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Star Wars: Galaxies Preview
LukeG writes "Ferrago.co.uk has just gone live with a brand new preview of Lucas Arts' upcoming MMORPG, Star Wars: Galaxies. This game represents what could turn out to be the most popular online universe ever-created, especially if Everquest creators Verant can deliver the goods as fans hope. "
Man, what is with all this hype for everything lately? Everyone is saying "this will be the best game/movie/music" before it even comes out! It happened before with Harry Potter and LOTR, which were both good, but received automatic 10 ratings / two thumbs up before even coming out!!
I say we wait until something comes out, and *then* applaud it.
"I have not failed. I've simply found 10,000 ways that won't work." --Thomas Edison
Think of the viscious fights over who gets to be the first to kill Jar-Jar Binks.
Some may want to check out the official sites here and here or the FAQ on the game here.
--Metrollica
Screaming hordes of Jedi apprentices and Boba Fetts roaming from planet to planet. Storms of rocks and packing crates darkening the skies as thousands practice their telekinetic skills. Every conversation being conducted with constant frantic hand-waving. A light-sabre enhanced melee over the one Millenium Falcon ship that lasts 24-hours a day for months.
Oh, yay.
While I love a good preview, this is nothing more than fluff... I could have written a more interesting review by just making stuff up. I'd love a review with some actual specs in it.
That said, I can't wait for this to come out! It's great that Verant is developing the game since they can bring their experiences with everquest (ie maybe solving the nightmare upgrade weeks) to this title.
As a result, bounty hunting will be an incredibly low-wage job. The streets will be thicker with desperate BHs than San Francisco is with pinkslipped web designers . . . begging for a chance to work, perhaps even carrying around WILL KILL FOR FOOD or WILL CAPTURE FOE FOR ROCKET PACK FUEL signs.
-- Stefan Jones
It is a period of civil war. Rebel hackers, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Verant Empire and it's horrific Everquest. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the STAR WARS MMORPG, a new and more powerful form of digital crack with enough power to enslave an entire planet. Pursued by Verant's sinister agents across the EQ serves, Princess CowboyNeal races home aboard her...er...his avatar, custodian of the stolen beta that can save his nerds and restore freedom to the galaxy...
From what I hear this will actually be pretty different in the structure. I hate dealing with the I'm IRC'ing feeling that I get while trying MMORPGs. It's IRC with a lot of clicking.
That being said, City of Heroes looks pretty damned cool. One thing I think a lot of the RPGs are missing is an actual real-time realistic combat system. If I'm holding two swords, or a sword and a shield, I want to be able to use both the way I want to. I don't want any autoblocking, or a 'Two handed slash attack'. I want to see realistic fighting in these games.
I know it takes a lot more resources to code, and handle, but damnit it would be sweet.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
In an effort to curb the usage of LucasArts (tm) intellectual property, the following payment scheme will be enforced for Star Wars: Galaxies:
writing the word: lightsaber 0.10
writing the words: Use the Force 0.25
using the force: 2.00
acquiriing an At-At: 0.50
using the word: Lucas 0.05
using the words: Lucas sucks 15.95
creating a Character named -
Hans 5.95
Luke 10.95
Leia 11.95
Lei-me 25.95
Puke 25.95
LucasSucks 89.95
StarBalz 1,000,000.00
KillMeImJarJar 0.02
...is why you would want to play a game based on an epic series where you don't get to be a main character.
It's like playing a hobbit in the shire in a LOTR MMORPG. Big deal. All these world shattering events are occuring and you're pulling weeds out from between your toes.
So what if you get to play a stormtrooper in the Empire? you can't REALLY make a big difference in the game because you already know that Lando is going to blow up the death star. You can only be a "big fish in a little pond" in a way. Sure, you can be the biggest despot on the planet you control, but so what?
