Hey folks, what's the difference between 1st and 2nd edition WEG Star Wars?  My group and I are starting a game using it and I want to buy the book, but I want to know how compatible the two are...so I can go with the cheapest.

The game is set just after Return of the Jedi in the "Civil War" period that I did not know about until the game became a reality last night.  The game is basically Inglorious Basterds in the Star Wars Universe.  There are no Jedi.

Quote from: joewolz;466643Hey folks, what's the difference between 1st and 2nd edition WEG Star Wars?  My group and I are starting a game using it and I want to buy the book, but I want to know how compatible the two are...so I can go with the cheapest.

The game is set just after Return of the Jedi in the "Civil War" period that I did not know about until the game became a reality last night.  The game is basically Inglorious Basterds in the Star Wars Universe.  There are no Jedi.

1e has higher difficulty numbers for ranged attacks, as it treats dodging as additive. The droids rules are completely different. 1e has no rules for "learning" Force powers.

Incidentally, I would strongly recommend against 2e, the weakest of the three editions. 1e is simple and elegant. 2e Revised incorporates more detail and is more complete, especially with regard to skills and force powers. The in-between edition, however, 2e, is full of clunky things that basically prompted 2eR.

I have the 1st edition and I've scanned the 2nd a long time ago. Based on this, 1st is slightly rough around the edges, but a good, quick, fun ruleset (which is also very easy to convert to non-SW campaigns). 2nd, in contrast, has cleared up those rough edges, but - at least for me - killed the on-the-fly, touch-and-go feel in the process a bit.

For example, 1st doesn't really have any properly working rules for combat between participants on a different scale (person/vehicle/spaceship), but it's something you can easily houserule to your satisfaction. The 2nd edition adds those rules - and since I haven't actually played it, I'm willing to believe they work fine.

At the same time, 1st was very easy-going on Force powers - there was a list, and your Jedi could attempt to use anything on that as long as he actually had the required skills (of course some were harder to do). In contrast, 2nd (by memory) instituted some sort of comparatively complicated system of what specific order you must learn them in if you happen to be the Alien Student of the Force (who is now a specific race, IIRC). It's this kind of needless regulation that I just didn't care about in the 2nd edition.

Yeah avoid 2e like the plague its really a shonky system, revised is the better one to aim for since im pretty sure it's easier to find on ebay and such.

Thanks everyone!  I was unaware there was a difference between 2e and 2e Revised.  I will make sure to get Revised.

I actually prefer 1e, as it's a better "fast n' light" system, than 2e or 2eR.

Having played both extensively and ending up with a hybrid of the two, it really all comes down to your play style. 1e is very fast and loose, as mentioned above. 2e rev quantifies the rules much more, eliminating the need for gms to make a lot of on the fly rulings, but adding complexity that has a tendency to bog things down on occasion.

To me though, the biggest difference lies in treatment of the Force. Jedi characters in rev are combat machines that require special attention to make them balanced with a typical party. Basically, if you want to play New Hope through RotJ Jedi characters/npcs go with 1e. If you're looking to play Phantom Menace through Sith Jedi characters/npcs then go with 2e rev.

Still my favorite game ever.

Pete

Quote from: joewolz;466648Thanks everyone!  I was unaware there was a difference between 2e and 2e Revised.  I will make sure to get Revised.

There, I've done my good deed for the week.

Ultimately it's the same system. The difference are minor. I prefer the 1st edition because it's more compact and punchy. Others might find the 2e Rev more complete and polished. Or you could just go for which ever is cheaper.

Either way, once you read through the system it's worth having a look at  D6 Space (the final iteration of the system available as a free download) and MiniSix (also free) for inspiration.

Quote from: Soylent Green;466692Ultimately it's the same system. The difference are minor. I prefer the 1st edition because it's more compact and punchy. Others might find the 2e Rev more complete and polished. Or you could just go for which ever is cheaper.

Either way, once you read through the system it's worth having a look at  D6 Space (the final iteration of the system available as a free download) and MiniSix (also free) for inspiration.

While the core rules are essentially the same the differences in the way the Force is handled have a MAJOR effect on the game. Just read over lightsaber combat skill/power  in rev to see what i mean. In 1e the lightsaber was just another weapon and only someone with a really high Sense made it interesting in that it could deflect blaster bolts. In rev as written, Jedis can get lightsaber combat very early in their career and become all but impossible to.hit by anyone except another Jedi. That's why rev emulates the power level of the prequels better than 1e which better emulates the original trilogy. A good GM can work around this of course and still keep things interesting but its something to be aware of if you plan to have a.combat heavy game that pits force users against non.

Pete