I think development on Star Wars Galaxies is a bit like going to Disneyland for the first time.  You marvel at all the cool stuff there is to do, and it's a lot of fun to dive in and get going, but it's also exhausting because there are so many cool things to do.  With game updates, TCG loot, The Battle of Echo Base, convention preparations, and planning for/development on end-of-the-year events, we've had a very packed development schedule.

Most of my time lately has been devoted to putting together some neat stuff to show off in all the Fan Faire panels.  Each Star Wars Galaxies panel will have its own presentation this year culminating with the two-hour Galactic Assembly on Saturday night.  We have a lot of great announcements lined up for that night. I hope to see you there!

With our latest release, Update 5, we were really excited to overhaul the weapon crafting system and it's great to see players enjoying and appreciating the fruits of that labor.  We were particularly excited that some of the cool looking lower level weapons will be viable again since crafters can remake them as level 90 weapons.  Of course crafters were not alone; Beast Masters received some additional tuning to their system in Update 5.  We hope that with the increased chance of mutation we'll be seeing the first spined rancor in the game in the near future!

Next in the queue is the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game.   I'm happy to see that the TCG announcement was generally well received by the Star Wars Galaxies fans.  We think it is a great added value for those already enjoying the core game.  The artwork is absolutely stellar as well.  I know that quite a few desktop background images were changed to TCG artwork when Denver showed us the first few sample pieces.  We've also worked very hard to ensure that the loot cards provide players with some neat items, across multiple categories, for use inside the MMO.  We just had an internal review of all the items and I was totally blown away by all the little additions and enhancements that the Designers put in there.  These items are very, very impressive.  TCG loot items break down into the following categories:

- Speeders

- Permanent buffs

- Consumable buffs

- One-time only buffs

- Wearables

- Special Wearables

- House decorations

- Paintings

- Vendors

- Greeters

- Target Character - Fan Faire Exclusive

 

I can't wait to see someone in-game driving a... well, I guess that announcement will have to wait for Fan Faire.

Of course, I know all the hardcore fans are most anticipating The Battle of Echo Base. Rest assured the battle is in good hands.  The team has been working feverishly, reviewing the film every step of the way, to ensure as authentic experience as we can provide.  The environment is absolutely massive.  The North Field alone is huge and will provide some exciting battle moments.  The base itself is labyrinth of tunnels and rooms.  I'm sure that players will be using their maps for the first several playthroughs as it is quite expansive and multi-leveled.  I look forward to seeing how players are able to get more and more efficient at memorizing and completing the instance over time.  I was going to announce vehicle combat at Fan Faire, but it seems that that secret was too good to keep under wraps.  Yes, we are including vehicle combat in The Battle of Echo Base.  To find out what vehicles on Hoth are available for battle you'll need to attend the Galactic Assembly presentation at Fan Faire.

And that brings us to Events.  Planning these events has actually become one of my favorite parts of the job.  We have some fun ideas for the latter three months of the year that I'm anxious to participate in myself.  We will be bringing Life Day back and, as I teased at the end of June, we have an all-new event planned for this year as well.  Both will be very interactive events that will require active participation to reap their rewards.  The new interactive mechanic for the Life Day event was directly inspired by a humorous bit in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.  Once again, all juicy details (and some preview screenshots) will be revealed at Fan Faire.

Finally, I know that a lot of folks have expressed concern over low-pop servers.  While I don't have anything to announce right now, or even at Fan Faire, I assure you that your voices have been heard and we are actively working on a solution.  DevH is exclusively dedicated to this task and it is a high priority for everybody.  I will let you know the plans and dates as soon as everything has solidified.

Time to jump in line for the next ride...

-Dotanuki