If Star Wars (1977) existed in isolation, what would we know about that setting? How would the setting work for an RPG?
What questions are left unanswered from just watching Star Wars 1977? Moreover, how can we subvert expectations and avoid rehashing the information we get from the other movies?
I re-watched Star Wars (the 1977 theatrical release where Han shoots first) and I tried to think about the questions I would have had if I only had that movie to go on. What information would I have to determine to flesh out the setting?
- If Leia is part of the Rebel Alliance, that implies that there are different groups of rebels allied together, but not united as one. This reminds me of the French Resistance, where communists and nationalists might both oppose the German rule, but for different reasons (and both oppose each other too). What is it that separates the rebel groups?
- Luke says he hates the empire and knows it is evil but he also talks about joining the academy? It sounds like he's talking about an imperial academy (in fact I think this might be former Canon, now called Legends). We know the Empire uses ruthless tactics (killing the Jawas, Luke's relatives, destroying Alderaan, constructing a planet-killer in the first place etc) but what is it about day-to-day imperial rule that would make a farmboy hate them? But seemingly not enough to not join the academy?
- Other than on Tatooine, the only alien we see is Chewbacca. In other words, all the imperials are human and all the rebels are human (that we see anyway). Why is this?
- All the aliens speak their own language, and do not speak English (the human language that we hear as English not named in the movie). The exception is the alien who threatens Luke in the cantina, but he looks like he could be a disfigured human anyway. C3PO is a protocol droid that can translate thousands of languages. All the aliens seem to understand the human language though, how do languages work in the setting?
- Obi-Wan and Luke talk about the clone wars, what exactly is that?
- Jedi and Jedi Knight seem to be used interchangeably, but are there other types of Jedi that are not Knights?
- Obi-Wan said that the Jedi are all but extinct, are there more out there?
- Are there more villainous ex-Jedi such as Darth Vader? [In the movie it is implied that Darth is a first name and Vader is a second name, Obi-Wan says "You can't win, Darth", rather than Darth being a title.]
- Who is the Emperor? What is he like? [There is no implication that the Emperor is a force user or that Vader is his apprentice.]
- The Emperor dissolved the senate and gave the regional governors direct control, planning to keep the local systems in line using the fear of the Death Star. Since the Death Star was destroyed, this implies serious unrest in the Empire. Alderaan was destroyed, this will hurt the rebellion, and convince some to not stick their neck out. However others will be convinced to to work against the Empire. How might all that play out?
- What exactly can the Force do?
- Does space have a feudal system? The Emperor, Lord Vader, Princess Leia, Jedi Knights...
- A droids like slaves? Is everyone okay with this?
- Why does Han measure what should be a length of time using a unit of distance?
The Rebel Alliance is talked about in terms like the French Resistance - and it certainly is a resistance movement, against a vaster tyrannical force. But when we see it in Episode Four, it brings to mind the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain: unquestionably on the back foot, but still with the might of a World Power behind it. We see established chains of command, radio operators and ground crew, fighter wings, rank badges, call signs - all quite explicitly military and systematic rather than the ad hoc arrangements of a resistance. To say nothing of that orchestrated, disciplined medal ceremony at the end.
ReplyDeleteThe novelisation of the first film almost directly states that the Emperor is a puppet of the regional governors, if that helps.
I like that idea, and I was thinking already that the uniformity of the rebels that we see is suspect. I like the idea that Leia's comment that her people are peaceful and have no weapons is a bare-faced lie, and that the rebels we see are actually a section of the Alderaan military. Or after the destruction of Alderaan, their remaining military/diaspora. They would interact with other rebel groups in interesting ways I think.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the Emperor as a figurehead/puppet as a subversion of player expectations. I think I would give all the regional governors feudal titles too.