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There are melee weapons, and there are melee weapons. In a setting where ranged weapons are often far more deadly and easy to use, a good melee weapon becomes something more like a symbol of your badassery than something truly practical. You kind of have to jump through some world-building hoops if you want to have a close-range weapon be anything other than a last resort.
One cool example comes from Dune, where people have energy field armour that is impervious to high energy blasts and high-velocity missiles, but can be penetrated by slow moving, low energy attacks. So all of a sudden you really do want to take a knife to a gunfight.
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Battle training, makes sense for Pete. And roleplaying to gain experience is a part of the rules this group uses, and I doubt Pete would have forgotten that fact.
From the perspective of the movie? It feels like I've missed a scene or two. There was the rainstorm with the Kylo Call. And before that there was the meditation, Luke, and the Everything Bagel, which had mostly clear skies. Maybe I haven't been on an island enough to experience how frequently the weather changes, but clear skies into rain into clear skies again this quickly feels more like separate days to me. Especially with the difference in location for each place. Like a subtle way for the movie to show how days are stretching on without spelling it out.
Obi-Wan Kenobi crap? I get the feeling Ben's Episode IV character turned into a group meme at some point for having lots of exposition for training. I think Pete's being a little impatient, personally. He should argue that adding in this kind of roleplaying gets extra XP instead!
Transcript
GM: Back on Ahch-To, what’s Rey up to?
Rey: I’m battle training.
[SFX]: whooosh
Rey: I find a hostile-looking rock outcrop and make threatening moves with my staff.
[SFX]: whooosh
[SFX]: whooosh
Rey: This is good for a level or two, right?
GM: Hmmm.
GM: The laser sword that you recovered catches your eye, poking out of your pack.
Rey: Why would it catch my eye? Surely I’d tuck it in fully so it doesn’t fall out.
GM: The Force works in mysterious ways.
Rey: This is a hint, right?
GM: Only if you treat it that way.
Rey: Maybe this time we can just cut out the Obi-Wan Kenobi crap and you can save me the trouble.
GM: It does way more damage than the staff.
[SFX]: whooom! {Rey ignites the sword}
Rey: I’m convinced.