If you are a serious PC gamer, then Star Wars Galaxies doesn't need much of an introduction. The long awaited massively multiplayer RPG from Sony Online Entertainment and LucasArts is arguebly the most anticipated game in this genre since, well, Ultima Online. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with LucasArts' Haden Blackman to get the latest on Star Wars Galaxies. HomeLAN - Some people are calling Star Wars Galaxies the most anticipated PC game that will ship for 2003 . How does the development team at Sony Online and LucasArts feel about all the attention the game has received and will receive this year? Haden Blackman - We're happy that people are excited about the game. I'm sometimes floored by the attention that we're getting, and flattered by the positive buzz. Most of all, I'm grateful for the loyalty of our community and the beta testers - they've stuck with us through every controversial decision, through early beta tests, and through schedule delays. I can't say enough about our community, really. Obviously, we know that expectations are high and we're doing everything we can to meet those expectations. At the same time, we also realize that the game can't be everything to all people. Right now, we're just trying to launch an engaging game with a stable feature set and plenty of room to grow; not everything we wanted in at launch will be there, but what we do include will hopefully be polished, balanced, and fun. The great thing about an MMO is that it can grow over time, evolving to meet the needs and wishes of the community, and we already have plans for feature additions and expansions. HomeLAN - Why did LucasArts wish to team with Sony Online to develop the game, rather than develop the game completely in-house? Haden Blackman - It's a pretty simple answer: Sony has built and hosted a successful MMO. They have a proven track record. Building an MMO is a complex and risky proposition; we can mitigate some of that risk by partnering with people who have already been successful in that arena. We use this same logic whether we're building an MMO or a first-person shooter. In actuality, the core Star Wars Galaxies team is composed of veterans from several MMOs, including EverQuest, Ultima Online, and Meridian 59. And guys like Raph Koster, the creative director on the project, have been working on MUDs forever - the experience they bring to the design table is priceless. HomeLAN - Besides being set in the classic Star Wars universe, what other gameplay elements will set Star Wars Galaxies apart from the rest of the massively multiplayer RPG on the market? Haden Blackman - At the moment, developing MMOs is largely an iterative process. We've tried to improve upon the things that worked in past MMOs, and either ditched or (hopefully) fixed what didn't work. I do think that there are areas where we will be set apart, though, and perhaps setting new bars. Ranged combat is the focus of combat in Star Wars Galaxies, which is new and different for MMOs in general. Previously, you basically just had bows and arrows, but the focus was still melee combat; all of our characters are armed with blasters, which are rapid fire, ranged weapons. It changes the whole dynamic of combat, especially combat with creatures. In general, combat feels really dynamic because people are moving constantly, which is different than the "stand and smash your enemy" approach in other MMOs. I also feel that Star Wars Galaxies will be set apart by its accessibility. We know that there are many Star Wars fans who will be drawn to Star Wars Galaxies, but who haven't played an MMO before. Getting into the game and finding something to do is really easy. There are areas like crafting that will appeal to the hardcore players, but areas like combat are easy to grasp. HomeLAN - Based on reviewing community response to the game, what playable races and professions in the game are proving to the the most popular? Haden Blackman - In terms of species, I think that humans are actually one of the most popular because of all the customization options available, with Zabrak a close second. But, honestly, we see pretty even distribution right now - but that could be due to the fact that we're encouraging players to test various Profession/Species combos. We're just now getting into balancing Professions, focusing first on Marksman and Brawler (two of our starting professions). I would expect that most players will be drawn to these two Professions initially, just because they are the most combat-oriented. But, as we've seen in every other MMO, there are (fortunately) those players who also want to be "healers," which bodes well for our Medic and Entertainer Professions. And Artisans stand to make a lot of in-game money. Explorer-types will be drawn to the Scout. HomeLAN - What classic Star Wars locations will be featured in Star Wars: Galaxies? Haden Blackman - Virtually every major Tatooine location - Mos Eisley, Jabba's Palace, the Sarlacc Pit... We also have Yavin 4, which is where the Rebels set up their base prior to attacking the Death Star. The cool thing about having a location like Yavin 4 in our time period (shortly after