AFW Newbie FAQ
Kristy Henscheid
(AFW Newbie FAQ)
Version 3.2! 5 January 2003
A reference for newbies to the newsgroup alt.fan.wedge. This
FAQ does not supplant the Wedge FAQ, which is also sometimes
known as the AFW FAQ, but merely augments it with different
information specific to the newsgroup dedicated to Wedge. The
very complete FAQ on the Great One, Wedge Antilles, is in
limbo at the moment while the new runner gets things in hand.
This FAQ can be found on the AFW homepage
<http://www.swfanfic.com/afw>. To be posted every other Monday
to alt.fan.wedge.
Created in a fit of boredom by Kristy Henscheid
<k...@idahovandals.com>. Suggestions and assistance (via
*e-mail*!) are welcomed.
The author would like to acknowledge the following pages, which
inspired and helped her development of this FAQ (she may have
even stolen some stuff from them):
--The RASSM FAQ <http://www.shavenwookie.com/orhp/guide/faq.html>
--The Wedge FAQ <http://www.rebelpilots.com>
--RASSM Rules and Regs
<http://www.shavenwookie.com/orhp/guide/rules.txt>
CONTENTS:
1. FAQ History
2. Netiquette
3. Abbreviations
--Netspeak
--SW-specific
--Novels
--Smileycons
4. AFW
--Other SW newsgroups
5. Wedge
6. Rogue Squadron
--members
7. Wraith Squadron
8. Famous Personages on AFW
9. Newbie questions
--Captain Antilles
--Wedge a coward
--Didn't Wedge/Hobbie die in ESB?
--Zev vs. Wedge
--Klaff vs. Wedge
--Ewan and Denis
--Bail Antilles
--Ooryl vs. Zuckuss
--New X-wing books
10. AFW Peculiarities
--Wedge for President
--Wedge a warrior god
--The WEB
--Luke Skywalker
--Ewoks
--Jar-Jar
--KJA
--Qwi Xux
--Metric vs. Imperial
--RASSM
--DMIG
--Boussh
--Rent-a-Rogue
11. Extensions of AFW
PART 1. FAQ HISTORY
[1] November 1998. Lamenting the lack of a "newbie" FAQ,
Prophet Kristy (bored during fall break) creates the AFW FAQ
(stealing outrageously from what was formerly known as the RASSM
Newbie FAQ. Hey, it helped her greatly back when she discovered
Usenet).
[1.1] December 1998. Added the newbie question about Ewan
McGregor. Added info about the WTF, and did a little editing.
[1.2] January 1999. Some editing, making the FAQ more all-
opinion-friendly and revamping the WEB and WTF descriptions.
Changed the address of alt.games.xvt to alt.starwars.xvt upon
notification of an error.
[1.3] Feb 1999. Fixed a typo, and added the info about
alt.chewy.wookie.net, the only other character-based SW newsgroup
we know about!
[1.4] July 1999. Some revisions and additions. The AFW site's
current address, which is not linked from the old site at the
moment because of server parking problems. Additional stuff on
spoiler warnings added to section 4. New questions pertaining to
TPM (careful!) General updates, since this beast hasn't been
updated since Feb.
[1.5] September 1999. New information on chat server for Friday
chat. Restored rebelpilots address for the home site.
[1.6] November 1999. Tweakage of a few RASSM-related URLs to their
new incarnations. If any others need updating, please tell me!
[1.7] January 2000. Changing some e-mail addresses and URLs, and
updating the TPM spoiler policy for the new year. Expect a big
revision soon (I hope!) Yes, I will revise the Jack Klaff thing
when I have time.
[2.0] April 2000. Something of a big overhaul. Two new FAQ's, on
Ooryl and on X-wing books. Completion of Jar-Jar question.
Revision of the whole Klaff / briefing room Wedge thingy with new
info. Removed "AFW Spoiler Policy" from Part 4, since the TPM
policy is no longer in force. Added "former" to Peet Janes' job
title, as he no longer works for DHC.
[2.5] December 2000. A bunch of additions and fixes that have
been sitting around for a while--updated URLs; FAQ's about DMIGs
and Project Boussh; novel abbreviations; that Dan Wallace hangs
with us (!).
[2.6] June 2001. A much-needed update comprising: most noticeably,
change of server for AFW Central and AFWChat. Added a bit on
marbles to the Boussh question. Other than that, a few typos.
Why were you so antsy about this, Mike?!
[3.0] January 2002. General editing and removal of
rebelpilots.com links. Really didn't want to study for a test, so
added a new section on Wraith Squadron (input??) and renumbered
accordingly. New question on Rent a Rogue.
