Commando Archive

Most of you don't know me. I seldom post and have only posted a couple of times on the Commando forum. But since day one (Ibegan my Star Wars life2 weeks after SWG's release),I started reading this forum. It helped me achieve my dream of becoming a Master Commando, and I needed all the help I could get because of RL duties preventing me from being a "power gamer". I achieved that dream in November of 2003 and seriously took on the role of Master Commando, Defender of Justice and proud Rebel of the Galaxy.

I met a group of people that seemed to have the same goals and play style as myself and joined their guild. We each helped one another level in our chosen professions and all found our own unique nitch that seemed to suit us individually and add to the the balance of our guild. At first I was ecstatic to be a commando and felt I was contributing to theguild and members in the guild. Then as the nerf bat began to swing and I became less and less useful in PVP and finally in PVE, I found myself dreading to log in and play. My guild mates sensed my reluctance to play and my depression about the state of the commando profession and began to slowly make suggestions about other things I might try. They were at a loss as what to say or how to encourage me because they knew how much it had meant to me to finally make Master Commando.

After about 2 months of erratically logging in, checking harvesters and putting things on the bazaar and then aimlessly wandering around for a few minutes avoiding friends and guild members hunting or pvping, I'dtry to think of what else I'd like to do. I usuallycame up emptyand then I would log out. I began to wonder why I was paying SOE $15 a month and if my money would be better spent elsewhere on another MMORPG.

Then I would remember my friends, how excited I'd been about the release of the game and vowed I stick it out and wait for the combat balance to make my chosen role as Commando useful again.

Last week after having been away for a few days on business, I logged in and received a tell from a guild mate asking me if I'd heard the latest about the combat balance delay. He then began pressuring me to seriously consider dropping commando and picking up a new master profession and completely redesigning my template. Before when this had been broached, I always mentally went UGH! What about all the time and effort I had spent achieving my goal? This time I listened. First thing I did was begin reading the forums of a couple of other professionsthat had interested me before I had settled on Commando.To my surprisethe posts on these forums were uplifting. The people really enjoyed what they were doing and there were very few complaints. Their professions for the most part worked! Wonder of wonders.

So I began to work on my newtemplate, fencer/rifleman. Little by little Idropped my scouting skills and concentrated on leveling up to novice fencer. Last night I achieved novice fencer and inorder to train had to drop Master commando (tear). Eventually I will drop everything except the FT tree and even possibly that as I define my new template.

Star Wars means many differentthings to many people. The bottom line for me was being useful to my guild and feeling like I had something valuable and worthwhile to offer those I came to see and play with daily. Last but by no means least, being depressed about your SWG profession is for the birds. I don't live my RLlife like that. Why in the world (or should I say galaxy) would I want to live my leisure game playing time like that.

I'll check back in from time to time, to see if the same posters are posting how upset/sad/angry/depressed/indignant etc. they are or if they too have decided to move on, either to new professions or new MMORPGs. Or perhaps they'll still be here posting to Garvin about what TH meant by this or that, or when should they or could they expect some improvements in their game playing time.

Good luck to all. May you live your dreams.

China Lightmoon (XWA)