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In my opinion, the original Star Wars Trilogy is the greatest fictional creation of humankind. I don't even see a competitor in the rear view. Just a few dust clouds in the distance. The films combine an incredibly fantastical universe with serious moral issues. The story of a hero's struggle to rise up and defeat evil in himself and in the world around him.
At the time, the graphical components were cutting edge. Now they seem quaint. But the graphics are irrelevant really. The wonder of Star Wars is not graphics. Unfortunately, that is what George Lucas apparently came to believe it was.
I don't have the time to fully detail all the ways in which this is true, but lets examine arguable the greatest movie scene of all time; the revelation that Vader is Luke's father. There is a lot of focus on the end of this scene, but I think it is important to start at the beginning.
The entire situation is a trap. Luke knows this. And yet, he still goes to Cloud City. Into the lion's den.
This is not exploring some abandoned place or following some dude looking for clues. This is walking into a seriously life threatening situation with full knowledge that it is so. Fear is suppressed and Luke faces Vader. He places the risk to himself below the importance of his friends. This takes big brass balls.
When the lightsabers switch on, you know things are about to get serious. This is not a game, this is not a joke. Someone could die. Fast. With a flick of the wrist, you're gone. You can see the focus and determination on Luke's face. Life and death hangs in the balance.This seriousness is true of all lightsaber fights in the original trilogy.
Things progress, slowly worsening. Luke knows this. He is getting tired. He is retreating. Vader is besting him. Then the hand is severed! PAIN! DEFEAT! He retreats backward out onto that famous ledge. Then comes the big reveal. EPIC EMOTIONAL MOMENT! The truth comes out. Then he is given a chance to back down, to join Vader, to live. Luke chooses death. And then he leaps into the void.
A lesser man would have given in, but Luke is a hero. A hero looks death in the face and laughs. A hero doesn't break his moral code to save his own life. He stands for righteousness.
This scene is serious. These movies are serious. They are a work of art.
However, George Lucas then proceeded to shit all over the legacy.
I could spend all day writing about how crappy the prequels are. But after the intro I just gave you, I shouldn't have to. Anyone who has seen the films knows that there is nothing, absolutely nothing comparable in the prequels. There is no seriousness. Lucas went for cheap laughs, droids with funny voices, dumb kids, whiny adolescents, retarded Jedi who can't see problems in front of their face, 1 vs 100 lightsaber fights where there is no real danger. This is not art. It is a cartoon. It is a movie for 10 year olds.
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How does this relate to the RPG industry?
For the past decade, we have been sliding down a slope into the land of George Lucas. We have taken serious games for serious people and turned them into shit.
Paragon Half-Ogre Druid Marsupial Clansfolk Munchkin powers ACTIVATE!
This is not art. This is not a finely crafted epic. It is a joke. And we may have great graphics. Just like George Lucas does. You can make beautiful things that suck.
But I am not going down that path. This year is going to be one of refinement for me. Revising and editing my games that are on the table. Creating new ways forward with settings as well.
My game philosophy is one of seriousness. I am not totally OSR, totally narrativist, or whatever. I hate labels like that. I like some dramatic storytelling. I just don't like how story games do it. Those games are not serious to me. I like dungeons, I just don't like it how it is traditionally done and I want to innovate on that. My common theme is a serious tone.
In these settings I am designing, my monsters are going to be just that. Seriously monsterous. Nobody is scared of a Goblin as traditionally conceived. They are a joke. Something to sharpen your sword on. I want to make goblins that make your blood run cold. I want you to fear them. Serious worlds, serious monsters, serious NPCs, serious games.
So if you are on board, let's get moving.
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