Info about NGE for potential new players.

Here are a few things you can look forward to in the new Star Wars.  When you pick up a weapon in game and examine it and you see that it does X-X amount of damage.  Pay no attention to it.  Because all weapons do the same amount of damage.   This is a level based game.  So when you see that bowcaster does 345-400 damage...think again.  For melee, your fist do as much as any melee weapon.  Say for instance you come across a two-handed curved sword that does 234-280 damage...well that doesn't mean squat, because your hands do just as much damage.

Then there is this diversity issue with professions.  See SOE was having this really hard time balancing all the professions.  So they decided to turn those 32 into 9 "iconic" professions.  This was to make the game simpler and less complex so that players and SOE alike would have an easier time of it.  Hehehe...in Smedley's recent letter he says that he understands players need to have unique characters so they'll be revamping the new professions to add diversity and complexity to them.  So they go from a perfectly good system, albeit a complex one, where players have one of the most robust character development systems ever seen in an MMORPG before, to one with less proefessions that is has less diversity and adds more balance issues than the previous one.  On top of this they are going to be revamping this new system to make it more like the old system?!  Sounds about right for SOE.  Take what is working half-way decently, replace it with a totally screwed up new one and then make it worse.  Brilliant.

The new economy.  Well there is one thing you could never say about the old SWG and that is that it had a terrible player economy.   Sure it had its growing pains but it all panned out and was doing pretty good.  In the new SWG thre is no economy - none, zilch.  No need for one.  No weapons, armor, nothing decays.  There is no money sinks.  Why buy new armor when all armor affords the same protection no matter what you are wearing.  Why buy new weapons if all weapons do the same damage no matter what weapon you are using.  Why worry about needing money to repair your speeder if it never decays.  Because of this, crafters will be non-existant soon.  Once the existing items from existing vendors are bought up you not see them anymore because the crafters will have become bored when they see that they can't sell anything because it is not needed. 

Combat for melees is so much more exciting now than ever before.   You'll have so much fun playing Benny Hill style combat that it is a laugh a minute.  Jedi's are one of the least powerful classes in the game BTW.   Asked any ranged player that is any good.  Medics are way more powerful than any Jedi ever dreamed of being.

Oh and as for the bad guys shooting you though walls and objects and whole mountains...better get use to that, because it is goingto be around for a minimum of 6 months while SOE works on collision detection that still needs to be added to the game.

Oh and you know all those cool mounts you see people riding.  Those you'll never have.  Because there is no CH's and BioEng's around anymore to makethem available.  You are out of luck.

Leveling is really good upto level 30.  Then imagine the most horrendous grind from hell you can ever think of.  Lineage II's is a walk in the park compared to leveling post 30 in SWG.   SOE has taken grinding to a whole new level that beats all previous games including the nightmare that was AC2's Hero Levels.

Yep the new Star Wars Galaxies is great.  So enjoy.