I had written a lengthy concept for an alternate Star Wars prequel series, but I've changed my mind on many of the details.
Just running this by anyone who cares to offer feedback!
Are you focusing on the Clone Wars?
How does the War pertain to them?
Yes. The villain is a clone.
The primary antagonist of the series is a young, calculating Mandalorian leader, Sar Terus. For generations the warlike Mandalorians had kept their conflicts reserved to territorial disputes within their solar system, but when Sar succeeded his father as leader of the largest of the Mandalorian clans, he declared himself Mandalore - ruler of all the Mandalorian clans.
After forming them together as a single empire, he turned his attention outward to the wider galaxy. By forming a coalition with lesser powers - including the criminal Hutts - he began to conquer and subjugate more and more worlds. Eventually, his attention turns to Alderaan. By invading it, he brings himself into conflict with the Galactic Republic in what would later be called "The Clone Wars", which is where the story of Episode I begins.
In Episode II, however, we discover that Sar is not who he seemed to be. After being captured by the Galactic Republic, medical scans of the injured Sar reveal that his genome is that of a clone, not of a "birth born" (a lil' THX-1138 4EB reference there). From this information, the Republic is able to conclude that the Mandalorians have been the victims of an insidious hoax. Their intelligence shows that the original Prince Terus was not a clone, meaning he was likely replaced at some early stage by the current "Sar Terus".
After watching Metropolis, I thought this doppelganger plot worked a little better than an entire clone army.
How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4?
How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players?
Creating long-living clones is an extremely invasive and difficult procedure in this universe. The host from which the genetic information is extracted would be forced to undergo repeated - often painful - operations. Anything less than this produces inferior copies with very short lifespans.
As such, cloning is generally not attempted for anything other than medical purposes, such as organs for transplanting. To actually clone a complete, sentient creature is dangerous, cruel and (within the Galactic Republic) illegal.
Is the War 'Symmetrical' (i.e. WWII) or is it 'Asymmetrical' (i.e. Iraq War or the OT Empire vs Rebellion)?
The Mandalorians, along with the coalition they have formed, initially have forces roughly equal to that of the Galactic Republic. Once militarisation of the Galactic Republic begins to take place, however, they are overwhelmed.
Does your story feature "soldiers"? Who are they?
The Mandalorians employ a diverse range of troops, all of them with a penchant for disintegration weapons. The coalition allied with the Mandalorians has its own troops who vary depending of their planet of origin.
The Galactic Republic also has a standing army of ostensible peacekeepers.
Are the main characters soldiers in the War? Leia's and Ben's comments seem to indicate that they were.
Yes. Anakin Skywalker is a starpilot operating in the outer-rim before encountering Obi-Wan, a low ranking general in the Republic's military who takes a shine to him.
What are the objectives of both sides in the War? What are they fighting over?
The Manalorians have a declared expansionist policy which threatens the Republic.
How does the War end?
The trials of the war lead to a transformation of the Republic. These transformations lead to military gains but societal losses. Increased militarisation, lower tolerance of dissent, a military draft, an increasingly ineffectual democratic system etc.
As the society around him changes, so does Anakin's attitude and beliefs. The more dire the war, the more zealous and frustrated the previously idealistic starpilot becomes. All of this, of course, contributes to his fall.
In short, the Republic "wins" by destroying itself.
Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda?
No. Yoda is mentioned but does not appear. Yoda has gone into exile after an earlier Jedi conflict which is alluded to. Obi-Wan is his last apprentice.
Obi-Wan may communicate with Yoda via telepathy after Anakin's fall, but Yoda will never appear on-screen.
Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan?
Yes.
Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends? When do they have the chance to establish this friendship?
Anakin is roughing it in the outer-rim when Obi-Wan discovers him and recognises his exceptional yet wasted talent. Obi-Wan's adventurous and irreverent attitude proves infectious and helps Anakin escape his rut - which is a feeling of guilt for having left his brother behind in order to follow his principles.
Initially Anakin is skeptical of Obi-Wan's religious beliefs and the mysterious sect he claims to be a member of. After witnessing the power of the Force first-hand (and recognising the influence it has had in his own life), however, his skepticism begins to fade and he cautiously starts down the path of the Jedi way. At the beginning of the relationship, it is clearly one-sided. Obi-Wan has the optimism and the means to achieve their shared goals.
