[Just another wretched fan]

After reading a post about KOTOR being a third and worthy "trilogy" I was just thinking about what you guys thought about the non-GL produced plot lines

Personally, out of all the EU crap, I really liked KOTOR, Dark Forces, and Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. Obviously there are problems in each, but each has its great characters, like HK-47 and Thrawn. I think Shadows of the Empire was well done also, although not perfect. Are these stories enough to keep you interested in SW?

This post has been edited by Just another wretched fan: 05 March 2005 - 08:36 PM

[thrawn]

No way, for me theres heaps more, apart from those you just mentioned, Stackpoles X-Wing series is great, we get see how coruscant is captured, and wedges future career as a commander. The Han Solo trilogy is also pretty good.
I also personally like the "tales of..." series like tales of: bounty hunters, Jabbas palace, and cantina. They give a more in depth telling about the lives of those characters that we only get a brief glimpse of in the movies. Like you said i also think Darkforces is great.
I also think some of the comics are good although i havn't read much of them coz i can't get a hold of them.
So..... yeah theres lots of great stuff lyen around, and of course Lucas isn't even bothered using any of it in his films
But its sad coz most of these great stories and ideas end up being contradicted by Lucas in his films making these stories useless, but I don't care, everything in the prequals is bullshit and i'm sticking to old stuff regardless of what Lucas and his lackeys say!!!!

[Helena]

I haven't read any of the novels, but KOTOR is utterly brilliant - it explains the history of the Jedi, the Sith and the Republic far better than the prequel movies, and it also fits in a lot better with the OT. It's not perfect, but then what is? I'm a lot less keen on the sequel, mind you, but I'm not getting into that here.

[Michel Orla]

There's much good, and much crap in the EU

Games: KOTOR is by far the best, and Podracer was fun to play in the arcade. Although the game is crap, Bounty Hunter actually fills you in on the backrounds of Jango and Dooku quite nicely, something Lucas could never do.

Comics: Most aren't worth the time to read, but the Infinities series are very interesting and well done. If you have the patience, Jedi Quest actually fleshes out the Obi Wan/Anakin relationship nicely in it's early stages, and Anakin is quite dignified as a Padiwan. Hard to believe but true. Whatever you do stay away from the Star Wars: Early Adventures. It has more plot holes and continuity errors than the PT

Novels: I've read alot of these, and though some are excellent, none can compare to the feeling you get watching the OT (Well Star Wars and Empire). Once again, if you feel the need to see how Anakin/Obi Wan should be, read The Approaching Storm. It's amazing how almost every writer but the man who created the character know how to handle Anakin. Anything Timohty Zahn writes is excellent, and the Tales of have some great stories, like thrawn said. Im also getting through the New Jedi Order series right now, which Im quite enjoying (except how they portray Han in the early novels).

This post has been edited by Michel Orla: 07 March 2005 - 01:56 PM

[Helena]

It's amazing how almost every writer but the man who created the character know how to handle Anakin.

Yes, a lot of people have said that. The thing is, it would be almost impossible to do it worse than Lucas did in the prequels. What the hell was the guy thinking?

[Just another wretched fan]

Speaking of Thrawn, arguably the best EU character, I think that if GL were to have incorporated an EU character into the PT, it should have been him.

Thrawn could have been a fleet commander in the clone wars, He is old enough. I'm positive a skilled writer could work him in with no continuity errors.

GL put Boba Fett into the PT "just because he was cool"

I could use the same logic with Thrawn and it would make a whole lot more sense.

[Michel Orla]

Yes, a lot of people have said that. The thing is, it would be almost impossible to do it worse than Lucas did in the prequels. What the hell was the guy thinking?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The sad thing is I honestly believe Lucas thinks he made Anakin this great character, when he had absolutely no appeal as a hero. Vader had more benevolent qualities than did Anakin

Speaking of Thrawn, arguably the best EU character, I think that if GL were to have incorporated an EU character into the PT, it should have been him.

Thrawn could have been a fleet commander in the clone wars, He is old enough. I'm positive a skilled writer could work him in with no continuity errors.

