Galaxies is a great deal of fun to play, in spite of its small frustrations and launch stability issues.
User Rating: 8.7 | Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided PC
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided presents new players a friendly start in a well made tutorial that teaches the player some basics about the interface, combat, and control. It is well-done, and fortunately optional, so experienced players are not forced to wade through the same tutorial should they create a new character. It is also as brief or as throrough as a given player needs, allowing you to skip parts, or linger with NPC's asking questions about the interface. Fortunately, little explanation is needed to explain character control: it is, by far, the best avatar control scheme in any MMORPG. The player can play both in third- and first-person, and in third-person view, the player can zoom in and out, and rotate the camera around his avatar, an extremely helpful feature during combat, which can be frustrating in other MMORPG's. It is intuitive and customizable, so those preferring a a traditional control scheme can use the preset "Everquest" control scheme, or simply remap controls to better suit their styles. Once you finish the tutorial, you choose a planet and enter the game world. There are several planets to visit, including Tatooine, Corellia, and Naboo. Travel to and fro is simple, though not always inexpensive. There are shuttle ports that allow you to travel between cities, and starports to enable visits to other planets. It is simple to buy a ticket and travel, but it will cost you credits, so you will want to take some missions at the outset of the game. Missions can be taken at mission terminals, a la AO, or from NPC's, and can involve travel to other cities, and other times can involve a literal one-minute jaunt from your starting location. There are standard delivery missions and combat missions, and other more involving ones as you progress in the game. There are no levels in the traditional sense in SWG. As you earn experience and skill points, you can use them in any way you choose; for some, that will mean following a single path, while others prefer to spend points in different skills, allowing for a less focused and more rounded character. It is a refreshing change and is implemented well, as each type of player can find something to enjoy. There are plenty of ranged and melee combat opportunities, but those desiring a more peaceful approach can be crafters and architects, while others can be dancers or musicians. Each path allows you to earn experience, so unlike in most MMORPG's, it is possible to earn plenty of experience as a crafter or healer, and if you want, you can combine skills to be a dancing architect, or a singing brawler; it's up to you. Sony has done a great job implementing a skills-based system that eschews traditional levelling. The open-ended professions also allow for both successful solo and group experiences, and both are enjoyable, although it's hard to argue that soloing is better than the exciting group efforts that I have seen and in which I have participated. The interface is well-done, giving experienced players a wealth of options and information, but streamlined enough for a casual player. There are, frankly, a ton of small details that make the game different. For example, you can set your character's mood; he will then reflect his mood through his facial expressions, as well as through your own chat. There is in-game email, friends lists, and even in-game auctions on the SWG Bazaar. I couldn't possibly share every detail, but there are a lot of them that help differentiate SWG. The graphics look good. They look excellent when all details are turned up, and you can customize a lot of them, such as water and terrain details, draw distances, and more. While they are not as good as if the game were released last fall, there is certainly plenty of eye candy. The flora and fauna are beautiful, monster and character models are extremely well-done, and cityscapes can be often breathtaking. It all comes at a price, however, and unfortunately, even my 2.4 Ghz P4/Radeon 9700 PRO/512 MB system fairly chugs at higher detail settings. The good news is that the game looks good even at more moderate settings. I love the MOB and avatar animations as well, and they are quite realistic for the most part; however, combat animation is somewhat stilted, as in most MMORPG, and it can be frustrating to watch as you or your enemy take damage seemingly unrelated to what you are watching on the screen. Sound is excellent, from crowd noises in more populated areas, to monster noises, to the traditionally strong music, SWG has it all. In fact, even though you have a minimap/compass to allow you to locate NPC's, other players, and enemies, you can also use the great directional sound to locate your enemies as well. Still, I have my own frustrations. Firstly, there is no jumping. You can sit, lie prone, swim, and climb impossibly steep hills (another frustration), but you are forced to effectively roam the environment in a wheelchair, unable to jump onto certain walkways and forced to walk to a nearby ramp. Jumping is relegated to an emote that does little but announce that you jumped to area players. I am glad to say that swim speed has been increased, though. Until last week's patch, swim speed was unbearable; I could literally start swimming across a river, step away from the computer for a few moments, and return to my computer to discover that my avatar was... still swimming. In conclusion, I will admit that I really like the game in spite of its small frustrations and launch stability issues. It may not be as innovative as some other recent MMORPG's, but it has one quality that sets it apart from original games like EVE, The Sims Online, and others: it's a great deal of fun to play. Isn't that what gaming is all about? 
