SWTOR: BioWare, we need server mergers

SWTOR needs server merges. 

Yesterday around 4:45 p.m. EST, 11 players were on the Republic Fleet and 100 on the Imperial Fleet. Yes, other players were on other planets, their ships and other locations, but 11 is still a horrible number for that time of day. The server I play on isn’t one of the smaller ones, either.

The players need server merges just as much as BioWare does. There’s no way to balance out the number of Republic and Empire players. More people play Empire, especially Sith Inquisitors it seems. As Star Wars fans know, the Dark Side is more seductive. Force Lightening looks cooler. Chocking someone in the Force creates a Darth Vader moment. Quite frankly, the imbalance doesn’t matter. Huttball makes the PVP queues more bearable for the abundant Empire players, as they can play themselves. 

It’s incredibly difficult to find a group for a Flashpoint or a full PVP during certain points of the day due to the sheer lack of players per server. Not only do group activities suffer, but also the Galactic Trade Market. Finding gear, mods and other items is an incredible challenge when nothing is up for sale. 

BioWare needs to merge the servers before they lose more players. The key aspect of MMORPG is the interactions with other people. While the game needed more servers back at launch, this is no longer the case. Trim the numbers down. 

Weekend evenings see more players logged on both sides. It’s the rest of the time that suffers the greatest. Players want to see scads of features, like dungeon finder and cross-server PVP, but none contains the urgency like server merges do. 

Some players reroll characters on other servers. Many of us don’t want to redo the entire class story and that should not be necessary. As customers, it’s not our job to find workarounds for such an issue. Playing guess what server contains a high amount of players on a regular basis is frustrating, pointless and annoying. Players needed to redo the same classes repeatedly just to interact more with other players will not keep current players or attract new ones. 

Server merges benefit everyone. The players aren’t scrambling for others. BioWare eradicates the risk of losing subscriptions due to frustrated customers leaving because there aren’t enough people online. It will take a bit of tech time, but in the end, it can only improve the gameplay experience.

Zahn's Han Solo novel has a name: Scoundrels

Timothy Zahn's much-anticipated Han Solo novel has a title: Scoundrels. EW. com has the cover art for all to see. The cover art features Han, Chewbacca and Lando.

EW.com

The release still stands at Dec. 26, as mentioned in the Random House catalog.

Troy Denning talks the Jacen Solo era, writing and more on Apocalypse book tour

Fate of the Jedi Apocalypse is the end of the Jacen Solo era, according to Troy Denning.

I’d never thought of the books like that and still don’t. Denning said it started in the Dark Nest Trilogy, which he said was Jacen’s personal journey. Legacy of the Force was his social journey and Fate of the Jedi was Jacen’s spiritual journey. This coincides with how Denning writes his own books. 

I’m still not sure what I think about this. I see the mechanics and the overall arc, but I don’t know. I’ll have to think on it some more.

I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived at the Barnes and Noble in Carmel, Ind. for the second stop on the Apocalypse book tour. Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, two Rogues (one man and one woman), a Sith cheerleader, Rebel officer and other types of troopers stood in the front of the store like some type of guard. I picked up my copy of the book, received a wristband and found a seat in the metal chairs by the magazines. The evening started with a chat by Denning and then a question and answer session. The questions spanned Denning’s work and writing.

When it comes time to write a series, the authors, editors, marking and continuity folks meet to discuss the details. Denning stated that each author has a list of plot points for the book he is to write. He used Star by Star as an example, as he was sure no one would be spoiled (he hates spoilers). Anakin Solo dies and Coruscant falls made the list. 

Regarding the writing process for FotJ, Denning said, “We don’t share much in the process of writing.” It messes with the momentum. He did point out that they did share a little more of the Ben and Vestara scenes. 

Denning pointed out something about the editorial staff and writers that I think captures the feelings of some fans. There’s a certain push for war stories. 

“Ended [Apocalypse] in a way to open up a million different kinds of stories,” Denning stated. As for the title itself, he said it fits the current state of the EU. The old EU we all knew is evolving into something new. 

And that’s a good thing.

A question arose about the Legacy comics and if Denning and the others felt pressure from the events. While there’s a good chance that the books will eventual lead to that point, Denning stated that the authors and editorial staff are “trying to make the journey of how we get there interesting.”

He used the example of Jagged Fel, whom the Legacy comics revealed to be an emperor. There are things they want Jag to do before that happens.

For the record, Denning said that he didn’t know if he’d be involved or what was happening next in the EU.

As with most author talks, the subject turns to writing. The main piece of advice he had to give was, “It’s easier to fix it than do it right the first time.” It’s very true. Becoming bogged down in details and worrying if something is correct can ruin the stream of creativity. Yes, writers need to be aware of major details, but it’s not necessary to stop every few minutes to check previous pages. 

Everyone needs an editor. Denning’s wife looks at his first drafts. He said that he finished Tatooine Ghost (the “chick book” he wouldn’t normally write) three weeks before the deadline, handed it to his wife and she told him to tell them he’d be late. One of the issues was an overuse of Chewbacca to the point where he was practically in Han and Leia’s bedroom. The reason for his constant appearance was that it was the first time Chewie’d appeared in a book after his death in Vector Prime.