Games like "Asherons Call" and even "Everquest" would seem to be a little more fun. There is a chance that you could be the one that casts the ancient sepll that sends the evil back to where it came, or you could be the one that becomes the biggest source of evil in the world.
Not to mention the fact that MMORPG means you have to interact with other people online. bleh. I've had my fill of 10 year olds trash talking in CS and Quake. Who needs some skeezoid playing a wookie to start following you around, picking you up and shaking you for change every chance he gets?
"For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman
all games these days release buggy as hell, with patches expected within the first few days -- WWII Online, AO, Everquest, every single MMPORG you can think of has released buggy as hell and then been patched...this is now standard operating procedure.
so I don't think they'll actually deliver the goods until well after the game is released. It may actually become a good game after a while, but it won't be "the best ev4r!!1!" for quite a while.
It's going to be fun as hell to kill Jar-Jar over and over again, though. ("Yippee!")
FreeBSD for the impatient.
Not only that, the author can't even get his Star Wars (or planetary systems) facts stright: "Obviously, the game will be set in the Star Wars universe (duh), but is not confined to just a single planet (hence the 'Galaxies' bit)" - Since when has any Star Wars episode been limited to one planet? And if there are multiple galaxies, it will certainly be a departure from the Star Wars mythology.
Let the site get slashdotted - wait for the game to be released and wait for a real review.
Just my $0.02
--
Inominate Recreant - in the code business for 22 years
And not just because of it's heritage and geek appeal either.
:)
The lead designer for SWG is Raph Koster. Most of you probably don't know who Raph Koster is - but you'd know (or at least know of) his work. Does Ultima Online ring any bells? Raph Koster was the lead developer for UO for quite some time - from it's introduction through until the introduction of the second expansion (and possibly a bit longer than that). UO was VERY popular - at least in part due to Raph's influence. He has shown an ability to work with a product which has a heritage (people have been playing Ultima since the days of the Apple ][e), and the ability to work with someone important to that heritage (Richard Garriott in the case of UO). So I can't see the heritage SWG inherits from the SW movies, or the involvement of George Lucas, being a problem to him at all as he goes about developing what should be another successful MMORPG.
All in all, I wish Raph, and the other developers, the best of luck, and I am definately looking forward to seeing how SWG goes once it's released. I may even play it!
Hey, Tie Fighter was brilliant. Shame about all of the sequels though..
Not Meta-modding due to apathy.
Looks like the site has been slashed already...
:)
Here's a mirror (All four pages are now one
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mish/swg/
it starts at 5pm PST
Thanks for the link, unfortunately any game that requires me to play for 3 hours a week will be neglected. That is why SWG sounds spiffy, you can still progress.. just really slowly if you don't play often.
/2 ratio on the skill or something. In order to be attacked, they have to take out your top level providor (Which, if it's computer controlled, would be difficult) and to keep people from doing that always setting it up so that you have to pay pretty hefty taxes for the security. It would provide a safety net for the really high up players that can afford it, and incentive for the lower players to team up with other higher players who have their own zones or play more and get their own secured zones (with computer soldiers that you pay to sustain, offset by collecting "rent" from lower players wanting safety)
I have an idea for an RPG that I hope someone picks up which is automating your tasks. You have your own defined safe zones (which you can setup as part of another players zone, and then it is a cascade effect) that are patrolled by the NPCs. You can automate tasks while in the safe zone, there by still increasing your skills in the game but only in the field you were doing while logging off and then have a
I have a lot of great ideas for RPGs.. Unfortunately time doesn't allow me actually working on refinine any of them, or making them a reality.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
... and superb games such as Dark Ages of Camelot and Everquest ...
Never trust a gaming article that misspells the name of Dark Age of Camelot.
NO CARRIER
Think of the viscious fights over who gets to be the first to kill Jar-Jar Binks.
The designers probably know that everyone would want to kill Jar Jar. That being the case, here are my guesses as to how they can deal with that eventuality:
1: Make Jar-Jar extremely kick-ass and very difficult to kill.
