Slashdot Mirror
Living with Darth Vader
rppp01 writes "The BBC is reporting that Lucas Arts is putting the Star Wars universe online this December. Go here to read all about it. I know lots of people who are now starting to leave Everquest. Is this the next everquest? Will we have massive Star War fans calling in sick everyday in attempts to become a jedi? Will Jar Jar be friend or foe?"
Star Wars: Galaxies is really old news. For anyone even remotely aware of the MMORPG scene or games in-general knows, it's been in development for quite some time now.
They're kind of limited by the movies, aren't they?
No, they are not - take a look at the zillion books written about the Star Wars universe. Some of which have even been pretty good - like Timothy Zahn's first trilogy. The whole point of it being set in a universe is that it is limitless, and this limitlessness gives immense scope for expansion. Too many players? Lets just announce the discovery of a new planet!
So no, I don't believe that they are limited by the movies - the movies just give them a firm pseudo-reality to start from.
People have been waiting on this for ages: it will bear a strong resemblance to Everquest thanks to having the same development team from Sony/Verant. Here's the Star Wars Galaxies Official FAQ and, the answer to the all-important question from page three of the FAQ:
3.03 Will I be able to kill Darth Vader?
At this point, you will probably not be able to kill Darth Vader, but some players may have the opportunity to interact with him. We would like to adhere to the continuity as much as possible; Vader is key to the trilogy, so you probably won't be able to kill him (like you would really stand a chance against the Lord of the Sith anyway...)
ancarett, historian and zombie gamer
Actually, there are a great number of rare items. They may not be "magical", but they can be "rumored" or "legendary". Like, imagine the hubbub if someone could get their grubby hands on Yoda's tiny lightsaber, or a couple of Spaarti cloning cylanders. I'm sure Ysalmri will be quite popular among outlaws, too, and you really can't get them in too many places.
If I was a Jedi, I'd want a purple Mace Windu lightsaber, but I'm going to get the game and probably be a smuggler. I'd rather be a Han Solo (and get some ass) than be Luke Skywalker (and get nothing).
Only in slashdot are posts of solidarity modded at -1 Redundant, while posts of antagonism are modded as -1 Flamebait.
They're doing a pretty good job of making it difficult to become Jedi. Only a small percentage of players will become force sensitive. Of those who do, only a few will be come Jedi. Those who DO manage to become Jedi must be secretive. Jedi are actively hunted by Imperials. If they draw too much attention to themselves, Vader himself will pay them a visit. That's bad. It's shaping up to be a great game. The only thing I think they're making a mistake with is a very soft death penalty.
Actually, some of the design seems to draw on the unique design of DAOC in some respects. DAOC was the first to introduce Realm vs Realm combat (where players belong to one culture permanently at war with 2 other cultures (Vikings, King Arthur's English, and the Celts of Ireland), and SWG evedently has a similar 3-sided conflict (Empire, Rebels and the Underworld) updated to suit a science-fiction universe. Player-vs-Player combat is hardly a new thing (UO had it) but DAOCs version of it is remarkably effective
Dark Age of Camelot (See http://www.darkageofcamelot.com for some information on the game and http://www.camelotherald.com if you want the game scores for each server and individual) was a very clever development in the world of MMORPGs and while its got its problems, its a very enjoyable game overall. A new expansion called Shrouded Isles will be out in in December. I have been playing DAOC since the day it came out and I haven't lost interest yet.
I hope that Verant/Sony learns from their experience with Everquest and develops a more rounded game. The Star Wars intellectual property is very well developed and deserves a good game. Sadlly, Verant has not been the most responsive of companies in the past.
I am looking forward to SWG immensely. It may be the game to pull me out of DAOC, but its gonna have to be a lot more than just eye-candy to do so.
"The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid