Since its debut, Star Wars Galaxies? has become an engaging window into that far-away galaxy for thousands of avid online gamers. Through the massively multiplayer role-playing game, a player creates a unique character in the Star Wars galaxy, and interacts with other player-characters in real-time in a vivid computer-generated 3-D environment. These characters work, play, fight, adventure and live the Star Wars life in a way never before possible.
Such a mix of characters and scenery makes for a rich source of storytelling potential. This December, Del Rey Books will publish an original novel inspired by Star Wars Galaxies.
Voronica Whitney-Robinson is the author of the book, and helping keep her tale true to the spirit and details of the online universe was Haden Blackman, Producer for Star Wars Galaxies. A fellow Star Wars-scribe, Blackman has penned a number of Star Wars comics tales and, most recently, The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels.
"Voronica certainly drove the plot, but I was involved to ensure that we were going to the planets that were most interesting in the game, and that we were interacting with in-game characters," he says. "I helped guide her in that specific content, so that the characters in the books are doing things similar to what players would be doing."
Obviously, the planet Dantooine figures prominently in the book, and it?s a key world in the game. Beyond settings, though, there are a number of non-player characters from the game that the heroes of the book will meet. "Nym, who is an alien pirate we developed for Star Wars: Starfighter, is in the game. Also, the characters in the book interact with Princess Leia in a similar way that players would: finding her in a Rebel base on Corellia, and getting new information and a mission from her."
It?s even possible that some players may spot their own game contributions in the novel. "The book highlights not only the content we provided, but also things the player community has developed as well," says Blackman. For instance, one enterprising player took advantage of the game?s creature dynamics, which allow players to control creatures and command them to attack other creatures. "One player actually did that in conjunction with the opening of his own casino in the game, so when he opened, he had this big tournament that he invited everyone to," recounts Blackman. "Voronica took that idea and ran with it, and I think it?s one of the first scenes in the book."
Such interaction between novelist and game producer results in creative cross-pollination. Gamers who have read the novel will be familiar with certain elements that will eventually work their way back into the game. The main characters of the novel, Dusque Mistflier and Finn Darktrin, will appear in the game as non-player characters. "If you read the novel, you?ll know their back-story and their history, and that will make the missions they give you and the interactions you have with them a little more significant," says Blackman.
He also hints at another element from the novels making an appearance. "In the novel, I suggested that she put in a mutant version of a creature we have in the game, and we?re actually going to take that idea and run with it. We?ll introduce that creature -- the mutant version of it -- in the game."
Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine comes out in December from Del Rey Books.
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