Star Wars Mailbag: The Sequel

Former Star Wars Galaxies Players Are Still Crying Foul

(CBS) 
To those considering trying Star Wars Galaxies, consider these points:

1) The core NGE game, quests 1-30, are bugged at too many points. Missing named MOBs, inaccurate waypoints, the game not recognizing a quest has been completed, missing rewards. Publish 26 claimed to have fixed over a dozen of these bugs, but in reality fixed only a few.

2) After the new NGE quests are completed, players have 2 choices. 1) Hunt random creatures ala Eq1 and Eq2 for minimal experience or 2) unless you purchased the old "Total Experience" set for SWG, pay an additional $25 for the digital download of Rage of the Wookies to continue performing quests, which are the (usually) least painful way to level.

3) Since Publish 26, Rage of the Wookies is basically unplayable. Attempts to get these game-breaking problems acknowledged by Community Relations to pass on to development have been completely ignored. Furthermore, Quests that have been broken since its initial release around May 2005, are finally being promised to be fixed between January and March of 2006. Nearly a year, and a complete game revamp, later.

4) After Rage of the Wookies, its time to purchase Trials of Obi-Wan for an additional $30 to complete your leveling from 80-90. Unfortunately, this expansion is also broken, and MOBs spawn stacked, quests (again) cannot be completed, and Obi-Wan himself is so bugged many cannot get him to spawn.

5) Community Relations, your main source of getting bugs across to the development team since in-game CSR has consistently failed to deliver, apparently feel their time is better spent in jokes and lighter discussions, leaving much of the core game bugs without acknowledgement.

To the consumer base, this is not always typical of Sony Online Entertainment. The Community Relations Manager for Matrix Online, known as Walrus, is in constant and regular communication with the player base for problems within the game and regular updates. He usually strives to keep communication open and constant, as he should, and even went as far as to give the player base his first-hand experience with the upcoming Combat Revamp for MxO.

Blackguard, as well as the technical support team at the Everquest 2 forums, are another great team for keeping in contact with the community, helping with game related issues, and generally keeping communication open.

As is typical for SWG Community Relations under the management of Kurt "Thunderheart" Stangl, however; the game is lacking in concrete communication, acknowledgement of serious game related problems, and professionalism.

Which is a shame. A shame that I have chosen to cancel my Access Pass accounts, and the multiple accounts purchased throughout my corporation, due to Mr. Stangl's actions in regards to Star Wars Galaxies. While that also cancelled my MxO and EQ2 accounts, unfortunately I cannot justify sending monthly revenue to SOE after being treated the way I have been by their SWG Community Relations Manager.

Sincerely,

Lee F. Szczepanik, Jr.