So, in early January I was itching for a new MMO to play. "Great" I thought, "the new Star Trek MMO is out soon". So I looked at the requirements and my poor old computer can't run it. So I thought maybe I should go back and see how one of the old MMO's I used to play are fairing. Most were still runing. So I downloaded an installer, put down my $15.00 and went to play an old online game.

Star Wars Galaxies

SWG was originally released back in 2003 by the previous giant of online gaming, Sony Online Entertainment. At its peak it had over two hundred thousand subscribers. While that doesn't sound like a lot compared to World of Warcraft, it was at the time. It was originally release with an interesting combat system, that I had always known as the H.A.M. (health, action, mind) system. You had nine attributes, with 3 heath bars that could be damaged independantly. If one became empty, you died. C1asses were also interesting, with 24 c1assess, some independent some interdependent. They ran the gambit from crafting such as architect, weapon smith and ship engineer; to supports like medic, doctor and entertainer; and your standard fare of combat like bounty hunter, commando or rifleman. Because you were allowed a set number of points you could set towards any c1ass it allowed the creation of hybrid c1asses like Doctor/short swordsman, Ranger/Architect or even Commando/Terikasi master (close combat). Throw in vehicles, space combat, a solid crafting mechanic, player created cities and it was an MMO paradise. There was indeed something for everyone.

The Times They are a Changin'…

It's been a while from when I actually played. Last time I would have logged in was in 2004, before I started playing WoW. I was a doctor and working my way through the bounty hunter skills. I was part of a guild who fought on the side of justice and the Empire who had a city in the middle of nowhere on one of the most deadly planets in the game. Things were good.

Well, it sure isn't what it used to be. Shortly after I left, there was a "combat upgrade" which trimmed down the 24 professions down to 9. Gone was the ability to create your own hybrid c1ass to fit what you wanted; you now have a similar setup to WoW, where you have points to improve the c1asses in the way you chose via a skill tree, dubbed "Expertise". They also trimmed down the 3 bars to 2, one heath and one action. Action only restricts your special abilities. Gone is any sort of death penalty, your armor or weapons do not degrade, essentially stalling the economy and inflating prices. Gone are the vast market cities of old, now all that remains is random buildings that are still maintained as the owners had enough money to keep them standing for years. My guild list has an average "last log in date" between 1100-1300 days. I don't have a house (I didn't have that much money), only the random items that were on my character when a last logged out oh so many years ago. Ground combat is a boring button pressing fiasco. Some people enjoy it but I just can't get into it though.

If it ain't broke...

It's not all doom, gloom and reminiscing of the good old days. Some things are just as fun, heck, even more fun than I remembered. Crafting is still as in-depth as it ever was. Every item is unique as the quality of the item depends on the skill of the crafter, quality of the materials and the quality of the tools used. I've heard of some crafters using spreadsheets to keep track of their inventory and the associated stats. I use a piece of paper and a pencil. I'm not really working for money at this point, I'm building myself things to replace what I've lost and enjoying it greatly.

Jump to Lightspeed was the first expansion for the game, it added space combat about 6 months after the initial release of the game. Your level in space is independent from your level on the ground, so you don't need to be an ace on the ground to be an ace in the skies. The first few levels and missions of your desired pilot profession (Imperial, Rebel or neutral) are easy and slow. Once you get about half-way through the pilot missions, things really pick up. Your enemies become tougher, faster and smarter. Well, not much smarter, just a little less predictable. The missions become more challenging and sometimes feel unfair, but doable. Most of all, its fun and it's the only thing I've used my joystick for in ages.

So, was it worth the $15.00? Yes, without question. The space combat alone makes it worthwhile. If there was a good space combat mmo (not EVE, been there done that) I'd buy it. I'm now rolling into my second month of my resub and not worried if there is going to be a third.