[3.1] July 2002. General editing and minor additions suggested
by the populace. Reformatted margins so as to fit in my new
newsreader software. ;-)
[3.2] January 2003. A helpful AFWer looked up the first postings
to AFW, so that was added to newsgroup history. (Remember, you
too can shape the FAQ!) Plus, I get to put the new year up there
if I change versions. :->
Contributors/Helpers (knowing or unwitting):
Jim Fisher (fi...@rebelpilots.com)
Shanon Stavenjord (al...@allax.net)
Rob (rra...@optonline.net)
Ria Heeringa (ria.foolin...@telekabel.nl)
J. Hollod (as...@geocities.com)
Jim Rothwell
J. D. Redding (avg...@carrollsweb.com)
Chris Hawkins (haw...@shavenwookie.com)
Michael "Majick" Chalk (Michae...@btinternet.com) (AKA FAQNazi)
Nick Coghlan (ncog...@email.com)
Zeynep "Morwen" Dilli (di...@wam.umd.edu)
Policrat' (policr...@hotmail.com)
Alison Sky (Aliso...@aol.com)
Adam Lyons (lyon...@bama.ua.edu)
William Epps <w.r....@worldnet.att.net>
Shelonei C <Elve...@juno.com>
PART 2. NETIQUETTE
[More on the USENET can be found at the site "Zen and the Art of
Usenet" at http://www.cs.indiana.edu/docproject/zen/zen-1.0_6.html
There's also a useful Netiquette site at
http://www.cybernothing.org/cno/docs/rfc1855.html]
The Usenet:
The Usenet consists of discussion forums called newsgroups (NGs
for short) where groups of people with access to the Internet
can discuss pretty much anything. Newsgroups are created
according to the topic of discussion they're devoted to
(alt.books.stephen-king being about books by Stephen King, etc.).
Most have a charter which states what the newsgroup's
purpose/topic is. The charter is usually the definitive word on
what in "on-topic" for that particular newsgroup. Some
newsgroups are "moderated." This means they have someone (or
several of them) who are in charge of making sure the posts to
the newsgroup are on-topic and appropriate to the audience.
"Subscribing" to a newsgroup means that you tell your newsreader
that you want to read that newsgroup regularly. It allows easy
access to that newsgroup so that you don't have to wade through
a huge list of all the NGs out there for the one you're
interested in. Most Internet browsers such as Netscape and
Internet Explorer have built-in newsreaders. There is also
newsreader software out there. To access newsgroups, your
Internet Service Provider must have a news server. This is the
part of their server that gets newsgroups for you. People who
are dissatisfied with their news servers should talk to their
ISP, or they can go to a Web-based news service which allows
members to read newsgroups on the Internet. One Web-based news
service is on Google <http://groups.google.com> (which took over
DejaNews and didn't do a great job of it).
Netiquette:
When participating in a newsgroup, there is a certain form of
etiquette to be followed. The rules of "netiquette" have been
unofficially developed for a number of reasons, usually to show
you respect your fellow group members. They are not set in
stone, and usually aren't written down, but they're useful to
know, in order to avoid flames.
--Proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. is *always*
advisable anywhere on the Internet. It is almost guaranteed
that you will be taken seriously if you sound intelligent enough
to know what you're talking about. One of the first turn-offs
to a reader is a post that's difficult to read because of grammar
problems.
--Always consider your fellow posters. Many people pay for
their Internet access by the minute, have slow connections,
etc. Keep things to a minimum so that bandwidth isn't
outrageous. You won't get any responses if your message is too
large to download. In addition, many have limited time to read
and reply to their subscribed newsgroups--they may do it at
work, or may need to limit the time they take up their phone
line with a modem. They don't want to have to wade through a
bunch of messages they're not interested in. If you're unsure
about the length/bandwidth of something you wish to post, it's
no problem to ask the members of the newsgroup if they would
mind you posting your fanfic/picture/etc.
--It's considered rude to post something blatantly off-topic to a
newsgroup. This is not set in stone (discussions veer wildly
off-topic all the time), but people frown upon posters who post
"X-files is the best show on TV!" to alt.religion.judaism. If
there is something off-topic that a poster wishes to share with
his/her friends on the NG, it is considered polite to include an
[OFF] header in the subject line. That way the message can be
avoided by those who don't care.
--When posting a reply to a message, you should include the
previous message in your post. (Most newsreaders do this
automatically.) This credits the author of the message you are
replying to, and reminds people of the flow of the conversation.
Threads can go on for a long time, and it's easy to get lost.
However, you should **only quote the part of the previous message
that you are responding to**. It is considered rude to quote an
*entire* article for a one-word response. This increases
download time and reading time and is very frustrating for the
reader.
--It is generally advisable to lurk on a newsgroup for a time
before posting. This lets you get a feel for the people on the
group and what they like to talk about. In addition, FAQs are
usually posted about once a week, and reading one of these
before you post will save you a lot of trouble and flames.
--Do not write all in capital letters. In the vast majority of
the Internet community, this is considered very rude. It is
hard to read and is considered shouting. It will most likely
get you flamed. Capital letters may be used for emphasis within
a post, however, and there are several other methods of
emphasizing a word: VERY ; *very* ; *VERY* ; <very> ; _very_ ;
etc.
--If you are going to swear in a post, it is advisable not to
write out the whole word, in deference to younger readers
(they're out there!) or people who feel such language is
inappropriate. It is common to substitute asterisks or other
characters for certain letters: f**k ; cr@p ; sh!t ; b@st@rd ;
etc.