But as their friendship continues, Anakin shows his particular skills (greater pragmatism, in terms of outlook, and saving Obi-Wan's life, in terms of actual events) and the two come to be equals. By the conclusion of Episode I, the two have come to depend on each other.
How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters?
I have yet to work out the exact chronology, though I would like to make it so that Obi-Wan is older in Star Wars than the present Lucas chronology suggests.
How will you handle the surprises in the OT? Will you set out to protect them from a chronological viewer? Or will you show them happen?
I'm not yet sure.
The story of Darth Vader's fall to the Dark Side seems to me to be the most interesting and meaningful story the prequels could tell, so to not include it seems to be missing out on a major opportunity. However, if you're thinking in terms of the saga generally, it may be worthwhile to preserve the mystery behind Vader's identity.
I have thought about making the saga into seven movies - three prequels, three original films and one epilogue. The three prequels would bear the original films in mind and conceal any important facts while the epilogue would deal with Anakin's fall explicitly.
Will you have surprises in your new PT?
Sar's identity as a clone may surprise some, especially once it is made clear who created him and why. In this I preserve one of the ideas I think worked in the prequels, which is that of the Supreme Chancellor orchestrating events to create the Galactic Empire.
Sar would have been trained by Palpatine and, in the process, developed a filial loyalty to his creator. However, Palpatine would reject his creation once he comes to acknowledge Anakin's greater power, which would drive the disgraced Sar into a furious personal vendetta against Anakin.
How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all?
Not very much. The history and nature of the Sith would be dealt with briefly in conversations between Anakin and Obi-Wan in a Jedi sanctuary, but only to illustrate the danger of falling to the Dark Side.
When the Chancellor is revealed to be a Sith, we would understand at once what that means. Ideas of "revenge" or "ruling the galaxy once more" wouldn't come into it, though. He would simply be revealed as a power hungry sorcerer.
If it doesn't, then how does Anakin end up falling to the Dark Side and becoming Dark Lord of the Sith?
Having been made to feel desperately powerless during the wars, Anakin would come to desire power. Initially his goals would be pure - greater influence would mean he would have more opportunities to relieve suffering victims and combat aggressors - yet, eventually, power itself would come to be coveted and rigid order his goal.
The Emperor presents himself as representing order and an end to "destructive conflict". Seeking release from his trauma, Anakin would be easily seduced by the Emperor and the idea of absolute stability. Over time, this would transform Anakin into the vindictive character we know from the original trilogy. Anybody who stands against him is seen as perpetuating disorder and therefore prolonging his suffering.
One of the teachings of the Jedi which Anakin forgets is a somewhat Buddhist attitude of "let be". "The more you try to control the universe, the more you antagonise it, the more separate from it you become. The more you try to assert yourself master of reality, the more it rebels against you. You must not feel that you are master or servant of the universe - in truth, you are one."
How many Jedi are we talking about here? A handful like the OT? Two-three handfuls like the GPT? Or a lot a lot?
The Jedi would of course be more numerous now than in the original trilogy, though their numbers would still be few and their order broken. Obi-Wan would allude to a more Arthurian past where the Jedi formed a unified council of great heroes, including Yoda, but those golden days are gone. Now, after a massive conflict, the Jedi are broken up. There remains a central authority, but their power is diminished and many Jedi now go their own way, trying to enact the teachings however they can.
Obi-Wan is one of those Jedi. He decided that the best way he could do good in the galaxy was by joining the Galactic Republic's military and helping to fight injustice. Others follow different paths, acting rather like lone Samurai. In Episode I, he would return to a major Jedi sanctuary and convince a group of orthodox Jedi to defy the council and assist him in liberating Alderaan from its invaders.
What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi? Are they all assumed to be heroes? Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense?
The Jedi are mythic figures, spoken of in awe by some, in fear by others and with cynicism by others still.
Yes, many do doubt their existence.
How do your Jedi dress? (Please say it's not in "I'm disguised as a hermit" robes.)
How they would dress isn't of much interest to me, though I will say that this idea that Obi-Wan's robes in the original trilogy are a disguise is probably a misconception.
See pic:
Who is the main protagonist in your films?
Tough call. Obi-Wan certainly takes the lead in most respects, though Anakin is more the everyman who develops most as a person.
I'd prefer to think of it as something of a buddy film, but if I had to choose, I'd go with Anakin.