Nar Shaddaa

Astrological Region: Hutt Space

Allegiance: Neutral; Controlled by the Hutts

Key Facts: Due to the lack of regulation, many corporations conduct testing on Nar Shaddaa.

Overview:

One of the most vibrant and dangerous places in the galaxy, Nar Shaddaa is a sprawling cityscape where nothing comes without a price. Dominated by a black market that caters to every indulgence, the moon has become the ultimate symbol of corruption. The upper levels present an endless parade of glittering neon towers and floating pleasure palaces; no greater concentration of wealth exists across the galaxy. Behind these flashy facades, crime bosses and secret political emissaries make backroom deals that decide the fates of worlds, and as much as both the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire might like to change it, the Hutt Cartel calls the shots.

For all the opulence above, however, an equal level of brutality lies below. The bowels of Nar Shaddaa hide some of the galaxy’s darkest secrets. In the pursuit of advanced technologies, unscrupulous enterprises conduct hazardous experiments on unwilling test subjects and crime lords employ slaves as fodder on industrial assembly lines. Fugitives hide from the law after committing heinous crimes, and prisoners who’ve vanished from all over the galaxy are held in anonymous and inescapable private prisons. Criminal enterprises beyond Hutt control compete for power, as well – foremost among them the Exchange syndicate, the Hutt Cartel’s only genuine rival. While the upper levels of Nar Shaddaa may be one of the most desirable places to visit in the galaxy, the moon’s lower levels are a place which anyone in their right mind would avoid at all costs.

In the distant past, before becoming the Hutts’ showcase, Nar Shaddaa was used as a refugee camp for Evocii driven from Hutta itself. Then again, after the Jedi Civil War 300 years ago, Nar Shaddaa was swarmed with refugees who were used by the criminal Exchange to lure and capture any remaining Jedi. More recently, when the Great War began, it brought ruin to many star systems, but to Nar Shaddaa, it brought only more profit. While other systems were offering allegiance to the Empire or to the Republic, the Hutts controlling Nar Shaddaa realized they could keep their autonomy – and their increased profits – by dealing with both sides. This delicate balancing act has increased the risk of doing business, but it hasn’t deterred competition. The Exchange and the Hutt Cartel have engaged in a winner-takes-all crime war that spans the galaxy but centers on the tiny moon of Nar Shaddaa.

• The World Arc for this planet will obviously entail the feud between The Exchange and the Hutt Cartel, likely a “choose your side” scenario as both sides are neutral crime groups. I expect this moon to be similar in feel to if Coruscant were to be turned into a Las Vegas planet.

Aurebesh:

• This could be me, but I seriously think they were trying as hard as they could this time around to say absolutely NOTHING in the Aurebesh for this moon. The last example specifically exemplifies this point by showing that someone randomly finger pecked the word there just to have something on the page to confuse a translator.
• *UPDATE* It turns out that VRBLTHERS is actually the name of a creature native to Nar Shaddaa, check the link for more information. Thanks mantheycalljayne.

Blood of the Empire: Act II, Chapter IV

*SPOILERS*

Summary:

This begins where the last (somewhat confusing) issue left off, lifting that vale of confusion to reveal that Teneb Kel is in a dream trance of sorts, exploring what was so significant about Lenico. In the process, Kressh reveals the reason the planet held such significance, or one of them at least: it’s where the Emperor learned to transfer himself from body to body, surviving the hundreds of years that he has. Additionally, there was another reason Lenico held importance, regarding the Emperor’s “Children”. Judging by the way Kressh explains it and the images show, that means the Emperor intends to hollow out the minds of his followers, making everyone an extension of his mind and will.

On the other end of the story, we see Maggot and the padawan apprentice discussing their history briefly, and learn that the padawan’s master is out searching for other survivors (likely to find Teneb soon enough). This chapter ends with Teneb Kel trying to escape the dream vision, only to find himself seared by his “guide’s” force lightning, leaving him haplessly prone on the desert ground, smoking from the imaginary electricity.

