Star Wars Galaxies is a game that gives me warm fuzzy feelings. I started playing when I was 12. I had seen the game one or two years earlier and asked my mom to buy it for me then, but she said I was to young for it. Anyways, I decided to buy it with the money I got for my 12th birthday. My father had gotten me a computer (my first one, that I still use today... just not for gaming, and I had gotten around $200 (all together... I usually ask for just money for my birthday... I like to buy what I want). So I got the game, but once I finally got it installed and updated and logged in for the first time (the new player tutorial area place didn't lag for me, since that is hosted on your computer or w/e), I lagged really, really bad, since I had a dial-up connection.
The first thing I did though was wander around Mos Esily, I had no idea what I was doing. It was late at night (I've always had a sleeping disorder, so my mom had no problem letting me stay up all night) and there wasn't many people on. The server I had chosen was Bloodfin, mostly because it had Blood in it's name and I was 13 years old at the time. Anyways, I was walking about and had no idea what I was doing, but I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to fly, so I walked around, lagging soooo much, getting like .5 FPS and asking in my crappy English for help, and finally I someone answered my plea for help. It was a Jedi, the first Jedi I ever saw in the game (this was back when Jedi's were pretty rare). He led me to the Mos Esily Cantina and showed me the Freelance pilot trainer, and then left. Not know what to do, after a few minutes of trying to figure out what to do, I decided to leave and go to the Starport. While at the Starport I wondered around for a while and finally found the Ticket terminal and purchased a ticket for Coronet, Corellia. Once there, I lagged around for a while and then started to push random keys on the keyboard and found the planet map. And on that map there was a city. I had no idea that it was a player city at the time, I didn't even know there was player cities. The city was called RUFF Jedi Academy. That's when I decided I wanted to be a Jedi.
So, I decided to take out my BARC (a vehicle you got for buying the complete adventure pack or w/e it was called) and drive there. Being a total n00b, I didn't even think about taking a shuttle there. So, I drove there and walked around for a bit and ran into a couple of people. One of the people made me a set of clothes. I thought this was the neatest thing, since the clothes had my characters name in them. And the other sponsored me for membership into the guild.
Long story short, I spent a few months playing as a crafter, postponing my dream of being a Jedi. I decided to become a droid Engineer. So, after a few months, I finally persuaded my mom to upgrade our internet and buy me a new stick of RAM. With that I could actually do combat, that's when I decided to change profession and become a Teri Kasi Master and Creature Handler. After many guild hunting nights on Dantooine, I got to Teri Kasi Master, and then I decided to concentrate on Creature Handler, a few weeks after that, they decided to bring in the New Game Enhancements. So I scrapped Creature Handler (because I wouldn't be able to master it and get to level 80 in time) and go for Commando. I got to master commando a couple of weeks before the NGE hit, fortunately. I say fortunately because a lot of people decided to unlearn their professions thinking that the NGE would reset everyone anyways, so they had to start a lower levels. I played in the NGE for a couple of months and then I started taking breaks from the game, I also spent some time as a council person (Actually, I think they still have me as a council person on the guild website) in the guild council. I had also led the RSS (RUFF Space Squadron) for a time and led the New Jedi Order of Bloodfin, a roleplay group dominated by RUFF members.
In the beginning of the year I decided to come back after one of my breaks and learned that my guild leader for the past few years (And since the creation of RUFF) had died. She died at the age of 60-something... I'm not exactly sure. She and her husband had played since the beginning of the game. She had died on December 21st. I have kinda stopped playing since then. I haven't played in some months.
Anyways, I never forget those day before the NGE. SWG always had something new to offer me everyday in those days, even after months of play. I could probably write a book or two on my experiences in those days xD I will never forget all the fun I had with RUFF too. I hate SOE for the NGE, but love them for the time I got to play in the real SWG, before they screwed up with the NGE. RUFF is still going, probably as strong as ever, so if you ever decide to play SWG, go to the Bloodfin server and join RUFF (a rebel guild). Check out ruffcity.com if you're interested.
I am 16 now.