So many have given up on Star Wars that it feels hopeless. We are like Luke, sans hand, clinging onto a central shaft antenna, learning Vader is our father, and giving up all hope.
I know the feeling; this is the same feeling I got with 5E. There are some things I like about it; it is still D&D, after all, but I really can't agree with most of it. It is not that "I can't stand it" that is hyperbole; if "new Star Wars" is on, I may watch some of it, but I won't go out of my way to keep up on it or watch the newer movies again. Same with D&D 5E, I can play it, and it isn't terrible, it is just so clunky, the character sheets are massive, and I have better.
I just don't really care for the new Star Wars stuff.
Like, I do not care for the new D&D stuff. And that's okay.
But I am not going to throw out my great memories of either.
Legends Star Wars fans are sort of where the OSR was during the 3.5E days. Why do we need you luddites? What is this OSR thing? You people are insane for holding onto the past, clinging to outdated lore and stories, and looking like you worship clunky, worthless, old, and outdated material. 3.5E works well enough as an "old school" game if you want it! You just have to flavor it, and things are fine. Why aren't you using modern rulesets?
These days? The pure genius of BX is slowly dawning upon people. How the game was about mapping the unknown, the brilliance of group initiative, and the careful tracking of time and resources. The sheer magnificence of BX reveals itself in play, creating engagement, tension, and a fear of the unknown, and delivering compelling gameplay.
BX is rapidly replacing D&D 5E as people's game of choice these days. This is what the cool kids play. This is where the fun is. You won't get burned out or tired playing BX; you will have fun.
If all you enjoy is the Legends stories and universe, you will have fun.
You can dream here again.
This is the OSR fight. We know "real D&D exists," and we can hold it in our hands. We can play it. We love it for what it is, and the experiences it brings to our tables. The game is classic, the memories golden, and sharing the experience is unifying and creates bonds with others.
We may see the old stuff recycled into the new, but that does not tarnish or change our memories of it. We know what an AD&D beholder used to do; this wasn't a video game monster, destined to be a challenge and eventually defeated, no, the beholder was a permanent character-killer, disintegration-ray-firing, TPK machine. The beholder cut character egos down to size.
And we know real Star Wars exists; it is just so hard to stay focused, since what we are being given today is so poor in quality that we want to dismiss it all. The constant nostalgia farming and endless bringing back of the "greatest hits" diminishes our memories of the past; it is almost a reverse nostalgia, where the more they bring up the past, the less we want to see of it.
But I like classic Star Wars like I like classic D&D, and I will fight for it. Star Wars represented something magical, a call from the stars to be better, to reflect upon our sins, and to feel goosebumps at the sight of brave heroes overcoming all odds to stop evil and save the day. To hear the music, and cheer when good triumphs over evil, or feel despair when evil delivers a deathblow to the forces of good.
This is as much the story of tragedy as it is of heroes.
These are the stories of adventure series from the dawn of cinema.
In D&D 5E, it feels like you will never die, and level 20 is a sure thing. There is a boredom of inevitability with the system, a certainty that sakes me to say "so what" to the entire character progression system. I don't really care about 5E characters since I never feel any real threats to them.
In a BX game, characters die. In Star Wars, characters die. Given the nature of Star Wars, it is a bit harder to die than in BX, as you have a few heroic mechanics to save yourself, but those can and will run out if you are stupid and careless. Or just plain unlucky.
But, just like in BX, a character's death is not the end of the game. It is the beginning of a new character's story. In 5E, you have this immortality clause, which means if you do die, it is quite likely the end of the game, and you won't really want to create a new character of that level again, just due to all of the character sheet complexity and build choices.
What hurts is that it is hard to be a Star Wars fan right now. In the OSR, indie games and new content are constantly coming out. Even if D&D is taken off the shelves and never sold again, we still have enough like it to get by.
With Star Wars, we have one game and one source of new media. The game is worth your support, and I feel that playing it and loving the classic universe sends a message. What makes it hard is the constant negativity streaming in from the new projects, and you get despondent and feel hopeless, like "Star Wars is garbage."
Well, my memories aren't garbage. The games I played with my brother aren't either, nor are the characters we played in this universe. How I felt back then isn't either. How I looked forward to the movies and the excitement I felt while in line for the original releases of each film is not garbage.
And yes, I saw each of the first three movies in the theater in the first week of release.
Those weren't just good times, they were pure magic.
They ignited a passion in me for art, storytelling, and technology like nothing else could. Part of me feels that the forces seeking to diminish Star Wars know its power, and that this is an attack on our future as a people and species. I love space and technology. I love art and music. I love great storytelling. I love lasers and spaceships.
But we are in an age of the trite and mediocre. Corporate storytelling. Nostalgia farming. Live services and subscription models that force us to accept the lowest common denominator. It is easy to give up hope. The new movies are not on the level of what we had, and the television shows are mostly forgettable. It makes me feel that we can't bottle magic anymore.
But there is a way.
And for me, it is through gaming and the Legacy books and movies. I can capture that magic as much as I want, as often as I want, and all at my gaming table with a character sheet and a set of dice. I just need to imagine and block out all the negativity in my head so I can enjoy those good times.
Like a Jedi in training, I block out the negative emotions and calm myself, channeling only the good times that once were. With my mind clear, I can create thrilling tales and stories again. The universe can come alive. The dreams and emotions return. The dead feeling I had is gone. The hope shines brightly.
Dreams are worth fighting for.
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