--A signature is a file that is printed at the bottom of
everything you write that identifies you. It usually includes
your name and e-mail address, and maybe a quote you like or some
text art or a link to your home page. It is advisable and
polite to have a short signature file. A longer one just takes
longer to download and is a nuisance.
--Cross-posting is when a message is posted to more than one
newsgroup. This enables a message to get to a wider number of
people. Cross-posting is great for spreading discussions
through separate groups, but should be done cautiously.
Messages should be cross-posted to only those groups that would
be interested. Cross-posting to a group where the post is
off-topic is rude, and too much of this is considered spamming.
--Do not post binary files to ANY non-binary newsgroup. This is
one of the major no-no's of the Net and will get you flamed
big-time. Binaries can take an extremely long time to download
and frustrate almost anyone. If you have a large file that you
must share with the world, post it to a binary-designated
newsgroup or host it on a web site or FTP site. You can then
post a message to the non-binary newsgroup telling its members
where your file can be found.
--Spoilers are a very sensitive issue, especially with the
Prequels being released. Often, when something new appears in
the a universe, people try to avoid discussion of it because
they want to be surprised, i.e. they don't want it to get
spoiled for them. Examples of this are news concerning the
prequels, new books, or new video games. This also applies to
non-Star Wars subjects; if it's new, give it a spoiler warning.
Discussion is encouraged, but you are still asked to be polite
and give the following courtesies:
(1) No spoilers in the subject header. [Good: "Prequel Casting
Rumor SPOILER" Bad: "George Lucas casts himself as Obi-Wan in
Ep. 2!!!"]
(2) Spoiler Space: Put about 25 blank space lines between the
header of your post and the body, topped with a line like
"Prequel Spoiler". This ensures that those wishing to remain
unspoiled have a second chance if they miss your subject line.
(For more information on spoilers, AFW also has a Spoiler FAQ.)
Don't be discouraged if you are put off for the first few times
you post. Many newsgroups are rather clique-ish; they have a
group of people who tend to be exclusive. Some may dismiss your
first posts as "stupid." Try to be persistent, reminding them
you're new to this sort of thing. This may seem like a long
list of do's and don't's, but most should come naturally. The
mark of a good newsgroup is one that is polite and welcomes new
people--and one that has great discussions and a lot of fun!
PART 3. COMMON SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
One of the most frustrating things to a person who's new to the
Internet is trying to decipher the veterans' shorthand (known
as "netspeak"). Net users are by and large a lazy bunch,
conserving keystrokes wherever possible. Certain abbreviations
and words have become common usage:
Newbie Someone new to a newsgroup or the Internet in general.
Lurker Someone who only reads a newsgroup, and doesn't post to
it.
Flame An attack in response to something an author said or
implied.
Troll A post that deliberately provokes other posters to
attack the author.
Spam A useless post that is sent to many recipients; the
electronic form of junk mail.
Kill-file A file in your newsreader that allows you to block
certain posts (such as get-rich-quick schemes or ones
by
a certain author).
Thread A series of posts under the same subject header usually
dealing with the same topic.
Spoiler Something that reveals information about a movie/book/
comic/etc. that someone hasn't seen/read.
Binary A picture or other large file. They are sent to
newsgroups as binary messages, which are to be decoded
by the person who receives them.
Bandwidth The amount of electronic space the text of a post
takes
up.
.sig A signature file. *.sig. Used as an abbreviation for
"signature".
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions.
<g> A grin. Many varieties exist: [g], (g), etc. Note
that <g> can be cut off by some software which
interprets anything within angle brackets <> as HTML
code (which is hidden from the user).
<eg> An Evil Grin. There's also <vbg> (very big grin) and
<vbeg> (very big evil grin) and other varieties.
<***> Anything within angle brackets/stars/colons or
whatever the poster uses is an expression of an
emotion or an action such as *cheer* or ::running with
hair on fire::
LOL Lots Of Laughs (or Laughing Out Loud); you think
something is quite funny
ROTFL Rolling On The Floor Laughing; you think something is
very funny
ROTFLMHO Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Head Off; you think
something is hilarious
ROTFLMAO As above, only you are Laughing Your Ass Off
Ppl An abbreviation for the word "People"
IMHO In My Humble/Honest Opinion (also seen: IMNSHO, In My
Not So Humble Opinion)
BTW By The Way
FYI For Your Information
FWIW For What It's Worth
OTOH On The Other Hand
(sp?) Indicates you or someone else is unsure about the
correct spelling of a particular word.
AFAIK As Far As I Know
IIRC If I Recall Correctly
IRC Internet Relay Chat; live chat on the 'net
ICQ An instant-messaging system (another form of live
chat)
BRB Be Right Back (seen more on IRC)
More can be found at: <http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/abbrev.html>
Common Star Wars/AFW Abbreviations:
GFFA Galaxy Far Far Away (the SW locale).
MTFBWY May The Force Be With You
MTFBWY,A May The Force Be With You, Always
RASSM Abbreviation for Rec.Arts.Sf.Starwars.Misc, the large
general Star Wars newsgroup.
RASSMer Someone who posts to RASSM.
AFW Alt.Fan.Wedge
AFWer Someone who posts to AFW
TAWG Wedge, the True Animist Warrior God.
