for that, the more I can play fast and loose with the lore the better.

>>419886

>citing Disney crap

>>419956

>Star wars set peices are important.

On the umpteen years my group and I spent playing SW, not once did we visit a single movie set piece. The most memorable adventures where set in a luxury hover train. a la Orient Express, and running wailing and screaming through an abandoned Imperial prision asteroid.

So I guess it would depend on the group in question.

>>419867

> Whats the best way to prep for storytelling in such a game?

1. Have a rough idea who the campaigns' big movers and shakers are. Base them on real people you know so you can instinctively guess what they would do when they plans go astray, even those you did not imagine would.

2. Create generic material you can use on the spot. Ships, Warriors, maybe even puzzles if you have a group that might appreciate them.

3. Pick elements from your player characters' background, and use them creatively. The most obscure elements make sometimes for the strongest link. Let's say that a character mentioned an element of his childhood, like a school. If the Empire captain is recognized as a childhood acquaintance (share the same planet, region, city and school), it changes the dynamic of the rp and involves the character more.

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> Any dos and donts as a GM?

<< Have a character dedicated to something that has to be done separately.

E.G.: Pilot / Spacer. Either give some of that shit for free so everyone can enjoy. But this also applies to Shadowrun Decking and similar stuff. Warning! Some groups stipulates that, since Jedi are able to do what most non-jedi can do anyway and have different agendas, that Jedis / Non-Jedis should not be mixed. While I do not use such a rule, I understand.

<< Prepare too much very specific stuff.

When you prepare something awesome, you kinda wanna use it, which might end you pushing for circumstances where that thing will happen, thus ruining it. Produce generic stuff easily flavored in.

>> Give players agency.

A featureless plain is boring, confusing, frustrating because you don't know where to go. A railroad is the same because choices don't matter or matter too little. A road system with clear paths and the possibility to go off-roads is best.

>> Some systems fits some genres better than other.

If you're going ANYWHERE close to the movies, I strongly recommend Star Wars: Edge of the Empire. If you want a KOTOR feel SPECIFICALLY, try Star Wars Saga w/ Starships of the Galaxy, Knights of the old Republic Campaign (duh), Scum and Villainy, and this PDF.

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> Additionally, what are some good rules of thumb for keeping things loose and not being a slave to canon when working with established universes?

Game must be in a little known time period (relatively speaking), e.g.: Mandalorian Wars.