Lag and Waaagh!

My Warhammer Online Test icon is glaring at me something fierce for missing the siege testing last night.  But what can I say, RL happens.  Anyways, I look forward to testing them tomorrow and putting in some quality time with WAR these next few days.  My little side experiment with SWG is being trampled by the glitchy-laggy combat.  It’s all very frustrating because I was genuinely enjoying myself in SWG, but it becomes harder and harder to do so when I have to wait 1-3 seconds every single time I press a key.

Combat is such an integral part of MMOs because we spend so much time doing it.  When it behaves the way SWG does it really destroys the fun factor and I become less and less likely to log in again.  I will try to stick it out, but if I am already viewing it as something that I have to wade through then it’s not a very good sign for SOE, is it?  I checked over the forums and learned that Windows 7 and SWG do have a history of troubles, so I am not sure how much that has to do with the lag I am getting or not.

The Angry Guild Leader did a retro-review of Star Wars Galaxies recently and ran into the same problems I did.  Check it out here.

With plenty of time to devote to WAR, an AOC expansion around the corner, and laggy combat that makes me feel like I’m playing on dial-up…I fear my time in SWG will be forever coming to a close very soon.  It gave me many wonderful memories back in the day and it still has a lot to like about it.  It’s just a shame that SOE/LucasArts could not see past their own greed when they decided to ignore the players and push forward with the NGE.

Ah well, I have plenty of  WAAAGGGGHHHH!!!! to get to anyway.

SWG – Variety and Lag

I put in my second play session with SWG today and I have come away with a few observations.  On the positive side, the game still has a great sense of scope to it, as the NGE was not able to kill all of the sandbox feel that once made SWG such a wonderful place to spend some time.  There is a spectacular amount of variety in SWG, from ground combat, space combat, crafting, PvE Heroic Instances, PvP between the Empire and Rebellion, and player built cities on top of all that.  So there are certainly plenty of things to do to keep you busy in the wonderful world of Star Wars.

The greatest challenge for an old vet like myself is getting used to the class system, which is such a jarring change from the skill-based system I had come to know and love.  You could be and do anything in SWG pre-NGE, the skill based system was completely fluid and if you wanted to become better with carbine weapons then you just needed to use them.  If you wanted to improve your sword skills then all you needed to do was use swords in combat.  You could take any path you wanted and if you decided later on that you chose poorly, you could unlearn those skills with the same character and try a different set of skills to see if they suited you better.

Now we have a formulaic class system just like all the other MMOs out there, stripping the game of its originality in a desperate attempt to attract the WoW audience.  Yeah, that was what this was all about at the end of the day.  You see, Star Wars Galaxies is 6 years old.  World of Warcraft is 5 years old.  When WoW launched and kicked the crap out of EQ 2, SOE could not stand being upstaged by the new kid on the MMO block.

WoW’s number were skyrocketing to unheard of levels and EQ 2 was going to need quite a lot of work to catch up.  That work eventually did get done, and now EQ 2 stands as an incredibly deep and feature rich MMO that anyone should try if they have not sampled it before.  But back to the subscription problem…after WoW became king of the world, the people in SOE and LucasArts looked back to Star Wars Galaxies as a game that could potentially reach that kind of audience.  Star Wars was one of the most popular IPs in the entire world, so why not?  The problem with that line of thought was the core design of Star Wars Galaxies being completely different from WoW in almost every way possible.

SWG was a sandbox game with an open-ended skill system, with slower paced combat and gameplay, the deepest crafting system in MMO history, and many lush planets to explore.  It was not the kind of game that would ever reach a massive audience like WoW.  However, Star Wars Galaxies was growing slowly and it was one of SOE’s top money makers at the time.  But this was not enough for SOE and LucasArts.  So they formulated a plan to completely redesign SWG and turn it into a more mainstream MMO with faster paced combat and a class/level based system.

So we were given the New Game Enhancement and Star Wars Galaxies changed forever.  Players revolted, left in droves, and SOE was stuck trying to pick up the pieces and defend themselves against the massive onslaught of PR horror that was to follow.  This even lead to a startling apology from CEO John Smedley later on, when he told Warcry the following.

“With the NGE, I’m sorry about the mistake we made,” he told us. “We screwed up and didn’t listen to the fans when we should have, and it’s not a mistake we’re going to make again. [The mistake was] to not just think we know the right direction without bringing the fans into the mix.  We made the cardinal sin of not listening, but assuming and we were wrong.”