the Death Star's destruction) is that we get to update the planet - we established an Imperial presence on the planet, for example. We also have Endor, including Ewok villages and such. Star Wars is a great license to use for an MMO because there is so much material from which to draw. We are including Prequel stuff, in the form of Naboo, for example. We've also drawn from the novels to include Corellia (Han Solo's home planet), and have populated Endor with creatures from the old Ewoks cartoons and movies (updated to fit our visual style, of course). We even drew from other video games, using the planet Lok from the Starfighter series. HomeLAN - In terms of the game's ongoing storylines and quests, will players be able to work classic Star Wars characters and participate in events in and alluded to in the movies and Expanded Universe? Haden Blackman - Yes, you'll be working with and for various "named" characters. Jabba and his cronies hand out a number of missions, for example. We also plan to hold live events that tie into the film storylines, stories from various comics, games, and novels, and plots that we invent. HomeLAN - What are some of the more important aspects of the game's graphics and network engine? Haden Blackman - I think the most important thing about all our technology is that it's expandable and can grow as the community grows and as technology improves. Right now, our graphics engine is very scaleable. You can scale back all the options if you're on a lower-end machine, but can scale up to really get the most out of your rig. All of our highest graphics settings are actually calibrated beyond what current machines and video cards can handle - but, as new technology emerges, we'll be able to take advantage of those highest settings to hopefully keep the game visually competitive. HomeLAN - Since Star Wars: Galaxies will likely have people who have never played this type of PC game before, what is Sony Online and LucasArts doing to make the game easy to get into and enjoy? Haden Blackman - First, we'll have a pretty thorough newbie tutorial. We're also trying to ensure that the controls are intuitive - nearly everyone knows how to use a mouse, so the mouse if your primary means of interacting with the world (though we have default configurations for various playstyles). We put in mission terminals to allow you to grab a mission and just go adventure. We hope that, on the surface, the UI is simple and elegant; all the complexity is hidden until you need it. Maybe most importantly, we're encouraging advanced players to interact with new players - anyone can group with anyone else fruitfully; we have an apprenticeship system that requires advanced players to teach skills to new players; and new players craft components that advanced players use. HomeLAN - You have just started a limited beta test of the game. So far how is the beta test progressing? Haden Blackman - Very well. We're just now reaching the point where we can have the beta servers running all day long. Early on, we received a ton of very valuable focus feedback; we're still doing focus tests for balancing, but we've also moved into load testing, which means we're progressing on the sever side. We'll hopefully be supporting a representative population soon. HomeLAN - The game is scheduled for public release by April 15. Is the team still confident that they will be able to make that release date? Haden Blackman - The release date is April 15th. We're on schedule to hit that date. We wanted to take the time to do the game right, and we're comfortable with our progress thus far. HomeLAN - Many people are wondering what stance Sony Online and LucasArts will have in selling player accounts and property in Star Wars Galaxies. Can you give us any indications on how you will address this issue? Haden Blackman - We don't condone it. HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the network backbone that will be set up for the launch of the game? Haden Blackman - We're still working out some of the configuration details, but we will have two server centers (one west coast, one east coast), each with several dozen clusters (or "Galaxies") and access to the game databases. HomeLAN - Many people are excited about the prospect of the space flight expansion pack for the game. Can you give us a status of what will be included in the expansion and when it will be released? Haden Blackman - We're shooting for a year after release of the core produce for the launch of the space expansion. We're planning to allow you to own and even craft your own starships, which you can fly between planets. Obviously, there will be space combat We're hoping that you'll be able to have multiple characters manning different portions of the same starship, and to include larger starships (like Star Destroyers), but there are technical and design challenges with these features that we're still wrestling with. HomeLAN - Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Star Wars: Galaxies? Haden Blackman - Just that we can't wait for the launch. We're all really excited to see how the community shapes up and what elements are the most popular with players.