VideInfra78 said:
-I'd like to see you shy away from names like General Bad-guy and Darth Evil-doer like we got in the prequels.
Criticism accepted.
"General Tyranus" is sort of a placeholder title for the main villain.
-Although I like what you've done a lot more than the prequels, it does seem to mimic TPM a bit with Naboo being replaced by Alderaan. Anakin and Obi-Wan instead of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan navigating through nature after a misguided landing and stumbling upon beasts on their way to the city to find a queen/princess. Although, to be honest, I'm not that familiar with the TPM. Maybe I'm wrong about this.
No, you're right - and it's something that bothered me for a while. I knew there were certain things that needed to happen in this outline, and it was difficult to find a way to get them all in without mirroring too much any of the previous Star Wars films.
For example, when I first tried to write this outline I started with Anakin living on Tatooine with his brother, desperate to get away - but that was far too much like Star Wars. Then, I thought about having him already be out there in the galaxy, with Tatooine simply being a bad memory for him - but that necessitated that he return at some point in the course of the story so that Obi-Wan's claims that "[Owen] felt he should've stayed here and not gotten involved" and that Anakin left Tatooine with him on a "damn fools idealistic crusade" remain truthful.
Also, I wanted this story to be self-contained. Just as Star Wars starts off with the problem of the Death Star and concludes with its destruction, so this story should start with the invasion of Alderaan and end with its liberation. That's a lot like TPM, it's true, but (and maybe I'm just excusing myself here) I don't think it's the general shape of TPM - that is, planet invaded, heroes escape planet, heroes return and liberate planet - that was the problem with it.
As much as it leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, I can't deny that this has ended up being structured similarly to TPM. I just hope that this actually works. If it doesn't, I'm prepared to return to the drawing board.
-What happened to the Mandalorians? They defeated the Jedi and then...? Went back home?
The Mandalorians didn't actually succeed in defeating the Jedi, they attacked and brought ruin upon the order before finally being repelled. In the aftermath of the attack, the traditional structures broke down and dissent eventually caused many Jedi to give up the old ways and head off on their own spiritual missions - sort of like freelance Samurai. The Jedi order remains, but its glory days are behind it. Obi-Wan is constantly butting heads with the order - his youthful enthusiasm contrasting with their stoic traditionalism.
Eventually, Obi-Wan will succeed in bringing the divided Jedi back together - the mavericks reconciling their differences with the keepers of the order. Just as it seems as if the glory days are on the edge of being restored, well...you know the rest. But that's a story for Episode II and III.
A good read, interested to see where the clones come in.
Thanks for the feedback! Really appreciated!