Members of the Star Wars Galaxies team met up with a number of dedicated players at the April 2008 community summit. Players from across the country met at this Galactic Gathering on April 25, 2008 to chat with the development team and get a sneak preview of what the future holds for Star Wars Galaxies.
Meet the Team
The community summit was held at Jillian's in San Francisco. The event started with mingling between all of the attendees and the game team.
Loche chats with the first arrivals
Star Wars Galaxies team members at the event included Lorin "DeadMeat" Jameson, Thomas "Blixtev" Blair, Jake "jneri" Neri, Tim "Neif" Temmerman, Travis "Shadowbrak" Hicks, Jesse "Loche" Benjamin, Matt "AdeptStrain" Boudreaux, Kelly "Valara" Knox, and members of the marketing and QA teams.
Four senators were in attendance at the summit, along with a number of players from across the galaxies who came well-equipped with a number of questions for the team. Everyone chatted and munched on some snacks before the presentation started.
Chow time!
The SWG team then took the stage for a preview of what's to come in 2008.
The Battle at Echo Base
As the summit kicked off, the SWG team opened with big news: the battle of Echo Base on Hoth is the next new heroic encounter!
Rebel Snowspeeder Concept Art
The fight at Echo Base is a race against time as Imperials attempt to destroy the base while the Rebels evacuate. Snowspeeders, AT-ATs, Rebel troopers, and snowtroopers are part of the battle, and famous faces from Star Wars might even make an appearance. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting heroic encounter coming soon to Star Wars Galaxies!
DeadMeat also talked briefly about what the future holds for the game, which includes the improved community search and Meatlump theme park in Chapter 10, a look at Beast Masters and munitions traders in Game Update 5, and the Droid Commander expertise system later this year.
Left to right: AdeptStrain, Loche, Neif, Blixtev, DeadMeat, and Shadowbrak
Once the presentation was complete, it was time to ask a few questions of the team.
Questions and Answers
Summit attendees through a number of questions and suggestions at the development team, covering a variety of topics including the legacy quest, player associations, the player bounty system, the Galactic Civil War, and more.
Attendees listen during the Q&A
During the Q&A session the team revealed a few more tidbits about what's currently in development, which includes the addition of an in-game web browser as well as investigating a system that allows players to choose their appearance without losing the benefits of their armor.
The summit ended with a little more mingling as players and developers swapped stories and chatted about ideas presented during the gathering.
Blixtev and AdeptStrain talk with players
Each player who attended the summit receives a one-of-a-kind painting to celebrate this year's Galactic Gathering. The painting shows off the first heroic encounter foes, Axkva Min, IG-88, and the Tusken King, as well as the new gunships added in Chapter 8.
Thank you to all of the attendees for joining us in San Francisco!
