Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story is a Rebel focused Star Wars game set three years before the Battle of Yavin. We focus in on the Gordian Reach, a sector of space in the Outer Rim. Here, the long arm of the Empire can be felt, but their numbers are lessened somewhat from what they are in more centralized planets. Here the Empire seeks to gain a foothold in the various mining and agricultural worlds that have not yet declared their allegiance. Here the Empire hunts for the still mysterious and evasive Rebel Alliance.
Fires of Hope is based on the SAGA d20 system, is focused on a single planet to start (Arda-2) and will only spread out to a few planets beyond that in the same system of space. Further we have instituted a goal system to put a focus on character development role play as opposed to combat.
A few things to note about Force Users. There are two types, standard Force PC's, and temporary Force PC's. First, regarding Standard Force PCs:
Next Regarding Temporary Force PCs:
Temporary Force Characters are designed by staff for specific story arc purposes. They have a fixed start and end date on them (some are destined to die, others will just get rostered for later use). These characters will be given out to players who have an approved alt, have gotten at least 25 +noms and express formal interest via +request in playing one once the possible TFC's have been announced.
TFCs are plot tools, and as such they do have some restrictions. If you want to play one, you'll need to work with staff on the characters goals and motivations. In addition (to avoid any sort of favoratism where FS alts get trained by their friends) you can't train anyone to be a Jedi or other Force Tradition without staff approval.
connect: scrozzle.noderunner.net:4004
wiki: http://firesofhope.wikidot.com/home
NOTE: Edited to insert new Force Users Policy.
Best of luck, and hope you have a great game.
I can come with some constructive criticism:
@Avarice said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
Force apps are limited. They will be opened up as the active playerbase grows. Staff will post for applications when a slot opens up.
This sounds like a great way to create a world of resentment and accusations of staff favoritism, etc, etc, etc. Don't do it.
You're now facing the tripled-edged sword of Star Wars games. On the one hand if you let everybody who wants to make a Force-based character, everybody will make a Force-based character to the point that your single planet will have more Jedi on it than canonically exist post-prequels. If, however, you don't permit Force-based characters at all, your setting won't be of much interest to the player base because at this point it's not really Star Wars, just sub-standard space opera. This leaves the third option (the one you chose) which will lead to endless shitfits over favouritism.
@WTFE said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
This leaves the third option (the one you chose) which will lead to endless shitfits over favouritism.
@lordbelh said:
accusations of staff favoritism
Unless I missed something, it sounded like they were putting the force concepts up for a player vote. I'm not sure that making it a popularity contest is really much of an improvement, mind you, but crying staff favoritism seems like kind of a stretch.
So you can't make a PC without a player base vote on your concept in competition with others? Or is that just for force apps when/if they open?
And I dunno. I used to play on a ton of SW games and greatly enjoyed it, but never have played force users (or had much contact with known force users).
@mietze said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
So you can't make a PC without a player base vote on your concept in competition with others? Or is that just for force apps when/if they open?
And I dunno. I used to play on a ton of SW games and greatly enjoyed it, but never have played force users (or had much contact with known force users).
It's just for force apps!
And I think the votes being done by the playerbase vs. just Staff is an improvement over some games. There will still be favoritism, that can't be avoided, but I prefer it over the 'We deliberated and thought your app was really great! But we decided to go with <Staff bff> instead' you get on some games (not just SW games, mind you).
Tell me that force apps aren't already closed.
I guess. I'd rather staff just have balls to own the decision instead of leaving it to player and clique popularity.
@TNP said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
Tell me that force apps aren't already closed.
There haven't been any yet.
@mietze said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
I guess. I'd rather staff just have balls to own the decision instead of leaving it to player and clique popularity.
This right here. At least application staff might have consistent standards. If there's favoritism, whelp. Tells you something you need to know about staff and the game right there.
The playerbase voting on my application sounds like a horrific nightmare in which I'd never participate.
Personally, I would prefer it if there are no permanent force apps so that the character isn't a player's character. Instead, you can app for FCs but they are temporarily played, brought in for that particular story arc. The player doesn't get to keep the bit but gets to play the part out, this way players app only because they are interested in building more to the story instead of something for themselves.
Having permanent FC slots will always cause problems, whether it is staff favoritism accusations, player cliques, etc. I can see avoiding staff favoritism by going playerbase voting, but then that causes a deeper and more sinister player politics/cliques to form, potentially more damaging since they will be in it for more long term big gains.
