Ushgarak
Bit of a heads up some months in advance here.
The current Episodes will finish off in... well, I don't know, I would like to think no more than two months.
At which point we run into a bit of a problem, because Star Wars play on my side- which is where the plots come from- has been very slow of late, with us playing other projects instead. Dark Side play has been near non-existant!
In order to delay things as long as possible to try and keep Star Wars play on these forums going as continuously, also as long as possible, I have decided to run the Original Trilogy game next, in lieu of the next Prequel Trilogy episode (thius leaving things suspended in the middle of a larger storyline, which might have its own dramatic benefit).
The 'pilot' OT episode is not in fact very big but it should last three months or so, and you never know, maybe more depending on what you do.
In that time I shall endeavour to persuade my friends to do some more Dark Side play- interest is kinda slipping really, though- and see how much further we can get Light Side.
At this point, the entire of the next Light Side episode is fine, and at least half the Dark Side one. I am reasonable confident, therefore, that I can guaranteee everyone at least one extra Prequel era episode, which means we have at least six months guaranteed play after the current episodes end.
After that, Star Wars may simply have to be paused for some period, much as the Matrix game is right now. For which I apologise, but I am afraid writing storylines is not a simple business and sometimes demand outstrips supply. Especially when you consider there is also Lord of the Rings, not to mention the games I am running at other places. The Star Wars game here has been running for some four years now, continuously, and this kinda of thing was always going to be a possibility! Often games get picked up again years after they were last played, but that won't be much good here.
Still, as I say, it will be into next year at the earliest that we will be reaching crisis point, so relax for now.
Anyway! So that means, next up is that OT game, which those who have been keeping up with the news will know is set 15 years after ROTS (and hence five years before ANH) (and hence 23 years after the current PT episode), at a point where the Imperial Fleet has subjugated most of the Galaxy, and where the Rebel Alliance is a pitiful force comprised mostly of like-minded liberal sympathisers, rather than having any military strength. However, the Imperial Senate, getting a little tired of the Emperor still using emergency powers to boss everyone around, is starting to grow a sympathy for that Alliance- a very dangerous situation indeed for the Emperor, who cannot rule without the Senate... not yet, anyway.
The storyline sees the Imperial players forming a small Imperial taskforce (the same taskforce will be re-used in later episodes) sent to take care of specific problems whilst the main fleet starts to scatter out through the Galaxy trying to root out the Rebels. Their first task is to take care of an issue the Emperor has wanted finished for a while- the thorny problem of Lanzar, homeworld of the Osokans. They have long outlived their usefulness to the Emperor, now the other Force users are gone from the Galaxy, but his political solution to the problem has failed, his installed puppet leader overthrown in a coup, and a strongly independant leader taking charge instead. Whilst a Senatorial peace mission- led by a very important Senator- struggles to bring a peaceful resolution to the planet's issues, the Emperor dispatches the Task Force to make sure things get resolved his way- by any force necessary.
Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance is keen to try and demonstrate that the Empire can be resisted. They have sent a delegation of their own to Lanzar, with the mission of making contact with the Osokan Guildmaster and ensuring that the worst of the Imperial's plan fails. The Imperial Army, if it invades, cannot be ultimately resisted, such is the power of the new wave of Star Destroyers and war vehicles that the Empire is producing, yet there can be victories to be won for the Alliance- the Empire may be forced to invade outside the bounds of legality, or things may go wrong with their invasion, or they may fail to capture the lead Osokans...
... but altruistic as the Rebel Alliance is, is this the only reason they would go to the aid of a world as notably hostile and unpleasant as Lanzar? Indeed, the Rebel Leader has received a secret mission from his superiors- one that might open a new era of hope for the fledgling Alliance- and reveals the true reason for the Emperor's desire for genocide.
-
The basic set-up of the first OT game, then, is Lanzar's countdown. As noted, there is no question of actively defeating the Imperials; that is just not credible. But how difficult will eventual Imperial victory be?
Life is not easy for the Imperials. Most races are easily scared into submission, but these bastard pig-beings seem to have no fear. Meanwhile, they cannot possibly invade whilst the Senatorial mission is still operating. Worse, if the mission concludes with some sort of peace deal, then the Imperials are in considerable trouble, because to invade is to defy the Seante, which technically carries the authority of the Emperor, who has ordered them to invade...
Life is no easier for the Rebels, either. Whilst the Imperials are tying themselves up in knots trying to get the Senators out the way, the Rebels might think they have it easy, causing the Imperials a hard time. But unfortunately the Rebels are having to deal with the Osokans, who are far from being a calm, rational people- twinned with the discovery that they aren't the most smart or sensible race in the Galaxy...
