What is Star Wars Galaxies and SWGEMU?

This post may appeal to people who are fans of Star Wars, but perhaps moreso the fans of how Star Wars was before it became a Disney property. This post may also appeal to those interested in retro gaming, video game and MMORPG history. Perhaps if you are into examples of human beings coming together to work on a common goal of restoring something that brought them joy.

What was Star Wars Galaxies?

It was an MMPORG from the early 2000's that was essentially a simulation of the Star Wars Galaxy we were all familiar with at that time and you could live in and have adventures in this world as one of the many colorful characters.

What is SWGEMU?

It's the emulation version of the original game that was created and is regularly being updated now by teams of volunteers that wanted to play it again after it's eventual demise in 2011.

If you have a PC, the original game discs (or access to those files), an internet connection and a little patience you can role play as pretty much ANY species/race/people that does pretty much ANY lifestyle or profession available in the Star Wars Universe. Yeah, yeah, yeah, You can be a Jedi and play with a lightsaber, sure you can do that if you wanna be that guy. LOL. But you can also be a Bounty Hunter or a Smuggler or even more interesting things like Armorsmith, Weapon Maker, Ship Builder, Creature Handler, Commando, and way more.

How is this old as hell MMORPG still running? And why hasn't Disney kneecapped this effort with a baseball bat and a lawyer? Good questions. Let's start with a little history.

The Brief History of Star Wars Galaxies

This game launched in the summer of 2003. For comparison, the massively popular World of Warcraft started a year later in 2004. The idea was ambitious at the time: Encompass the whole Star Wars Universe in one place where a player can log in and become whoever they want to be and then live out the adventures of that character's life in a shared experience with many other people.

The game was Published by LucasArts and developed and ran by Sony Online Entertainment (now known as Daybreak Game Company). After getting something like half a million or so subscribers and receiving critical acclaim, at some point they decided to change everything about the game.

When these big changes happened many people liked it, but many people also hated it. These changes were known as the Combat Upgrade (CU) and the New Game Experience (NGE). The rich and detailed profession system was simplified and many aspects and mechanics of the game were changed in favor of bigger, faster, easier, more more more, with a more arcade sort of feel. Some professions were drastically reduced or even removed altogether. The combat was changed to a more real-time feel as opposed to the turn-based approach of the Pre-CU version.

Was it better after the changes?

It was different, which isn't really better or worse. The two versions had their fans. Unfortunately, the paying subscribers didn't have a choice to play one version or the other. They had to play the new version or just go play something else. This bothered those that spent money and time grinding and building their accounts, living out those fantasy lives in a galaxy far, far away. Some people were okay with the change or at the very least gave it a chance. Some people came to the game after the change and didn't know how it was before.

I was one of those that came late and it wasn't until the game was resurrected that I was able to try the game in its original form. I have to say, I really like the original!

Now, the game struggled and chugged along throughout it's lifetime at SOE and it finally shut all of its servers down at the end of 2011, just before the new Star Wars MMORPG "The Old Republic" was released to replace it, I guess. I played this game off and on for a few years toward the end. I was sad to see it go, and was bummed that even though I had the game discs still I wasn't able to do anything with them.

Galaxies Came Back From The Dead

Some fans of the original Pre-CU wanted that back and tried to reverse engineer the game and worked to essentially rewrite the server side code from scratch in order to recreate or emulate that original game experience.

They actually pulled it off. They found more fans of the old game, they picked up more support and development help. The thing started to snowball. The goal to restore the original was well underway.

Today, the main development of the game is done by the SWGEMU team. They release updates every so often in the continuing mission to get it all done. It's completed more than enough to play and enjoy everyday already, but it's still got a ways to go for a full restoration. Not only do they release routine patches to bring it closer to the end goal, but they release the code for anyone to use for running a server and this has allowed others to not only set up their own instance of the server, but they can customize it however they wish and even push their own separate updates. Sometimes making for some interesting results.

Now in 2020, we have several servers on the internet all running a slightly different version of the game, as they all do their own tweaks and updates on top of the core files made available by SWGEMU. This has allowed various Pre-CU servers, some NGE servers, and some that are a mix of the two. Some have jumped ahead of SWGEMU and added more content, like more planets, items, characters, quests, missions, etc. Some have added the much-coveted "Jump To Light Speed" expansion that allows players to fly and battle in space in their custom starships.

How Can You Play?

No matter which version you play, all servers are free to the public to play, you just have to have the original game files. Some servers are more strict than others when it comes to having the actual discs in hand, or just "finding" some game files.

So step one is to DEFINITELY get the game files. If you want the originals (they are compact discs), you can find them amazingly enough still on sites like Amazon and Ebay. Don't worry about buying any expansion packs, just the original "Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided" will do.

Another way to get the files are from Steam. If you bought it on Steam years ago, it should still be in your account.

Another way is if you already have the discs still. Pop those fuckers into your computer that actually still plays CD's and get it installed.

Finally, and this is the legally grayest way, "Find" zips of the game online, download and install. Completely up to you if you go this route. I mean, if you are the type that has ever had a bootleg copy of ANY software installed and you didn't bat an eyelash, then I suppose this is the easiest way for you to do it. You go, Gangsta!