-John Smedley

http://www.warcry.com/articles/view/interviews/2301-John-Smedley-Exclusive-Interview-with-the-SOE-CEO.2

The NGE was buggy as hell when it was released.  I was there and can still remember that day vividly.  I am happy to report that most of those bugs have long since vanished and that current SWG plays far better than it did back when the NGE was released.  But rest assured, some bugs are still to be found and they did put a damper on my fun today.

Mobs float in the air and warp around sometimes, and combat also becomes horribly delayed when an area is populated with too many people.  I was having some fun doing the entry quests for Jabba’s Palace and quickly found myself knee-deep in a massive amount of server lag.  Anytime I pressed a key in combat there would be a delay ranging anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds.  It was just awful.  Up until that point I was really enjoying myself.

I miss the combat of the old days, but I was surprised to discover that I was actually having fun with my Bounty Hunter.  I now have a droid sidekick who helps me kick tail with a nasty flamethrower ability, and I was fascinated to see all of the different droids you can use at higher levels.  There is also so much fun to be had just exploring in SWG.  I love visiting the player cities and checking out the homes, cantinas, and city halls…even the shopping malls.  Yes, you can create your own NPC Vendors to sell the things you make in SWG.  So it’s always a load of fun to go exploring around the planets to see what people are selling.

All of this is leftover from the original sandbox game, of course, and it still does so much to help make you believe that you’re playing in a living, breathing world.  Unfortunately, the sometimes glitchy combat marred my experience during this second playthrough.  I am enjoying the way my Bounty Hunter fights, but the lag I experienced was not a good sign for future PvP engagements as part of the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebellion.

My interest is somewhat peaked, however, and I will continue to check things out to see how the game fares as I level up.  If you are an old vet or just find yourself a little bit curious about Star Wars Galaxies, I can tell you that it truly is not a bad way to spend 20 bucks.  That gets you all the expansions, 10 races and 9 classes, 12 huge planets, twitch-based space combat that can be quite fun on its own, a strong crafting system, loads of transportation options with all the fun mounts they give you, your own home, and many different forms of PvE and PvP gameplay to explore.

The Star Wars Galaxies of today has been an enjoyable experience for me thus far, minus the sometimes glitchy mobs and server lag.  It exists as a weird hybrid MMO that lives somewhere in the boundary between the class/level based design of the mainstream and the more freeform/immersive design of the sandbox genre.  There are even two classes in the game that are leftovers from the old skill system.  Known as the Entertainer and Trader, these classes are focused more on the social and crafting aspects rather than just combat.  If you’re curious about the other classes, I pulled this from the main website.

