Classic SWG: Dangerous Toys

Keep your distance. But don't look like you're keeping your distance.

Whether in the hands of an Imperial player, or located at a mission waypoint from a Rebel terminal, an AT-ST was a sight to behold, and a foe to fear. The intelligent Rebel agent would soon know which missions to choose in order to avoid these instant trips to the cloner.

The AT-STs could be taken down easily by a large group, but one-on-one (or even one-on-two, as the case is in the picture above), there was little chance of success.

Here, we see Vincer and his companion Amber coming across an AT-ST in the wild. Vincer got close enough to take this image for his superior officers, but not so close that the picture would be shipped to his commander along with his other personal effects. In a small box.

The Empire should redeploy these war machines about the galaxy, and in greater numbers. It may spell doom for many of the careless Rebels, but those of us who take more pride in the term "Alliance" then to "Rebellion" will enjoy finding ways to turn these powerful vehicles and the drivers into scrap.

Classic SWG: Trainers

Pictured above is the First Aid Trainer who was stationed in the Laurus, Corellia City Hall. In fact, there were numerous trainers that could be found in the grand hall located at the center of the rank 4 city, including all of the starter professions.

For those who may not be familiar with the concept, Trainers were NPCs that could train characters in a skill that they qualified for. They were not cheap, but were an alternative to finding another player whose toon had the desired skill.

Trainers could be found all over the galaxy in static places, but politicians could learn the ability to place trainers in their cities.

During the first (and ultimately only) Laurus Training Days - a city-sponsored event that helped beginner toons gain experience through the help of veteran toons - all of the trainers were brought outside into the main courtyard along with a few new trainers.

Trainers offered a level of complexity and choice to the game, a system abandoned for the insta-level-up system that is in place now. Instant gratification for an instant-gratification target audience.

On a related note, in a future "Classic SWG" I will post some images from the Laurus Training Days, including the citizens and squad members assembling in the cantina for buffs prior to heading out on their adventures.

Classic SWG: And So It Ends...

The beta for Star Wars Galaxies ended much like many of the beta sessions ended: "Connection to SWG Lost".

Here we see Vincer, Cyra (who provided the screencap) and Ooyna standing outside Coronet, Corellia. We seemed to have finished off that Meatlump easily enough (Does he have a name? Interesting!), but it was the Bria server that finished us off once and for all.

It was a bittersweet ending, but we had made plans to meet up on Launch Day on the Starsider Galaxy. Beta was more fun then should have been allowed for free, but we did our fair share of work. Bug were reported often and discussions on the beta forums were focused, mature and productive.

Ah, the good old days. We'll always have our memories. In particular I remember the general outcry that told SOE "Don't launch! It's not ready!" Was it because we wanted to keep playing for free? Or was it because... well.. the game wasn't ready?

You decide.

Classic SWG: And So It Begins

Though I had been in beta for several days, it hadn't yet occurred to me that I might want to take a few screenshots of what I had encountered. But when I crested a hill early on during Beta 3 and found myself staring down at Mos Eisley, I suddenly felt immersed in the Star Wars universe and needed to find a way to save the memory.

Though it was nighttime and I was neither Ben nor Luke, I still felt as if I were a part of the story and galaxy I have loved since being a small child.

Above we see Vincer Kaden, hair still loose and wearing some of the default clothes that were available at the time. Tailors didn't exist after the latest character wipe and no one even thought about vendors at this point. We used terminals that the devs placed around; each with its own specific job: clothes, weapons, etc.

Though seeing Mos Eisley is commonplace nearly six years later, I sometimes am in awe of seeing the the imagery of Star Wars arranged before me.

Classic SWG: Waiting for the Shuttle

One of the strongest aspects of Star Wars Galaxies is the social possibilities, tools and environments. No other MMO that I have tried even begins to compare with what SOE has developed. But as times change and we move into what can be called "second gen" MMOs, even SWG has adjusted to be more... heroic?

Pictured above is Vincer and a young Cu waiting for the shuttle. (That Cu is still a baby tells me that the image is from a time before mounts were included, thus not long after launch.) What the shot fails to show is the number of people who would convene around the shuttle droid to wait for their passage. Boring right? Just like sitting in a camp?

Not quite. As a natural gathering point, it was an excellent opportunity to partake (or even listen) in on conversations, gather important intel or just make new friends (or enemies!).

It was originally a nine minute wait between shuttles. Folks would dance, craft, or just chatter away. Running into a guildmate or a "friends-lister" was always a boon and a nice way to pass the time. Especially after arriving just seconds after the last shuttle took off. (And if you talk to anyone from this era of play, they'll say that it happened all the time to them!)

In time, as doctor buffs became more common and required, buff lines would appear in and around starports. AFK spammers would shout out about their shops and wares or attempt to recruit you for their guilds. Those seeking to master their professions should shout for training or even for those to train. SWG felt alive and full of beans.

