Announcing the New Timeline

[Sandshark]

Where is the plan? I believe it exists I've just never seen it or heard anything about it.

Bob Iger (CEO of Disney) told investors that the franchise will take a hiatus from theaters after Rise of Skywalker, and Kathleen Kennedy allegedly has a director picked out for a Star Wars movie releasing tentatively in 2022. The only confirmed Star Wars dates so far are miniseries, like the Obi Wan one coming to Disney+.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/star-wars-hiatus-bob-iger

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Question: do we have a contingency plan for if RoS turns out to not be the last film in this series?

Like, what if Disney breaks the trilogy format with set up for a fourth movie or tries to Deathly Hollows the last entry in the series?

The Skywalker saga ends with this. We know there's the possibility of more movies set afterward though, but that would be years away at best so it's not something we're concerned about. Disney announced that the next Star Wars film wouldn't be until 2022, but that was meant to be produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss so it's up in the air if that's still the date. Either way it'll be awhile.

 

[Green Ranger]

I mean I doubt the timeline will also be set immediately after Rise of Skywalker, either. I imagine there'll be at least a generation or so between the timeline and Rise of Skywalker.

So even if they do do more movies at some point, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll clash with anything that's going on here.

 

[Aecus]

Well, I'd bet it'll all work out, seems like stuff is well handled. Just a bit worried that there could be continuity/theme whiplash. That unknown "bridging" factor just makes me nervous.

 

[Sandshark]

Well, I'd bet it'll all work out, seems like stuff is well handled. Just a bit worried that there could be continuity/theme whiplash. That unknown "bridging" factor just makes me nervous.

On the flip-side, a lot of new members feel that way going super far back in time to a different world where maybe the stuff we're used to or the phenomena we remember from Star Wars media hasn't happened yet. When people come to the site now, they'll be prepped for making a new character just by knowing we're however long after the movies and what the state of the universe is.

 

[Die Shize]

Concern over canon consistency and continuity is valid regarding going past the current movies’ timeline, without knowing for certain what the future holds on that front, but I imagine that there are a variety of ways around that.

Minor inconsistencies compared to major ones, the latter being ones that could be retconned or whatever in the event that some movie comes out that significantly contradicts what was roleplayed. You could even chalk up some of such as your own little ‘legends’ that may or may not have actually happened in hindsight. If the differences between what is roleplayed this coming timeline and what is released in the movies down the road are so drastic then another option is just to change pace once again for a later timeline and avoid the same thing happening twice.

All in all I think this coming timeline’s setting is a smart move. As much as I enjoyed KOTOR and researching Legends and whatnot, there is an intense amount of material to keep up with at any pace, and setting the TL after TROS provides more dynamic freedom and uncharted territory that I reckon the pros outweigh any cons.

I am excited.

 

[TWD26]

Why worry about what may or may not come in the future, possibly years down the road? Canon changes, they could make a movie in the old republic and technically invalidate our material we've written already. I know we have taken strides in recent timelines to make sure our things connect to the series that come. Maybe I just prefer the freedom of the unknown.

 

[Kenico]

I just realized something. When i started on this site (in 2015 i believe) the Force Awakens was coming out and we were restarting the TL in Dawn of the Republic (which Fires of the Rebellion is a sort of sequel to) and now this TL is ending with the Rise of Skywalker...in a sense this TL started with the Sequel Series and it ends with the Sequel Series...nothing fancy but fun to note. Still I am super looking forward to seeing what the Admins do with the new TL set after TROS.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Why worry about what may or may not come in the future, possibly years down the road? Canon changes, they could make a movie in the old republic and technically invalidate our material we've written already. I know we have taken strides in recent timelines to make sure our things connect to the series that come. Maybe I just prefer the freedom of the unknown.

And frankly that's already happened. We ended our previous site continuity with the fifth timeline because we were so based in Legends. The franchise rebooted everything but Episodes I-VI and The Clone Wars in order to free up storytelling for the new films and shows, and we rebooted to align with new fan expectations and where the franchise was headed.

 

[Pyrenees]

Are we aiming at having a few factions at the start of the timeline? I.e. will we hop forward in time for the sake of being able to write in factions from the start or will we take what they give us and try to maintain that setting for the beginning of the timeline regardless of the faction situation?

 

[Painus]

Are we aiming at having a few factions at the start of the timeline? I.e. will we hop forward in time for the sake of being able to write in factions from the start or will we take what they give us and try to maintain that setting for the beginning of the timeline regardless of the faction situation?

What kind of tech can I write, what species, what faction, will we start with faction leaders, etc?

NONE of these are decided yet, so we ask for your patience as we work on them! We are very early in our planning and we will be posting updates periodically as things become more clear. For now, if you're making a character, we'd recommend you keep it as barebones as possible so it can adapt to the story and setting that we roll out.

 

[Pyrenees]

My question was intended to take aim at the overall vision rather than the specifics which I interpreted that statement to be about. But I see how that could also be included in the 'not yet planned for' category.

 

[Brick]

yay.

