Role Playing Games have been at SWGBH for years. They combine a love for the Star Wars Saga (and its Expanded Universe) into story lines that at times are strange or completely ridiculous, but can also be original and captivating. Though at times some people complain about the numerous RPG’s that are currently active, it can accurately be said that they have helped to keep the Star Wars Universe alive and well.

Throughout the two years I have spent here, I have seen many RPG’s rise and fall. Make no mistake, many RPG's die because of internal conflict or they are abandoned by the players. But this thread is to bring attention to their existence more than thier faults.

This thread is dedicated to RPG players past, present and future. Though it may not seem like it, writing a post (and making sure they follow certain guidelines!) is actually a lot of work! No matter how long an RPG lasts, it is a testament to the work put forth by this group of individuals who wish to add their story to the great Star Wars Universe that has brought us here together.

The Emergence of the RPG

A long time ago in a forum far, far away . . .

It began with Arthur of Kings. Fresh from his experiences at AOK Heaven/Historical Roleplaying Forum, he decided to bring the Forum RPG to SWGBH. The Star Wars Thread began on May 16th, 2002, and became an instant success. Taking place between Episodes II and III, it dealt with the emerging Confederacy and the future of the galaxy. With 306 posts, it jumpstarted others, who wanted to make their own story. Several other incarnations of the story followed, but they were smaller than the original.

After Arthur’s thread, the race was on. Dozens of RPG’s sprang up right and left, many dying as quickly as they came. For a time, it seemed that they were just a nuisance. Three different threads were made in which complaints were voiced about the numerous game threads with no substance.

Then came Star Wars Neighborhood.

On August 11th, 2002, OOM_9_77 launched The Star Wars Neighborhood
which proved to be a different kind of RPG.

Quoted from Star Wars Neighborhood intro:

The Star Wars Neighborhood RPG would become the original RPG Saga, as it launched a total of 9 incarnations in some form or another. Ranging from smart to just plain wacky, SWN was definitely original in its format.

Good RPG's: Far and Few Between

After SWN, several other significant RPG’s appeared. While they were only of average size, they were important in the evolution of how RPG’s are created.

Rise of the Bounty Hunters RPG by Tantive, while only 107 posts, featured a unique storyline that followed the scum of the universe in their dirty work. It too, spawned several off shoots as others continued where previous storylines left off.

The Sith War by Gregorotto88, featured the first of many stories that revolved around the Dark Side overlords. Like Bounty Hunters, several incarnations of the Sith Wars appeared over the years. It could be said that KOTOR storylines are related to the same style that Sith Wars used.

The Take Off Period

Other than Arthur’s original RPG and the Star Wars Neighborhood incarnations, SWU had not had a large RPG in awhile. But after The Crazy Person launched Galactic Senate RPG this was soon to change.

Galactic Senate, and its second version, featured an interesting look at Republic politics with an interesting backstory. One of the few RPG’s to feature a galactic map; it brought a new meaning to planetary distances and areas of the galaxy.

Galactic Senate finished with 341 replies, and its incarnation (also by TCP) reached 124. These were easily the largest RPG’s during this time period. Rarely did most story threads get above 100 replies.

I would also like to make a note that the Galactic Senate threads made me interested in RP’ing. Though I personally did not join, I thought they were interesting and was sad to see them go.

Launch of the Sagas

At the time Galactic Senate ended, it was the second largest RPG in SWU history, following the second version of SWN.

But these records would soon be nothing when Arthur of Kings returned from the depths of cyberspace to launch a new RPG.

Beginning February 9th, 2003, the The New Republic Thread
featured a galaxy post ROTJ, with a strengthened Republic and a weakened Empire. It was also the first of the modern ‘faction based’ RPGs, styled after the type of games at the Historical Roleplaying Forum.

The NR thread launched its way to 536 posts, putting it barely behind the new SWN Reborn at 563.

