In the Star Wars universe, few are as powerful as the Force users. Jedi and Sith possess talents and abilities that make them terrible opponents to face. But they are not the only people that populate the galaxy. Strong and fearsome warriors that have no connection to the force are also doing battle in this massive galaxy. But are they on the same level? Can an experienced and skilled non-force user have any chance of defeating a force-user?

This question has posed a healthy level of debate about which is or isn’t as powerful as the other. The debate is healthy for roleplaying because it shows that people care about their characters (and others), are considering how their characters interact with others in the Star Wars universe, and finally, that a definitive answer isn’t necessarily the best thing for roleplaying. I would propose that for any story, it is uncertainty of outcome that drives it, and it is best to have an inconclusive answer. In roleplaying, when one player is an absolute, it leads everyone to that terrible (yet thankfully, usually unrealised) fear of god moding.

Some heroes are born, not made. Others have to be formed into the heroes they are meant to become. While some may find themselves striding into a prescribed role comfortably without hassle, others may stumble into it unwittingly through the experiences they've had.

Royalty (even elected royalty) and politicians, such as Queen Amidala and Senator Palpatine, may find themselves suited to their positions; whereas wayward Jedi such as Luke Skywalker must learn and become who they are throughout their experiences. Yet even still, those easily suited for a role such as a Jedi trained as a youngling may find their experiences taking them on a more divergent path than they'd intended, such as the paths of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.

Even in our own lives, we are often not herded out into the world with a clear idea of our destination, and those of us who still have a journey to make want to ensure exactly who and what we will become. Although our backgrounds may define who we are as people, when we journey out into the brave new world, it is by our actions that define who we are as a person. Similarly, our characters make the same journey. However, our characters sometimes do not come with a premeditated history. Although sometimes they might, our roleplay experiences can change elements of those characters’ historical accounts through interactions with other players’ characters. Or is that not the case for you? Are your characters’ histories set in stone? Are you able to understand from where they came and in which direction they are pointed the moment they step on the screen?

In today's Force Reflection, we ask whether your character steps onto the planet with a fully formed background and history, as well as a destination in mind. Or do you allow your experiences through roleplay guide both your character's development and history?

It was a night like any other. Kar'ar Sok, an industrial deep-miner salesman, traveled through the Old Galactic Market to the apartment of a long-time friend in hopes of finding him to share stories, a drink, and generally good time. Most stories of old war buddies start the same, but they rarely end in a mugging and spending several weeks in a medical clinic on the Senate level.

CSF police reports initially held that Kar'ar was beaten by a gang of thugs, but upon further inspection from an RHS reporter held that it was no random beating and mugging, but a message being sent to anyone who randomly wanders into the district of one of the most powerful criminal consortium in the galaxy: The Migrant Merchants' Guild.

In the files of all official stations on the planet the MMG is a trade consortium that supports the rights of refugees and non-humans, as well as financially donates to the city-world's reconstruction efforts. It is no secret that the MMG came to power during the food riots, heralding non-humans poor and sick to follow their rules after the security forces pulled out of over packed sectors with high immigrant inflow.

The armed guards that helped control the Guild's resources were responsible for various crimes that no one was officially charged with. Men were beaten for trying to gain more food for their families, women and children all but being treated as objects for forced labor or darker, more carnal desires.

Adding the bribery of Senate officials and the extortion of civilian merchants into their fold, the MMG now fully controls the old Galactic Market as their own sector, the shiny neon billboards and smiling armed Weequay bruisers acting as guards one moment and shaking down shops the next. What little Republic patrols that venture into MMG territory now come fully armed and expecting trouble, the downtrodden people of the Market all but having given up on their personal freedoms that – even at the heart of the Galactic Republic – seem almost impossible to enforce.

Billian "Bill" Tetley,