Chapter IV: A Newbie Hope -- Designer's Notes

Designer Notes and Comments

Basically I needed a MacGuffin to get the campaign rolling.  And what better macguffin to use than the original -- little lost robot just trying to accomplish his mission. What is Luc (Luc Skywalker -- pronounced as John Cleese doing a French accent) doing in that shuttle and what is the droid carrying?  Ah, that's what the campaign will seek to discover! So after the crash, the Rebel contingent has to get the bot off the board and to civilization -- such as it is on Colony 13.

My first idea for this scenario was to massacre the Rebels so that the droid could be sold by the tribesmen into New Hope City -- there to be fought over by all the colony's factions.  So it was going to be a bit of Rorke's Drift.  But then I realized that it didn't matter to me who won -- and the results were more interesting than I could have hoped for!

I didn't use Stars -- the Rep 5 Rebel is referred to as Luc.  I wanted the miniatures to tell me who the stars were.  Certainly the way things turned out Luc should get the Cheating Death rule!  (Note this changed in the comic writeup to Luke Starpower)

Since this was an outdoor scenario I used the Colonial Adventures for PEF movmement and resolution.  However I reversed the resolution list so that the main body was more likely to occur later -- this worked well in this small scenario to build up the tension as the game progressed.
Sigh -- it has to be said -- there was the usual struggle with understanding the THW rules and applying them.  I love the spirit of the games and the reaction system is great (especially for these solo games!)  but for me the rules explanations are lacking and the writing style just really throws me.  Luckily I've been playing the game since Legends of Araby that I usually can figure out what is meant -- and if I can't I make my own rule.  It's solo gaming after all.  Still it's very frustrating and I will be working on some game aids to assist -- because despite the frustrations the games are worth the effort.

Very fun and a surprise ending with Luc and Biclighter injured and being treated by the village shaman while the tribal elder contacts his trading partners in the city to see what they will give for a little lost robot....

I enjoyed that aspect as well -- seeing the game through the eyes of both parties.  I mean these tribesmen were just trying to quietly worship when these hu'mans barge into the sacred circle waving guns about....

Heh...thing like that could start a war....