As long as your poll doesn't hook me up with Jarjar...

Right, the mostly cost is really minimal, comes out to about 50 cents a day. Whoop-dee-do. And yeah, I pay by credit card, but there may be some other sort of payment options. I seem to recall there being some when I signed up. And yes, you can keep your character(s) after the initial trial period, assuming you sign on for real within a certain period of time, though I don't remember how long you've got to do so.

On to general gameplay. Let's put it this way: it took me quite a while to actually break down and even try playing a game for which I couldn't use a joystick. Special keyboard? Not a chance. Old dog. New tricks. Ain't gonna work.

As for the fighting system, it is, if you break it down, based on turns, but then all games are. The question becomes whether you notice it or not, and you don't really notice it in SWG, mostly because it's not so much turn based as time based. The difference is almost one of semantics. It only becomes a frustrating timewaster if you have to wait for someone else to do something before you can act. In SWG, you don't. (I don't know firsthand how games like FF work, because I've never played them. I understand basically how they work, but I can't really make a direct comparison between, say, SWG and FF from my own experience.)

To be honest, I don't think the WoW crowd is really that much weirder than any other gamer group. I just think they get the bulk of the mockery because they're probably the largest group. Hell, 20+ years ago, I was heavily into D&D -- basically WoW, but with the graphics going on in your imagination. At one point, a bunch of us would get together one day each weekend and play from about 7 pm until 3 or 4 am. And that was when we actually had to get together in person to play. I can only image what we would've been like if we could've done it all online, without having to find a night that worked for six to eight of us to play all night.

Oh, and there's a roleplaying "structure" here? I thought it was pretty much a flirt-for-all, with the really silly ones playing at being online couples, even getting e-married. Granted, you see some of that stuff on SWG, too, but not nearly as much, since there are other things to do. If I get bored reading the "rp" stuff here (as I did quite some time ago), it's not like I can just pop off and raid a Tusken camp or blow apart some X-wings.

One quick non-SWG note: if you're interested another Star Wars rp path, and if you're into the NJO stuff, you might want to check out the one Mezhan Kwaad's got going on her own site. You can get the URL from her page here, I'm sure. I poked around there a while back, and it looked really good. In fact, I'm supposed to be dragging my arse over there to play Nom Anor. I really should get to that soon, before she decides to string me up and shape me.

posted May 22, 2008 8:27 AM | Report Abuse

I may be the one with the silly polls now. You're putting too many funny ideas into my head. You might get me into trouble and I'll wish you were square. :-P

Well, that's an unbiased point of view answer that I appreciate.

I'm just trying to weigh out the personal pros and cons now. I suppose the only con is the monthly fee, but as you said, it shouldn't break the bank opposed to normally wasteful spending.

I'm not one for a special keyboard to play games or anything. I don't mind the usual walkabout key combo and a few extra to do this or that. That's my definition of cumbersome.

Another thing that I personally dislike in games is the Final Fantasy type of fighting system. The take a turn thing, I find it really frustrating and a time waster.

Last, but not least, I'll presume the payments require a credit card and that may present a problem. Well, I guess this would be the immediate problem for me before anything else. That would mean I would have to demean myself and be sucky with house management. I loath that part.

I don't doubt the WoW crowd is extra strange and I think most of the bizarre stories point back to them. I'm just thinking if I don't fall into the RP structure here, then I have an option to go down another Star Wars path. The only real method would be for me to try it out and come to my own conclusion. I know that opinions differ and it's the only way to know if I'll further commit. After the trial or trials end, is the role character still available?

OT: That's right and thanks.

posted May 21, 2008 11:29 PM | Report Abuse

Hey, there was an explanation and a tiny bit of actual content to the post. :P

I did start SWG with trial offers -- twice, actually. The first time was a few years ago, but I didn't really like it all that much, mostly because it was a bit too complicated for my I-remember-Pong self. However, back in August, I got an email from SOE offering me another trial membership, so I gave it a second chance, and I've been playing nearly everyday since.

The difference between then and now? Well, for one, it's a lot simpler now. Many people hated the changes apparently, but I much prefer it to the clunky, cumbersome original system. I was able to get the basics down pretty quickly, and I read the Prima guide and a lot of stuff online to pick up the rest as I needed to know it (or just asked other players for help). Even still, there's a lot I don't know, but that's part of the fun to me. I like having the little lightbulb pop on once in a while.

Anyway, I appear to be rambling, but you asked if I can honestly recommend it. Yes. Can I do so if you tend to get addicted to games? Yes, assuming addiction doesn't lead to the sort of behavior you mentioned. I readily admit that I'm addicted to the game, but I try to keep it to what I consider a healthy addiction. I'm not going to starve myself or anything like that, but suppose I can see some people doing it. I've never actually heard of any SWG-ers doing it, as opposed to plenty of stories I've heard out of the WoW crowd. But then, as everyone knows, those WoW people are freaks. ;)

And paying for it? Fifteen bucks a month (or less, if you pay for a few months in advance)? It's a pittance really. I spend more than that on beer in a week. Though I do love my beer, SWG is a lot more entertaining, and it won't destroy my liver.

Re OT: I assume you mean add each other as contacts here? Of course.

posted May 21, 2008 9:45 AM | Report Abuse

Oh, what's this? A profile poll accessory, but a fair explanation. ;-O

I picked this empty comment blog page to chat more about SWG.

I noticed an enticing trial offer for fourteen days of SWG. I'm thinking this is a viable way to see if I like it before investing both time and money into it. Since your a confession about being a jaded and hapless addict, I'm thinking you are most likely right about not asking for advice. But would you honestly recommend it, if I tend to get addicted to games?

Is this similar to WoW in terms of people starving themselves and assaulting their parents because they can't leave the game? I don't want to try the trial version and then have to pay for my new SWG crack addiction.

Did you initially try a trial?

OT: Can we swap profile contacts? I wish to subscribe. :-P

posted May 20, 2008 10:43 PM | Report Abuse