http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8C66S39jh4

E3 2002 (first time I remember seeing it, not my video so don't blame me for that geeky guy)

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/star-wars-galaxies-an-empire/1256

Ignore the Restuss one.

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/star-wars-galaxies-jump-to/31

These two came out in 2004 but still looked amazing.

I remember when I first saw trailers like the E3 2002 and then how far it come along for E3 2003 and I was blown away. Seeing how detailed character customization is in SWG was just totally mind blowing back then. It was the first MMO I remember that actually had cities of that scope and on fully seamless planets too, not other MMO had done that up to that point. The game just looked like the version of Star Wars we all loved (Original Trilogy) and it looked pretty photo realistic to me back then when seeing the E3 2002 trailer. 

(See the old screenshots here: http://uk.gamespot.com/star-wars-galaxies-an-empire-divided/images/platform/pc?page=15)

The game even had unique mechanics based around what made Sense to Star Wars. There wasn't any magical abilities like you get in SWTOR, everything you used had to be crafted or had to exist in the game. You couldn't just pull magical abilites out of your ass using SWTORs version of Mana and Rage and all that. The best example is Bounty Hunter Probes and how you had to but them to track people, you didn't have an ability to do it that pulled one out of nowhere. Talking about Bounty Hunters, I know it wans't a launch thing but you could hunter player Jedi. It made sense to the PVP Bounty Hunters should be having and that is a really kool thing, like why don't classes have unique PVP to themselves these days? I don't want to roll a Bounty Hunter and then do the same old boring Battleground PVP as everyone else, that isn't anything to do with what the class is about. Then you have Jedi collecting loot and all that, yet that makes no sense to what the Jedi are about either.

So sad about what happened to SWG, it had tons of potential and yet SOE just seemed to never be able to fix what was wrong with the Pre CU game. The other strange thing that happened during SWGs life is Mr Lucas wanted the Star Wars IP to be more family friendly. So he didn't want things like spices or anything in the game that seemed drug like or non PG. So I understand the Pre CU was doomed from there really as SOE had to make changes to the game to get rid of all that stuff. 

When I look at SWG back then I was amazed and the graphics were amazing for its time. When I look at SWTOR now, it just doesn't do anything for me because for one it doens't look like Star Wars to me and also it is just the same old WoW type of game. I just wish'd they kept on going with the Pre CU game because they could have had it sorted by now and they could have done little graphical updates and added in things like collision to update the game. It just had so much potential and they just decided to throw it all away instead. WoW is only a year younger than SWG and look how well that has survived with aging graphics, you cannot use the argument that the game was old and besides it died in 2005.

Such a shame and I've been waiting Six years for something new to blow me away like MMOs used to do back then, yet none of them have. They all seem to want to play it "safe" which is funny because it seems like the most unsafe thing to do is copy WoW as every single clone has failed. They're all doing the cartoony dated graphics thing none as well and they're all following the trend of getting easier and easier. People are not afraid of a challenge or a bit of complexity, COD Multiplayer is not an easy game and yet millions play it! It is all about accessibility. You know why these old challenging games died? Because they weren't accessible, not because they didn't let you solo the whole way through the game without any death penalty. Again COD Multiplayer has a Death Penalty and that is one losing your kill streak and two having a poor K/D shown to everyone on the server. Yet MMOs today fail to notice this and they want to give you everything right away. 

Anyways I always put SWTOR as the last chance MMOs have and now there is nothing that we know about that will be worth playing. I know lots of people say Planetside 2 but it is SOE and they've had enough chances from me and they've done nothing since 2004 that was worthwhile. I'm not into Guild Wars and it looks like it's another boring fantasy MMO that promises changes and then will deliver on none of it. So it's like the genre is dead to me now and Skyrim has become sorta like my new MMO, meaning it's a world I want to spend lots of time in and explore. 

