When comparing Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games vs Cyberpunk 2020, the Slant community recommends Cyberpunk 2020 for most people. In the question“What are the best tabletop RPGs?” Cyberpunk 2020 is ranked 17th while Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games is ranked 18th. The most important reason people chose Cyberpunk 2020 is:
With its system for creating character traits and backstory, CB2020 inspires players to build well-rounded characters with adventure seeds built directly into their histories. Skill-checks are based on a D10 roles plus attribute and skill values against difficulty levels, and combat tends to be quick and dirty, keeping the focus on the action and allowing for cinematic gameplay.
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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 Deep character creation and fast-paced action
With its system for creating character traits and backstory, CB2020 inspires players to build well-rounded characters with adventure seeds built directly into their histories. Skill-checks are based on a D10 roles plus attribute and skill values against difficulty levels, and combat tends to be quick and dirty, keeping the focus on the action and allowing for cinematic gameplay.
Pro Faithful rendition of "cyberpunk" fiction
Pro Universal Stat+Skill+d10! roll-system for determining success
There is a universal roll of using a character's appropriate Stat, a Skill related to that stat and to the action needed, and an exploding d10 die (if you roll a 10, you will start to have adequate "critical hit" thrills by rolling some more, but if you roll a 1 that is a potentially dangerous Fumble on the Fumble Chart, 60% of the time).
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 Chance may be more important than strategy
With a system that gives every roll a 10 percent chance to be a fumble or critical hit (respectively), gameplay can at times become somewhat arbitrary. Some players and GMs may find this high level of randomness enjoyable as a way of disrupting well-conceived plans, and the excellent fumble tables in particular contain loads of hilarity and mayhem. Others may feel the need to 'hack' the rules a bit.
Con A future that is almost an alternate history at this point
Set in a time that is almost upon us, the 1980s vision of the dark future can seem anachronistic, and it may require serious suspension of disbelief for anyone who did not grow up with the genre. Imagine cassette tapes were still around, mobile phones were still the size of a brick, and wifi was rare and expensive.