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Hello!
My name is Grant McDaniel, though many of you may know me as “Rogue_5”. I was recently Producer for the Star Wars Galaxies Trials of Obi-Wan expansion, and now I am the Producer for SWG. I have been part of the SWG development team since almost the very beginning back in February 2002.
All along I have been an avid, some may even say extreme, Star Wars fan and collector since the very first film was introduced. I have collected thousands of various Star Wars items and memorabilia including such things as toys, books, replicas, and autographs, and I often spend my free time tracking down unique and rare items for my personal collection.
The best part of being such a devoted Star Wars fan is getting to work on a Star Wars game. There is no other job I could think of that would allow me to indulge my passion and get paid for it. I recognize the strength that this franchise has in terms of fans worldwide and I respect the core values inherent in the brand. For that reason, I am proud to be on the development team and excited about leading the SOE development team into the future.
Going forward, our overall goal this year is to continue to improve our game by focusing on adding content that offers players the best interactive entertainment experience available online today. We are lucky as we already have the greatest entertainment brand to build content around – Star Wars .
To make that goal a reality we will continue to develop compelling Star Wars style adventure content that brings the excitement of the movies alive through in-game missions and story-driven adventures. Additionally, we will be working to further differentiate each of our nine iconic Star Wars professions in the upcoming live publishes. We will start by giving them new abilities and skills, and then access to new things that make each of them unique. Improving our communication is going to be a critical part of achieving this goal. We recognize that our success is determined in large part by our ability to listen to players, ask for feedback, initiate research and stay true to the brand. We want your continued support. Your input is critical to our process and we will continue to bounce ideas off the community, put new content on our Test Centers and probe for your ideas. Together we can take this game to the next level of excitement.
We know we have to earn your loyalty. To that end, this year you will see an increased focus on quality first and a passion for introducing content that brings iconic Star Wars conflicts and characters alive in-game. Like you, we love this brand because of the classic Star Wars adventures it brings to life – Jedi fighting with Lightsabers and Force powers; Bounty Hunters battling with blasters; Commandos and Officers leading raids, Smugglers and Traders offering valuable resources, Spies leading us behind enemy lines and Medics keeping us safe and putting us back in the action or Entertainers engaging us with their artistry. Let's not forget the fun we have in space with the best space combat in the galaxy while dog-fighting in legendary ships like the X-wing, TIE fighter and Millennium Falcon. There is no other Star Wars game that let's players take up residence in the Star Wars universe and play an active role in the ongoing battle between the Empire and the Rebels. This year, our commitment to you is to bring back the spirit of Star Wars with more focus on the “wars”, the characters, the adventures, and battles that hearken back to the movie adventures. We have a lot of fun planned, a lot of quality improvement, and a lot of bug fixing – so get ready for an exciting year that will remind you of why you love SWG .
Feel free to, drop me a line from time to time and let me know how we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you on our boards, the Stratics chats (hint: you might want to tune in to the one coming up this month for some news about an upcoming publish!), and meeting some of you at upcoming events (look for announcements coming soon about the Dev team hitting the road and going on some real-life galactic adventures). Stay with us and keep giving us the benefit of your insights. I look forward to a great year at the helm of a truly great game. The movies may be over but the adventure continues right here!
May the Force be with you!
Grant “Rogue_5” McDaniel, Producer – SOE
Grant "Rogue_5" McDaniel
SOE Producer, Star Wars Galaxies
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