However, Arthur mysteriously disappeared halfway through NR, and I personally took over the moderation of the RPG. When it was decided that a new thread would be easier to run things, I created the NR Thread continued The continuation would become the third largest RPG in SWU history with 1184 posts. Due to internal conflicts, several other threads continued the NR story for a bit, but eventually we settled back on my original thread.

New Republic was monstrous, but immensely fun.

As a bridge between the next major saga and the newer RPG’s I am highlighting my second RPG, the Imperial Thread. Lasting 619 posts, the Imp thread was in a way, a revised edition of the original Star Wars Thread, as it dealt with events in Episode III and beyond. Currently, it is the second largest Clone Wars-era RPG, next to Austin Powers' The Clone Wars (another notable thread which dealt with these tremendous galactic battles).

Around the same time as New Republic thread was beginning its rise to fame, Shadow_Droid was launching the longest RPG Saga in GBH history. Return of the Jedi RPG was a different take on the classic film. Overtime, ROTJ would launch 5 more RPG’s ending at last with Darth Persia’s Episode XI.The largest of these threads was Episode VIII: A Darkening Galaxy, which, at 1252 posts, became the longest faction based RPG at GBH.

Modern Threads: Setting the Bar

Shadow’s ROTJ saga would up the number of average posts per RPG , meaning that a ‘successful’ RPG would have to be longer in order to stand the test of time. The following three are a testament to this statement. In order by number of posts:

Old Republic Thread by Melkor1:

Melkor’s first foray into RP’ing, the OR thread dealt with an original concept: The formation of the original Republic that would stand for thousands of years before Palpatine’s Empire. A character based RPG that lasted 434 posts, OR would set the stage for later RPG's based around this early Republic theme. After the RPG ended, Melkor decided to write a fanfic based upon the thread. Currently, the 'new' OR stands at 119 MS Word pages.

Episode III: RoTS by Commander Merai:

Launched almost a month before the actual release of Episode III, but with full knowledge of spoilers, this thread rocketed into history. Easily the fastest growing RPG in GBH history, it reached 1000 posts in merely 13 days. Just 14 days after it was launched, it finally concluded with 1235 replies, and an entirely different vision of ROTS.

Advent of Darkness Thread by DarkBeing:

August 4th, 2004 would be a good day for RP'ing. AOD was a relatively smooth RPG, practically devoid of arguments. Since many arguments were over stats, AOD was different in that it was a character based RPG. This is probably why it did not die out like other RPG’s in the past. Its premise revolved around the resurrection of the major Sith Lords who thus wrecked terror upon the galaxy. It should be noted that the posts in AOD were generally longer than the average, some containing over 2000 words! Another key event is that the story had a definitive ending and did not ‘die’ like many RPG’s that fade due to inactivity or arguments. 1445 posts later, AOD was the single largest RPG-thread in GBH history.

*Note: A planned sequel to Advent of Darkness was cancelled because of the author’s desire to turn it into a fanfic. At last check, ‘AOD II’ now sits at approximately 70 MS Word pages.

1. Advent of Darkness Thread by DarkBeing: 1445
2. Episode VIII RPG by Shadow_Droid: 1252
4. Episode III: RoTS by Commander Merai: 1235
3. New Republic Thread (continued) by DarkBeing 1184
4. Episode X: A Shattered Galaxy by Shadow_Droid: 939
5. The Clone Wars by Austin Powers: 710
6. Imperial Thread by DarkBeing: 619
7. Episode 3 Cont'd by Alexus: 590
8. Star Wars Neighborhood: Reborn by Zara: 563
9. New Republic Thread (original) by Arthur of Kings: 536

This list only counts threads over 500 replies.

1.The Star Wars Neighborhood:3108
2.Return of the Jedi-Episode XI: 3019
3.New Republic: 2019 (Includes a spin off thread plus two others where storyline was continued)

This list only counts sagas over 1000 replies.

Final Words:

_{If you are an author of one of these RPG's and you wish to clarify/change the information I have put up, please let me know and I will do so. The purpose of the lists is simply for fun and in no way reflects which RPG is 'the best'.}