The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Foreword: I am a Gamer. I enjoy all manor of gaming entertainment, be it board games, pen n paper role-playing games, or a good hearty game of Unreal. I am game for pretty much any sort of interactive, social, and fun activity. I am experienced in all manors of star wars media, from comics to scripts, from behind-the-scenes to Tie vs. X-wing. Even saw the Christmas special. ;) I played 3 different editions of D6's Star Wars game over the years, and have a nearly complete D6 SWRPG library. Now that you know where I'm coming from, onto the review.

The first thing that most people are going to encounter in their dealings with Star Wars Gamer magazine is the hefty price tag. Indeed, in a number of cases it may be the last thing that many encounter, as 7 US dollars for roughly 90 pages of content is suspect. However, those that do plunk down the currency for it will be mostly pleased.

After the price, the next thing that most people will encounter is the layout and production value. As with most everything that's been churned out of the mass production machine that is WotC, this magazine has outstanding production value. Especially when compared with other gamer magazines (oddly enough also covering WotC products >D ). The magazine is edited well, has wonderful paper stock quality, and a non-smudge glass finish to each page. Even their typefaces are clear to read, yet small enough to allow for multiple paragraphs in a single 1.7 inch column.

The artwork is a mixed bag, with different artists and different styles for nearly every section of the magazine. For example, while the 'Rendezvous at Ord Mantell' scenario has some wonderful artwork that is of a high enough caliber that it could easily have been lifted from one of the Dark Horse series of comics, 'Peril in the Ionosphere' abstract expressionism just doesn't fit into the theme of either the adventure of the Star Wars theme.

Aside from the mixed hand drawn artwork, there are some wonderful captures from the movie, and high quality photos of the CCG cards.

So we know its attractive to look at. What about content you say? Alright then. Here we go.

First off, you will notice that the page count seems a bit odd. For example,while flipping through the front, you will arrive at what should be page 6. But wait! It is clearly labeled '8'. Something is amiss. Apparently both the cover and the interior ad page that backs it were counted in the page tally. It seems odd, to say the least. It breaks down like this. There are 15 pages dedicated to things that are clearly not gaming material. We can designate these as ads. There is the cover and Index, which adds 2 more. There are 5 pages dedicated solely to full-page art pieces. These are mostly section beginnings or used to let the reader know that they have wandered into a different article. Then, at the end of the magazine, there are 3 pages of material that have nothing at all to do with Star Wars whatsoever. They are mostly blurbs about other Lucas Arts games and media, like the newest installment in their Monkey Island series, or what have you. So in summary; that's 25 pages of material that you don't particularly have any use for, outside of lining your bird's cage.

So that 115-page count has suddenly dwindled to 90, and you still remain 7 US dollars down. Now, I fully understand the logistics that go into page counts,and I recognize the need for ad's to produce supplementary income to cover publishing costs. I just want people to know what they get for their hard earned 7 US dollars.

Of those 90 pages that remain dedicated to actual content, 23 of those pages are divided between 2 not particularly good pieces of fiction. Now, I do not particularly enjoy fan fiction of any kind. It is decidedly unsocial, not interactive, and relatively trite in the assumptions it makes about another persons intellectual property. But I recognize that others do not hold the same views, and respect that. However, most of us will have no more use for these 23 pages of fiction then we will for the advertisements. If you want to read Star Wars fiction, buy one of the Zahn novels. They are comparably priced, and you get a much better story.

We are down to the last 67 pages. And still neigh a scrap of Star Wars Gaming related material in sight. Fear not, young Jedi. These last 67 pages are really good! No, I swear!

First there is the letter submission section, aptly named Darth Mail. Gamers just like you and I (ok, just like you) have written in to ask questions that gamers ask. The questions are fairly intelligent, and all around they address issues that most of us want to know about. They provide a fun read, serve to let the fan community know that Wotc cares what they think, and give a few clues as to what to expect in future supplements.