WEB The Wedge Estrogen Brigade
WTF The Wedge Testosterone Fleet
DMIG Disturbing Mental Image Generator, of which there are
quite a few on AFW. Morwen used to give out awards,
but they have little value when so prevalent....
SW Star Wars (which is very rarely spelled out).
ANH A New Hope, the first movie of the classic Star Wars
trilogy, and episode 4.
TESB (or ESB) The Empire Strikes Back, the second movie of the
classic Star Wars trilogy, and episode 5.
ROTJ Return of the Jedi, the third and final movie of the
classic Star Wars trilogy, and episode 6.
ROTrifJ Return of the Rhythmically Impaired Fighter Jocks (seen
only on AFW)
TPM The Phantom Menace, the first prequel movie, and
episode 1.
AotC Attack of the Clones, Episode 2.
Prequels The new trilogy in production, making up episodes 1, 2
and 3 of the Star Wars saga.
Sequels Episodes 7, 8 and 9, which (if made) would complete the
three-trilogy Star Wars saga originally planned by
George Lucas.
Canon Accepted truth or rule. There is an ongoing debate
about what to consider "canon" (just the movies?
Movies and books? everything licensed?)
KJA Kevin J. Anderson, author of the Jedi Academy trilogy,
and sometime villain of the expanded Star Wars
universe.
EU Expanded Universe; anything beyond the films.
SE Special Edition; the Special Editions being the
revitalized versions of the original trilogy (SW:SE =
the SE of ANH).
DS/DS2 Death Star/Death Star 2 (at Endor).
ST Star Trek (sometimes "stormtrooper").
OB1 An abbreviation for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
ObEwan Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor in TPM.
SFX Special Effects (sometimes "FX").
GL George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars universe.
DL Denis Lawson, the actor who portrayed Wedge in the SW
trilogy (misspelled as "Dennis" in ANH & ESB).
LFL Lucasfilm Limited, which owns everything SW.
CCG Customizable Card Game (produced by Decipher).
SF Science Fiction.
Fanfic Fan fiction.
PK Prophet Kristy [::blush:: This wasn't my idea to put
this up here!!]
HEDoJ Hyper Ewok Dance of Joy. If you don't have an idea
of what this could look like, go watch the end of RotJ
again!
Star Wars Novel Title Abbreviations:
Books Published by Bantam -
By Mike & Aaron:
RS = "Rogue Squadron"
WG = "Wedge's Gamble"
TKT/KT = "The Krytos Trap"
TBW/BW = "The Bacta War"
WS = "Wraith Squadron"
IF = "Iron Fist"
SC = "Solo Command"
IR = "Isard's Revenge"
IJ = "I, Jedi"
SoA = "Starfighters of Adumar"
By Tim Zahn:
T3 = "The Thrawn Trilogy"
namely: HttE = "Heir to the Empire"
DFR = "Dark Force Rising"
TLC = "The Last Command"
HoT = The "Hand of Thrawn" Duology
namely: SotP = "Specter of the Past"
VotF = "Vision of the Future"
By everyone else:
SotE = "Shadows of the Empire"
CoPL = "Courtship of Princess Leia"
JA3 = "Jedi Academy Trilogy"
namely: JS = "Jedi Search"
DA = "Dark Apprentice"
CotF = "Champions of the Force"
Tft_ = "Tales from the..."
Books published by Del Rey -
The New Jedi Order Arc (NJO)
VP = Vector Prime
DT:O = Dark Tide: Onslaught
DT:R = Dark Tide: Ruin
SbS = Star By Star
etc....(use your imagination!)
Emoticons (or Smileycons) (used to convey facial expressions and
control the tone of posts):
:) A smile
:-) The same, only with a nose.
;) A winking smile
:D A laugh or large smile
:( A sad face
:'{ A crying face
}:( An angry face
}:D An evil laugh
:P A raspberry, or sticking your tongue out at someone
:* A kiss, or "smooch"
(*) A TIE fighter!
Many others have been created.
PART 4. ALT.FAN.WEDGE
The first posts to the newsgroup Alt.Fan.Wedge were in December of
1993, according to the Google/Deja archive (groups.google.com;
thanks to Shel for looking that up). The charter has been lost in
the halls of cyberspace, but it is generally agreed that the NG is
devoted to discussion of the Star Wars character Wedge Antilles.
(Until just recently, it was the only known SW newgroup to focus
on a character, but we no longer hold that distinction, as there
is also the NG alt.chewy.wookie.net.) Members also will discuss
Star Wars in general. AFW is not moderated, so there's no one
"in charge." Long-time posters do their best to maintain the
atmosphere and welcome new members.
There's no requirement to "join" AFW except the Internet connection,
news access, and appreciation of Wedge. AFW remains a generally
small newsgroup (probably about 40 posts per day, as opposed to
RASSM's weighty 400 or so), and most posters are known by name.
The author has personally found AFW to be fun, friendly, and
generally a home to intelligent conversation.
