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Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided

Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $17.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Growing better every day (3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4)
Review: Like so many of the other reviewers have said: this game sucked. . . when it first came out. Now there are so many extra things that they have added, it has made this game a lot of fun.

I started playing back in August 2003 and didn't find it much fun. You did have to run everywhere and there were no specialized mission terminals for artisans and entertainers. I spent most of my time walking around surveying for resources and being afraid of the killer butterflies. That was then.

This is now: I really restarted playing about a month ago. A friend of mine had gotten it as a Christmas present and invited me to join him. He had chosen a different server than my original character was on, but it gave me an opportunity to start fresh and boy was I glad I did. Player to player interaction is definitely the key to this game. It's so much better when you know other people in the game. Also, the new specialized mission terminals offer much more opportunities for the newbie artisans and entertainers to make some much needed credits. Personal vehicles are another very important addition to the game. No more running around if you don't want to. If you find the right people, you might even get a free vehicle or a free house simply because they need the experience points.

As for those reviewers who wanted to give this game zero stars, most of them didn't understand the mechanics of the game. It was meant to simulate life in the Galactic Civil War of the Star Wars Universe. You don't start out as a Jedi. Duh, there's only three official Light-side users and two official Dark-side users during this time period. And Obi-Wan has already gone to meet the maker, so we're down to 2 of each! If you HAVE to be a Jedi then DON'T buy this game. You can be just about anything else and there is more on the way. Droids will be hitting their stride soon and space vehicles are just an expansion pack away. This game is similar to the real world in that it is always evolving and always adapting to what needs to fixed.

Having said all that, why didn't I give this game 5 stars? One reason is because it did take them so long to figure out that vehicles are important in the vast universe of SWG. Also, there is quite a bit of "skill grinding" involved to get to level 4 of the novice skill tree and you don't start out with very many survival skills. I found myself running away from butterflies for the first day or two. You need a bodyguard until you reach the second tier of marksman or brawler so you can defend yourself. Third, the skill points: you don't get QUITE enough. Want to be 2 hybrid professions and have some basic skills in another one or two? Doesn't quite cut it. Want to surrender a skill for awhile and pick it back up again later? Too bad, all the XP is gone for those skills and you have to start over.

That is the biggest killer for a long term player, I would imagine. In real life, you go to school, learn things, and go out and use them. If you want to change careers, learn new things and apply them. You don't forget EVERYTHING you used to do before. So long term it could get frustrating, but by then it could all change. That's the beauty of an MMORPG. Don't like the weather? Wait awhile. (Just don't expect it to rain Jedi.)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Star Wars a galaxy of no content
Review: Well I have to say when I first got this game the first few monts were fantastic I had an awesome time leveling up my character hanging out with friends online and enjoying the game. Then suddenly I realized that after playing for 3 months I was doing the same thing I had been doing for the past 3 months just with harder monsters and no interesting stories and quests.

With all of my friends loosing interest due to lack of interesting entertaining content such as epic quests a solid galactic storyline and no space expansion I found myself bored and the game felt more like a job then a game. The game is designed beautifully but if you like to play rpgs to take part in moderately deep and interesting quests then this game is not for you. However if you like to make your own life this game is for you

There are also some major balance issues with character classes massive amounts of nerfs going on during the game and more. I must say that this game has lots of potential but it just does not have a high fun factor and replay value. Which is why I cancelled my account as well. I may check this game out in the future once a few expansion come out and more interesting engrossing content is added such as quests that take weeks to complete and are very rewarding with items and the story that unfolds. Until then this game will stay on the shelf where it belongs and won't be coming down anytime soon. If your looking for an MMORPG with more story I would sugges everques FFXI which has quite a nice storyline system and the upcoming World of Warcraft which has lots of potential in the content department.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not Perfect, But Very Fun for the Right Type of Gamer
Review: I think whether you like this game ultimately comes down to what kind of gamer you are, and what you are looking for in a game.

SWG offers great sound and graphics, a variety of different professions to pursue (ranging from entertainer, medic, artisan, to combat professions), easy customization and seamless changing between different professions, and a lot of neat social interaction. The game is designed to make it hard to level in general, and almost impossible to achieve high levels without working together with other players. Some folks don't like this or find it frustrating -- if you are the kind of MMORPG player who wants to "power game" and level as fast as possible to reach a high level character, you will probably be *very* frustrated with SWG because the game isn't designed to work that way. The game is also designed so that Jedi Knights are rare, as they are in SW reality -- you don't get to choose to be a jedi right off the bat. There are numerous Star Wars game fans who hate this about the game, and seem to have thought it would be an online version of Jedi Academy, which it isn't -- it is supposed to replicate the experience of living in the SW galaxy during the Civil War period, when Jedi were *extremely* rare (even though the movies themselves focused on what the Jedi were doing). Jedi are therefore rare in the game, and to become one you will have to dump an extraordinary amount of time and dedication into the game, so if you are interested in playing a game as a jedi relatively quickly, the Jedi Academy series would be a better pick. If you are the kind of person who thinks that playing anything other than a Jedi in the SW universe is boring, you really won't like SWG.

The best aspects of SWG are the immersive environment and the social interaction, the need to work with other players to achieve goals. If you don't like that, you probably won't like the game.

SWG has its fair share of bugs. The game now runs generally better than it did initially, but there are still buggy areas (vehicles, for example, which were introduced fairly recently, have a lot of bugs associated with them still at this point). The game environment and experience has grown significantly with the introduction of player cities and the options they make available. Space vehicles have not yet been introduced (they are planned), so you have to take transports from planet to planet -- some people don't like this, either, but in the linear-RPG KOTOR you are in pretty much the same situation so I don't really see that there is that much of a difference. Again, if you are expecting this game to be like the existing Rogue Squadron games then you will be disappointed and you would be better off sticking with those games.

