This is the one rift in the timeline I doubt too many would complain about - even if it WAS shot in Lego format:

R.I.P. Jeff Freeman: 1968-2008

I happened upon this and knew many people would take interest. Some of you may want to know, and many are aware he was a developer for Star Wars Galaxies. At times he was also the figurehead/scapegoat for some of the game's modification: unfair as those accusations were.


http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/posts/list.m?topic_id=756313

[link since defunct]

His brother got word out via a variety of MMO forums:

"Some of you know who Jeff Freeman was; he was the lead designer at Sony when the major changes were made to SWG that left so many upset. Although it was not his fault he took the brunt of the criticisms, attacks, and even death threats.

Some of you may have even known him back in the UO days as Dundee, Guild Master of the Nameless Ones on Lake Superior and later the administrator of the private UO server World of Dreams.

I am not sure why I have chosen this forum to share this news; it may be that I would have loved to see Jeff build the game that he really wanted to, if he was running a private server. You see I am his brother. On September 24th Jeff took his own life. I am not angry at him or anyone else, sad yes, like so many others I feel a bit of guilt but I love my brother and I am thankful that he is no longer suffering."

Obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/news-journal/obituary.aspx?n=jeff-freeman&pid=118224322

Some additional links and places to find food for thought...

Tribute/eulogy by Raph Koster:

http://www.raphkoster.com/2008/09/30/jeff-dundee-freeman

Article via Escape Magazine:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/86552-Jeff-Freeman-Former-SWG-Lead-Gameplay-Designer-Dies

EDIT:
Sadly, it seems his blog has gone defunct since his death. I was hoping someone tried to preserve it somehow, but alas. Maybe his brother was able to archive some of this, but I have no clue as of now.
Let me know if there's info.

On a related note, his "memory book" has expired as well. It takes paltry amount to keep it open forever: as is $80US. That is less than most people spend to play the average MMO for a year.

Soon(tm) - Defined

Did you know "Soon" was actually trademarked by Sony Online Entertainment?  Tongue-and-cheek as it was written (to goof on/with gamers who need[n't] to be given satisfactory answers), here is a quote from the SOE Knowledge Database:

Question:  When, exactly, is soon? Answer:  When will <whatever> be back/available/up/open/updated/fixed/installed/removed/nerfed/un-nerfed/patched/rolled back/instituted/upgraded/borked/published/resolved/ and/or generally Made Better™? Soon™: A broadly generic description of a length of time between now and the fruition of a promise made by the developers of computer software, especially online gaming software. Before being trademarked, the term 'Soon' was much more meaningful, indicating that the event to which the adverb is applied is to happen in the near future. After the trademark was applied to the term, however, any sense of urgency or immediacy that the term 'Soon' once carried was tossed aside in favor of a term that would serve only to torture the readers of the term, usually subscribers to online gaming forums, hence Soon™. An enhancement to the term Soon™ was made shortly after, and became known as Very Soon™, also trademarked. Very Soon™ is generally first used by game developers when they realize that they can no longer get away with using the term Soon™ while maintaining a straight face. Very Soon™, however, is not accepted by the gaming public much more favorably than its root, Soon™,as neither term means much at all to gamers who have been waiting patiently for the promised event to arrive. There is also the recent addition of "Soonish™" which is generally only used by GM's in chat channels on patch days after being asked 498 times "When will the servers be up?".

http://help.station.sony.com/cgi-bin...N2PSZwX3NlYXJj
[Link down - possibly due to SWG closing or losing a sense of humor.]

Etch-a-Sketch art

Says it all, doesn't it?

To see around 200 Etch-A-Sketch images from this person, follow the link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/etchasketchist/1261142321
(caution: this was the only Star Wars one I was aware of)

Jivaro brief intro

The galaxy is in a time of conflict. Friends have turned against one another, and twisted alliances have been forged. People have disappeared: some may return; while others are spoken of as dead altogether.


I have seen it all - or at least as much as an individual can in this galaxy. The whispered words of the Rebellion have officially come to fruition. The rumored "Death Star" space station had annihilated a planet; only to be destroyed itself a short time later.


The swift and daring maneuvers of those heroic pilots sent shock waves across the planets: figuratively and literally. This major dent in the Empire's control has caused great unrest on virtually every planet. The Galactic Civil War is visibly raging on - the full effect being focused on three planets in particular: Corellia, Tatooine, and Naboo. Most cities are now in a constant state of flux; factional banners are hung several times a day in order to keep civilians aware of which side dominates their planet.


So why am I corresponding this message to you now?


I have been urged by many people to recount past and current encounters of the ten planets and moons I have visited thus far; as well as share some of my "photo album" of various scenes and events. I had an archive of much older photos, but something had corrupted those files. One day I hope to have the information extracted and granted back to me.


Because of such issues, as well as my own memory, I apologize in advance for these postings not exactly being in chronological order. If it is possible to arrange these items, please let me know. I will appreciate any feedback given to me: as well as any questions or suggestions.


I am a milkrunner, information broker, and negotiator. My official "home" is Solaria - a city on the planet (or rather moon) of Rori: in the Starsider galaxy. Anyone is free to look me up at any time. Feel free to ask around about me. I am sure many people have their own stories they can relate.

Star Wars: A Brief History of Star Wars Video Games

Know your roots, kiddies...

From the 2600 to Legoland...this is a fun article to enlighten or remind people about Star Wars in the gaming world.

http://io9.com/365272/a-brief-history-of-star-wars-video-games
 

The mishmash and hodgepodge files of Jivaro Qel-Jairus

This is a ramshackle of a place where people can take an inside look of Jivaro of Starsider; Star Wars Galaxies.

Intended to be a compilation of thoughts, encounters, and stories from my POV - this will hopefully be as entertaining as informative and insightful. Between images; stories; mini-guides; suggestions, there will be a wide scope to select from.

As an eternal scout who played SWG since beta, I have a wealth of information which I am always willing to impart in the vein of helping.

So drop a line or ask any question about the game and I'll try to answer it in a future post.