In the old days…

We could start any number of posts with this old litany, a long lost discussion about how when we played an MMO it was the most amazing thing in the world. Those strange, heady pre-WoW days when everything was glistening gold running chills down our spines. When exploring the vast endless worlds on our landspeeder didn’t seem like just more terrain without feature.

Hunting rancors on Endor? Those days are over.

We still remember our computer nearly locking up when we went into a cantina. Fireworks splashing through the walls, and everyone dancing while emoting requests for money. Setting up campfires just for watching a party-member writhe like a snake in order to diminish our battle fatigue and increase her own dancing skill.

We wonder if everyone started that game as a Scout, like we did. There was just something nice about being able to move faster overland for the simple reason that exploration had always been better done that way.

Leaping across the star systems to check out new planets. See new terrain. Watch dust storms on Tatooine, and rain crashing down on Naboo…when the clouds would rush in, the screen would darken, the music would change and rain would sheet down. (Literally sheets, you could actually see the rendering plane of the rain. No kidding.) Flawed but wonderful.

We still remember watching people stand in lines for almost hours waiting for the only doctor in Coronet buff people up so that they could hunt big game. Or strange, lucky moments getting that same doctor who had run out of clients offer us something for free—something so amazing that it made us like gods flying across the countryside. Hammering our way through rancors and grondas without a care.

We left Star Wars Galaxies for World of Warcraft and never looked back.

We guess the SWG that I really miss is one that never existed at all, except in our adventures with friends. Although the current one is dead to us, it will always have a special place in our hearts.

Forgive us whilst we go file our horns (Zabrak, you know.)