The current Episodes will finish off in... well, I don't know, I would like to think no more than two months.
At which point we run into a bit of a problem, because Star Wars play on my side- which is where the plots come from- has been very slow of late, with us playing other projects instead. Dark Side play has been near non-existant!
In order to delay things as long as possible to try and keep Star Wars play on these forums going as continuously, also as long as possible, I have decided to run the Original Trilogy game next, in lieu of the next Prequel Trilogy episode (thius leaving things suspended in the middle of a larger storyline, which might have its own dramatic benefit).
The 'pilot' OT episode is not in fact very big but it should last three months or so, and you never know, maybe more depending on what you do.
In that time I shall endeavour to persuade my friends to do some more Dark Side play- interest is kinda slipping really, though- and see how much further we can get Light Side.
At this point, the entire of the next Light Side episode is fine, and at least half the Dark Side one. I am reasonable confident, therefore, that I can guaranteee everyone at least one extra Prequel era episode, which means we have at least six months guaranteed play after the current episodes end.
After that, Star Wars may simply have to be paused for some period, much as the Matrix game is right now. For which I apologise, but I am afraid writing storylines is not a simple business and sometimes demand outstrips supply. Especially when you consider there is also Lord of the Rings, not to mention the games I am running at other places. The Star Wars game here has been running for some four years now, continuously, and this kinda of thing was always going to be a possibility! Often games get picked up again years after they were last played, but that won't be much good here.
Still, as I say, it will be into next year at the earliest that we will be reaching crisis point, so relax for now.
Anyway! So that means, next up is that OT game, which those who have been keeping up with the news will know is set 15 years after ROTS (and hence five years before ANH) (and hence 23 years after the current PT episode), at a point where the Imperial Fleet has subjugated most of the Galaxy, and where the Rebel Alliance is a pitiful force comprised mostly of like-minded liberal sympathisers, rather than having any military strength. However, the Imperial Senate, getting a little tired of the Emperor still using emergency powers to boss everyone around, is starting to grow a sympathy for that Alliance- a very dangerous situation indeed for the Emperor, who cannot rule without the Senate... not yet, anyway.
The storyline sees the Imperial players forming a small Imperial taskforce (the same taskforce will be re-used in later episodes) sent to take care of specific problems whilst the main fleet starts to scatter out through the Galaxy trying to root out the Rebels. Their first task is to take care of an issue the Emperor has wanted finished for a while- the thorny problem of Lanzar, homeworld of the Osokans. They have long outlived their usefulness to the Emperor, now the other Force users are gone from the Galaxy, but his political solution to the problem has failed, his installed puppet leader overthrown in a coup, and a strongly independant leader taking charge instead. Whilst a Senatorial peace mission- led by a very important Senator- struggles to bring a peaceful resolution to the planet's issues, the Emperor dispatches the Task Force to make sure things get resolved his way- by any force necessary.
Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance is keen to try and demonstrate that the Empire can be resisted. They have sent a delegation of their own to Lanzar, with the mission of making contact with the Osokan Guildmaster and ensuring that the worst of the Imperial's plan fails. The Imperial Army, if it invades, cannot be ultimately resisted, such is the power of the new wave of Star Destroyers and war vehicles that the Empire is producing, yet there can be victories to be won for the Alliance- the Empire may be forced to invade outside the bounds of legality, or things may go wrong with their invasion, or they may fail to capture the lead Osokans...
... but altruistic as the Rebel Alliance is, is this the only reason they would go to the aid of a world as notably hostile and unpleasant as Lanzar? Indeed, the Rebel Leader has received a secret mission from his superiors- one that might open a new era of hope for the fledgling Alliance- and reveals the true reason for the Emperor's desire for genocide.
-
The basic set-up of the first OT game, then, is Lanzar's countdown. As noted, there is no question of actively defeating the Imperials; that is just not credible. But how difficult will eventual Imperial victory be?
Life is not easy for the Imperials. Most races are easily scared into submission, but these bastard pig-beings seem to have no fear. Meanwhile, they cannot possibly invade whilst the Senatorial mission is still operating. Worse, if the mission concludes with some sort of peace deal, then the Imperials are in considerable trouble, because to invade is to defy the Seante, which technically carries the authority of the Emperor, who has ordered them to invade...
Life is no easier for the Rebels, either. Whilst the Imperials are tying themselves up in knots trying to get the Senators out the way, the Rebels might think they have it easy, causing the Imperials a hard time. But unfortunately the Rebels are having to deal with the Osokans, who are far from being a calm, rational people- twinned with the discovery that they aren't the most smart or sensible race in the Galaxy...