 

[Aecus]

Why worry about what may or may not come in the future, possibly years down the road? Canon changes, they could make a movie in the old republic and technically invalidate our material we've written already. I know we have taken strides in recent timelines to make sure our things connect to the series that come. Maybe I just prefer the freedom of the unknown.

I think it is less worry about general timeline changes and more the expected gravity of tRoS impact on the core lore and ideas behind Star Wars. Between the Old Republic and Clone Wars eras, we have a kind of "assurance" things overall didn't change much. I don't expect colossal changes, but what if tRoS has a TFA Jedi/Sith (light or darkside users) change so both are effectively nonexistant so it wouldn't make sense to have a bunch of Force sensitives running around swinging lightsabers? Even in the OT there was enough "bridging" factors/canon stories to justify both running around. There was a level of "it's okay to RP this or that idea since the core canon justifies it". I get looking forward to the unknown, that seems to be where the divide falls, but major changes to the norm could cause major RP whiplash.

My primary concern isn't so much the "story" aspect so much as the potential there will be core canon changes that basically bar "dark side" characters or even a major antagonist faction. The same would be true for whatever factions spin out from the Resistance and Jedi. It could potentially be very limiting. I get that we can just ignore that, but then it becomes detached from the actual canon entirely and no longer "Star Wars". Without the space wizards and some major conflict as part of the backdrop it becomes something else from what it has been for decades.

But, I may just be a pessimist and everything may go great, the staff is clearly competent. I'm just trying to clarify I'm less concerned about the direction of the "story" and more concerned about core canon changes that may deviate from traditional "Star Wars" known from the previous six films and other media. Again, I'm a bit biased since I recently joined imagining a particular era/theme.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I think it is less worry about general timeline changes and more the expected gravity of tRoS impact on the core lore and ideas behind Star Wars. Between the Old Republic and Clone Wars eras, we have a kind of "assurance" things overall didn't change much. I don't expect colossal changes, but what if tRoS has a TFA Jedi/Sith (light or darkside users) change so both are effectively nonexistant so it wouldn't make sense to have a bunch of Force sensitives running around swinging lightsabers? Even in the OT there was enough "bridging" factors/canon stories to justify both running around. There was a level of "it's okay to RP this or that idea since the core canon justifies it". I get looking forward to the unknown, that seems to be where the divide falls, but major changes to the norm could cause major RP whiplash.

My primary concern isn't so much the "story" aspect so much as the potential there will be core canon changes that basically bar "dark side" characters or even a major antagonist faction. The same would be true for whatever factions spin out from the Resistance and Jedi. It could potentially be very limiting. I get that we can just ignore that, but then it becomes detached from the actual canon entirely and no longer "Star Wars". Without the space wizards and some major conflict as part of the backdrop it becomes something else from what it has been for decades.

But, I may just be a pessimist and everything may go great, the staff is clearly competent. I'm just trying to clarify I'm less concerned about the direction of the "story" and more concerned about core canon changes that may deviate from traditional "Star Wars" known from the previous six films and other media. Again, I'm a bit biased since I recently joined imagining a particular era/theme.

Star Wars will always have core tenets in its storytelling based on the rules of the universe. For example while it's likely that there will never again be Sith after this movie, the dark side will always be there. It's like Luke said in the last movie - the light does not belong to the Jedi. Same is true of the Sith and the dark. The Force will always be there, as will its followers, and as will those who seek to use it for corruptive means.

Star Wars isn't going to change so drastically that it prevents them from making future films or stories post-TROS too so I'm not concerned about that changing.

Are we aiming at having a few factions at the start of the timeline? I.e. will we hop forward in time for the sake of being able to write in factions from the start or will we take what they give us and try to maintain that setting for the beginning of the timeline regardless of the faction situation?

Intent is to have factions from the start that are inspired by whatever the new status quo is at the end of the film.

 

[Green Ranger]

I mean, if the EU could take 'The Emperor's dead, the Rebels won, Luke saved his father and everyone lived happily ever after' from ROTJ and turn it into everything from cloned mad Jedi, the many many many different non-deaths of the Emperor, Leia having some....actually quite complex and compelling daddy issues, intergalactic supergoths/spacedrow/however you want to describe whatever the Yuuzhan Vong were, evil Dark Jedi trying to ressurect ancient Sith on multiple occasions, Cade Skywalker being a tool and fighting a Sand Person covered in literal space barnacles, as well as Han and Leia's kids doing everything from befriending underground mutants to fighting an evil Jedi bird.

Then I'm pretty sure whatever happens in tRoS, short of the literal complete end of everything in the Star Wars universe, we'll be able to come up with something to write about.

 

[wristclerk]

super stoked for the new timeline! as long as I get to be a pilot i'm ready for anything!

 

[lizziie]

Excited to see where this goes!

 

[sayso]

How long after the events of Rise of Skywalker will the new TL take place? Are we gonna start right after where RoS ends?

 

[Brandon Rhea]

How long after the events of Rise of Skywalker will the new TL take place? Are we gonna start right after where RoS ends?

We're still discussing story, but we're figuring about 100 years later. Note that this could still change, but this is reflective of current thinking. Best to keep your character concepts vague for now and not connect them directly to the events of the movies.