Star Wars Galaxies Pros & Cons

I've had the opportunity to play a number of MMOs in the past few months and while it's not my favorite, Star Wars Galaxies is running a close second. The bottom line for both of my favorite MMOs is that they are the most fun. And all other considerations aside... FUN is what's most important. That said, let me give you a rundown of the Pros & Cons of Star Wars Galaxies as I see them.


Cons

*The graphics, although nice, remind me more of an FPS than an MMO. They're too sharp and I can't seem to see good textures other than right at my feet and within a few meters. I'm nearly up to the bushes by the time I see them (on Tatooine, there's not many bushes, heh). I went into the options to adjust some of these and while they improved a little, my performance went in the toilet. I have a P4 3.0ghz, 768mb DDR RAM, and Nvidia GeForce FX 5500 w/256mb RAM, and gigs of free hard drive space. All other MMOs I've tried I can run at peak graphics quality with no issues. With SWG, even with things toned down the framerate is low and all movements are delayed. I mapped the space bar to jump... and after I press it I can count five steps before he jumps. I believe a delay is hard-coded in this game for 'realism' but it seems excessive. Ultimately, I'm not sure if that's the engine or a performance issue.

*Learning some of the skills is difficult because they are so complex. This of course will not last forever as I learn the game more. But for a n00b it can get a little frustrating.

*The city overlay map... GAH! Horrible. Messy. Hard to read. Gives me headaches.

*Fighting is awkward. Although now that I can use this new pistol I got, it's much better (so long as the Imperials don't see me with it, heehee). I see that the combat system is being 'upgraded' soon though, so this may be a moot issue. Although on a number of instances the mob has died and I never heard my blaster go off.

*I missed the last few days of the WoW beta because I was having too much fun in SWG.


Pros

*Fun! It is a lot of fun being in the Star Wars Universe. Who wouldn't love that? I saw the movies when I was a kid (yes, first release, I'm an old fart) and I have been hooked ever since. The sheer variety of what you can do in this game is staggering (and I haven't tried the Jump to Lightspeed expansion yet!). With all the different characters you can create, you can have completely different adventures with each. One of the players who was helping me increase my healing skills, when he learned I was a three day n00b said: "Welcome to the addiction." Truer words have not been spoken.

*Helpers. By FAR the best feature of this game. Those that designate themselves as 'helpers' REALLY want to help us hapless n00bs. I have never received attitude, but always tons of help, and GIFTS. Oooo... but they love giving money away! And it makes you feel so welcome. I love it. Friendliest community I've seen yet. And you can be assured I'll pay it forward when I've reached that level of competancy.

*Cooperation. So many aspects of this game work better with cooperation. People ask you if they can train you, which of course helps you... but it also helps them with apprentice points. Saves you ton of money as well as even lower level training costs 1000 credits a pop.

*Cantinas. Being a musician or dancer in this game is actually a highly valued profession. Artists like these help heal weary travelers and wounded adventurers. A few minutes in a cantina watching the dancers and listening to the musicians is just what the doctor ordered.

*Housing, and cities. These are extremely well utilized in this game. Although other games offer it, with such a focus on questing and fighting and travel, they're not logical and hence under-utilized. Not so with SWG. I visited Mos Valinor just the other day (couldn't help it, I'm a Tolkien fan). And Mos Vegas has a great strip mall... no, not THAT kind of 'strip'.

*I missed the last few days of the WoW beta because I was having too much fun in SWG. :p


Conclusions

Other games have better graphics for certain. Other games have better controls. But Star Wars Galaxies has something many of those games don't have... FUN. You can be anything from a merchant to a Jedi in this game. The choice really is all yours. You can go blast some womp rats, or you can search for resources to build a droid. You can take on the Imperials, or you can set up free clinic. You can live on the desert world of Tattoine, or you can travel from planet to planet taking in the sights of each. The opportunities are as wide and as varied as the galaxy.

If at any point you don't know what to do... look up a helper and see what real guidance can be like in a friendly community. Go group or go solo, you won't be led by this game. The galaxy really is yours for the taking.

And if all this wasn't enough... now you can Jump to Lightspeed and fly Imperial Tie Fighters, Rebel X-Wings, and a score of other ships in epic battles or illegal smuggling runs. I can't tell you much about this yet, I've been too busy in the ground game. But soon. Soon.

So if super-realistic graphics is your thing... this will likely hold you but probably not for long. I don't know about anyone else, but the number one reason I play video games is to have FUN. And that you will find in Star Wars Galaxies in abundance. It won't jump out and grab you, you have to find it. But with all the options SWG gives you, if you can't find fun... well, you're just not looking.