Other Star Wars newsgroups include:
rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc - Anything not covered by the other Star
Wars NGs
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting.customizing - custom made items
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting.vintage - vintage collectibles
rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting.misc - new/current collectibles
rec.arts.sf.starwars.games - all Star Wars games
rec.arts.sf.starwars.info - announcement group (moderated)
alt.binaries.starwars - any picture or sound file
alt.fan.starwars - alt group counterpart to RASSM
alt.starwars.xvt - X-wing vs. TIE fighter game
alt.startrek.vs.starwars - any Star Trek vs. Star Wars debate
alt.chewy.wookie.net - Topics include Chewy, Wookies, and Kashyyyk
PART 5. WEDGE
As should be obvious, AFW is dedicated to Wedge. Online he is also
frequently referred to as "Our Hero" and "The Great One." (He's not
actually known as "God," though sometimes he is worshiped as one;
for the musical fans of SW fandom, the "God" title is reserved for
John Williams. Instead, we use "TAWG", for True Animist Warrior
God.) AFW'ers worship/admire/like Wedge for a variety of reasons.
These are too numerous to be stated in this FAQ; if you want to know,
ask (it's always a fun thread)! In addition, most of the myth, fact,
and legend of Wedge takes up a whole other FAQ: which, I know, you
can't find anywhere right now. Someone, please, take it over!
In general, Wedge Antilles is a fairly minor character in the Star
Wars trilogy. He appears in all three movies as an X-wing pilot.
He appears as Red Two in ANH, Rogue Three in ESB, and Red Leader in
ROTJ. Shots of Wedge without helmet and out-of-cockpit occur in
ANH during the briefing room scene (that's Wedge talking to Luke),
and twice during ROTJ: the briefing room, and the Ewok party.
One of the easiest ways to spot Wedge is by his helmet. It is
distinctive in *not* having the standard blue Alliance symbols, but
rather being painted dark grayish-green, except for the ridge in
the center, which is left white.
Wedge also appears as a minor character in many of the Star Wars
EU novels, the first being _Heir to the Empire_ by Timothy Zahn,
where he appears as the leader of Rogue Squadron. Wedge has had
other roles but is best known as Rogue Leader. He now has an
entire series dedicated to him and his squadron mates: the _X-wing_
series, written by Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston. There's
also an X-wing comic book series, which Mike Stackpole has had a
large role in.
Details on Wedge's many appearances in the Star Wars literata can be
found in the Wedge FAQ.
PART 6. ROGUE SQUADRON
AFW also discusses Rogue Squadron a lot, as there is now a
multitude of literature on it. Rogue Squadron is the squadron
Wedge leads during most of his appearances in book or comics. It
is the most elite starfighter squadron under the New Republic
Command, usually getting the hardest ("impossible") assignments and
completing them with a high rate of success.
Rogue Squadron has its roots in Red Squadron, which flew against
the first Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. While few pilots
(only two!) from the group survived this battle, it was hailed as
the greatest squadron going, since its members were integral in
taking out the DS. Sometime between ANH and ESB, Luke Skywalker
was given a promotion to commander and given charge of Rogue
Squadron, which is seen in ESB flying snowspeeders and later X-wings
at the Battle of Hoth. The Rogues then appear to have undergone a
period of limbo, probably caused by the absence of their commander
(seeing as how he ran off to Dagobah without telling anyone). AFW
logic has decided that if Rogue Squadron existed in the time between
the Battle of Hoth and ROTJ, it probably would have been commanded
by Wedge Antilles (the other surviving original member of Red
Squadron).
Wedge commanded Red Squadron in the Battle of Endor. It is unsure
whether this is actually Rogue Squadron (using Red call signals in
tribute to the battle for DS1), or if it is not the Rogues (although
it would appear to be the former). At any rate, Wedge and Red
Squadron assisted Lando Calrissian in the destruction of DS2.
Since then, Rogue Squadron appears to be a pretty permanent fixture
in Starfighter Command, being led by none other than Captain (later
Commander, later General) Wedge Antilles, the only surviving Red
Squad member still in the military.
A more detailed history appears in the Wedge FAQ.
PART 7. WRAITH SQUADRON
Wedge is so great that he has not one squadron, but two! Aaron
Allston's X-wing novels (namely WS, IF, and SC) detail the
institution and early adventures of Wraith Squadron. If the Rogues
are starfighter pilots with extra skills on the ground, the Wraiths
are commandos with piloting skills. With this goal in mind, Wedge
put the unit together from a group of "washouts" from fighter
training, and melded them into amazing soldiers in a lethally
efficient squadron. Wraith Squadron was pivotal in the New
Republic's defeat of Warlord Zsinj.
Wedge was originally the commanding officer of Wraith Squadron;
following its conversion from Starfighter Command to Intelligence,
Garik "Face" Loran was made captain of the unit.
PART 8. FAMOUS PERSONAGES ON AFW
While there is no way to tell who is lurking on a newsgroup,
presences who post are known to its members. It is altogether
possible that people from LFL lurk on AFW; RASSMers are fairly sure
LFL keeps an eye on _them_. Of those people considered "famous" in
the Star Wars world today, several appear regularly on AFW:
--**Michael A. Stackpole**, author of the first four (and the
eighth) installments of the _X-wing_ series, the _X-wing Rogue
Squadron_ comic books, _I, Jedi_, and the NJO _Dark Tide_ books;
--**Aaron Allston**, author of _X-wing_ books 5, 6, 7, and 9, and
the NJO _Enemy Lines_ books; and
--**Dan Wallace**, co-writer of the _Essential Chronology_ and
other SW references.
