Which edition of Star Wars D6 is best?

[The Game Guy]

I am curious to find out what version of Star Wars D6 that you use and what is your favorite version.

[Grimace]

Personally, I always liked the regular 2nd edition better than any of the others. I played 1st edition, and while it was fun, it just lacked something. It had the "feeling" of Star Wars, but lacked in some areas of the rules that lead to some head scratching on occasion.

2nd edition plugged a lot of the holes, introduced the Wild Die (an innovative idea, IMO) and worked in scales. It expanded the skills just enough to help stop some head scratching and had a MASSIVE amount of material put out for it. Yes, the main book was laid out rather....wonky-like. Yes, there was a couple of areas they could have explained better in the rules (meaning there was still some head scratching going on), but I feel it had the best meld of the "feel" of Star Wars as well as the mechanics to handle anything you'd want in the game.

Revised and Expanded 2nd edition was very pretty...eye catching...enticing, but there were some changes that I didn't particularly care for. There was some more growth in the skills and a little more in the way of "crunch" for the system was included in this edition. The scales were kept the same in name, but the way they worked changed to a method that added more dice to what was rolled. In my opinion, for a game where you were already rolling 8 or 9 dice, the last thing that was needed was to add more dice to what was rolled. The main book was laid out a lot better than the regular second edition, and it was VERY pretty. Pictures from the movies were crisp and clear. Illustrations were included for things that didn't have movie pictures. They made quite a ton of stuff for 2nd edition R&E, and re-released some of the older editions in the new R&E format. This version was widely regarded as the most popular, but I never cared for it as much.

The good thing was that converting back and forth between 2nd edition and R&E was super easy to do...even easier than converting from 1st edition to 2nd edition. So with all of the new R&E material coming out, I could easily use it in my games of 2nd edition.

So, this really long post was simply to say that I preferred the 2nd edition over any other edition. I know I'm in a minority (though not as minor as the "likes 1st edition" crowd) but I'm sticking with my opinion. :)

[asmkm22]

R&E, but we used both that and 2nd.

[skeloric]

Every Star Wars D6 book I have, I bought used.
I think my copy is second edition.
I saw a revised book sitting in the used rack and I vowed if it was still there in a few days when I got some cash, I would buy it.
Alas, it was not.

[Kalzazz]

2nd R&E . . . . I love the dice rolling scale system. Ive tried the other scale system and it does nothing for me. However, I think that speeds in terms of dice are nice. So . . . mostly 2nd R&E, but I like other things to

[Kalzazz]

Oh, and I bought a mix of new and used books, when I got into the system it was at mainstream bookstores

[kellhound]

I voted 2nd, but only 1st ed. was translated to spanish. Luckily I got hold of enough 2nd ed. materiel (in english) to patch the clunky things that poped up once in a while.

[The Game Guy]

After looking at the Star Wars D6 poll I saw an equal amount of people staying with second edition as there were playing 2nd edition revised and expanded.

For those playing standard 2nd edition what keeps you making the switch to revised and updated?

[kellhound]

I arrived too late for that, and didn't have internet to buy it there.
As I mentioned, only 1st ed. was translated to spanish, and only a few things were available at my usual import store (biggest in Spain, by the way).
And being player more often than GM, I didn't need more rulebooks :D

[Stormchild]

Though I played and GMed Star Wars in some long forgotten time and have played and GMed the new D6, I don't know where the differences are (my memories fails completely on Star Wars D6). Are there any significant changes?

[Havard]

I have them all, but I like 2nd R&E the best. I think there are some great ideas in D6 Space too though, worth exploring for a Star Wars campaign.

Havard

[The Game Guy]

Though I played and GMed Star Wars in some long forgotten time and have played and GMed the new D6, I don't know where the differences are (my memories fails completely on Star Wars D6). Are there any significant changes?

That I am not sure of. I think one of the things that is changed is how the force works (though I am not sure). I am going to do some research to see if I can find something that explains the differences.

[The Game Guy]

I have them all, but I like 2nd R&E the best. I think there are some great ideas in D6 Space too though, worth exploring for a Star Wars campaign.

Havard

Doesn't D6 space come close to the rules in SW D6 R&E?

[skeloric]

Doesn't D6 space come close to the rules in SW D6 R&E?

Very close.
D6 Space has metaphysics that are just "The Force" rules with all compromising references excised that might get them in trouble.
WEG built the system that THE FORCE used and its still theirs to use.

[Hisham]

I only obtained the 2nd Ed R&E in the last couple of years when I have no gaming group on me. (Left my last group in the other pants.)

[Grimace]

What keeps me from switching?

Lessee....

