From a Galaxy Far Far Away...

My friend Mike is starting up a Star Wars role-playing game, and I get to be in it.

This is all kinds of awesome, and here's why:

Star Wars is a setting that I've never really played in before but at the same time it's something that is so iconic, because well, it's Star Wars, which means that I get the excitement of something new and the comfort of the familiar at the same time!

Also, seriously, it's Star Wars. Playing in this game means I get to go out and have adventures in space, flying in spaceships, fighting the Empire, shooting lasers, talking to Wookiees... man, that gets me all giddy just thinking about it. I mean come on, who hasn't wanted to make friends with a walking carpet bag and then go flying around the galaxy having adventures and fighting evil?

Nobody, that's who. Star Wars speaks to something deep inside everyone's cultural experience (hell, for most of us it is a part of everyone's cultural experience), because the characters and the story are so universally human. They're archetypal examples of figures that span the human experience time and again. Joseph Campbell wrote about this in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which George Lucas drew on when making the movies. So Star Wars is something that reaches out and grabs everyone.

And it's such a staggeringly huge setting. It takes place in a galaxy far far away, as well you know, with whole encyclopedias and almanacs dedicated to detailing the various planets, species, weapons, ships, customs, etc. of this universe it inhabits, a handy summary of this is included in every sourcebook for the game! This makes it incredibly easy for me to figure out a place for my character, since there's a rich history to draw upon. And being able to learn more details of the setting means I can build this rich history and add another layer of immersion to the game world, so that I can make a Knowledge check and be like, "Why yes, it was in fact the Sith Lord Exar Kun who, along with Ulic Qel-Droma used the Dark Reaper superweapon to devastate Yavin back in the days of the Old Republic*," instead of having to basically parrot whatever it is the GM tells me is the stuff I know to everyone else. It makes me feel more involved, more invested in the game.

And most importantly... this is the kind of adventure I love. It's so melodramatic. Heroes are larger than life, villains are undeniably evil, and a sense of mystery pervades even the most mundane parts of the setting. This makes for rich, cinematic gaming, and it's the kind of stuff I crave.

Finally: Wookiees. I'm just sayin': Roooorwooorghworgh.

*I am not making this up. That this is a factual statement in the world of Star Wars makes me squee with delight.