The most prominent memory that sticks out for me in all the years that I played Galaxies, was the fact that the game never held my hand. I remember the guild wars, PVPing Imps vs Rebs, running the Warren for the first time, not to mention the kick ass people I met playing this game... all these memories... and the one that stands out most, is when I dropped into the game for the very first time, there was no tutorial, no hand holding... it was like being born and having to figure it all out for yourself... truly an amazing experience.

Despite its flaws a one of a kind game, no a world simulator with the Star Wars universe as a backdrop. I am so happy I was along for the ride.

Originally posted by Zarynterk

The most prominent memory that sticks out for me in all the years that I played Galaxies, was the fact that the game never held my hand. I remember the guild wars, PVPing Imps vs Rebs, running the Warren for the first time, not to mention the kick ass people I met playing this game... all these memories... and the one that stands out most, is when I dropped into the game for the very first time, there was no tutorial, no hand holding... it was like being born and having to figure it all out for yourself... truly an amazing experience.

I remember players standing by Starports on the launch day of the EU version and giving people a tutorial of their own. That was really kool because now if a game was released you wouldn't get to see other players for 5 or so levels while you're in the Single Player part. 

Originally posted by Zarynterk

The most prominent memory that sticks out for me in all the years that I played Galaxies, was the fact that the game never held my hand. I remember the guild wars, PVPing Imps vs Rebs, running the Warren for the first time, not to mention the kick ass people I met playing this game... all these memories... and the one that stands out most, is when I dropped into the game for the very first time, there was no tutorial, no hand holding... it was like being born and having to figure it all out for yourself... truly an amazing experience.

I remember that well.....and I liked it also.

You were fortunate if you were "discovered" by a Newbie Helper that was interested in making sure you stuck around for more than 15 or 30 days....regardless of what Faction you ended up being after a while.

I didn't know Crap about the game when I started, and It didn't annoy me that there was a Learning Curve if you wanted to make it in that Game.

Nothing was Handed to me....other than my first 50k thanks to a very kind player Helper that found Me and not the other way around.  He pointed me towards the Doctors and Mission Terminals and helped me get a few tree's in Marksman before telling me I was on my own and to pay it forward.

I always wanted to meet up with Nancy "I can't Read alot' McIntyre and slap the snot out of her.

When you Coddle........you get negative results.

LA was too willing to coddle.

Originally posted by hipiap

Originally posted by Zarynterk

The most prominent memory that sticks out for me in all the years that I played Galaxies, was the fact that the game never held my hand. I remember the guild wars, PVPing Imps vs Rebs, running the Warren for the first time, not to mention the kick ass people I met playing this game... all these memories... and the one that stands out most, is when I dropped into the game for the very first time, there was no tutorial, no hand holding... it was like being born and having to figure it all out for yourself... truly an amazing experience.

I remember that well.....and I liked it also.

 

You were fortunate if you were "discovered" by a Newbie Helper that was interested in making sure you stuck around for more than 15 or 30 days....regardless of what Faction you ended up being after a while.

I didn't know Crap about the game when I started, and It didn't annoy me that there was a Learning Curve if you wanted to make it in that Game.

Nothing was Handed to me....other than my first 50k thanks to a very kind player Helper that found Me and not the other way around.  He pointed me towards the Doctors and Mission Terminals and helped me get a few tree's in Marksman before telling me I was on my own and to pay it forward.

I always wanted to meet up with Nancy "I can't Read alot' McIntyre and slap the snot out of her.

 

When you Coddle........you get negative results.

LA was too willing to coddle.

the amazing thing though is we all had this experience of some one helping us and lots of people didn't. This makes the game so special in itself to how unique everyones story was and how they would play the game in the future. You don't get that anymore as everyone has the sam experience thanx to focus groups trying to perfect design.

That is why I hate games today because they are so focused grouped for "fun" and yet I had more fun years ago before they were tested like this because I was given choice.

For me it was that trailer that got me to buy this game in august 2003! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXoqR6ni7yA

Originally posted by Hastys

For me it was that trailer that got me to buy this game in august 2003! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXoqR6ni7yA

Nice find!