*END SPOILERS*

New Images:

-Discussion Thread-

Normally referred to as “burnout”, MMO games are particularly known for inducing this state in players due to their large scale and higher requirements of time and effort in order to gain success. MMO burnout is nothing new, but every player has different tolerances. How much you can tolerably invest into a single game varies greatly on your playstyle and attitude toward gaming as a hobby. It depends on how much free time you have compared to how much of that free time you’re spending on games. It depends on how much of your gaming is dedicated to one specific game or type of games. It depends on how you ingest your games: solo, exclusively with online gaming buddies, or with your usual “real life” social circle. It depends on if you’re playing to pass the time or if you’re playing to maintain a competitive presence in the game. The thing is, even the casual, when-I-have-time player can get burned out on a game. You don’t need to be addicted in order to feel like a game is overstaying its welcome or commanding too much of your attention.

Then there’s the loss of social gratification. MMO games are social games, and I firmly believe that an MMO is only as good as the players you’re playing with. Sure, I like to solo, but even soloers interact with the in-game community. Soloers want to trot through Ironforge with their fancy new gear as much as the next guy. Unfortunately, the social aspect of MMOs that makes them so enjoyable can also make them vulnerable to disruptions that are entirely not the fault of the game. If you love a particular MMO but the people you’re used to playing with all move on to a different game, that’s going to affect your enjoyment. If guild drama goes down—as it is often wont to do—then that can seriously make you want to walk away from the entire game. If you like to participate in a particular type of gameplay and your regular group starts to focus on other aspects of the game, then that might leave you adrift and alone. There can be similar rifts that form due to timezone differences, level disparity, server transfers, or mismatched groupings of different playstyles. You might love the people in your guild but—for example—really wish there were some role players for you to interact with. Sure you could look for another guild or group to service that desire, but then you’re not playing with the people you want to play with and it might not be worth playing with strangers to you. And this is all ignoring the obvious social concern mentioned previously, where you might simply wish to spend more face-to-face time with family and friends outside the game. Spouse-aggro is a serious concern and can cause problems in relationships.

So if you want to avoid burnout, then take a break before you become totally disgusted with the game.

Don’t let it get to the point that you can’t stand the look of your in-game avatar before you come up for air a bit. Or better yet, pace yourself to begin with once the initial launch fervor dies down. Another strategy I’ve had some success with is to mix in-game and face-to-face social circles. If you live by people in your guild, hanging out with them in-person can be a good way to shake things up from the old routine. Even if you arrive at your guild-mate’s house only to boot up your laptop and have a LAN party, this changes the social dynamic.

What is really needed to prevent burnout is a combination of in-game events and the ability to put your game into a “holding pattern” when you start to feel the urge to take a short break. In-game events might be as simple as cosmetic changes to the landscape for holidays or might be an elaborate component of the world story that permanently alters the game’s status quo. These events, big and small, provide a sense of a changing world where the player’s actions impact its progress, but more importantly I would argue that they act as a sort of “mixer” for the social component of the game. People show up for the events and interact. They remember epic PvP battles or cool limited-availability quests. It provides a structure or glue that keeps the game fresh and keeps the community together. In-game support for what amounts to taking a vacation from the game would also be useful for keeping players engaged who may have something else they want to do for a time. Such a system would have to include a gameplay component, a progression component, and a pricing component that all lessen the negative impact of stepping away from the game for a bit. Essentially, the concept of “rested XP” applied to all aspects of the game. This would benefit the player by fending off the “feels like a job” syndrome and would benefit the developer because it wouldn’t require the player to outright quit the game in order to take their sabbatical. It’s much easier to keep a player—perhaps by offering subscription credit if your playtime drops under a particular level for the month—than to try and to convince them to renew a subscription once they’ve made the decision to quit.

A plethora of mini-games, alternate gameplay such as TOR‘s space content, and general distractions from the core gameplay of the game can also prevent fatigue from setting in. Sometimes all you need to avoid burnout is to stop raiding for a week and focus on the pazaak tables in the local cantina instead.

• Discussion: “Don’t Be Surprised If You Need a Vacation“