Revitalizing Player Cities

Revitalizing Player Cities

For all its faults, one of the most dynamic and impactful systems Star Wars Galaxies employed was the player cities that were launched a few months after launch. I can remember all the excitement and thrill that came with the [player cities] announcement, and the fun that followed.

To allow players to create their own cities, where they go about their day to day business, and their homes, is truly something revolutionary and will be seen for many years to come in this industry.

With all of that said, the system is not perfect.

I've played on a low population server (Radiant) and a high population server (Ahazi) and on both of these servers there is a real, serious problem when it comes to player cities: the lack of players.

This isn't completely fair, either.

There are some large guilds, specifically on Ahazi, that have not only large, but vibrant player cities that have something going on all the time. With that said, the vast majority of them do not.

With that said, in order for the system to be truly revolutionary it needs to be improved upon. But the question is how?

Earlier this week I tackled this very same issue with SOE's flagship MMORPG, EverQuest II. Interestingly enough, they have the same problem that Star Wars Galaxies does, but in its NPC cities and it will be fixed soon enough.

In EverQuest II a new city will be introduced called Maj'Dul. In this city there will be three clear factions who are vying for control of the city, it will be a great hub for a marketplace and plenty of player versus player takes place within the cities arenas.

At the end of the day this will all result in a busy city. Players will have very good reasons for being in the cities. This is something that Star Wars Galaxies needs to do.

I will admit, as well, that EverQuest II's solutions are not Star Wars Galaxies solutions. In fact, one could go so far as to say that some of these solutions have been tried (albeit in NPC and not PC cities). So what we need to do is think of solutions to the problems Star Wars Galaxies has.

Oh and yes my friends this is a very serious issue.

If cities aren't vibrant (even if a mere handful are) it takes away from a sense of immersion and general Star Warsyness. When I enter a city, any city, I want to see people in them and I want to see them alive. This takes away the static feel of the world and truly makes it feel alive.

Also, contrary to popular belief, reducing the amount of player cities on the planets will not fix the problem.

What I propose is perhaps something on the mere radical side, but one that could very well pay off in large dividends in more ways than one.

The Galactic Civil War needs to be expanded into player cities.

Yes, that's right. I completely support any player cities being attacked from members of the opposite faction.

With this idea a number of things will happen which are not limited too combat classes being on hand, or within a few minutes journey at all times. It will create a stronger sense of community among allies and enemies. Additionally, it will create a very vibrant feel and the world won't feel so static: cities rising and falling won't be uncommon.

Yes, of course, I know I will be receiving comments referencing back to Shadowbane and the failed experiment that was, which is why things must be handled much more delicately, with reference to Lineage II.

I am sure most of you are well versed in the Castle Sieges (if not only by its self-explanatory name) that are held within that game. Castles (and in Star Wars Galaxies' case, player cities) can only be attacked within a certain time period, all of which are peak time on the weekends when most people are on.

I never liked Lineage II much, at all, but this idea is ingenious. It allows for a very vibrant feel for the world without causing too much grief. You really love your player city? Prepare to defend it, especially if you're Rebel scum.

I just hope this idea sees the light of day, which I doubt.

There are also other ways to make player cities more vibrant and desirable, and they all revolve around the entertainer profession.

Want entertainers to have a more expanded role? Well let's put those theatres to use! With the creativity of players we could perhaps see plays put on, or concerts and the like (which, of course, have increased bonuses which will bring people to them).

Another way, which I've wanted for a long time, is to add space ports (instead of just shuttle ports) to player cities. Personally, and I know others as well, would visit their player cities a lot more if they could land their space craft there.

Obviously a small change but something that could have large rewards.

With all of this discussion as well we must keep one thing in mind: there are other more important issues to be tackled at this time. Though I mentioned the Galactic Civil War, that system needs a big boost, along with Jedi's being finished and the professions balanced completely (among other revamps).

So what we have pondered in this article is food for thought, in the future, and what a future it will be! It will certainly be a good one.

We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds and what becomes the top priority.