GL put Boba Fett into the PT "just because he was cool"

I could use the same logic with Thrawn and it would make a whole lot more sense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately Thrawn is so well written the quality of the character would've gone over Lucas's head, and we'd see a dumbed down version if he was to include him on the big screen, because Lucas insisted on written the prequel trilogies with yes men, and not real writers

This post has been edited by Michel Orla: 08 March 2005 - 02:40 AM

[thrawn]

Im not familiar with KOTOR, i dont have the game, im more into the period after the Clone Wars, but if its good as you say it is, I'll might check it out.
Whats so good about it?
From what Ive seen, im a bit confused coz the peoples clothing look pretty modern i dont think thats what they wore 2000 years before the clone wars.

[Helena]

Im not familiar with KOTOR, i dont have the game, im more into the period after the Clone Wars, but if its good as you say it is, I'll might check it out.
Whats so good about it?
From what Ive seen, im a bit confused coz the peoples clothing look pretty modern i dont think thats what they wore 2000 years before the clone wars.

Yes, everything looks rather too similar to the movies, but it's just something you have to accept and ignore. The game is so good that I didn't find this to be a big issue. In any case, remember that the Republic has already been around for 20,000 years by the time of KOTOR - compared to ours, it's still an extremely advanced society.

[Chefelf]

KotOR, obviously. I liked the Thrawn trilogy, as well. That was back when a modest fan such as myself could keep up with the EU books. Then, quickly, it became clear that you had to make a conscious decision to ONLY read Star Wars books if you wished to keep up.

The Shadows the Empire book/game were pretty decent. The Courtship of Princess Leia was amazing on a completely unexpected level.

Of course I consider the Timothy Zahn books and KotOR to be more a part of the Star Wars universe than the prequels.

[Helena]

Of course I consider the Timothy Zahn books and KotOR to be more a part of the Star Wars universe than the prequels.

Yeah, me too. As far as I'm concerned, KOTOR is canon and the prequels aren't, whatever Lucas says.

[CowboyCurtis]

I'm gonna hafta get around to KOTOR. I just don't have time to play video games. A lot of people seem to praise it.

I have to say that of what little I've read of the EU, Rogue Squadron has been the least intrusive/offensive, and it really sheds some light on a likeable, Wedge.

There are things/concepts I like about Dark Empire, but overall, it's a bit too much. I like the idea of the empire factioning off and fighting itself for control, and I liked Thrawn from the Zahn books, but it just doesn't make complete sense. Anyway, much of what's been done the prequels has shot the Zahn trilogy out of the water.

and to answer the question:

Are these stories enough to keep you interested in SW?

No, it doesn't. With the PT's tarnishing the OT, I can barely watch any of it anymore, much less pick up a book/comic/etc. about Star Wars.

This post has been edited by CowboyCurtis: 08 March 2005 - 02:44 PM

[Helena]

and to answer the question:

Are these stories enough to keep you interested in SW?

No, it doesn't.  With the PT's tarnishing the OT, I can barely watch any of it anymore, much less pick up a book/comic/etc. about Star Wars.

You really must try KOTOR, then. Believe me, if anything can salvage the series for you, it's that game.

[barend]

KOTOR is the only thing i like about the SW EU.

but at the time, 'tie fighter' was a sweet game...

i think there was a nintendo game called 'rebel assault' or something i had fun with a few years back, and more recently another game for xbox with all the armies fighting... throughout the SW bi-trilogy history is quite fun, but my friend and i finished it in one sitting (which wasn't terribly long, but i'm sure it's good online...

the zahn books were good, but i never completed the second one... just got busy i guess...

although that was over ten years ago...
guess i've been really busy then...

[Paladin]

Yes, a lot of people have said that. The thing is, it would be almost impossible to do it worse than Lucas did in the prequels. What the hell was the guy thinking?

George Lucas makes me afriad to try out creating a 'tradgic hero' in one of my story projects. But after remembering that I once did create a handful of anti-heroes that my readers fell in love with, I regained confidence in myself.

Of course, my anti-heroes were not intended to turn to evil, and their 'tradgic flaws' were based on self-hate and guilt, and not on whinyness and brat-like behavior.