Star Wars: Galaxies
A first-look at this online RPG set in the famed universe...
I really do like the idea of MMORPG’s; they give you the chance to live another life, so to speak. It would seem that they are the ‘way forward’ too, what with titles such as Planetside and Final Fantasy XI on the way and superb games such as Dark Ages of Camelot and Everquest already here. The only thing that I really feel is lacking from these great games is a familiar setting, one that we all know and love; a setting with intense character and charm, somewhere that we have all wanted to be a part of... so what would you say if I told you of a MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe, with every detail complete (hopefully, anyhow) and all of your favourite characters? It seems too good to be true doesn’t it? Well, LucasArts Entertainment (with Everquest creators, Verant) aim to deliver you the ultimate Star Wars experience, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Star Wars Galaxies.
Star Wars Galaxies is currently under development by LucasArts Entertainment and Sony Online; with Verant lending their skills. It has a certain pedigree, too, with these developers behind it, can they pull off such a mammoth task without upsetting thousands of Star Wars fans? We’ll take a look…
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), LucasArts hint at many planets being used in the title, but as of the moment only Tatooine, Naboo and Yavin IV have been confirmed. I don’t doubt for a second that all of the other famous Star Wars planets will make an appearance, I expect to see Hoth, Endor (I know it’s a moon, really) and others popping up soon. LucasArts have stated that they want many smaller planets in the title (each one around 16km in size), rather than just one huge world to circumnavigate, which wouldn’t give that Star Wars 'feel' to the game, instead giving a more diverse ambience to the proceedings. It would seem that LucasArts want you to explore in this title, but on a much grander scale than anything before it.
Comments
I must say, the graphics look wonderful - crisper, more diverse, and more realistic than almost anything I've witnessed so far. The images are stunning. I wonder what kind of a machine this will require? Regardless, it looks breathtaking...
Well, the screens use GeForce2's I belief...they suppossedly intend to make it highly scaleable so even new beats of machines will get even more out of it
From all the previews I've read so far it seems SWG will be just like all the other mmorpgs currently on the market: PvP action shooter + loot collector + leveling treadmill. Aside from swapping names and graphics of Elves for Droids, Trolls for Wookies or Norrath for Tatooine, I haven't read a single preview that describes _anything_ New or Different or Unique in the game design that hasn't already been done in every other game.
This is Verants second bite at the MMORPG cherry, and although the above comment was somewhat right in saying there's not much new, no game has yet got the balance right. Asherons Call had seamless zones, and a good skill-based level system. SWG incorporates this . Anarchy online has the best graphics of any MMORPG - until SWG comes out. Verant will take the experience gained from EQ and build a game which gets the balance right hopefully from the start, without the need for 2 years of patching. And to top it all off, all set in the classic Star Wars era. It will also hopefully be the first online RPG where a player can play the game ONLY as a trader/craftsman, and ignore the lvl treadmill. So I think it is something to get excited about.
I believe the number of confirmed planets is now up to six.
Bob mentioned something about SWG being another PVP shoot em up etc. Bob if you havent been to the SWG website check it out. I dont believe it will be your typical PVP-there are restrictions. In fact I was set back abit on the whole PVP guidellines for SWG.
You know from what we've seen so far the game looks great. BUT, where are the weapons? Where are the blasters and the lightsabers and the force powers? I realize if that's all people are looking for then they can go out and pick up Jedi Knight 2. But to be truly immersed in the "Classic era" of Star Wars is to be always looking over your back poised to pull your blaster from its holster and ready to fire at onrushing stormtroopers. I'm sure they have this stuff in the works, I just want to see it. I want to see what the lightsabers look like in a firefight with Imperial or Rebel forces. I want to be excited for this game and instead of beautiful vistas, statuesque characters, and grinning beasties lets see some ACTION!
Also will anyone be able to understand wookies or jawas or droids? I think adding the sounds of other alien languages would be a great addition to the feel of the Star Wars experience. I mean I would shoot at random jawas just to hear them shout "UTINNI!"
I'm so excited for the release of this game. Its combining two of my favorite things!
Mr Bob, your Deja Vu comments fail to take into account the entire Space Expansion - the aspect I'm most looking forwad to, having been a fan of the x-wing series of games for the last decade.
Hi folks!
All the way from just below Beautiful British Columbia: Spokane, State of Washington, USA.
They have announced six planets, add: Corellia, Endor, & Talus. Talus is in the Capital sector and is much like Corellia, but it's part of an ancient binary set of planets (w/Tralus) rotating around a space station at the null gravity point. We don't know if Talus means that the station or it's twin Tralus is coming.
Anyway with the Dev Team from UO & EQ their is lots of talent! Sony's Station has a Developers board with lots of posts if your interested.
Thanks for the preview!!!
Kerm
Has anyone heard abuot these people needing GMs? Hehehe. . . .