1. I thought some of the more "fine tuning" of things in R&E tended to make it a little too much nitpicky for my tastes. Like I mentioned in the other thread, I liked my games more complex than 1st edition but not quite what R&E offered.

2. I always hated the idea of changing the scale rules so that more dice had to be rolled. I never got into the "bucket o' dice" problem that a lot of other people experienced, but I heard about that problem so much that I scratched my head in wonderment why the R&E scale rules made it so you had to roll even more dice when working with scales. I never had a problem understanding the Die Cap method for scales, but I hear that was the main problem of contention with that method...people not "getting it".

3. The watering down, somewhat, of the Force in R&E. I liked the Force rules as presented in regular 2nd edition. When they started making it so people could attone for their DSPs I kinda got a nervous twitch. At least WEG never went as far as WOTC did and say you could play Dark Side characters. 2nd edition still had the mindset (a correct mindset, IMO) that Star Wars was about GOOD guys fighting BAD guys, and the players were playing the GOOD guys. When they started, both in games and in the books, making the bad guys into the "good" guys, or focus of the game/book, it started to dilute what Star Wars was...GOOD vs. EVIL.

That's about it. I certainly borrowed things from R&E, I just didn't port over everything to the new version.

[schnarre]

I use a hybrid of 1st & 2nd Ed. for my games (I still tend to use Speed Dice from 1st Ed., as well as a number of items from the Rules Companion to 1st Ed.). Though detailed, I found 2nd Ed. R&E somewhat wanting (with the scaling rules used therein I horrified a few players by downing a Corellian Corvette with plenty of Stormtroopers--which wouldn't have been seen before): Aside from the scaling rules, the Movie pics are nice (& nostalgic), but have been likely seen scores of times already (I missed the art by Cathleen Hunter & others).

[schnarre]

I only obtained the 2nd Ed R&E in the last couple of years when I have no gaming group on me. (Left my last group in the other pants.)

I know THAT feeling!

2nd Ed. still kept a familiarity with 1st Ed. so updating wasn't much hassle.

[The Game Guy]

What keeps me from switching?

Lessee....

1. I thought some of the more "fine tuning" of things in R&E tended to make it a little too much nitpicky for my tastes. Like I mentioned in the other thread, I liked my games more complex than 1st edition but not quite what R&E offered.

Out of curiosity (and I am not doubting you) what specific things did you think were nitpicky?

[Lee Torres]

Mike,

Thought you might find this of value - Peter Schweighofer, who did some great work for West End Games back in the day, has this on his website...

http://www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/D6SWeds.html

[The Game Guy]

That is a great page, thanks for pointing it out.

It also answers a great deal of the questions about what is the difference in the editions, etc.

Thanks for posting it

[Whill]

I have all the rule books (and just about the whole line from 87-98, minus the 1st edition supplemental books that were later re-released in some form under 2nd). I feel that overall the rules got better with each edition. And yes, the R&E edition is full-color, very pretty and much better organized that the original 2nd book.

Game mechanics-wise, the 2nd Edition R&E is really not that different than 2nd edition, thus the "2nd R&E" and not "3rd". There are not any stat conversions needed between 2nd and R&E because R&E is still 2nd, so all the 2nd edition book published before R&E are fully compatable as is. And it really doesn't take a whole lot to convert from 1st to 2nd anyway for the very few 1st books that were not re-released in some form for 2nd.

I don't think the speed of a ship should be so random so I definitely prefer the move rules over the speed dice of 1st edition. Vehicle rules are somewhat different in R@E. And I admit I'm still not sure about which scaling rules are best!

There is one thing from the Rules Companion (upgrade to 1st) that was not included in either 2nd edition which I liked the idea of: a separate capitol ship combat system. I haven't done it but I think it could be used as the basis for a system even better and still compatible with 2nd (R&E).

And one thing I haven't seen mentioned here is the Star Wars Adventure Game, released around the time of R&E but made to be a more simplified version to introduce new role players to the game. It has some simplifications that make it more like 1st edition.

D6 Space has a few things that I incorporated in my game, such as making Force-sensativity a metaphysical attribute, the calculation of move ratings for characters swimming and climbing, and allowing a few advantages and disadvantages as character design options.

So I guess you can call my version "2nd Edition, further revised and expanded". I've reorganized some of the skills in my game, so some of the skills have new attributes (since 1988 it has bothered me that beast riding is under Mechanical). And some skills are reorganized for simplification, so some of the skills that were seperated for 2nd have been recombined. For example, I still think that a star fighter ace should not necessarily be just as skilled at piloting capitol ships, but droid programming and droid repair have been re-married to eachother.

