I picked up the Beta version of FFG's Edgoe of the Empire ruleset for Star Wars when I was at GenCon. There are somethings
I am a little disappointed on, but given that they are doing like they have done with the 40K RPGs, I can understand them
not including EVERYTHING in the first book. Also, unlike WotC, they are not luddites, and are actually making adjustments
based on feedback from the Beta . In fact, they make them fairly frequently from what I have seen. It will be interesting
when the game is finally released.
Overall, it is a very flexible system The only gripe I have is the use of special dice(like they are using for their X-wing game).
However, those special dice have stuff where you might still fail a roll, but put yourself at and advantage for the next, or put
someone else at a disadvantage. Also, though they reduced one thing ont he Lightsaber in one of the feedback based changes,
the lightsaber, unlike in any of the versions of the rules, is fragging DEADLY! Even if you are in the best armour, it is a) getting
through and b) hurting you! (Hint: Even in the best armour, it is going to do damage, and if it does damage, it, pretty much,
always rolls for a critical effect...just need to determine by how much it goes to determine how BAD the critical effect will
be. Also, by the rules, every critical hit you take....gives your opponent a bonus on their next critical hit effect roll...)
The Edge of Empire rules, though, do not focus on the Rebellion or Jedi. They focus on the smugglers and fringers. In essence,
it is the book that almost everything Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia did in A New Hope(up to the Battle of Yavin) would be covered by, but does not touch the Rebellion military or the deeper sides of the Jedi and Force, which are the books planned over the
next two years of releases.
deal with the stuff you would see