Could shuttle wait times come back? No, I would hope not. Players have become accustomed to the current means of transport. Forcing them back into waiting offers no real benefit. Those who are naturally social will find a way to interact, and those who prefer to be more of a loner shall never be forced into socializing no matter how long they wait for the ticket droid to permit them to board.

But the spirit of socialization should always be an important ingredient in any part of SWG, from Life Day gifts to player-driven event tools such as the forthcoming "storyteller costumes".

SWG will never be the FPS that it tries to emulate at all the wrong times. It will never have the balanced PvP that so many are looking for. It may never evoke visions of the Galactic Civil War as presented in our beloved movies. But it can and will always be an accessible galaxy wherein interacting with others is only a keystroke away, where meaningful friendships are created in a virtual world.

If you reach the common denominator of what really has people longing for classic SWG, it's more likely the lost social opportunities due to a decrease in subscribers more then any removed game mechanic.

Classic SWG: Imperial Crackdown

The sight of an Imperial Star Destroyer over a planet should be one that invokes feelings of fear, security or a tenuous mix of both depending on your political affiliation. Three such mammoths should do more then just triple the sensations.

That is the level of excitement and adventure that was advertised for the Imperial Crackdown that occurred during "Year One" of SWG. (If I recall correctly, it was somewhere around the time of the droid engineer updates that are all but completely broken to this day.)

The Empire never really "cracked down" on anything, though you might have been caught carrying illegally modified weapons if you weren't careful. (Nothing a fine or a well-timed Sprint couldn't fix). Usually you were stopped and then told to move along.

If you weren't around for this, think of it as being stopped by Mall Security every time you used the escalator.

What was it that has kept the Empire from ever becoming the well-oiled war machine of fear and domination that it's supposed to be? Is it that Rebel players have been afraid of fighting an uphill battle; of having a harder existence in the game for their political beliefs? Would it be unfair to grant infinite privileges to Imperial players so long as they fit the bill of what Emperor Palpatine was looking for in his citizens?

Whatever the reason, the Imperial Crackdown was a joke and a half - the sort of joke that has no punchline or humor at all. The Empire remains a tacked-on aspect of SWG with fat, candy-loving Stormtroopers, bumbling security checkpoints that allow saber-wielding Jedi to waltz through, a Darth Vader whose task list includes awarding badges to players who stand at a specific waypoint, an Emperor who is still vacationing at his retreat, an entire Empire that allows Rebel forces to take control of entire cities with banners and military presence even under the "watchful" eye of those Star Destroyers in orbit.

The Imperials should put the crack down and stomp this galaxy into submission under well-polished heels.

Then again, the Empire ultimately lost the Civil War because of a small squad of Stormtroopers were thrwarted by a locked door in Mos Eisley. "The door is locked. Move on to the next one."

Classic SWG: Unmountable Mounts

Mounts did not always have to be mysterious creatures that teleported in and forced you into their saddle. While they may have deployed from the datapad like all good conveyances, they at least had the dignity of standing there animating while you went about your duties of conversing with NPCs, engaged in a fight or just stood around posing with your significant other as in this picture with V-Squad members Yambrul and Phantom.

The change of implementation might be up for debate, but I would bet it has something to do with some demographic of jackoffs who managed to grief people with their mount, thus causing us all to lose our abilities; typical of SOE in these past five and a half years.

Now, in almost every way, mounts are inferior to vehicles; no exceptions. But while the "target audience" wouldn't settle for something that doesn't speed them to their "click this for your reward" objective, there remains enough in the playerbase who still enjoy galloping their way from point "a" to point "b" while atop one of these magnificent creatures, despite their shortcomings.

Classic SWG: Kimogila Hunt

One of the tests of mettle for any group was the ability to form up and tackle some of the toughest creatures in the galaxy. Besides the powerful krayt dragons of Tatooine, the kimoglas of Lok were also formidable foes.

Lok was a particularly treacherous world where a circuitous route was needed to safely reach a destination without being overwhelmed by the high-powered fauna or even the pirates and other NPCs that trekked about.

V-Squad was running on as full a group as possible, complete with factional pets, creatures, food and probably a bit of spice for that extra boost. But try as we might, there was no sign of any kimogila. Sure, we knew there was the large volcano, but we were interested in a hunt... not suicide!

A sandstorm started to blow through, and rather then continue partially blinded we decided to set up camp and prepare for the next session of the trek.

I don't recall who first saw it; maybe we all did about the same time. But through the biting winds and sand, we saw our first kimogila. The picture above captures that moment. It was far bigger then we had anticipated, and far more powerful looking. But we didn't come all that way to take pictures.

Steeling ourselves, we got down to the task before us. I remember first sending in my giant torton, Thunder, and hearing Nikki yell out "We have our own giant monster, too!" to the unimpressed kimogila.

