Overview

SWG Legends is a restoration of the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies (SWG), originally developed by Sony Online Entertainment and shut down in December 2011. It runs on the NGE (New Game Enhancements) build — the final version of the game, which includes every expansion and content update. SWG Legends lets you dive back into the Star Wars universe as a full sandbox MMORPG.

With 800 to 2,000 players online, SWG Legends is one of the most populated and actively developed Star Wars Galaxies projects. The team keeps adding new content and fixing bugs from the original release.

History

Star Wars Galaxies launched in June 2003 as an ambitious attempt to build a "living" Star Wars universe in MMORPG form. The original version (Pre-CU) offered a unique system of 34 professions with freely mixed skills, a deep economy and total freedom of action across ten planets.

In 2005, Sony Online Entertainment rolled out a radical overhaul called the NGE (New Game Enhancements), replacing the freeform skill system with fixed professions and reworking combat. The decision drove away large numbers of veterans and is remembered as one of the most controversial changes in MMORPG history. Even so, SWG in its NGE form kept evolving over the next six years and gained a large amount of new content.

In December 2011 the Star Wars Galaxies servers were shut down — widely believed to be tied to the launch of BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic. After the shutdown, several community projects appeared: SWGEmu (a Pre-CU restoration) and SWG Legends (an NGE restoration).

SWG Legends launched in 2016 and chose the NGE build as the most complete and content-rich version. It has run steadily ever since, shipping regular updates and growing its player base.

Gameplay

SWG Legends covers an extremely wide range of activities, which is what sets Star Wars Galaxies apart from most themepark MMORPGs. You pick one of nine professions: Bounty Hunter, Commando, Entertainer, Jedi, Medic, Officer, Smuggler, Spy or Trader. Each profession has its own mechanics and role in the game's ecosystem.

NGE combat is action-oriented with targeting: you aim your cursor at a target and fire abilities in real time. Different professions offer different combat styles — the Jedi fights up close with a lightsaber, the Commando wields heavy weapons, and the Spy strikes from stealth.

Space content (Jump to Lightspeed) is a full subsystem with its own progression, ships and missions. Players pilot everything from an X-Wing to a TIE Fighter, fight in space, escort convoys and explore star systems. Starships are customized with components crafted by player engineers.

The housing system lets you build homes and guild halls on planetary surfaces. You can decorate interiors, set up player shops inside your home and grow entire player-built towns. The Entertainer profession provides music and dancing that other players need to clear battle fatigue — a unique social mechanic that drives interaction.

Features

The key draw of SWG Legends is immersion in the Star Wars universe with a level of freedom no other game in the franchise offers. Ten planets — from the desert of Tatooine to the forests of Kashyyyk — create a vast, atmospheric world. Quest lines feature canon characters: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Darth Vader.

The Trader profession delivers one of the deepest crafting systems in the genre. Resources are gathered by placing extractors on planets, come with randomized quality stats and feed into the creation of gear, weapons, ships, buildings and decorations. The economy is entirely player-driven.

The SWG Legends team adds original content: new quest lines, instances, events and balance changes. They have also finished several systems that were never completed before the original servers closed. Regular themed events are tied to real-world holidays and Star Wars milestones.

The game is free, with an optional cash shop that carries cosmetic items and convenience services. No gameplay advantages are sold for real money.

Community

The SWG Legends community brings together fans of Star Wars Galaxies and the wider Star Wars universe. The main hubs are the Discord server, the project forum and Reddit (r/swglegends). The player base is mostly English-speaking, with a strong European presence.

The social layer has always been strong in Star Wars Galaxies: cantina scenes with musicians and dancers, player-built towns and guild events. SWG Legends preserves and supports that culture. New players get tutorial missions and active help from veterans.

An online count of 800 to 2,000 players is enough to support every type of content, though during off-peak hours some planets can feel sparse — which, fittingly, suits the mood of a galaxy far, far away.

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