Diary of a Grad Student

Maybe it is the recurring pull of the Star Wars saga. I have been a closet fan since 1977. I went to one convention in Minneapolis years ago and decided that true fandom didn't fit me, but I have liked the stories - on screen and in text - since I was a teenager. I've spent a fair amount of time in the online fan-fic and philosophical discussion boards over the past 8 years. And I was drawn to U of Wisconsin - Madison's doctoral program because Constance Steinkueher had studied the community building and educational value of the original Star Wars Galaxies game.

So, despite the bad press about the horrors of the new game engine (NGE, as it is called by those "in the know"), I picked up a copy and started playing over the summer. I wanted to see what the fuss, pro and con, was about. I wanted the experience of the game, so I could talk intelligently about it - at least in its current form. (Keep in mind that I play 30+ titles just so that I stay fluent in what's happening in the game world....)

It was a bad as the naysayers said!

I won't get into why here - maybe later I can point out flaws, but I think diehard fans of the pre-NGE version can do that better than I - but it was a definite disappointment, and I set it aside to pursue other games that I found fun. I kept my account open and occasionally stopped by to finish out the orientation quests and tasks, but I never got into it. It was too much like World of Warcraft - but minus the critical mass of engaging people. Face it, SWG was a ghost town, and its game play was not unique enough to hold my interest.

Then, feeling guilty about not giving the game a fair try, I jumped back into the world today, intent on leveling out at least to level 10 (yes, total n00b!). It was magic. Somehow, on a Sunday morning, there were people there, including more experienced players who were willing to answer questions and give advice. Suddenly, the game got more interesting!

So, I'm hooked again, mildly. If days like today continue, this might be fun at higher levels. Afterall, who doesn't want to be a Jedi Knight?