Another insight from Rebel Diplomat, reminding players that this is a game after all:

Chill

Earlier this week, Fantasy Flight Games sent a copy of the Second Edition Tournament regulations to Coruscant participants. If you ever wanted to see precisely how the game has evolved since the Force Awakens set was released, now is a great time to do so.

Before going any further, I highly recommend listening to a Mynock Squadron podcast featuring Chris “Chico” Brown as he goes over some of the major changes in X-Wing 2e (episode 137). Some of his underlying points will be restated here. Listening to the discussion between the Mynocks and Chico can provide some insight into how folks, as judges, approach the game. It also gives a sense of how judges may be deferential to one another, even in situations where certain judges are saying that they’re coming up with rules on the spot to address situations that Fantasy Flight Games clearly did not plan to address.

Now that I’ve lost any readership of the Carolina Krayts Podcast that I might accidentally have picked up, let’s continue.

The Problem

In the past two weeks or so, FFG has provided a quick primer on rulings that players can expect to see at Coruscant as well as the general tournament regulations. To say that these regulations were not drafted by legal scholars is putting it mildly. I suspect that “maybe” and “alternatively” will become part of the long-term X-Wing meme meta. Likewise, FFG’s release of their X-Wing 2e app, which can at best be described as “uneven,” is likely to create some confusion among newer players who will be told that the app-linked competitive game platform that they just purchased isn’t exactly what they were expecting.

As I type this, there are players all over the world who are trying to come to grips with a number of issues foundational to the 2e tournament regulations. Several strategies employed by some of the world’s most competitive players are now considered conduct violations, subjecting a player to forfeiting the round. As can be expected, the community quickly identified the aircraft carrier-sized holes in the regulations’ language and derived ways to exploit it. Some players have gone on to suggest that a marshal’s hands are bound by the language in ways that prevent them from addressing clear exploits in the rules. I disagree. The extent to which a judge is bound by the language of the text is something that the judge has to figure out, and it’s up to that judge to determine the extent that her or his rulings will be tolerated by the local community.

It may be true that the language presented in the tournament regulations will cause problems in some communities that emphasize a strict reading of the rules to the maximum extent possible. For other communities that adopt a more casual approach to the rules, or even with judges who are forced to address this at higher competitive levels, I don’t suspect that these rules will present too much difficulty.

When preparing to judge Nationals, there was language in the rules that certain players had recently introduced me to that would maximize the extent to which they would exploit the 1e Lightweight Frame mechanic. I was the lone dissenting voice who argued that players may choose to not roll for range or obstacle bonuses due to the presence of the word “may” in one section of the rules. The other judges rejected my suggestion on two grounds: a) such a ruling would break player immersion and up the power level in one very specific instance, and b), the lack of consistency between rules in the rules reference allowed for a judge to make a qualitative decision on how to address rules.

The situation that we have today is exactly as I described above. The influx of new terminology and syntax that is designed, in part, to address problems that existed in the previous competitive environment has left us with an entirely new set of problems to address.

The Reaction

What concerns me, is that the direction that some of the discussion in the X-Wing community is taking appears focused on a concerted attempt to exploit language for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage that is inconsistent with the rule-set as a whole. While the strategy is narrowly defined, a marshal may quickly determine that fortressing is not a behavior that FFG intended to promote. Likewise, the lack of the word “die” or “dice” under components should probably not signify the ability for players to run out and grab a set of loaded dice that only roll crits and evades before Hyperspace Trials begin next year. I would suggest that players avoid developing strategies of play that result in a marshal being called every fifth turn; it may not work out for you.

The Solution

I have the following request to make of the community: let’s chill for a bit. We have the opportunity to see our game attract new audiences. Tearing the various parts of Second Edition to shreds before it is even a month old is not going to do any favors to the players, judges, or community at large. There will be inconstancies in game experiences as FFG finally attempts to manage the new competitive landscape. Make no mistake, this is a landscape which FFG has every intention of developing in diverse manners which may not jive with the preferences of veteran players.

As players, there is an opportunity to be productive contributors to the game’s growth. That means that certain differences are likely to emerge among the play groups of various stores. If we are responsible, we can speak to those experiences and make suggestions to FFG on how things may improve. The development team is listening and will likely welcome players’ feedback, constructive or not.

Second Edition does not have the polish of the game that came before. It will likely be many months before we see some semblance of stability in the game’s rules and meta. Until then, it may behoove players to fly casual. Things are going to be a little messy for the next few months. The app will work itself out. Ambiguity in the rules will be addressed and and new challenges will arise to meet players new and old. Players will have a myriad of officially supported competitive play between Extended, Second Edition, and other more creative formats.

One of the things that attracted me to the X-Wing community prior to the release of The Force Awakens was the spirit of “Fly Casual.” At the time, that phrase was already transforming into a dirty word in the community for sloppy play. That made sense, as with the release of The Force Awakens Core Set the game had entered a phase where its rules were more refined and addressed longstanding concerns and complaints within the community. Things will improve. Until then, we’re all going to have to get a bit more used to a system that is clearly in its infancy. While it grows, we, as a community and a group of players, also grow.

Until then, buckle up, and fly casual.