All three are very friendly, nice about answering questions and
keeping us posted on their work. We feel honored to have them as a
part of our community.
Honourable mention: **Peet Janes**, former editor of the _X-wing
Rogue Squadron_ series at Dark Horse Comics, and an avid Rogue
supporter. We miss you, Peet.
PART 9. NEWBIE QUESTIONS
There seem to be several questions and/or discussions that pop up
regularly among new people to Wedge and AFW, and to avoid flaming
from people who are sick of these questions, get your answers here.
:-)
--Didn't C-3PO and R2-D2 originally belong to Wedge Antilles or his
father?
As far as we know, Wedge is _not_ related in any way to the "Captain
Antilles" mentioned by C-3PO as his former master. The _Tantive IV_,
the corvette that carried Leia and the droids at the beginning of
ANH, was commanded by a Captain Antilles, so it is likely that the
droids at least believed they belonged to him. The ship seems to
be an Alderaanian consular ship, but it is Corellian in origin (as
is Wedge). Put simply, "Antilles" is the GFFA's equivalent of
"Smith", according to Steve Sansweet of LFL, who confirmed our
opinion. (It should also be noted that in the novel of ANH, the
_Tantive IV_'s captain is named as Captain Colton, further muddying
the waters.)
--Wedge is a coward for leaving the trench at the Battle of Yavin.
This appears to be a common troll to AFW, meant apparently to annoy
and anger fans of Wedge. As anyone who has paid attention to ANH
will tell you, during the last trench run made by Luke Skywalker,
Biggs Darklighter, and Wedge Antilles, Wedge's ship is damaged from
behind by one of the TIEs hounding the Rebels. At this point Luke,
being the designated leader of the group, orders Wedge to leave the
trench ("Get clear, Wedge, you can't do any more good back there").
Wedge then follows the orders of his superior officer--something
considered _good_ in the military--and leaves the trench. [Wedge's
"Sorry" as he pulls out, and subsequent treatments of this event in
Wedge lit, describe Wedge's pain at having to leave his comrades, but
his faith in the logic of Luke's order.]
--Didn't Wedge / Hobbie die in ESB?
The origin of this controversy is confusing to WedgeFans, as Wedge
appears later in ESB, after the battle, when the squadron is
changing from snowspeeders to X-wings. ("Good luck, Luke! See you
at the rendezvous!") So no, Wedge did not die in ESB, and his later
appearance in ROTJ at the Battle of Endor is not a continuity goof.
Perhaps the controversy stems from the common mix-up between Wedge
and Zev in ESB, a topic covered next.
Additionally, there is a continuity glitch regarding Hobbie Klivian,
who apparently died flying his speeder into a walker during the
Battle of Hoth in the novelization of ESB. This scene does not
appear in the film. A common interpretation is that, yes, Hobbie
did crash his snowspeeder to stop a speeder, but thanks to the
wonders of bacta, survived the experience.
--Was Wedge the one who found Luke and Han on Hoth?
This can be confusing, but a careful examination of call signs and
helmets will yield the answer. The Rogue pilot who found Skywalker
and Solo on Hoth's surface was Rogue Two, a pilot named Zev Senesca.
(If you look, you'll see that's not Wedge's helmet). Wedge at this
point is flying as Rogue _Three_, as stated later on in the movie,
during the snowspeeder attack. He was _Red Two_ at the Battle of
Yavin. (Zev also appears in this scene, but again, he's _Rogue
Two_.)
--The Wedge in the briefing room scene in ANH doesn't look like
Denis Lawson.
Wedge doesn't look like Denis Lawson in that scene because that
isn't Denis Lawson. The Wedge who talks to Luke in the briefing
room ("That's impossible, even for a computer") is played by a
different actor. Though originally thought to be Jack Klaff, who
had supposedly been originally slated to play Wedge, this theory has
been debunked by Klaff himself, who confirmed that while he *did*
play a rebel pilot in ANH, he was most definitely *not* in the
briefing room scene.
Fans were unsure for a time about the briefing room Wedge even
being Wedge at all, but the movie's script and novelization
proclaim it to be Wedge, and LFL has stated that there are two
actors playing Wedge in ANH, and the man in the briefing room scene
is, in fact, Wedge.
More detailed information can be found in the Wedge FAQ.
--Did you know that Wedge's nephew is Obi-Wan Kenobi in the
prequels?
Yes, we did, actually. This has become the most common "did you
know?" on AFW, somewhat akin to "did you see the stormtrooper hit
his head?" on RASSM. Yes, it is now common knowledge that Ewan
McGregor, who is portraying young Obi-Wan in SWI-III, is the nephew
of Denis Lawson. And we know that Denis encouraged Ewan in acting,
and things like that. Some on AFW have begun calling the prequel
character "ObEwan" in honor of the actor.
