In a previous post, located on Casual WoW, I explored thoughts surrounding relationships and friends developed in MMMO games. Over the weekend I found some old archives from my days of playing Star Wars: Galaxies, and began thinking of a number of the reasons why certain games lend themselves more to forming relationships among players moreso than others. While Galaxies grew to become a game I despised as many changes were made, prior to that fateful patch the game was thriving with a very rich community and a very strong role-playing atmosphere (at least on the Chilastra server, where I played).

Perhaps the elements that most encouraged gameplay were player housing and other buildings, player cities, and temporary campsites used while in the wild to heal and provide safety. This is not designed to be an examination of any of these elements, however. This is simply a “trip down memory lane” that goes well with the previous post, which I have quoted at the end of this post for reference.

The above screenshot is just a picture of my character, J’seth, after I had mastered the Bounty Hunter profession and was looking for some various pictures that seemed interesting. What better way to celebrate becoming a Master Bounty Hunter than doing some role-playing in the company of iconic bounty hunters in the Star Wars universe?

The above screenshot, and the next two below, are representative of the campsites that were present in Galaxies. More often than not role-playing would develop while waiting for a number of things (more members to join in taking down a huge beast, for example, or a hunting party being gathered to search out Jedi).

The next screenshot was taken outside a player city. The buildings in the background were player housing.

The next two screenshots illustrate aspects of the game that were truly enjoyable. The first is a snapshot of one skill tree, and the second is one of the interesting aspects where one could redistribute stats to be better suited to choosing a different class (one could unlearn classes and choose to level another, which allowed a player to experience all aspects of gameplay without having to invest time in recreating. There were no levels for the character, only the learning of the skills in professions. The further into a profession one achieved the stronger, in conjunction with gear, they became).

Original Post from Casual WoW:

Inspired by Syrana’s (as usual) excellent post (located here), some things jumped out at me that I had not thought of in a while. Back when I played Star Wars: Galaxies I made a number of friends online, and over the years there have only been a couple I have managed to maintain contact with. Although not for a lack of thinking of those I haven’t spoken with since leaving the game, some I simply have no idea how to reach again. Further, many friendships I have formed over the course of playing World of Warcraft I hope to not lose contact with, whether it be my decision to pursue another game in the future or theirs.

Those who I play with currently would know more about my current state than any of those I have played with previously, and they would be much more likely to show up at my door in the event I went unheard from for any length of time. Those who I have kept up with, albeit horribly infrequently, might never know one way or another. And there are still others whom I miss that I couldn’t even tell you if they were still around or if something had befallen them.

With the proliferation of other services, specifically things like Twitter, the blogging community in general and certainly those who do visit this blog, and text messaging for those who have my direct contact information, it is certainly easier to keep track of those we grow fond of in one way or another. Yet, there is still, quite often, a barrier between those who have never met in person (and far too often even those we meet in passing in “real life” as well).

These are just some thoughts to ponder after reading Syrana’s post:

• Are there people you have met online, regardless of venue, that you care enough about to wonder what happens in their lives?
• Have you made and lost friends over the years that you wish you still had a chance to speak to, or that you recollect fondly and have no idea where they are now or what they may be up to?
• Why do we persist in keeping others at bay when they are not a part of our daily lives in some fashion?

Thinking back, these are a few of the people (some in-game names and some forum handles) that I’ve lost track of and think of on occasion (and forgive me if I have forgotten the exact spelling):

• Arcaeus / Agraulus
• Tuck / Oomph
• Andronicus
• Batpat, whom I even met in person and had the opportunity to go SCUBA diving with.
• All of the wonderful people on the Smuggler and Teras Kasi forums (SWG). The sense of community there is only matched in WoW thus far.
• My fellow correspondents during the “pre-combat revamp” phase. (SWG)
• Those who were a part of la Cosa Nostra during my time as Guild Leader, as well as those who played on Stormrage under the original Aeternus Veritas guild banner.

And to all of those whom I know now, whether I know you well or if we are only really developing any semblance of friendship as I write this, I hope our paths remain in contact. Sometimes it is the relationships we form virtually that shape aspects of ourselves in ways we never expected, and those threads of friendship and camaraderie tend to stay with us long after contact is lost. To you all I raise my glass, and hopefully this time we all manage to stay in touch!