	Jedi Jedi are Force sensitive beings that can use their Force powers to overcome and control their enemies. Jedi can also master the art of fighting with a lightsaber. Force sensitive individuals feel a connection to the energy that surrounds all living things and binds the galaxy together. Skills Lightsaber Combat Force Powers Force Defense Force Knowledge Essential Links Jedi Guide Jedi Expertise Jedi Expertise Calculator Jedi Abilities: Learning the Way Jedi Profession Forum
	Bounty Hunter Bounty hunters chase the worst foes in the galaxy. These mercenaries learn to use whatever dirty tricks necessary to bring the prey down.When someone needs an enemy taken care of, they hire bounty hunters to do their dirty work. Tracking down and eliminating people are what bounty hunters do best. As a bounty hunter, you must learn the tricks of ambush and assault so your prey does not escape. Skills Ranged Combat Bounty Hunting Melee Combat Capture Techniques Essential Links Bounty Hunter Guide Bounty Hunter Expertise Bounty Hunter Expertise Calculator Player Bounty Hunting Bounty Hunter Profession Forum
	Smuggler Smugglers make their living dealing with the scum and villainy of the galaxy. While moving stolen goods, having a blaster at your side and knowing how to get out of sticky situations will keep you alive.Smugglers can fight without weapons as easily as with a pistol. Who knows when a cantina disagreement will get ugly? With the smuggler’s clientele, you would be wise to know how and when to fight dirty. Skills Melee Combat Ranged Combat Dirty Tricks Techniques Fence Goods Essential Links Smuggler Guide Smuggler Expertise Smuggler Expertise Calculator Smuggling Tricks of the Trade Smuggler Profession Forum
	Spy Some operatives favor subtlety over grandiose pistol-waving intimidation. Spies use their training to blend in with a crowd, sneaking up quietly on targets to accomplish their missions. As they are often on their own, spies have a rudimentary knowledge of first aid to keep themselves alive.Skills Ranged Combat Stealth and Sneak Assassinate Stealing Essential Links Spy Guide Spy Expertise Spy Expertise Calculator Exploring Expertise: Spy Spy Profession Forum
	Commando Need an AT-ST destroyed? Call a commando! Need a base blown up? The commando is the one for you!A true combat specialist, the commando uses heavy weaponry and demolitions to break through resistance. Whether you prefer to get in close or fight at range, commandos wreak havoc with their powerful weapons. Skills Heavy Weapons Combat Grenades Demolitions Techniques Essential Links Commando Guide Commando Expertise Exploring Expertise: Commando Commando Expertise Calculator Commando Profession Forum
	Officer Officers use their abilities to enhance the combat efficacy of their entire group, and can call in fire from above to dominate the battlefield.Do you think you have what it takes to be an officer? Can you handle the responsibility of other people’s lives? Are you calm in a crisis? Every army needs good leaders to organize the troops and help them perform at their peak! Whether Imperial or Alliance, if you want to be an officer, you will learn how to lead a squad and how to fight. You will keep your squad alive, no matter how hostile the terrain. Skills Ranged Combat Group Buffs Indirect Fire Resupply Essential Links Officer Guide Officer Expertise Officer Expertise Calculator Officer Profession Forum
	Entertainer What cantina would be complete without a stellar band on stage and a dancer or two gyrating to the music? All the fame of top musicians and dancers can be yours!Top entertainers can inspire people to do their best, allow them to relax and enjoy a drink at the bar, or give them an internal rhythm to follow throughout their day. Skills Dancing Musicianship Image Design Inspirations (Expertise) Limited Combat Abilities (Expertise) Essential Links Entertainer Guide Entertainer Expertise Entertainer Expertise Calculator Building a Buff Entertainer Profession Forum
	Trader A noble profession for those that like to work with their hands, traders craft items and then sell what they craft to eager folks that need the items that they make. Credits can flow into a shrewd trader’s hands if they follow the desires of the market.Traders tend to specialize in one of four fields: Domestic Goods, Structures, Munitions, or Engineering. Specializations Domestic Goods: Specializes in crafting various domestic goods including clothing, foods, drinks and desserts. Structures: Specializes in various large item construction including structures, decorations, furniture, space ship hulls and space ship components. Munitions: Specializes in making all kinds of military equipment including weapons and armor. Engineering: Specialized in high tech engineering including the construction and modification of Droids and some weapons. Essential Links Trader Guide Trader Expertise Trader Expertise Calculator Reverse Engineering Domestic Goods Trader Profession Forum Structures Trader Profession Forum Munitions Trader Profession Forum Engineering Trader Profession Forum
	Medic Medics use the powerful healing properties of bacta to keep others alive before, during, and after combat. Their remarkable knowledge of anatomy and medicines allow them to counter the detrimental effects of toxins, diseases, and vertigo.The nature of war dictates that medics also know how to fight. Some medics use their medicinal knowledge to poison or disease while others fight with blasters. Skills Ranged Combat Healing Poisons and Diseases Revive Essential Links Medic Guide Medic Expertise Medic Expertise Calculator Exploring Expertise: Medic Medic Profession Forum

Can you go home again?

I am someone who loves variety when it comes to my MMO gaming.  I could never be just a raider because the schedule always bores me after a while.  I could never be just a PvPer either, as all of that tea bagging eventually begins to grate on my nerves.  I enjoy roleplay but I could never be a part of a guild that never speaks out of character or has strict policies regarding RP behavior.  Sometimes you just need to kick back, relax, and cut loose a little…these are just hobbies after all.

Given all of this, it should come as no surprise that I seek out other people who maintain a similar frame of thought when it comes to how they play MMOs.  This is one of the two ways that I fight the dreaded onset of MMO burnout.  The second way is I always have another MMO that I play on the side.  I usually try to mix it up and have the two MMOs be as different from one another as possible, but that gets harder with each passing year as new MMO releases continue to offer more of the same.

