Star Wars Conquers the Universe book spotlights WEG SW D6

[BluMax]

I've read my fair share of Lucas bios and books about the development of Star Wars, but West End Games' contribution in helping keep the fire burning in the long dry 83-99 spell practically always goes unmentioned.

Having read through 'Star Wars Conquers the Universe' by Chris Taylor -an interesting history of the entire phenomenon - I was surprised but pleased to see this corrected - here's an excerpt:

"one form of Star Wars game [was licensed]. . . and it was the geekiest version of them all. The Star Wars role-playing game, made by a tiny company in Pennsylvania called West End Games, launched in October 1987. For the next three years, it would be about the only thing going in the Star Wars Universe. . .the role-playing game wasn't just preserving the memory of Star Wars. It was cataloging and enhancing it. To create the sourcebook. .. Bill Slavicsek . . .had to figure out the nuts and bolts of how Lucas's universe worked, and fill in the gaps.
At the time, it seemed about the nerdiest thing you could possibly do. But Slavicsek's work - and the contributors [that followed] - would prove incalculably important to the coming Star Wars revival [chapter ends]."

Interesting? Accurate? I didn't realize it was that nerdy!

[JironGhrad]

Tabletop gaming has always been viewed as those D&D players of the late 70s and early 80s. It's rather ironic that group gaming actually created a stereotype of social misfit/loner.

[BluMax]

There are still folks who think rpgs are akin to witchcraft/blood cults. It is amazing how some misconceptions refuse to die.

Although I liked the author's pointing out that WEG had an important role in the franchise, I admit his slightly snooty dismissal of the hobby was jarring. This, in a book that devotes whole chapters to OCD members of the 501st counting each others' belt pouches, and R2 Builders Club members who spend years in their garage and tens of thousands of $ on replica droids.

[JironGhrad]