Not sure of any other ways, maybe a copy will fall off of a truck right in front of your house.

OKAY, Next...

You will want to decide what server to play on. I would recommend trying the original first, and by original I mean the original emulator SWGEMU. Go to their site, register a forum account, activate your server account status, download and install the emulator launcher program and let it scan and update your game folder. Once that is done, log into the game and launch.

You can pretty much do this process with all the servers you try. They all have their own launcher that you can download and install and each of those launchers allow you to manipulate the core files and update with modifications so that their flavor of the game will run for play on their server.

Unfortunately you cant just have one launcher that works with all the servers because all the servers are ran by different teams of people, and they all work for free or for donations in order to make the servers run for everyone. While we are on that subject, to play this game you will never be required to pay, just as long as you have the files. That being said many of these server teams accept donations to cover the costs involved with running a 24/7 MMORPG server. No one is supposed to be making any profits from these games, because these emulators are a labor of love but also no one wants to get shut down by Darth Mickey.

Does It Still Hold Up After All This Time?

I can't seem to get any of my younger friends to play, and that is fine. This game is old as fuck, even predating the mighty Warcraft franchise. It's funny being the old guy trying to tell someone younger that they should really play this old ass game because it's better than that Battlefront crap.

But I will tell you, this game in its original vanilla configuration is something to behold and appreciate. The fact that the entire server side of the game was recreated from scratch for free by volunteers separated by distance and borders and managed to make it feel nearly indistinguishable from the original is just amazing.

The graphics didn't age too well. There are current efforts happening to modernize the graphics, so that it looks newer and more in line with today's games. The sound is still decent. Original John Williams score put in just the right places in just the right ways. Original Lucasfilm sound effects, so the blasters and vehicles and characters sound like the movies and games.

Thirty or so different professions to choose from, Several planets and moons to explore, see all the iconic locations from the movies like Tatooine, Naboo, Endor, Mustafar and also planets from the now Legends section of Star Wars like Talus, Dantooine, Corellia (way before they showed it in SOLO) Many of the other servers have added more planets on top of the originals, like Hoth, Mandalore, and Coruscant.

So many different ways for your character to look, so many weapons to have, so many vehicles to pick up pretty Twi'lek girls with. Many of the servers are adding new things too.

Oh yeah, and guess how all that awesome stuff comes into the game? If you choose to be an Artisan, then you will have the chance to create these things for other players. You can be the best carbine blaster technician in the galaxy or you can be the person players come to when they need a crate of thermal detonators.

Here is a definite plus to this game.

THERE ARE NO MICRO TRANSACTIONS, THERE ARE NO ADS, THERE ARE NO GRUBBY CORPORATE FINGERS TRYING TO GET IN YOUR POCKET. COMPLETELY UNINTERRUPTED TIME AND SPACE TO DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT IN FANTASYLAND WITH OTHER HUMANS FROM AROUND THE EARTH THAT ARE THERE TO DO THE SAME! THAT'S IT!

You are left alone to play in a galaxy far, far away so you can be whoever you want, all day long if you feel like it. If you pay money, it's because you want to show your appreciation to the teams that work for free to make this all happen in the form of a donation, which they put towards the server fees to keep things running.

I wonder how blockchain could help this game, but that's me wondering out loud and maybe a conversation for another post. ;-)

Details

Play on these locations, all of witch are wide open and massive:
Corellia, Dantooine, Dathomir, Forest Moon of Endor, Kashyyyk, Lok, Mustafar, Naboo, Rori, Talus, Tatooine, Yavin 4, Ord Mantell, Hoth (some servers have additional planets)

Choose from these professions:
Artisan, Brawler, Entertainer, Marksman, Medic, Scout, Politician, Architect, Armorsmith, Bio-Engineer, Bounty Hunter, Combat Medic, Carbineer, Chef, Creature Handler, Commando, Dancer, Doctor, Droid Engineer, Fencer, Image Designer, Merchant, Musician, Pikeman, Pistoleer, Ranger, Rifleman, Shipwright, Smuggler, Squad Leader, Swordsman, Tailor, Teras Kasi Artist, Weaponsmith, Alliance Pilot, Imperial Pilot, Freelance Pilot, Sith, Jedi (some servers have different ways they handle jedis, sith and pilots)

Pick the species of your character:
Bothan, Human, Ithorian, Mon Calamari, Rodian, Sullustan, Transdoshan, Twi'lek, Wookie, Zabrak (see many other species in the game as NPCs, and on some servers many NPC species are also playable)

Not everything is canon as it is now known as this game was created before new canon was established. This game contained alot of expanded universe content, what is now called legends in addition to the original and prequel content.

HERE ARE A FEW SERVERS TO LOOK AT

SWGEMU: Pure Pre-CU Around 1000 online at any given time
SWG Legends: NGE Server Around 1000 online at any given time
Sentinels Republic: Pre-CU with custom content I've only seen 300-500 online so far

Thanks for reading up on the thing I like to nerd out on.

@SaintChristopher

I'd love to see some Steemians join me in this game, comment if you want to play!