Star Wars Rebels, Star Destroyers and new players

[Rusharn]

Yeah, the stormies will get around to using smoke or chemical grenades, but the group is still learning so one surprise tactic at a time.

[Theodrim]

I play it as a complete crapshoot, depending on shift, day, location, and the like. Not every Imperial customs officer is a complete moron, but on the other hand they're not going to put their most attentive, perceptive, gung-ho officer on the night shift in some Outer Rim backwater.

[Rusharn]

Customs officers are much more variable that security and command officers in military bases and star destroyers. Through, players with some streetwise, planetary systems knowledge, law enforcement, investigations or Bureaucracy can get a pulse on how strictly the Empire enforces laws on said system or planet. Some times Customs officers are very lax, other times on planets that have tactical importance they are draconian and highly efficient. But when it comes to Military Bases and High Value Military star ships My players will find only the best the Empire has to offer there because that is where you get the biggest payoff and prizes should you succeed in a mission against those targets.

[Volar the Healer]

I also play the Imperial military as competant.

Some ideas;
1) Use NPCs, both rebels and rogues, to describe their past failures in dealing with Imperials...give several examples from different groups.
2) Don't allow your players on to a star destroyer. Have the outer security forces sound the alert and the ship be sealed before they can enter.
3) Have the local hypernews channel report several ships have attempted to break the quarentine with one destroyed and all the rest captured.
4) Have them instructed by a retired Imperial naval officer on how and why it's impossible to board a star destroyer (numbers of troops, drills, failures).
5) If they're going to use player knowledge to make their plans, have their player knowledge ridiculed in game as 'rebel propoganda'.
6) If after all that they still wish to try, let them. Especially if you'd like a new set of characters. It'd be best to allow one or two of the old characters to escape (with bounties of course and excellent images from imperial security systems) so they can instruct the new guys why that was a bad idea.
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Know Jesus, Know Peace.
No Jesus, No Peace

[garhkal]

[MrNexx]

[cheshire]

I don't really have any strong feelings about this subject, but I thought I'd drop something in as Devil's Advocate.

The Star Wars RPG is about playing a setting based on a shared narrative. The narrative of the old guard is based on the books, the Original Trilogy, and the sourcebooks we've had on the shelf for 20 years. The young blood has a different shared narrative, i.e., the SWR.

The question is not how to break their shared narrative, but whether or not it is in the long-term best interest of your game to do so. Consider the possibility of playing within the setting they are familiar. If breaking into military compound is challenging but doable in SWR, and if you are playing in that time frame, then consider modeling what you've seen on film.

The Empire is the dominant military force in the galaxy and is facing little opposition at the time. So maybe they are lax or lazy with their protocols. Perhaps the hardened military machine with robust security protocols is based on the infiltration they've suffered from your PCs and NPCs seen in SWR.

It also allows the Imperials to get tougher and tougher to infiltrate as the narrative progresses and the bone up their protocols to match what we've come to expect.

Just an idea. Do with it as you will.
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Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Ning Leihrec]

The characters in Star Wars Rebels are way more experienced than typical noobs, very well equipped, and are aided by 2-3 Jedi. If your players get to that level maybe then they'll have a shot at a Star Destroyer. Till then, set your tone as ruthlessly as you like. If you lose a few players over their own bad judgement they were probably too delicate for the style of game you run anyway. I also like my SWU a little gritty. The darker the fantasy the brighter the reward.

[garhkal]

[Whill]

[jmanski]

The cartoon is a fun watch, but it is very fantastical (is that a word) IMHO.
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Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[garhkal]

Of course it is.. IMO its made more for kids, who love fantastical stuff.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[MrNexx]

[garhkal]

[JironGhrad]