2: Surround Jar-Jar in a very protected place surrounded by some extremely hard-core NPC's who will protect him to the death.
3: Hide Jar-Jar in some really remote location. If someone finds him, they deserve to finish him.
4: (Most likely) Leave Jar-Jar out of the game.
*** Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?
Boy I hope so. If these character/races are there, then I am definitely there!
THINK for a moment of being able to BE Jar-Jar...or a manly EWOK!
In Bushworld, they struggle to keep church and state separate in Iraq as they increasingly merge the two in America.
I wonder if they'll have character classes. It'd be great to be one of the contractors that's hired to build the Death Star.
obref Clerks
What do you think the odds are of being able to choose a name like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo in the game? They Probably are already taken before the game even starts. Now how many Luke Skywalker113978723 do you think there will be? Then if you were able to get the name Luke Skywalker and work him up to level 40 how much do you think you could get for him on Ebay. I think it would bring the auctions up to a whole new level for virtual world stuff. You probably won't even be able to be Luke Skywalker12148098432 you'll end up being jfdsalkj123342089787 because it will be so big that will be the only name left. Oh well, It will probably be a good game, Lucas will probably make a fortune, and I'll probably go blind playing it.
If your not cheating your not trying. If your not trying your not winning and if your not winning why play?
The best game to ever come from LucasArts is SAM and MAX.
any game that is so funny you piss your pants the first time you play it is a winner in any book.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
This was the best part of The Phantom Menace 3rd person adventure game... in the Gungan city you could kill EVERY SINGLE GUNGAN.. well, except for Jar Jar :( Since the goal of the mission is to rescue him.
:)
Still, it's great fun to watch a tiny Gungan child run away screaming about monsters right before you cut em to ribbons
"Mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent present in every electron." -Freeman Dyson
Ok, so we set a MMORPG in the Star Wars universe. Sounds Good. What do you immediately think? "Wow, I can play a budding Jedi like Luke Skywalker!" or "I'm gonna be a cool bounty Hunter like Boba Fett".
Now think about it, what's gonna happen when everyone logs in to create their characters? That's right, everyone will be playing the same couple of types of characters. Joe-Everybody will want to be a Jedi master and Jane-Everybody else will be walking around dressed like Fett. I mean, who's gonna log on and think "Hey, I've got to try being a farmer like Luke's uncle!" It's the Star Wars universe, come on, it's cool and sci-fi'y!
And now for something completely different:
Star Wars MMORPG: $60
Online account: $10/month
New Computer to run sys requirements: $1500
The ability to use the phrase "Feel the Force, B*tch!" in a Star Wars environment after fragging someone: Priceless
There some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Visa.(What, I hate MC!)
I am BelDion's
That being said, City of Heroes looks pretty damned cool.
Yes it does, however the only thing it is lacking is the ability of being a villan. This may cause for some not so exciting and repetitive action, with everyone day after day battling the same AI. I guess with the exception of the Arena combat the FAQ talks about. What I would like to see is Rockstar get into the worlds of MMORPGs, maybe a Liberty City simulator, (AKA GTA4), where people can choose what kind a hood or vigilante they'd want to be, Mafia, Triad, Diablo or otherwise common hood. But if that ever came out, I think I'd lose my job, girlfriend and all ambitions in life. (So bad idea, don't listen to me Rockstar...)
"It takes many nails to build a crib, but one screw to fill it."
I got the distinct impression the reviewer (or previewer?) is not familair with the subject matter - I mean what was that bit about modems about? "[the game] will use modems" ?? what for exactly? Or did he mean that er.. players who use modems to connect to an ISP will be erm.. using them still when they play this game?
:)
And the fact that you created your own character seemed a revelation to this guy - even though he claimed knowledge of Everquest and a whole bunch of other games. Ever heard of "role playing"?? hehe and then the final shock news - they'll be charging for it! Well er duh! do ya think?
