In the early days of the Star Wars Artists Guild (SWAG) I came across the work of a regular contributor who went by the username of 'Reverend Strone'. In real life, Reverend Strone is none other then Daniel Falconer, a New Zealander who has worked as a concept artist and designer for some of the top projects by WETA Workshop, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Narina film series.
Daniel and I chatted online a few times, the most common subject discussed being a Star Wars D6 RPG campaign he was part of from which most of his fan art originated. I don't recall if he was a player or the GM but the idea behind the game was awesome to me. It took place solely on Tatooine and the PCs rarely left the desert world. The campaign focused on these people living on a world in the Outer Rim who ran a ranch (I forget if they were Nerf or Bantha Herders) and had to deal with rustlers, gangsters, sand people raids, family drama, and the limited resources of Tatooine.
Imotta the Hutt getting a massage.
A small time crimelord operating a smuggling ring and a legitimate restaurant,
Imotta is a nephew of Jabba the Hutt.
Art by Daniel 'Reverend Strone' Falconer.
If The Mandalorian is a Star Wars 'Space Western' version of the Rifleman, then this campaign was a Star Wars version of Bonanza.
This sounded so cool to me for a variety of reasons but the main one, the element I want to focus on for this post, is the idea of a campaign where you 'live in the Star Wars universe'. The idea of a Star Wars Sandbox without galaxy threatening stakes sparks my creativity in a way that's hard to explain. A story about people just trying to make a living on a frontier planet puts me in a cozy, warm, and very inspired state of mind. I want to sit down, grab a cup of hot blue milk, and jot down ideas for what might be out there to challenge the PCs.
This concept, common in Anime/Manga and Japanese TRPGs, is what the Japanese call kuki-kei (Airy-Themed Systen) or nichijo-kei (Daily System or Everyday Life System). The genre centers around [relatively] normal people going about their [relatively] normal lives. In Anime and Manga the characters are usually young girls (of course) and a common phrase for the genre is 'Cute Girls doing Cute Things'. This has greatly expanded in recent years, with series that focus on male and female characters trying to exist peacefully in a setting that is often strange and dangerous.
I've probably mentioned this before but I am absolutely fascinated by the juxtaposition of the strange with the mundane. What is it like to be professional Pet Walker on Coruscant? What does a middle management Imperial Officer do all day?
Imagine being a Jawa Droid Mechanic who has a regular customer on the outskirts of Mos Taika on Tatooine. He combs the Dune Sea and bordering areas for Astromechs of all kinds and knows that this Human will buy them. Problem is, there hasn't been anything decent in weeks. The Jawa pulls up the ol' Sandcrawler to Power Station to trade for some provisions.
The PCs work at the Power Station (picture it like a 1950s Gas Station mixed with the Tatooine aesthetic) and know this Jawa. He seems down and desparate and the gang offers to help. Maybe one of them knows about a starship wreckage kinda far to the South that might have some droids. Closing shop early to the dismay of some locals and a guy with a podracer, the team heads out to the shipwreck. Perhaps they find some vehicle parts they can use in the garage as well.
What will they run into? Competing group of Jawas? The Pirates who downed the ship looking for salvage? A Stormtrooper who survived and has been living in the destroyed vessel for months? Who knows! The point is that the planet isn't at stake, the galaxy isn't doomed, and the Sith Warlord isn't your father. You are just a person who lives on Tatooine (or wherever) doing a local acquaintence a solid. Reward? Hopefully you'll find some good gear and your Jawa buddy will owe you one.
The Japanese TRPG Mamono Scramble is all about this, which is one of the reasons I'm so interested in it. Like Ryuutama for Star Wars, ya know? More Star Wars: Outlaws and less Star Wars: The Acolyte.
And anything that's less Star Wars: The Acolyte is OK by me.
May The Force Be With You,
AD
Barking Alien
While I know this is a Star Wars post, I'd like to take this moment to wish everyone a Happy Star Trek Day! Here's to 58 years of exploring The Final Frontier.
It isn't about *completely* normal people, but I think the "folks just trying to get by in the crazy status quo of the galaxy" vibe is part of what made Firefly so appealing. A lot of us just hadn't seen that approach with that scale and quality before. (I also think that speaks to why Serenity simply wasn't as good as the show for many of us...suddenly they had to SAVE THE WORLD.)
ReplyDeleteI haven't followed recent Star Wars TV very closely, but it does look like they've tried to capture some of that Firefly edge at times. No idea if they've really come anywhere close.
I know I'm in the minority but Firefly didn't appeal to me at all. Classic Traveller style party and approach (sorta) but there wasn't anything about the setting I found interesting. No aliens, robots, bland planets, and ships I didn't find aesthetically pleasing. Also, don't pick Chinese as the language adopted by space Humanity if your actors can't pronounce Chinese words correctly.
DeleteAs far as the recent Star Wars shows, they get close sometimes, especially with The Mandalorian, but eventually jump the Sarlaac and feel the need to up the stakes to the Galaxy (Capital 'G'!) and everyone involved being oh so important to the canon.
That's definitely fair. (I realized somewhere along the way that I wasn't sure if I could remember your mentioning Firefly, so I thought that was a possibility! I do get that it isn't everyone's jam, and it's obviously lost some of its "untouchable" aura over the years...)
DeleteAs for the shows in the Galaxy...yeah, that sounds like the inevitable SW approach. Just remember, we'll always have Caravan of Courage! ;)