Mitchell's Multi-Monthly Meanderings
		3.18.05
	MMMM STAR WARS GALAXIES: EPISODE III RAGE OF THE WOOKIEES.       Two years ago, in this very column, I wrote of my anticipation of the (then) new Massively Multiplayer Online game “Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided.” Since then, Mo’Om Rhyones has explored the Galaxy, mastered the Entertainer, Musician, Scout, Marksman, Pistoleer, Smuggler and Bounty Hunter professions, and even started down the path of Force Sensitivity, the gateway to becoming a Jedi.         Last summer Sony Online Entertainment and Lucas Arts finally released “Jump to Lightspeed.”  The game’s first expansion pack gave players their own starships for the first time.  Last month they beefed up the Rebel vs. Imperial “Galactic Civil War” portion of the game, adding new Player vs. Environment content, bringing the war to the masses, not just the elite Player vs. Playerers.       With these upgrades, Galaxies is now a complete Star Wars experience.  There is danger around every corner, and enough action and adventure to satisfy Star Wars and MMOG players alike.  Galaxies is the best video game experience I’ve ever had.  Hell, I even wrote a song about it.         Last week, SOE and Lucas Arts announced the second expansion, “Rage of the Wookiees.”  The gaming community was  caught completely off guard by this one.  The development team had been completely hush-hush about it, focusing fan’s attention towards an upcoming combat upgrade, a free update, which was supposed to update the game’s combat system.              Little is known at this point.  The expansion will feature Kashyyyk, the Wookiee home world, and the Wookiee’s struggle for emancipation from Imperial slavery.  It will also offer cybernetic implants, Jedi Starfighter (II) (presumably for Jedi only, or at least Force Sensatives) and the mining of resources in space. The whole thing will be wrapped up and released simultaneously with the combat upgrade and released around the time of the Star Wars Episode III film.       I’m excited about the expansion.    I’ll pre-order it and jump into the action right away.  I do, however, have some reservations about the content.       Saving Wookiees from slavery?  That sounds familiar Hmm, oh yeah,  I think I remember the first time I did that, in Knights of the Old Republic!       The character I play is a good guy, sorta.  He’s a rebel Major in the same way that Han and Lando were Generals.  In the past he’s worked for Jabba the Hutt, Lady Valarian, and Borvo the Hutt.  Freeing slaves isn’t exactly what gets his rocks off, if you know what I mean.       Only one new planet?  Veteran SWG players have had new planets on their wish-list since the game was released.  We are excited about a new planet.  But no Coruscant?  No Geonosis?  No Nar Shadda?   Kashyyyk is an awful lot like Endor.  We already have Endor!       Cybernetic arms!  Now this is Star Wars. Unfortunately,  the limbs available for players are big, clunky metal things that look like they were plucked off Rosie the Robot.  Luke and Anakin had kick-ass cybernetics that looked like human hands!       Mining resources in space is only beneficial to crafters, and only retards think that mining for resources in a video game is fun.       Jedi Starfighter (II) is a cool ship, but is it the only one?  I have to hope that they’re holding back more info on new ships for later.       No new player species?  I want to be a Gungan and harass prequel haters.       All in all I have to wonder if this is the expansion that SWG players really want.  It seems more like a regular free content publish than a $25.00 expansion.  Jump to Lightspeed, the Galactic Civil war, and the up-coming combat upgrade are revolutions that completely change and improve gameplay.  RotW is just some content added to an already content-rich game.       We’ll be learning more information in the coming weeks. Hopefully my fears will be unfounded and the information released last week is just the tip of the Iceberg.  When the pack is released, I’ll be back with a full review.  Until then, May the Force be with You.
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