When comparing Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games vs Stars Without Number, the Slant community recommends Stars Without Number for most people. In the question“What are the best sci fi-themed tabletop RPGs?” Stars Without Number is ranked 1st while Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Stars Without Number is:
Has tables to randomize the whole galaxy. Including societies, factions, planets, aliens and more.
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Pros
Pro Story focused instead of combat focused
Rather than focus on combat encounters and character stats, Fantasy Flight Games system allows the group to focus on telling a great Star Wars story. The players and the GM alike are major contributors due to FFG's unique system and dice mechanics.
Pro Drives improvisation through its die roll mechanics
The die roll mechanic leads to more than just a simple success and failure. The result often requires positive and negative side effects; sometimes dramatic ones! Very rewarding with a GM who's good at making stuff up on the spot.
Pro Super-customizable character creation system
The Star Wars RPG's point-buy system allows characters to easily gain skills outside their career while still making each build feel unique. Focused builds are rewarded, but, in the narrative system, min/maxed characters are no more overpowered than their (equally rewarded) all-around counterparts. Players can easily create a bounty hunter, ambassador, or mystic, or even all of them in one character. Rigid classes ("I am a cleric") are a thing of the past. Your character is no longer defined by such constraining borders—he is what you want him to be. The level-less system places literal millions of possibilities at your fingertips.
Pro Set in the Star Wars Universe
The Star Wars Universe is arguably one of the largest and most beloved in the world, and this RPG captures it's depth and diversity very well. Players can choose from hundred of class and specialization combinations for creating unique characters and stories set in classic Star Wars settings, or create entirely new worlds and stories.
Pro Now available in setting free format with Genesys
Pro Easier to play online
Because the Star Wars RPG focuses more on story and role play and less on combat, maps and hard stats, it is easier to play online using Voice Software like Skype, Google Hangouts or Discord. There are also online platforms such as Roll20 that allow for digital dice rolls and resources.
Pro Randomly generates the whole galaxy
Has tables to randomize the whole galaxy. Including societies, factions, planets, aliens and more.
Pro Faction system
Faction system provides the possibility for numerous plot hooks, and keeps the universe feeling alive and active.
Pro Customization
A great set of tools, and the ability to make it your own universe without needing to stick to established setting lore.
Pro Simple
Easy to understand mechanics. 2d6+X to everything except combat which uses d20.
Old school D&D but converted and modernized to fit sci-fi setting.
Pro Great story
Book has a lot of fluff inside.
Cons
Con You need custom dice, and they take some getting used to
This game doesn't use the regular dice so common in most RPGs, but requires the use of a special set of dice that only Fantasy Flight sells. It's kinda pricey, and it takes some getting used to the weird symbols on the dice. There is a die roller app. Of course, some people come to love the custom dice (no more automatic 1-or-20 successes or fails).
Con All the worst money-grabbing faults in RPG design incorporated here
Multiple, nearly redundant corebooks. Supplements are high on price and low on content. It even has custom dice. Fans should be able to apply for a second mortgage at the fantasy flight website.
Con Very little digitally distributed content
While Fantasy Flight has added a few digitally distributed(PDF) resources that are all free; such as character sheets, pre-generated characters and campaigns; there are no official digital versions available for any of their print materials.
Con Three flavoured "separated" subvariants for smuggler theme, rebel stories and Jedi path
A lot of redundant text in the there "corebooks". The rest of the subgames lines are similar structured with in depth class type rule books. Patterns of the lines are very similar: Core book, beginner box, class types expansions and adventures books. You can mix the variants. Rules are compatible.
Con The old WEG edition is so much better
This is clunky and doesn't create a heroic STAR WARS feel.
Con It is essentially a rehash of old ideas
In a nutshell, Stars Without Numbers is old school D&D rules meets Traveller. It's nifty, if this is all you've ever wanted, but isn't really original enough to inspire gamers brought up on other games. It doesn't offer anything new.
Con D20
Linear rolls are not as good as bell-curves. (As long as the level of success doesn´t affect the outcome, it´s fundamentally the same)
Con Weapons are bit too deadly
Weapons are bit too deadly, especially in lower levels, when you are lucky if you survive the bullet.