The trilogy’s Millennium Falcon. KOTOR’s Ebon Hawk. These weren’t just vehicles shuttling folks to and fro in the Star Wars universe — they were as much of a locale as any planet or base that our heroes visited. We got to know the inner workings of these freighters, and grew to love them for all their blocky, chunky, low-tech hominess.
I might have mentioned this before, but I sincerely hope that The Old Republic not only institutes player housing upon launch, but that the housing is a player’s ship. The more I played through KOTOR again, the more I love this concept, because it really does work on a MMO level:
- It solves the problem of “How do we move players from planet to planet without resorting to Star Wars Galaxies’ shuttle system?” by handing players permanent transport and leaving it up to them to use it.
- The acquisition of your own ship would be a HUGE carrot that could be dangled in front of you as the culmination of your starter planet’s quests. It would also serve to keep players on that starter planet until the story progresses enough that the game would allow players to branch out.
- If BioWare is unwilling or unable to institute space combat upon launch, handing players spaceships that they can at least use in some degree, if only as a pseudo-automated subway system, would be appeasing.
- You could be able to obtain new ships (more carrots!), and customize the inside of your ship (housing decorations), as well as equip your ship with workbenches (crafting) and other practical items.
- It would give you a place to stash NPC companions that you don’t need at the time.
- You could give a friend a lift on your ship and let them check out what you’ve done with the place.
- Some quests could even start from your ship, and use your ship in various ways as a private instance (perhaps you’re boarded and have to repel invaders, etc.).
- If space combat was ever added to the game, you could possibly equip your ship with weapons to participate.
See? When the ideas just kind of… flow like that, you know it’s a concept at least worth checking out. I want to have a “home” in TOR, and I really hope BioWare sees fit to give me one.
