Mavimao said:
I personally think that having a new droid rather than rehashing/shoehorning R2D2 and C3PO like in the prequels is a smart idea.

The problem with Artoo and Threepio in the PT wasn't that they were there, it was that the story was written and directed by someone who either never had the knack of writing and directing or lost it.

I don't think there is a single element of those films that felt like it wasn't just shoe-horned in rather than acting naturally.

Part of the compact with the audience is that the droids are the thread pulled through all the numbered episodes so I personally would rather Artoo was in the thick of the action than Rictoo (well he does roll ;-D ).