[Whill]

The great thing about this game is that the GM can pick and choose what he wants to use. Evil PCs are not allowed in my game. Period. I'm all about good vs. evil, and the furthest a character can even go from good is by starting out mercenary and eventually developing into fighting for a good cause ala Han Solo or the Tramp Freighters campaign. I'm not interested in playing another Anakin Skywalker fall and redemption story - it's already the main story arc of the entire saga. If I ever had a player that ignored the warnings and his PC game-mechanically crossed over to the dark side, I would take the character sheet, and the PC becomes a GC. No rule book of any edition tells me what I can and can't do in my game. They're all guidelines, and we have options. If you like R&E but like the scale rules of 1st edition, then use the scale rules of 1st edition. It's really that simple.

I'm just saying don't rule out R&E (or any version) just because it has a couple things you don't like about it.

[Stormchild]

OK, this is about D6 not Torg, nonetheless, I state my favourite rule from the old Torg Rulebook, the only one I know the page number and am inclined never to change: p. 47 "We wrote the rules so you could play a game in a unique setting, not so we could dictate exactly how you should use the setting. So go have fun. That's a rule." Even better said by a cartoon in the paranoia rulebook (I don't know the page as I have the german rulebook, there it is p. 61 at the first page of the rules section)

[Lazy Wombat]

I stuck with 2e because I didn't want to invest in a third edition of the game and the rules changes from 2e to 2eR&E were not that great and widely published.

[pathfinderap]

Mike,

Thought you might find this of value - Peter Schweighofer, who did some great work for West End Games back in the day, has this on his website...

http://www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/D6SWeds.html


Yeah, that is a good one, nice find Lee

[The Game Guy]

It looks like it's a tie between Second Edition and Second Edition R&E and it appears no one cares about first edition.

Interesting

[Lumrunner]

I am curious to find out what version of Star Wars D6 that you use and what is your favorite version.

When I was playing and writing regularly we used the 2nd Edition of the rules. Our group helped with playtesting the R&E and made some suggestions but the book did not come out until after I stopped playing. I pretty much have almost every supplement made except for a few here and there for all the different incarnations of the game. It is still today one of my favorite rules systems out there.

"Lumrunner"
Wayne Humfleet
Ex-WEG Freelancer

[Whill]

Welcome to the board, Lumrunner!

[selderane]

In my current game everyone in the group created a criminal-type character. Not exactly evil, but not good either. In my mind, though it wasn't indicated on the character sheet at the time, they'd all probably done things in their past that would have warranted a Dark Side point or two. And I see no problem with this. In my opinion, Han Solo should have had a least one Dark Side point. I'm sorry, but you don't smuggle spice and come away with a morally clean slate.

Now, as I'm approaching the end of my campaign, most everyone has a Dark Side point, and one PC has actually fallen to the Dark Side. I didn't take said player's sheet. Why?

Redemption.

I want to give my player the opportunity to redeem their characters. Isn't that what Star Wars is about? The redemption of Anakin Skywalker? I don't want to take that opportunity away from my players. I make it clear, of course, that this is still a "good guy" game, but I give them the room to step back and be real heroes.

Being heroic where you have nothing to lose isn't spectacular. Luke joining the Rebellion in A New Hope? Well, where else did he have to go? What other choice did he have? Everything he knew and loved was gone already. He literally had nothing to lose. Han Solo, on the other hand, well, he had a lot to lose. He had the money to repay his debts, he had a future doing what he wanted to do, and while it may have attracted Imperial attention from time to time, it certainly wasn't the kind of notoriety he was going to get by taking on the Empire.

Han had a lot to lose by joining the Rebellion. Luke didn't.

Which is why we cheer when we see Han barreling down on Vader's TIE fighter, taking off the heat from Luke's backside. He had nothing to gain, everything to lose, but the man did the right thing and saved the day!

That's why I don't yank the character sheets of PC who fall to the Dark Side or even get Dark Side points. If I did the group might miss out on Han saving Luke's butt from Vader.

[bblackmoor]

Isn't that what Star Wars is about? The redemption of Anakin Skywalker?

Gah. No. Redemption of Darth Vader, sure. Anakin Skywalker isn't Darth Vader: he's a dink in a Darth Vader costume.

But yes, the whole "redemption" angle sounds cool, as long as the players participate.

[morenachos]

I played every edition, and I like the 2nd Ed R&E the best. Partially because I worked on it, partially because it's the latest / greatest version. I still own every book from every edition for the WEG SW D6 game. Never played the WOTC version.

[Whill]

I played every edition, and I like the 2nd Ed R&E the best. Partially because I worked on it, partially because it's the latest / greatest version. I still own every book from every edition for the WEG SW D6 game. Never played the WOTC version.

Welcome to the board, nachos!