Nov 15, 2008

SWGemu, and why I think it's worth it.

You mention Star Wars: Galaxies on a PC gaming forum and you can be pretty sure of certain reactions. One camp will roll their eyes and post, "not again. Let it rest." One camp will come along with the, "yeah, it's a shame what they did to the game after CU and NGE, but I still play it because...well...It's SW:G." and then you'll get the majority of responses. Heart break, bitterness, nostalgia and a misty-eyed rememberance of a game system that should-have-been.

Pre CU and NGE, Star Wars: Galaxies was a game that wasn't like any other (and in some cases, still outshines some of the brand new games.) in the fact it was damn hard work getting to where you wanted to be.

You had skill trees you had to work through as a melee or social profession. Hours and hours of harvesting and work, and yet, you weren't truly holed up in one set in stone profession. You could mix and match and do as you like, ending up with a pretty much customized class suited for your playing needs. And I don't even have the time to go on about how the housing, clothing, imagination of the players made it a game truly unique to those of us who enjoy role playing or getting into the game while there.

But the one thing that SW:G is missing at this moment more than anything is the community. I wrote a post several months back about why I think SW:G is slowly declining after the loss of it's core community, so I won't rehash it any further than mentioning it here. But what's this got to do with anything? What's this got to do with SWGemu?

Community.

SWGemu has the stirrings, the quiet whisperings and the beginnings of the same community I once thought long dead from SW:G. In it's testing, adolesence phase, SWGemu is very awkward. There are game-smashing, lose-your-character-if-you-go-to-Coronet-bugs. There are tiny little annoying things that don't work right and then giant huge-oops, we're missing missions, can't craft yet--and it doesn't seem to matter. The core community of players backing everyone 100% is there. I wasn't signed in five minutes to take my first peek when someone came along to introduce themselves and show me around.

This...This could me a magnificent thing, and I am encouraging you now...If you've kept your SW:G C.D's, If you still have it insalled but no longer subscribe and are disenchanted, if you hold pre CU and pre NGE fondly and want to return to a land before time...I am urging you to check out and take a look at SWGemu.

I have and am placing alot of hope into this project, like many already there. I hope that you'll come to love it, warts and all, too.