15 years after it was shut down, Star Wars Galaxies is still getting massive updates thanks to this restoration project—like a Helldivers-style galactic civil war
I'll always be both fascinated and appreciative of non-profit communities that keep old, shut-down MMOs—like my personal love, City of Heroes—up and running. As is the case for Star Wars Galaxies, which has had a private server in Restoration that's been delivering large-scale updates for years now.
And when I say large-scale, I mean it. This thing's got the feature heft of a major patch for any modern MMO. Shatterpoint throws the galaxy of SWG into civil war.
You can see the full patch notes here, but here's a brief rundown: The Civil War is a cyclical event that sees either the Empire or the Rebellion trying to claim a majority of seven planets, reached whenever a faction on said planet gets one million control points.
What's neat about Star Wars Galaxies' broad classes—where not all players are doing the kill, loot, repeat thing—is that this civil war takes place on a few fronts. For example, if you're super invested in one of the game's social professions, you can "engage in espionage by gathering intel for their factions or funneling false information to disrupt the enemy."
This includes being able to feed the Empire false intel: "The Empire will see a planet with a full Counterintel meter as a valuable target, and will likely select that planet over one that the Rebellion is actually aiming for."
You could also join the new third faction, Mercenaries, who get rewarded for swooping in to defend whichever faction is currently behind. When either faction's claimed four out of seven planets, reaching a majority, a big "Shatterpoint" battle will occur on the final claimed planet, which the devs claim will permanently alter them:
"These environmental scars, from the map-altering to the minute, are predesigned to be adaptive, but also left for players to discover as the game evolves over time. The changes that occur cannot be reversed, and are unique to this server timeline forever."
Once a Shatterpoint is completed, it'll all happen again. It's all very Helldivers—and I mean that as a compliment. The way Arrowhead's been handling its live service world feels like a perfect fit for a game like SWG, which has always, from my understanding, drawn people in because of the mechanics-based storytelling that falls out of its professions system.
The update also brings with it Flashpoints, random open-world PvP battles, galaxy supply lines, and a new eight-person instance. Honestly, while I've never played Star Wars Galaxies, it warms my heart to see this non-profit server continue to provide things to do for its players out of sheer love for the game. SWG might be gone, but it lives on here—would that every fallen MMO got this treatment without fear.
Best MMOs: Most massive
Best strategy games: Number crunching
Best open world games: Unlimited exploration
Best survival games: Live craft love
Best horror games: Fight or flight