Hyperspace Beacon: This is the toughest choice in Star Wars Galaxies Legends

I’m Larry, and I’m an altoholic. (Pauses for everyone to say “Hi, Larry.”) The toughest part of any game for me is which class to choose when starting out. Star Wars Galaxies after the NGE, which is what Legends is, made everyone make that choice right up front. Given that many of the classes play the same in the beginning, knowing which class you will ultimately like was impossible after only an hour or so of gameplay. As the game progressed, it offered class-change vendors to players, but that didn’t make the initial choice less difficult.

Thankfully, I have two things working in my favor this time around. First, I have played through all the classes before. Eight years ago, when the game shut down, I knew many of the classes like the back of my hand. But it has been eight years, so I am going to be rusty starting out on this adventure. Secondly, the choice isn’t up to me. The choice is up to you.

I’ve decided to roleplay these choices just a bit. Instead of giving you a bland choice between gender, species, and class, I’m going to give you seven characters to choose from. “But Larry, there are nine classes and 10 species. Why only seven?” you might ask. Well, I don’t want to play a Twi’lek because they are far too common and uninteresting to me anymore, Rodians are gross, and I’ll play a Bothan on my own time. Plus, I felt that the classes of Entertainer and Trader play so different from the other seven that they deserved their own spotlight. In other words, I will get to them later, too. On to the choices…

A Trandoshan Jedi

SWG Legends is set in the time between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, so I understand that Jedi really aren’t a thing because of the purge. But let me put a twist on this character that might make this work.

Our Trandoshan was just a kid when Darth Vader and Imperial troops invaded the home of Kento Marek. His parents were slavers looking to capture up some of the Wookiee refugees for profit after the defeat of the Marek family. Being a curious Dosh, our character discovered a lightsaber and other small artifacts that the Jedi Kento and his wife had taken with them to use to teach their son Galen. Since they wouldn’t need them anymore, our Dosh took them. Maybe he could use them to gain more jagannath points and please the Scorekeeper.

A Wookiee Bounty Hunter

Let’s not say that this Wookiee is a traitor to her own people, but she kind of is. Her entire life, she has seen Wookiees work together with the Old Republic and the Jedi. She has seen them give their lives over to people who do not deserve it because of a misplaced belief in a Life Dept. She is done with all of that. She works for herself and herself alone. Do you want a criminal captured? Sure. Is a farming neighbor bothering you? She’ll take care of it. Capture or kill, it’s all the same to her as long as she’s making the credits.

An Ithorian Smuggler

Mother Jungle would want us to do as much for ourselves as we could, right? After all, what is good for one Ithorian is good for the whole herd. As long as no one gets hurt in the process, then we can transport these packages for a Hutt. We don’t need to know what’s inside; in fact, it’s better that we don’t even ask. Now the Rebellion wants some packages delivered over Imperial lines. Fine. We can do that, too, but we still don’t want to know what we’re transporting.

A Human Officer

Women in the Imperial Army are treated just like any other conscripted soldier: trash. Being a soldier means that you serve the Galactic Empire without question. Imperial soldiers have a job to do. It might be dirty sometimes, but the greater good is at stake here. These senators and rebellious planets just don’t know all the good the Empire is doing. And after the Rebellion thoughtlessly snuffed out millions of Imperial lives when it destroyed the Death Star, it’s time that it paid for its crimes.

An Iridonian Commando

This Iridonian doesn’t care about your war or anyone else’s war. She answers the call of Mandalor. It might be strange for someone not human to find a place with the Mandalorians, especially after already receiving her jato, but a family isn’t the people you’re born to. A family takes you in and accepts you for who you are. And our Iridonian found a place among her aliit. Rumors say that Mand’alor Fenn Shysa started guerilla strikes against the Empire on Mandalore. That sounds like just the kind of work our Mando would enjoy.

A Sullustan Spy

Seriously, a Sullustan is the most unassuming creature in the galaxy except for maybe a Squib. Most of the time they are sidekicks or bartenders or co-pilots. No one thinks that he might be working for Empire, especially after his homeworld practically handed the Empire to the Rebellion. This new Rebel Alliance is unstable and just as corrupt as the Empire. The Empire are the only people who can make good on the promise of future business. In fact, Corporate Proclamation 137d was the best thing to happen to Sullust in years. Who cares if the chairman of Sorosuub was imprisoned? Sullust is better for it.

A Mon Calamari Medic

He loves Dac, but he can’t go back. He’s fought the war against the Quarren too long, and now to see Imperial warships patrolling his home is far too much for him. But that doesn’t mean that he will not fight. The Rebel Alliance made the call, and he answered. His skill with a blaster and bacta will certainly come in handy. Wherever the Alliance needs him, he will go. And maybe, just maybe, when Dac is freed, he will have it in his heart to return.

Your choice!

Which of these characters do you like best? It’s not just their story that I’m interested in playing out; I’m also interested in exploring them as a combat class again. It’s been a while since I’ve played the game, and I will have to get used to playing these classes again. Be it the species, story, or class, let me know which you’d like to see me play for the next few weeks. Just like the last poll, this poll will stay live until Friday night so that I have the weekend to dive into the game.

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Every other week, Larry Everett jumps into his T-16 back home, rides through the hypergates of Star Wars online games, and posts his adventures in the Hyperspace Beacon. Drop him a holocom on Twitter @Shaddoe or send him a transmission at larry@massivelyop.com. Now strap yourself in, kid — we gotta make the jump to hyperspace!