Thunder provided only a slight distraction, but if I recall correctly we were successful and took down a few more of the giant lizards before wounds and fatigue forced the hunt to an end.

Cyra vowed to someday acquire kimogila DNA for her bio-engineering. She did succeed, but it was not an easy undertaking. I still have the fruits of her labor to this very day.

Classic SWG: Creature Handling

The Creature Handling system allowed players to deploy multiple pets, depending upon both their level of skill and the level of the pets in question. A Creature Handler could either decide upon one strong pet, or a makeup of up to three pets that were individually weaker then a single, but offered more flexibility and attacking options.

Vincer preferred to use cats for his combat-related adventures. Operating in a support role as a Squad Leader with some First Aid abilities, the three pets Onyx, Opal and Peridot offered many opportunities to help the squad in their endeavors.

Usually, a fight would begin by Vincer selecting the primary target. Once the squad was set, the three "gem" kitties would be sent in: Peridot first - the strongest of the three, then Onyx... and finally Opal, the youngest and most vulnerable. Vincer would give the order for the squad to engage after the required number of cats had picked up their targets and acquired their aggression.

With the battle in full tilt, the cats could be called back individually for heals. This freed the squad's combat medic from worrying too much about the cats and concentrate on the others.

By individually controlling the pets, each could be sent onto a different opponent in order to tank for the squad. Opal would rarely get a chance to take on an enemy all by herself, though.

The Squad Leader/Creature Handler support role was an engrossing position to play. Charged with choosing, acquiring and holding opponents with agression were the primary goals. The squad found it a boon to have up to three tanks to keep the enemy occupied, but were not frustrated by the pets as they were not "stealing the show" by being more powerful then the team.

To see the whole squad - complete with pets - in action was a thing of beauty. It wasn't always a sure-fire recipe for victory, but the system was sound and everyone learned their parts to play to turn the squad into an effective fighting unit.

Classic SWG: Monthly Story Arcs

Shortly after the launch of Star Wars Galaxies, SOE began a series of monthly story arcs for both Rebel and Imperial players. The compiled results of each side were compared and one side would be deemed "the winner". The missions brought players together to work towards their common goals. On Starsider, the Rebellion was victorious during the start of the "Cries of Alderaan" quest, awarding bonus Rebel points when normally earned.

The story arc must have been too costly, since it did not lose popularity. Only months into the game, the arcs were abandoned.

Here we see Vincer turning in a coded message to an agent of the Rebellion in Coronet, but what you can't hear is a small music clip that made the event seem momentous. (Apparently it's the little things that count.) The entire squad (the V-Squad) worked together to acquire the various pieces. There was a room in the lower level of the guild hall that was littered with the various pieces and those in the guild were permitted to take what they wanted and leave their extras.

To this day, the Decoder used to decipher the message which was shared by the entire guild, sits in Vincer's office, a memento to times past and a potential future.

Classic SWG: Building the Guild

Vincer, Cyra and Mileena rest in their shared home on Corellia. It was during this session that the first discussions were held about forming a guild. It would not be long before the idea was presented to Nikki (an entertainer with death-defying brawling skills) and Phantom (a commando and heavy weapons specialist). The small team agreed that forming a guild was a good idea to help secure their future and to make official the team that they had long been refining.

Once they saved enough money, an order was placed with a nearby architect by the name of Kaptori. Soon after, the guildhall was created along the rivers north of Coronet, and V-Squad was born. By Nikki's suggestion, five chairs, each with the name of the original five founding members, were placed in the center of the hall about a round table.

Though V-Squad would live for only two years, the guild hall still stands on Coronet, though it's location has changed a few times since.

(Date: mid-2003)

Classic SWG: Factional Pets

Classic SWG is a new feature that will showcase aspects of Star Wars Galaxies from years gone by.

We begin with a screenshot showing Rebel factional pets. Here, Vincer and members of his Squad attack their foes while exploring the planet Lok.

Factional pets were acquired from the various Recruiters around the galaxy. Lok was an extremely dangerous world at the time, and my guild would often make use of factional pets to fill out our ranks and provide additional firepower and tactics.

To deploy a factional pet, you would become visible to the opposing faction, placing yourself at risk. We were happy to find an Rebel Recruiter on Lok that we could safely acquire and deploy our factional pets.

I still have the waypoint to that Recruiter, but he has long since moved on. Until a few months ago, Oobik was still in my datapad and ready for deployment.

These factional pets were nothing when compared to the AT-STs that the Imperials could deploy. That make sense, as the Imperials should have the better toys.

That still did not prevent Vincer and his V-Squad from taking down a few AT-STs when landing on Dantooine and getting ambushed by a player and his Imperial pets. With the help of a Commando (and despite over half the squad making an unexpected trip to the cloners), we won the day. Our trip to the Jedi Temple later on? Well... I think our luck had run out earlier.