RIP SWG
I received an email the other day from Sony Online Entertainment informing me that Star Wars Galaxies would be shutting down in December. I haven’t actively played SWG since at least 2009 but it is still sad to hear that a game I once loved will be shutting down. Raph Koster has a nice short post about it. I have to say that I agree.
And it gave us features that continue to amaze people who don’t realize what can be done: real economies complete with supply chains and wholesalers and shopkeepers, that amazing pet system, the moods and chat bubbles (anyone remember what chat in 3d MMOs looked like before SWG?), player cities, vehicles, spaceflight…
And dancing. Which everyone made fun of.
That has always been my assessment of SWG. It had things no other game does. And it did those things well. It, unfortunately, didn’t do some other things very well and tried to sacrifice it’s good parts to improve those.
I’m looking forward to SWTOR but know that it will be nothing like SWG. Nothing else will ever be. The crafting, the housing, the skill system, the space game, the social game. All were unique and wonderful. This week I may take a retrospective look back at SWG and my time in it. Reminiscing is always fun. But for now, RIP SWG.
Star Wars Galaxies
2003-2011
1 Comment
TamTam · June 27, 2011 at 9:38 pm
I have to agree with most of your assessment. The current skill system is setup like talent trees that exist in all modern MMOs now. The old system was really unique, and an incredible way to diversify your character. One of the sacrifices they made, unfortunately.
Crafting was incredibly complicated. In some part it was great, in others it sucked. In order to be “the best” you had to farm rare spawns of resources, etc. It made a great resource economy, but I always stuck to crafting professions that didn’t require specific qualities in materials.
Player housing is probably one of the best features the game had. The update to move items in every direction created incredibly unique structures. A lot of creativity went into so many houses.
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