A wounded shuttle pilot runs into an Imperial base. He is exhausted and calls out to those loyal to the Emperor to help. His shuttle has been shot down and an Imperial General is in danger of being captured by the Rebels.

In another part of the galaxy a Stormtrooper searching for Rebel sympathizers begins to interrogate citizens in a cantina. As his questions get more direct a blaster bolt pierces the air dropping him to the ground. His Rebel killers stand over him as he broadcasts a call for reinforcements. Soon the square is filled with Stormtroopers and the Rebels must fight their way though them.

These are examples of the dynamic live events being run by the SWG Events Team. Live events are short missions directly controlled by one or more Event Coordinators (at time they were called Digiteers). Since the live events began, hundreds have been run at random times and places across all of the servers.

These events are designed to be generated on the fly by a single Event Coordinator and are relatively quick and easy to run. By creating events that are simple and fun, Coordinators are able to have the event and then quickly move on to the next server to maximize their efforts.

Even though live events are rare and only affect a small percentage of the players (so far), they still have a good cost/benefit ratio. In the scheme of things, live events take up a very small percentage of the Event Team's daily schedule. Some of the team even run events from home or after scheduled work hours because they are as fun for us as the players who participate in them. By being able to run events by hand, we are able to tailor it to the strength of the people who are there.  It's also good to be able to lend a certain amount of uncertainty to the game from time to time.

Some of the live events will also act as a testing ground for missions. If an event works well and is enjoyable it may be converted into permanent content spawned by the game instead of by the Events Team. It can be much easier to try things out dynamically then to try to code them in. The goal is to keep doing new events and working to integrate some of the previously run ideas into the game.

Live Event Scenarios
Below is a short description of two of the live events players might run into.

"The Rescue"
In this scenario the pilot of an Imperial shuttle stumbles into an Imperial enclave seeking help. His shuttle has been shot down and a General in danger of being captured. Players are asked to help in the rescue. Once a sizable group has been formed they head to the crash to find a Lambda Class Shuttle being attacked by wave after wave of Rebel commandos. The players must keep the General alive despite the seemingly unending stream of Rebels. As the last picture in this series shows, the General does not always make it.

"Imperial Shakedown"
This event is designed to help set the mood of life under Imperial rule. It begins with an Imperial Stormtrooper entering a Rebel heavy area. He questions the citizenry and is (typically) fired upon immediately by Rebels.  Soon the whole area is swarmed with Stormtroopers and support equipment. The firefight can last for anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the opposition from the Rebels. There is also an alternative version of this mission where Rebel commandos attack a mostly Imperial city.

These firefights can last anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the opposition from the Rebels.

Badges

Not a live event, per se, but another task the Event Coordinators have when online is handing out a number of "Accolade" badges. These are badges that are only handed out by Event Coordinators (not CSR's, so stop asking them) for various player activities. Currently badges are rare occurrences, given out by hand by the team. These are definitely rare items that require the player to be in the right place at the right time.

Some of the badges include:

• Accolade: Interesting Bio: The Bio badge is given out when a Coordinator sees a player bio that is well written, interesting or different. This is the easiest badge to hand out because of the ease of examining player character.
• Accolade: Brave Soldier: The Brave Soldier badge is given out to players who distinguish themselves in factional conflicts (PvP or PvE). Players who participate the "The Rescue" live event receive badges (even the Rebels who show up to hinder the Imperials). 
• Accolade: Professional Demeanor: The Professional Demeanor badge is for players who distinguish themselves in their chosen profession. This could be merchants, entertainers, bounty hunters, etc. This badge is a bit harder to discern and hand out. After all, it's hard to see if someone is a good merchant just by running up to them! 
• Accolade: Interesting Personage: The Personage badge is for role-playing. If one of the Coordinators interacts with someone who role-plays well, they can get one of these badges. After all, role-playing helps set the scene for the whole game and adds the "Star Wars" feeling. 
• Accolade: Good Samaritan: The Good Samaritan badge is for players who help other players in the game. These are people who have the "Helper" tag above their names and work to explain the game to newcomers, assist players with quests or other good public deeds.

Players lucky enough to receive a badge or attend a dynamic live event always have fun. It's certainly not expected. There are many ideas on track for live events (Life Day anyone?) and we look forward to running them. If you happen to fall into one, play along and maybe even roleplay. If you do, you'll end up having a fun experience you can brag about to your friends.

Good luck and may the Force be with you!

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