SWG Player Spotlight – December 22, 2006 : Star Wars Galaxies Discussions

Real life first name: Casey
Forum handle: Halyn
Main Character name: Halyn Lance
Server: Starsider
Player Association: Rebel Squadrons Player Association

Where in the real life world do you live? The great plains of North Dakota

How long have you played Star Wars Galaxies? I have played since September of 2003. I took one summer off when I was working for the State Park, but other than that I have always kept an open, active account.

What other MMOs have you played? I have been involved in a couple of gaming organizations on the Internet, but no MMOs other than SWG.

What type of work do you do? I am a college student and an editor of the college newspaper who is busily cramming four years of college into six.

How long is your typical gaming session when playing Star Wars Galaxies? I usually play two to three hours at a sitting.

What does a typical Star Wars Galaxies day consist of for you? I login, check my e-mail, and try to survive the bombardment of tells I often get from my guild. When that settles down, I go a couple of different directions. Sometimes I go flying; other days I will head to a role-play hotspot and just settle in to have fun. I do a variety of questing and the like. Really, no two days playing are exactly alike.

What was the race and profession of your very first character? My first was a human novice marksman who lasted for precisely one day. After the first day, I deleted him and rolled the Zabrak I play now.

What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most? The Nintendo sucked me in very early on, like most people my age, but it was Star Wars: X-Wing that really hooked me on PC gaming. The idea of flying a snub-fighter in a huge, galactic-spanning war held appeal for me, and in fact still does. I prefer spaceflight and combat over any other genre.

What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other then playing Star Wars Galaxies? I am involved with many different activities on campus. Beyond that, I love to write. Anyone who knows me well knows that writing is really my passion and I pour my heart into it. On the SWG Pilot forums, I am well known for two novel-length tales I have spun: X-Wing: The Nallera Conflict and X-Wing: Arms Race. I hope someday to become a published author.

What is your highest level Character in Star Wars Galaxies? My highest-level character is level 90.

What race and profession is your main character? My main character is a Zabrak smuggler and Rebel pilot.

What do you like the most about the profession you have chosen for your main character? Smugglers live by their own code of sorts. It might not be the code of the civilized, but it is a code nonetheless. As a Rebel pilot, I have access to both my beloved freighter and my deadly X-wing.

What faction is your main character? My main character is Rebel.

What is your favorite player owned ship? My favorite player owned ship is a toss up between my YKL-37r Nova Courier and my advanced X-Wing. No ship in my inventory has more history or flight hours than my YKL-37r Nova Courier, the Starwind. On the other hand, my advanced X-wing has seen me through battles in every system in SWG, including some impossible odds. It is hard not to become attached to a snubfighter that has been so faithful.

How did you choose your main character's name? Halyn Lance was originally a character I created for a story set during the Knights of the Old Republic era. The Halyn Lance of SWG bears no resemblance to the Knights of the Old Republic character aside from the name, which I have always liked. (Remember: Hal-yn, not Hay-ln.)

Which professions in Star Wars Galaxies have you NOT played? I have not played any of the non-combat professions. While I have the utmost respect for the people who build the ships I fly or entertain me in the cantina, I do not have the patience to learn effectively how to use skills like that.

What is your favorite expansion? Jump to Lightspeed is my favorite expansion. I had originally not planned to purchase SWG until Jump to Lightspeed was available. An old friend of mine talked me into getting in early so I would have a solid character when starships were finally available. I have been flying since the Jump to Lightspeed beta and I have loved every minute of it. It is arguably the greatest expansion ever in any game. After all, it added a completely new element to SWG.

What is your favorite planet? My favorite planet is Rori. It has become home for me. It lacks the civilized feel of, say, Corellia, while not being overpopulated or bland like Tatooine or Dantooine. Lok is a close second for my favorite though; it has so much atmosphere that it truly feels like a pirate world.

What is your favorite NPC? Warvog Arkon is my favorite NPC. He is the tier 4 Arkon's Havoc Squadron trainer and he is absolutely hilarious, as well as half-deaf. He is definitely the proverbial grumpy old man of flying and I love him for it.

Which expansion do you like the least? I like Trials of Obi-wan the least. I actually have enjoyed all the expansions, but Trials of Obi-Wan added little to space beyond a craftable reactor and a loot-only ship. It does not even have a space zone!

Which planet do you like the least? Tatooine is my least favorite planet. It is so overused and generally so over-housed that it does not feel desolate or dangerous like it should.

Which NPC do you like the least? My least favorite NPC would be The Old Man. I hate that guy; he used to stalk me...

Do you have an item you no longer use but keep around for nostalgic reasons? If so what is it and why do you keep it? My houses are a tribute to my ability to hang onto things purely for nostalgia. I have a datapad full of pets from when I played as a creature handler, including my favorite duo--a huurton named Tuff and a mountain squill named Aldis.

What do you like best about Star Wars Galaxies? I like the community the best. If not for the circle of friends and allies I surrounded myself with, I probably would have quit a long time ago. To elaborate further, take the pilot community. There are few things I have done that are cooler, more fun, and yes, more stressful, than leading a wing of Rebel snubfighters into combat with a similar-sized Imperial battle group. Then after the battle, kicking back with the very people I was shooting at and trading stories and perspectives on engagements.

What do you get out of playing Star Wars Galaxies? Flying is always a wonderful experience. With TeamSpeak running and battle chatter from my fellow pilots, I truly feel immersed in the Star Wars universe.

Describe your best experience playing Star Wars Galaxies? A couple weeks after Jump to Lightspeed went live; Vall Ion on the Starsider server took initiative and put together the early events that would eventually become the staple of our pilot community. I flew during the second engagement, which saw around a hundred player vessels engaging in the same area of space. I wound up separated from my squadron and engaged a TIE Interceptor by myself. The TIE tried to juke and run, but I was on him tight. His rear shields collapsed and as I went in for the kill, another TIE snuck up behind me and hit me hard. I panicked but squeezed one last shot into my target, killing it, before I boosted straight out and away from my pursuer--into the cloud of X-wings that was comprised of my squadron. An instant later, my pursuer died in a hail of laser fire. I have never had an experience that felt as movie-like as that one.

Do you run or work for a Star Wars Galaxies Fan Site? I am a moderator on our guild's message boards at www.blastfire.net/rspa.