Dec 16, 2011

Posted by in Off-TORpic | 5 Comments

Off-TORpic: Farewell, Star Wars Galaxies

Off-TORpic is our occasional peek outside the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Sometimes it’ll be Star Wars. Sometimes it’ll be games. Sometimes, something else all together. But all the time it will be Off-TORpic.

As many of you know, yesterday was the final day for the very first MMORPG set in the Star Wars galaxy. Last night at midnight eastern time, Star Wars Galaxies rode off into the sunset and players were treated to the last “Connection to SWG lost!” message they’ll ever see.

The final curtail call.

The final curtail call.

While we now have a shiny, new Star Wars MMO all ready to go in Star Wars: The Old Republic, it’s a bittersweet moment for Star Wars fans and MMORPG fans alike. Say what you will about SWG, it’s my opinion that the design goals Raph Koster and team had were the right ones for players who wanted to immerse themselves in the Star Wars galaxy, not just play a video game. There was something about Galaxies that was incredibly immersive. I always felt like I was just a small part of the larger Star Wars galaxy, and there was something to that feeling.

As a sandbox game where much of the content, economy and fun is generated and driven by the players, it felt like a place you could go and truly escape to. You didn’t have to go out and kill things if you didn’t want to. You could work as a medic or doctor at a med center and heal players who came back from their adventures. You could work as a dancer in a local cantina to revitalize the spirits of wayward smugglers on their way to the next pickup. Heck, you could even make a name for yourself as a merchant of fine, unique goods that you yourself could create. To this day, it’s my opinion SWG had the best crafting system ever in an MMORPG.

I don’t want to spend too much time on this, but felt I should pay my respects to the game that started it all for me. It was my first MMO, and the experiences I had there can never be duplicated. Or can they?

I’ll leave you with this awesome video, shared by our bud @_Danicia_ who works with SOE. It’s an awesome, inspirational piece that, even if you didn’t play Galaxies, gives a great feel for the world and the possibilities it had. Enjoy The World We Wrote.

 



  1. Thanks for the mention. It’s been a wonderful ride. <3

  2. I, for one, shall shed you no tears.

  3. Great game. It was my first MMO too. Never forget it. Thanks for the vid and the write up.

  4. i had no idea the game was still going lol.

    Im glad that it lasted for this long, but im also glad that bioware recognized that a vast majority of swtors players wouldnt be coming from swg, they would be coming from wow. I really dont think i would be interested in swtor at all if it was just swg 2.0

  5. This is a sad moment for me I played SWG i was fun didn’t get very far though.And I also have the pain the all other SWG fans have. but it is also good since this marks the age of a new MMORPG.

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