In general, SWG is a very well done, if perhaps overly ambitious (hence the bugs), rendition of the Star Wars experience in the MMORPG format. It isn't like Jedi Academy Online, so if you are expecting that, you will be disappointed. It also isn't like Rogue Squadron Online, so if you are expecting that you will similarly be disappointed. It is, however, a fun game for those who enjoy the SW genre and like to interact with other players to achieve goals. If you prefer a more hack-and-slash oriented MMORPG, you would probably also prefer a different game.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SWG The best
Review: When I got Starwars Galaxies I thought it was a little hard to get used to, that all changed after a few weeks. People might think this is a borring game because you don't just fight bad guys. Sure, you can go on missions and use your weapon, but u can also live a life, (except that it is in a Galaxy far,far away with enchantments, like laser rifles)you can set up shops, live in a house, get married, join a guild, live in a city, and craft. (I can't say all the thing you can do beacuse that will take too long).
In a overall review I think this game is great for all.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ultimately Goes No Where for Most Players
Review: I am a big fan of online RPG's, and have played Everquest, Asheron's Call, Final Fantasy XI and others. None have disappointed so thoroughly as Galaxies. There are 3 major problems:

1) You will quickly run out of new things to do. The few quests that exist are buggy. Everything else is work, not adventure.

2) You will need to be a freak with no job and no life to become a Jedi. Becoming a Jedi is the only interesting thing to do.

3) The fact that this game exists means that a good Star Wars online RPG will not exist for years to come -- there is no good social RPG outlet for fans of the series.

This game has many features that are brilliant; unfortunately one of these is not gameplay. Buy Everquest, or wait for Everquest 2, or play FF XI. Do not buy this game, you will regret your investment.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This game is horrible. It has consumed my life. To date I've lost my job, a girlfriend, and my car has been repo'd. I love it though, more than my own family, it's all I ever do. I've prepaid for a year, once that runs I don't know what I'll do.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Only Recommended for Star Wars Faithful or MMORPG Diehards
Review: So what does Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) bring to the table that a gamer who spent time with Everquest, Asheron's Call, Ultima Online and other classic MMORPG titles has never seen before? Well, it does have some fairly organized non-combat gameplay mechanics including a built-in computerized buying and selling system that acts like EBAY for custom crafters. I also got a kick out of the ability to purchase harvesters which dig up incredible amounts of resources on all planets while your character levels up somewhere else. I enjoyed tinkering around with some of SWG's non-combat options but that was really the only thing I found to do in the game. At the time I played, there wasn't a single Jedi in the game but I hear that people are finally discovering (after almost a year of play!) how to become one. I also hear that in the future, the game might add space combat and land vehicles which were a critical omission from the original game which leads me to my number one complaint, how can you create an MMORPG about Star Wars and leave out space? That's like creating a Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG and leaving out magic. I'd like to spend more time telling you some of the pros and cons of this game but it bored me to death after two weeks of play. And this is coming from someone that spent months on previous MMORPG classics. It doesn't offer the MMORPG gamer anything they haven't seen before and it probably has one of the most boring hack and slash leveling systems of all the MMORPG titles. SWG still has a strong fan base and I'd recommend that Star Wars fans, diehard MMORPG fans (you know who you are), and MMORPG newbies give it the old college try but everyone else should save their money. This game might be fantastic after three or four expansions which you know are coming considering it has the same developer that worked on Everquest, but it doesn't bring anything new to the quickly diminishing MMORPG genre which is imploding from its own repetitiveness.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's pretty fun
Review: It took me awhile to purchase this game because of all the bad reviews that I read here on Amazon from other players. I thought I would go ahead and give it a try to see for myself. I am glad I did. The game is really fun. I am a big Star Wars fan. I think if I wasn't, the game wouldn't be as fun as it is.

I have only been playing for about 2 weeks now. I have had a few problems with my pc locking up while playing in a highly populated city. That is the only problem I have encountered so far.

The graphics are awesome and the players are very nice. So far I haven't run into any "Drama" unlike UO which is filled with "Drama".

I think the monthly price is a bit high and hope they will consider dropping it a bit.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Nice try, but too many empty promises.
Review: I had high hopes for this game. I finally had broadband in my area, and what better way to test it than with online gaming, right? The game in its current state can be summed up in one word:

Boring.

Run (or jog) for minutes at a time, look for needles in haystacks, kill vermin, and hope nobody kills you. That's about it. Sound adventurous? No space travel. No piloting of any craft. You might get to ride a dewback, if you're lucky.
I wish I could find someone to give my copy. To get my money's worth I've given it a dual-purpose: Door stop and paper weight.

LucasArts and SOE really missed the mark with this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fun, fun game
Review: Hehe, I'm not sure where people get off calling this a bad game. In all seriousness, I like this game alot. The biggest enjoyment i get is dealing with other people... many will write bad reviews because they haven't learned to enjoy THEMSELVES and other people.

Vehicles are in-game now :) Bugs are minimal. Those crying lack of content have clearly never interacted with others... mission terminals are there to help you "get by" with money, but I make it as a smuggler and shady businessman. Dealing with others makes my money and makes my day.

Jedi are rare, just as it should be :) This game is for people who want to be the 3rd X-wing pilot from the left or stormtrooper TK-857, not Luke Skywalker or Han Solo.

Honestly it amazes me why some people have written as poor of reviews as they have.. this is the best of 3 MMORPG's that I have played (Ultima Online, Asheron's Call, and SWG).

If you enjoy connecting with others and making something special of it, this is a great game to do it with :) To those writing bad reviews, I'm sorry for you - the best content I know of is that I have created myself - in ANY game. Period!


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