Understanding the Jedi Code takes a deeper look into what exactly the Code means, and interprets it through the eyes of a Jedi Master. It gives a standard, fairly conservative interpretation of what the Jedi Code really means. While well written, it appears that this section was nearly directly Cut&Pasted from The Force chapter of the core SWRPG rulebook. Sad really, since they could have used the pages that are taken up republishing existing material with something more alien races, ship statistics, or even another amusing Light Side / Dark Side comic. As it stands, this is 4 more pages that could have been used better.

Shipbuilding Secrets is also a big disappointment. It does little outside of stating the fact that 'yes, your players should indeed try to individualize their personal transport', and 'yes there is room in the world for yet another random generation table'. It may well be useful to the extreme novice gamer, but to others it will do little other then make them wonder why these pages were not used for something else. It would have been nice if this chapter had a few quick rules for modifying existing ship templates, since the Starship sourcebook is not due out for quite some time. It the end this article does little more then chew up 5 more pages.

Ahh, the Anzati. This 3-page article details an alien species akin to 'space vampires', but with a degree of tact that makes that concept actually sound like an enjoyable and plausible part of a Star Wars game. Kudos to JD Wiker just for managing to craft an accessible and useable species and history out of what could have turned into "Masquerade in Space". It also includes an example NPC, and a thorough background for him. Conservative GM's will most likely not allow Anzati PC's in their game, but that does not diminish the usefulness of the article. If nothing else, it will make a wonderful "Creature Feature" arc in your campaign.

There is also a 4-page article relating to the Star Wars CCG. I do not play this game or collect the cards, but the article seems like it would genuinely be of use to anyone who spends time thinking about how to make the perfect deck. It has high quality pictures of the cards also, which is nice.

And now for something completely different.

Ok, not completely different, but different enough to warrant paying 7 US dollars for the magazine. That's right, I'm talking about the material that is directly related to Star Wars Gaming. Finally, in the last 51 pages we get to the meat and bones of the magazine.

Dual of the Fates breaks down the dual between Obi-Wan and Maul. It converts the entire battle into a Round-for-Round slugfest. And the best part is that it will actually sync with the on screen action for those inclined to watch the fight scene in slo-mo, magazine in hand. Good job guys! It explains how the heated battle came to its seemingly contrived conclusion, and is a great example of combat for anyone who is unfamiliar with either D20 or just its Star Wars incarnation. I really like this because it shows how well the D20 rules can be used in a cinimatic game.

The Marvel Series is a group of alien stats, histories, and bios from the old marvel comic run. A large percentage of the fan population wouldn't know a Nagai from a turbo laser, but for those that do this is like a dream come true. The write-ups are as long and detailed as the Species write-ups in the Core rulebook. They provide all the info you need to play any of the 6 Species in your game without further research or thought. These will doubtlessly make their way to any number of online sites within the week, however. And most fans would have probably preferred write-ups on some of the more central species. In this reviewers mind, they did right by the dedicated marvel fans by including this article, and should include 5 or 6 new species from the various star wars media and era's in each issue.

And the Tatooine Grudge Match. What can I say other then 'This is what the SWRPG vehicle rules system should have been!' I love this article! It is simply wonderful! I plan to use it in an upcoming game session where one of my players chose to make an ex-podracer. The article is more like a mini-game that also uses the D20 system then an actual example of the SWRPG Vehicle rules in action. It is a fun, fast paced, and replayable little game that is sure to get some of your players interested in playing one of the high strung racers.

The down side is that this is little more then a teaser for the Secrets of Naboo source book. That book will include complete rules for modifying existing Pods, constructing your own, and building your own tracks to race them on; both with a random and quantified system. Good teaser, but as one of the brightest points in this magazine, this reviewer things they should have given us a little more to chew on.

Overall, I have found that the magazine was worth my 7 US dollars. But I caution those with less disposable income then myself, and suggest that everyone flip through it before they make the purchase. As always, YMMV.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Star Wars Gamer magazine, Issue #1