I personally enjoy Star Wars games without any FCs that belongs to the players. I wouldn't want one as it would feel like too much responsibility to shoulder. To balance it so that the character remains fair and fun, while making sure I continue to build to the story. Especially a darker character, since Force Powers, it will be much easier to be blamed for bullying and abuse.
I was soooo interested...until force users are restricted.
I mean, dear god, just going with 'staff picks who gets to be FU or not' would be better than that. Anybody who drags over friends instantly has a leg-up on everyone else in the FU race.
People talk about MUs becoming popularity contests all the time, but you guys are going to brave new worlds in regards to that.
And then on top of that it looks like you are /completely/ neutering the FUs you do allow, mechanically speaking.
No Jedi class. No Force Training Feat. No Skill Focus UTF.
So, any FUs you do allow are...going to have VERY FEW force powers(IIRC, without Force Training, you just get Wis Modifier=Force Powers), and suck really bad at everything else too (deflect/etc) since that all runs off UtF and Skill Focus is a +5 bonus to that.
...Why not just say no FUs at all?
@KDraygo Just wanted to tack on one bit here. Staff has stated that there will be no Feature Character PCs, and that they will only serve as quest-givers and the like.
...and I just realized that you meant Force Character. Wow.
I think it would be very interesting to basically have a roster of minor Force Characters who could be used by players for short periods of time based on the needs of plots they're running. It does, however, have all the downsides of a roster system in that there has to be -meticulous- note-taking to ensure that all relationships and RP remains constant from player to player.
TBH I thought he meant Feature Characters, too. It didn't click until @Seraphim73's post. >.>
You guys seem worried about the focus on mechanics/combat in d20, so I'm curious about something.
Did you nerf Wookiees?
The most disgustingly OP things I've ever seen in SAGA are wookiee builds. The only FUs that come close are dark siders, because of dark rage, and as I recall, if you go by 'rules as written' force choke is obscenely strong since it takes the other person's turn and can be maintained once you start it.
They have Worshyrr rage or w/e (it's been years) and then a multitude of feats that make it better and better and better.
@KDraygo said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
I personally enjoy Star Wars games without any FCs that belongs to the players. I wouldn't want one as it would feel like too much responsibility to shoulder. To balance it so that the character remains fair and fun, while making sure I continue to build to the story. Especially a darker character, since Force Powers, it will be much easier to be blamed for bullying and abuse.
As someone who is kind of exhausted by Force-User-concentrated games, this actually sounds super appealing. Granted, Staff would have to be "on it" to make sure that said temporary characters don't become mostly permanent, because then what's the point? So, there should be some tracked timeline (i.e. disappears end of arc, dies end of arc, or something).
I also, personally, miss the Force-is-all-mumbo-jumbo games, where the Force can be used as a way to guide story rather than something gifted (through Staff decision or Player vote) to a character.
@faraday said in Fires of Hope: A Star Wars Story:
Unless I missed something, it sounded like they were putting the force concepts up for a player vote. I'm not sure that making it a popularity contest is really much of an improvement, mind you, but crying staff favoritism seems like kind of a stretch.
I missed that. But that's not any better, no!
Not that I'd want to play one, I like the regular guys in the Star Wars universe. But if you're going to have the Special Fancy Characters in the game, you shouldn't limit them to just the chosen few. Either let everybody have them, or nobody have them.
@KDraygo So this is a really interesting idea on how to handle force users. We'll be reviewing this and looking into implementing it in some way or another. I doubt they'd be recurring characters, more likely one offs for an arc, but it's a really clever way of taking the favoritism issue. Thanks for this.
Y'know, this makes me think of maybe a system where... activity could earn you the slot. Like, be an active/contributing player (not just a vote-whore, tho most games limit you anyway these days to only vote/nom someone once n a week) and you can be a Force User.
Lower bar, but rewards people for being involved, not just popular, and could also help in keeping an active non-FU populace.
(Me, I really just want a Miraluka who is properly force sensitive vs. just 'sees in the Force' so the restrictions don't bother me)
Yeah, I meant Force Characters, old habit. Haven't played on a SW game in forever but that was where I started my RP hobby years and year and years ago. 
So you can't make a PC without a player base vote on your concept in competition with others? Or is that just for force apps when/if they open?
And I dunno. I used to play on a ton of SW games and greatly enjoyed it, but never have played force users (or had much contact with known force users).