Still - the game looks nice - hell if game models and rendering get much better, Lucasfilm will be able to shoot Episode III in the damm game
No way, dude. I'm partial to the Battle of Britain. Sucked up more hours of my life than any other game of my childhood. Course, it looked a lot better on my Atari ST than my friends' PCs.
If it ain't broke, you need more software.
A troll? Maybe, but I'll bite...
:) And the topic of whether a child would want to sit and build a character from the ground up (we're speaking, say, sub-12 years of age category here, I think - or roughly approximating) for hours and hours on end instead of playing Pod Racer is insane. The rare and far between, but really - since when has anyone gotten rich by exploiting the 'rare and far between' individuals?
Star Wars was -not- originally about selling something more - it was about making something new and fresh. From where I sit, this looks to be more of the latter.
First off, Galaxies is set between Episode IV and V, so it's true to the Trilogy - catering to (you guessed it!) the older audience that actually saw the Trilogy when they were younger/growing up, not the children you speak of that bought whatever those spinoff games were from Ep1. I'm sure you'd agree that the making of, say, Pod Racer, isn't anything similar in intensity as Galaxies. I doubt that many 'children' would have the ability to pay the subscription fees, nor that many parents have the will or money to pay that for their kids to play games - though, I suspect there are many parents that would pay that for themselves.
I can understand your bitterness concerning Episode I - hey, we're all with you on that one. It sucked elephant. This game doesn't seem to be of the same quality; at least not yet.
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Star War Galaxies will be an interesting test of the viability of MMPORGs in the mass market I believe. At the moment, we're seeing a potential deluge of games being sold to a limited audience - and the majority of the games are suffering. Games that require such a wholehearted commitment are petulant bitches who will suffer no rival for their time, so having two or three of the things on the go at once is simply not an option.
What seems to be happening is that the next big thing will come out (DAOC) and people will tentatively set foot outside the last big thing (EQ) before realising that abandoning their year's investment is simply not an option and returning to their (perhaps inferior) previous game. DAOC is going through this at the moment - when I was playing a few months ago, there would be a regular 1000+ players at anyone time... last night when I looked, it was more like 300-400.
Publishers are having to try new ways of distributing to get the attention of gamers. Recently, several MMPORGs have gone to the free download or magazine giveaway model (WWIIOnline, Darkspace, Jumpgate, EQ) in an effort to snare punters commitment free. Only time will tell if this works.
Star Wars Galaxies on the other hand represents something of a new beast - a can't-succeed business model, with a can't-lose license. I'm interested to see how it will fair.
http://www.davetansley.com - you proba
"I really do like the idea of MMORPG?s; they give you the chance to live another life, so to speak.
"
Yeah, unfortunately you have to give up what life you had before to play your new life.
The worst ever was when text-based MUDS like Mozart had "renting"- meaning you had to put a couple of hours of play in every day even if you didn't want to in order to make enough gold that your stuff wouldn't get lost.
graspee
The problem for me is, my network cards are very unstable under Windoze, so I'd like to find one that does run natively under Linux.
The screenshots look impressive. It would be cool if I could play that on my platform. And however I realize, that I belong to the minority of gamers (which is good, like Mark Twain has already said, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."), I still think that when they would wisely program this game for many different gaming platforms and few desktop ones, it'd be a piece of cake to release other version. But I'm affraid that they would prefer us to use other options, unfortunately...
Oh, well, I gues I'll just have to wait for Mason, or Warewolf, or Sands of Syllus, or Archipelago, or Catacombs, or Belchfire, or Acid Tempest, or Phoenix...
~shiny
WILL HACK FOR $$$
A friend predicted that to more evenly balance the distribution of characters, they will fiddle the stats and the most popular character will be the Ewok, since they'll have unlimited capacity for Jedi power accumilation or something.
Ecology can be tricky...
Xix.
"Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"