So it was with morbid curiosity that I began to search through old forums and try to discover how some of the older MMOs were doing these days.  I looked up Ultima Online and Everquest…I perused the discussions revolving around Dark Age of Camelot and Star Wars Galaxies…and I even took a quick peak back at Vanguard to see how it was holding up.  I normally make it a part of my web surfing to keep an eye on games that I have played at one time or another.  This certainly makes for a ton of surfing when you have played as many MMOs as I have.

But for some unexplained reason, my eyes kept reverting back to Star Wars Galaxies.  This surprised me as much as it did frighten me, as I was one of the old vets who left after SOE gutted the game in favor of a mythical audience that never turned out to be there.  You see, it’s usually not a good idea to make a game that beautifully fits an open-ended, sandbox style, and then tear the framework of said game apart so you can attract a bunch of people who were not interested in your game in the first place.

The result is you just alienate your current customers, piss off people who were considering you game because they see how you are treating your current customers, and essentially just create enough ill will to surround your company and bury it forever in the MMO history books.  The NGE (New Game Enhancement) will forever be remembered as a time when the players were told to shutup so they could have a huge redesign shoved down their throats.  But enough of such talk, as I am fairly confident that support groups are still available for those who require therapy from all that drama. Let us continue on and see if we can figure out why Star Wars Galaxies was jumping out at me.

I kept thinking that it had something to do with upcoming release of The Old Republic.  Watching all those videos certainly has my interest peaked, even if I have been critical of the hype surrounding TOR in a recent post.  But something else was there, gnawing at the back of my head just out of reach.  I think I was just overcome with a strange sense of nostalgia.  There was so much to love about the original SWG even with its lack of content, and their has always been so much craziness surrounding it over the years.  Part of me has always wondered how the game turned out after all of those drastic changes.  A significant question that also existed in my mind was, “Can you go home again?”

Most people tell me that it’s dead now, but I had heard the same about Warhammer Online and have seen with my own eyes that the naysayers are full of crap.  So maybe the same could be said for SWG as well.  After continued deliberation and constant annoyance from the tiny Jawa on my shoulder…I took the plunge and bought Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures.  The reason I went this route instead of just resubbing was due to my awareness of SOE’s penchant for giving away the store with their games as they grow older.

SWG was no exception, as you get all the expansion plus 4 mounts (Grievious Bike, AT-RT, Varactyl, and Lava Flea) a personal transport ship that will instantly take you anywhere on a given planet, and a large personal house in the form of a bunker with multiple levels and rooms.  I am happy to report that SWG’s housing system has remained largely unchanged over the years.  It still stands as one of the best in MMOs today, as players can build their homes directly in the game world and even form huge cities with mayors and all sorts of amenities.

So with my travel needs well in hand, I created a Zabrak (think Darth Maul only slightly less demonic looking) and made a Bounty Hunter while crying softly at the complete removal of the skill-based system.  Yes, I know, get over it and move on.  One thing I will say is that I love the Bounty Hunter system in SWG.  Players can put out kill contracts on other players as part of the Galactic Civil War.  A high level Bounty Hunter can fulfill those contracts and hunt down players across the many planets of the galaxy and terminate them for a handsome reward.

Anyways, I chose the Starsider server (rumored to be the most populated) and logged in not knowing what I would find or how the experience would suit me after so many years of absence and such monumental change.  I was immediately greeted to a whole new tutorial area with Han Solo and Chewie bailing me out of some dumpy space station and transporting me to…well…another dumpy space station.

I made like Luke Skywalker and shot down a few Tie-Fighters from the overhead gun on the Millenium Falcon, and then they sat me down at a place called Tansaari Point Station.  The tutorial was decent enough, though I really missed the wide open feeling of the planets and couldn’t wait to get down there.  So I quickly dashed through the tutorial quests and earned my passage to the wretched hive of scum and villainy, Mos Eisley on the planet of Tatooine.  I will throw up the occasional post over the next few weeks with my continued thoughts on the game.

So far my time has been fairly entertaining and Mos Eisley is bustling with all sorts of player activity.  I even took a quick trip in my spaceship and blasted a few scoundrels out of the stars during my first few hours.  So it will be interesting to see how I feel about things after more playtime.  Make no mistake, though, WAR is still my main game and this is just something I will be checking out on the side.   Until next time…may the Force be with you. 

And when Jabba calls and asks for his money, just pay him will ya?  No need to force me to trek all over the galaxy searching for you, right?