Just the fact that as you gain rank in the Empire you get to command NPC's (lower officers and stormtroopers) is already as different as anything else. Building your own town, having an NPC be a merchant at your shop... MAN! how can you say that this isn't any different.
i won't stop until i get myself a super star destroyer (assuming the death star won't be brought back for a few years).
Get real buddy, "...all this means nothing" without Linux support ??? Since when did Linux mean anything besides a good server platform. Geez, you can't even get a descent browser that renders pages correctly on Linux. Not that Linux doesn't have its uses (server only), 99.9% of computer games are targeted towards windows users. Do you really think that LucasArts is going to give a crap about the 2% of people that use Linux for something other than running servers..... DONT THINK SO.
You say the game "will be using modems" - for what exactly?
Hm... seems i, along with many x-mudders i know and remember, we have done all mentioned here in not only online muds/mercs/dikus/roms/etc..., heck, even in the many different star wars roms (yes, you can kill luke!). Many are still alive and kicking! you can build bulidings, control npcs, heck, our Clan had a 45 room building with npcs, traps, a dungeon, random maze w/ evil roaming beasts that clan members could 'control' (fun), and various tricks, of course with our own design and descriptions...
It was all text :)
But still, nothing innovative in any purdy visual mmorpgs... yet. Unless you count gfx... but aren't those only supposed to enhance the game, not be the game?
Would be nice to sign up for some kind of email notification when this game will be done. Sounds like it'll be a real hit!
...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!
I believe Ben is referring to the fact that Galaxies will support users playing over modems, as well as broadband, etc. This will no doubt be a rather slow experience, however...
After nearly 3 years now playing EQ on and off (many cancellations inbetween) I can't help but fear for this title. VI isn't very good at caring what any of their customers want or feel (shaman alchemy debacle anyone?) Until the players start rebelling they issue "We're right so shut up and live with it" eddicts. And with their track record on releases "just burn the CDs, we can sort it later" I sure as hell won't be pre-ordering this. Enough will though, if not for any other reason than cash in in VI's well known loot table screw ups... I hope they can prove themselves on SWG but 4 EQ releases make me doubt it.
Uh - hello. Space combat? There better be tons - I mean tons.
In the initial/first release there will be Space Travel from planet to planet via shuttle or other means but no space combat or owning your own space craft.
Space combat and owning these vehicles will follow a few months after the inital release.
This game looks like it could redefine the genre, IMHO. If LucasArts still has the magic, Galaxies could go all the way. Oh but wait - now they let other companies make games for them? Totally Awesome did a good job on XvT but it lacked the polish of the original X Wing. I hope they take their time and do this right - because it could be so so sweet.
What date is Star Wars:Galaxies coming out?
I think Ben means that the game will be design with the limitations of modems in mind
I think the game is coming out this christmas. I'am really looking forward to it but I being only 14so I dont have a steady flow of $ so the subsription fee is kinda bad for me.
So is the game going to have a lot of lag becasue it being mad towards modem coneetions <which i have>?
I think the game is coming out this christmas. I'am really looking forward to it but I being only 14so I dont have a steady flow of $ so the subsription fee is kinda bad for me.
So is the game going to have a lot of lag becasue it being mad towards modem coneetions <which i have>?
Star Wars Galaxies will need to be careful to try to do too much and thereby let the integral aspects of the game fall into mediocrity. I say, focus on a few aspects of the Star Wars universe and fine tune them to the high quality that is demanded for a faithful representation of the epic saga. I know of a Star Wars text based game that has swallowed me up into the world of Star Wars on more than one occasion.
I cant wait for Star Wars:Galaxies to come out so I enjoyed reading what you had to say about it!Thanks!!!
Hi!I liked what you said but you could be a little more updated!You said right now there 3 planets so far when realy there are 8!But it was still good.You could use more screenshots though.
when will it realy be released in th UK OR US
WHY DOES THE RELEASE DATE KEEP GETTING PUT BACK? EVERYONE I KNOW WHO WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING NOW CANT BE BOTHERED WAITING AND ARE GOING TO TRY NEW GAMES SUCH AS AC2 ONLINE
hehe wow this game looks wonderful, but i shouldn't go on about the graphics the ideas are wonderful i hope i can afford it when it comes out in CAN
"Star Wars Galaxies is currently under development by LucasArts Entertainment and Sony Online; with Verant lending their skills."
FYI - Verant is Sony Online Entertainment.
Actually, if you knew anything about anything, you'd know that Mozilla actually renders pages better (more correct, more functional, and prettier) than IE.
...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>...instead of endless boring play for levels, we can bore ourselves to death endlessly playing to unlock better skills! whoohooo!!!<p>
Do you have to be on the internet to play the game of Star Wars Galaxies?
piss
yes you do have to be on line to play...
I keep having to download the same updates every time I log in to Galaxies, it's beginning to tick me off. Why does it do this?!?!?!
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Kind of out of date. lol. oh, and even a poor man's computer can play it now rofl