Have you ever thought about what happens if FFG makes an X-Wing 2nd Edition? I’ve thought about it alot! I’ve even made an April Fools Joke earlier this year! And while I don’t expect they’ll do a full blown 2nd edition of the game any time soon… I do think it’s certainly a possibility in the future.
So what would happen if they actually did announce a 2nd edition? I got to thinking about this and I came up with a list of 10 things I would have changed if I could re-design X-Wing. Naturally I’d incorporate these changes into a new version of the game.
But what about leaving the 1st edition in the dust? Should 2nd edition be compatible with the 1st edition? It’s a difficult question to answer, because in order for a game to thrive, it has to be selling product. But how can a game sell product if everyone is simply using their old “version 1” ships?
I think for a 2nd Edition to sell well, and to be accepted by the people, it would need to do several things.
Remember the Love
First, it would need to be a return to what made people fall in love with X-Wing in the first place, at least in some regards. Thematic dog-fighting, flying amazing looking miniatures in space, and everyone near you “Oogling” your game with awe and wonder.
Fix the Flaws
Second, it would need to fix the design flaws in the original first edition. I covered much of this in the “Top 10 Fixes” video above. FFG tends to learn very well from past mistakes and I have no doubt they would be able to pull this off without much difficulty. Each new game that comes out tends to improve on what worked, while discarding aspects that didn’t work.
Slightly New Feel
I also believe that a 2nd edition would have to “Feel” different. Whether it’s ship bases, movement, larger ship models, or something all together new, like focusing on the 3D aspect of space flight. This need to have a new twist that the original doesn’t have.
Minimize the Tokens
One problem with X-Wing and several miniatures games, are the number of tokens involved. The less tiny cardboard chits you need to put on the play surface, the better it’s going to be for everyone.
Change in Scale
A change in scale may also be helpful in creating a positive play experience. Maybe scale, as it applies to ship size, but also maybe scale in a sense of the number of ships you can have on the board. Typical X-Wing games tend to have 2, 3, or 4 ships, but can have a maximum of 8, (though 8 ships is an extremely rare occurrence). Suppose a new version of X-Wing has only 1, 2, or 3 ships on the board at any given time?
Reduce the Playtime
One draw that games like Magic the Gathering, and Destiny have, are that they can be played in a short amount of time. By reducing the scale, reducing the tokens, and adjusting the game, FFG might consider reducing the average playtime from an hour, to somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes. Shorter games don’t necessarily mean less fun either, because you can get more games played and even change up your list. This would also reduce the setup and teardown time.
I’m not even convinced that X-Wing is going to have a 2nd edition any time soon…. but if they do I hope they check this article out first!