--So who's "Bail Antilles of Alderaan"? Is he related to Wedge?
Steve Sansweet of LFL has set the record stright: Antilles is a
common surname in the Star Wars universe. (see the link on
AFWCentral's main page, or Wedge's entry at starwars.com.) Also:
Perhaps "Bail" is not a name on Alderaan, but rather a title. Hence,
Bail Organa, Leia's adoptive father--who's probably not related to
Bail Antilles except through sharing the same position in
Alderaanian politics.
--Ooryl and Zuckuss are both Gands. Why doesn't Ooryl have to
breathe methane like Zuckuss?
According to Mike Stackpole, Ooryl is a different species of Gand,
one which doesn't have to respire at all (nutrients are absorbed
through the skin).
--Will there be more X-wing novels published?
Since Del Rey has taken over the SW book license, they have been
focusing their efforts on their New Jedi Order series. They have
this series mapped out for years, and have storylines and authors
ready to go for a while from now. Basically, no. In the
foreseeable future, there will be no new X-wing novels. But Aaron
and Mike will be writing other books--go buy them even if they're
not SW. ;-)
PART 10. AFW PECULIARITIES
Some other questions usually come up when someone first joins the
community of AFW. Those who have been there for a while have
developed their own in-jokes, and if there's one thing that's
frustrating, it's when you're not in on the in-jokes. In addition,
cults and organizations have grown up during the past few years.
Most questions can be answered by a visit to AFW's home page,
<http://www.swfanfic.com/afw>, which has archived classic threads,
most of which usually contain the answers in them. But here's a
brief treatment of some other FAQs.
--Wedge is running for President?
Yes, indeed, AFW has decided that Wedge would make a terrific
President of the United States. (Perhaps even Prime Minister of
Canada!) To that end, Quiara has been appointed campaign manager
and has started a web site for the campaign. Tycho Celchu has been
chosen as a great running mate. Many AFW'ers now place campaign
slogans in their signature files, and there have even been bumper
stickers made. More recently, Mike Stackpole made an allusion to
our campaign in the X-wing comic book _Mandatory Retirement #1_.
[Are we serious? Probably not. Though people do write in Mickey
Mouse....]
--What's this about Wedge being a god?
Well, aside from the fact that he's obviously immortal (he's
survived more battles than anyone), Wedge has been proclaimed the
True Animist Warrior God (TAWG) by Prophet Kristy. She has written
the Book of Wedge, a must-read for true WedgeFans, which is
available on the AFW page, as is her original prophecy. Wedge's
feast day is officially 28 August, but it is celebrated on the 28th
of every month. [Are we really serious? Nahhh. Prophet Kristy is a
practicing Catholic.]
--What is the WEB?
The WEB is the Wedge Estrogen Brigade, a group of women on AFW who
are "dedicated to the downtime pursuits of the rebel pilots." They
write stories and have many live chats among members. To join, one
should post to AFW asking to join, and someone who's in charge of
membership will usually respond promptly.
For the male AFW'ers, the WTF has started up. The Wedge Testosterone
Fleet, in the words of founder J. Hollod, focuses "on the fact that
Wedge Antilles is a kick ass pilot, and that Wedge in an X-Wing is
far superior to one of KJA's superweapons."
Jim Rothwell puts it this way: "The WEB is the Wedge Estrogen
Brigade, a group of women on AFW who collectively create fanfic
about what might happen behind bedroom doors in Rogue Squadron's
barracks and other secluded spots. As their focus is primarily on
the male Rogues, the WTF, or Wedge Testosterone Fleet, was created
to include the female Rogues, as well as representing more
testosterone-induced X-wing scenes."
--Why do you all hate Luke Skywalker so much?
It isn't really a question of hating Luke so much as it is thinking
that Wedge is so much better than him. (For the record, not ALL
AFW'ers hate Luke; some rather like him. And if you like Luke (or
Ewoks, or KJA, or anything) please, speak up about it! Change our
minds! We don't mind alternate opinions.) To most WedgeFans Luke
is known as Farmboy, a largely derogatory term. Luke plays
Gilgamesh to Wedge's Enkidu, taking all the credit while Wedge does
all the work. Wedge doesn't seem to care about this, but we do.
In addition, Luke is oftentimes assumed to be better just because he
has Force powers; Wedge has proven that, time and time again, to be
untrue. And Luke owes his life to Wedge a few times, too.
--Why do you hate Ewoks so much?
Pretty much because they're cute and cuddly. And again, not ALL
posters hate them. To those who dislike Ewoks, it seems highly
unlikely that a primitive race of teddy bears could overcome greater
numbers of seasoned, armored stormtroopers who are possessed of
vastly superior technology. Some are also bitter because of a
disparity of screen time; the destruction of Alderaan gets a mere
glimpse, while a dead Ewok is emphasized.
--Why do you hate Jar-Jar Binks?
Short answer: see Ewoks. Long answer: reasons range from disliking
his accent, his clumsiness, his role as the "kids' character", or
that he's totally computer-animated. Star Wars fans are divided on
this one.
--Why do you hate KJA so much?
