AN EMPIRE DIVIDED
Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided was one of the games that influenced me the most, one that I played the most, and one that remains in my thoughts to this day. From the original release, to the Combat Upgrade, the New Game Enhancements, and the handful of expansions along the way, Galaxies was a tumultuous game, but a true diamond in the rough. It remains alive to this day, despite being abandoned by Lucas Arts and Sony Online Entertainment, with dozens of fan run emulated servers, most notably SWG: EMU and SWG: Legends. Because the game took up such a chunk of my formative years, and because there is a lot to say about and around it, I’m accumulated several posts on the topic. What follows are these in order of publication.
(Last updated Feb 2025)
💫Photographic inspiration:
When trying to create more conceptual photographic work while enrolled at university, I turned to the virtual world. For about a decade prior I had worked as a fashion and editorial portrait photographer, and wanted very much to try something new. I began looking at memories made within virtual spaces, and this led me to revisit Star Wars Galaxies. The game had been shut down by then, but I had a vast collection of screenshots to work from, as well as the emulated servers through which I could revisit my old digital haunts.
💫A lifelong fan:
As I’m sure you can tell, Galaxies is somewhat important to me, and it begun with the watching of an old VHS tape during golden time at school. This post details my discovering of the game and of Star Wars in general.
💫Finding your way in open worlds:
While not solely about Star Wars Galaxies, the game gets a mention for its system and mechanics of travel. The galaxy is a big place, and SWG allows for variation the ways in which you can navigate the virtual space.
💫Cosiness in games:
Again, not entirely about Star Wars Galaxies, but the game inspired the post, as it, more than any other game, gives me that cosy feeling. Galaxies, with its robust player housing and decorating system allows for you to create a virtual home away from home, and this, along other aspects of the game, such as camping only add to its value as a simulation worth exploring (and cosily residing within).
💫Little features:
Of all the games I’ve played, Star Wars Galaxies has some of the best and deepest features, and some of these really are quite special. The inclusion of fireworks in a game might seem superfluous or throw away, but they made that virtual reality a little more real, and far more memorable.
💫The ephemera:
With multiple iterations, various expansion packs, and dozens of books and other odds and ends, a SWG player might find themselves in a similar situation as myself, having a lot of Galaxies related stuff knocking about. In this post I look at my little collection of things that offer a physical link to a virtual space.
Honourable mentions:
✨The MMO Folklorist:
Galaxies and MMOs in general get a lot of coverage, but not many people get as far as writing about about it - but James Cosby, the man behind MMO Folklorists did just that with his 2018 publication: The MMO Folklorist's Guide to Galaxies: The Unofficial and Unauthorized History of Star Wars Galaxies. If you’re a fan of the game, or the genre, I heartily recommend checking out the book, and his website for more on SWG and MMOs. He also did a feature on my A Journey into the Virtual World project, which you can check out here.
✨Servers:
Star Wars Galaxies: Legends is one of the most populated and successful servers running today, with a near constant stream of updates, developments, and new content, as well as a bunch of community iteration and events. If you want a more developed NGE-era experience, it is probably the best place to start.
SWG: EMU is one of the longest running emulators for Galaxies, and covers the game in its earliest form pre-CU. It is close to being finalised in terms of content, and is a true replication of the original concept of the game. It might be a little sparse in content, but there is much to explore in terms of the deeper mechanics and systems that were later simplified. A more difficult to get into experience for new players, but one well worth trying.
SWG: Restoration, which is relatively new compare to the others, covers the game in its intermediary state, the Combat Upgrade. This era was short lived during the games official lifetime, but arguable the most interesting. It has all the complexity of the game in its original state, but with more content. The server had gone beyond what was live, incorporating the latter content, but keeps the combat more involved. Another iteration well worth exploring.
I’ll update this page as I write more about the game (there is plenty left to cover), or find more links worth sharing. What are some of your gaming memories associated with Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars, and MMORPGs in general? IF you played the game on the official servers back in the day, or still do on the emulators, what was your got to profession? Your favourite planet? Or your most frequented cantina? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!