Very few people (although there ARE some, and they are entitled to
their own likes and dislikes) have said they liked Kevin J.
Anderson's Star Wars writing. He appears to be a pretty much
universal villain for SW fans. Many things have been held against
him: his fondness for using superweapons; his poor follow-up to
Timothy Zahn's well-loved first books; his characterization of
various characters; his apparent need to have characters quote
themselves from the movies; his portrayal of the Force; etc.
AFW'ers in particular dislike KJA's writing for two general reasons:
(1) He completely mischaracterizes Wedge. He took Wedge out of the
cockpit and made him a general in charge of garbage disposal on
Coruscant. Few can see Wedge happy with a position like that. (2)
His mischaracterization of Wedge is carried over in his pairing off
of Wedge with flaky scientist Qwi Xux. Not only is this lady the
_creator_ of the Death Star (it seems impossible that Wedge would
consider dating such a person), but she's rather wimpy--most feel
Wedge would go for a strong woman. She is about the opposite of
ideal matches (in most eyes) for Our Hero.
--Who's Qwi Xux and why do we hate her?
Qwi Xux has been said to have "all the personality of a wilted piece
of lettuce," and that pretty well describes most WedgeFans' feeling
towards her. She first appears in KJA's Jedi Academy Trilogy. She
is the creator of the Death Star, and yet is totally innocent of the
fact that she has invented a weapon of mass destruction (how someone
can miss that is beyond us). Some of us don't think she is, in any
way, a good romantic match for Wedge. All she does is drag him down.
There are those who like Qwi; good for them!
--What's the deal with the metric system?
The Metric vs. Imperial (English) debate originated with a thread
called "The world is falling down..." The discussion in this thread
was largely off-topic, ranging from posters' home locations to filk
to slash to systems of measurement. It is a largely silly argument
between the Americans and the Canadians of the group, and comes up
every now and again (usually when Brett's around).
--What's RASSM?
RASSM is the acronym for the newsgroup Rec.Arts.Sf.Starwars.Misc.
This is probably the largest newsgroup for Star Wars fans,
generating, at times, hundreds of messages a day. (It takes quite
a bit of dedication and spare time to be able to keep up with these
guys.) RASSM, as you might be able to tell, is a huge forum for
everything Star Wars. Some AFW'ers can actually keep up with them,
and act as our spies. RASSM appears to be largely accepting of
Wedge, although they rarely pay attention to him. Their discussion
is more general (although discussions about collector's items and
games should be routed to those specific newsgroups and _not_ to
RASSM. They're tough when it comes to flames). Some authors appear
to lurk there, and many of the members are some of the largest SW
fans on the Internet.
--What's a DMIG, and since when does Hobbie wear a bikini?
DMIG (Disturbing Mental Image Generator) Awards were first started
by Zeynep "Morwen" Dilli, who noticed the predominance of, well,
disturbing comments generated by resident AFW'ers. (She gives them
out like candy...) Hobbie and the bikini thing was one of the
original DMIGs. Trust me, you don't want to know more. (It's in
the Squirrels thread if you really have to know.)
--What's Project Boussh?
A long story thread where the AFW'ers and Rogues and Wraiths have a
big mission on Terra. Read it on the Classic Threads page of the
AFWsite, or at its home archive, <http://www.swfanfic.com/terragroup>.
If we're ever discussing marbles, it originated in this story, where
most of the characters (the writers' personas, basically) have "lost
their marbles."
--What's "Rent A Rogue"?
A cool way to challenge you to write about your favorite Rogue or
Wraith. Alison Sky has obtained samples of the pilots' DNA and
cloned them so you can take one or more an an adventure with you.
The price is to write a story about your experiences. Fanfic
challenges are occasionally posted to AFW. See the headquarters at
<http://www.angelfire.com/hi2/jedichild/Rent_A_Rogue/showroom.html>
PART 11. EXTENSIONS OF AFW
alt.fan.wedge is pretty content where it is right now, as a
newsgroup. Discussion remains generally on-topic and there is not
a whole lot of spam. AFW does have a few other centers:
The alt.fan.wedge homepage, AFW Central:
<http://www.swfanfic.com/afw> Contains classic threads, FAQs,
WedgeFans' profiles, and AFW announcements of interest.
alt.fan.wedge chat: Meets Fridays at 8:00 pm Eastern. The chat
room can be accessed on your favorite IRC software: server
irc.holonet.org, port 6667, channel #pilotchat. A Java client for
those not wanting to mess with extra software is available on the
HoloNet homepage, www.holonet.org. Detailed mIRC instructions can
be found on the main page of AFW Central. People can generally be
found in the room on most evenings of the week.
Mike Stackpole's Site: <http://www.stormwolf.com> Information on
Mike and his upcoming projects. Also contains a few short stories,
Mike's policy on book-signing, etc.
Aaron Allston's Site: <http://www.AaronAllston.com> Information on
Aaron and his upcoming projects. Also included are extensive FAQs
on Wraith Squadron, Enemy Lines, and writing.
"There are many Antilles, but there is only one Wedge."
http://www.swfanfic.com/afw
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~khensche