Writer’s block is something we’ve all encountered. Countless writers offer various reason and ways to beat back the beast. 

According to Denning, writer’s block occurs when a person is “really not prepared to write.” After he said it, I realized that there was some truth to that. While I don’t think it’s true all of the time (especially regarding news articles), the lack of inspiration or ideas is the root cause of many cases of writer’s block. 

Overall, I’d consider the evening rather informative. His “chick book” remark was rather off-putting and a cause for concern. It was clear that he has a passion for Star Wars, especially Han and Leia. 

Now to read Apocalypse to see how Denning’s latest entry into the EU is. 

Check out the video of his talk here:

 Huge thanks to my husband for recording it.

SWTOR Review: Jedi Knight class story wavers, but ends strong

End shot, sans Scourge

Nadia, my Jedi Knight, ended her class story standing with the rest of the crew in front of Grand Master Satele Shan and a grateful crowd. In a moment that was pure A New Hope, T7 booped, applause rang through the ship and there the heroes stood. The only thing missing was the first notes we’ve heard after the credits countless times. 

Instead, the quest acceptance box popped up and the Jedi Knight class story came to a close. 

While leveling my Jedi Knight, I ran with my husband’s Jedi Consular. We’d do class story quests together, so I’ve seen a good chunk of the Consular. Of the two Jedi classes, the Knight is much more militaristic and action-packed. Though the Consular must defeat his own share of enemies and Sith, the Jedi Knight seemed to have more such missions. Given the roles, it makes sense. Ultimately, these differences in class story can act as a strong indication of which Jedi a person wants to play. 

Solved puzzle in Temple

By Act Three, it’s clear what Nadia’s final task will be: facing the Sith Emperor. On the way to the throne room, I had to choose whether to save a member of the crew or leave him. I choose save, much to Lord Scourge’s massive dislike (he has almost -1000 affection towards Nadia). T7 is the only companion the Jedi Knight can take on the final mission because the Emperor can't influence a droid. (So make sure to upgrade T7's gear). Immediately the fight reminded me of the Force phantoms Lumiya created in Betrayal. The confrontation is a satisfying end, but the final dialogue options with the Emperor seemed skewed with Light/Dark points. I chose the Light Side option and earned 50 points. Given the Dark Side option, it seems as if the decision warranted more than 50 points. Generally speaking, there are far less Light Side point options than Dark. 

The Jedi Knight contains a consistent military tone to it. It’s very common solider, right in the middle of everything. It felt very “Star Wars.” I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to feel as if they are on the front lines. 

While watching the Consular story, I was constantly reminded of Obi-Wan. Earning the Master title much earlier than the Jedi Knight, the position on the Jedi Council, the negotiating, it’s all there. The Consular drips Obi-Wan (if played completely Light) like the Smuggler bleeds Han Solo. The Consular heals and saves. 

Blocking the Emperor's attacks

Most of the final confrontations for the varying planet storylines are roughly the same. A bit of variety with the fight mechanics would have been nice to see. If it were a group event, the term “tank and spank” comes to mind. Those fights were always nice in World of Warcraft after dealing with a raid boss with a nasty quirk. 

My only major complaint is occurs when the crew works to capture the Emperor. The Jedi falls to the Dark Side. There’s no option to avoid it. The Emperor invades the mind and influences horrible acts that are never revealed. BioWare also doesn’t say how long the Jedi Knight is in the Emperor’s clutches. 

This story point isn’t right. The option should exist to allow players to try to trick those around her that she’s fallen; only she hasn’t. The Jedi is now tainted and there’s not a thing a player can do about it. The only point, it seems, is to push Dark Side favoritism. The move was so out of character it was ridiculous. 

Aside from that incident, the Jedi Knight storyline is quite enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone wanting to feel like Anakin Skywalker, Jaina Solo, Corran Horn and other Jedi warriors.

SWTOR: Reaching level 50

I hit 50 today.

I’ll be honest; the most exciting part about hitting max level wasn’t seeing my level change. It was that I could put the purple crystal that’s been burning a hole in my inventory for a few days into the slot on my lightsaber. I still have to finish Corellia and the Jedi Knight class quest. 

It was my goal to have a purple lightsaber as a Jedi Knight long before I ever made Nadia. I’ve always liked the purple lightsaber, first introduced via Jaina Solo. The purple lightsaber seems sleeker than the blue or green, for some reason. 

At first, I’d heard that only the Sith could have purple. Then, a person in the guild mentioned that he thought a world boss dropped it. A couple days ago, BioWare added in some crystals that players could purchase with their hard-earned credits. The vendor selling these crystals will disappear at the 1.2 patch. There’s a white crystal, too. I haven’t seen anyone with that yet. It costs a couple million credits. 

I was on Corellia, waiting for my husband to arrive with his Jedi Consular so we could start questing. He opened up a trade window upon arrival and there it was a purple lightsaber crystal. It sat in my bags, waiting. As a side note, I did have the credits for it and planned to purchase the coveted item when I returned to the fleet. The funny thing is that the crystal is a great gift. 

Nadia’s all decked out in a new chest piece (so long, caped crusader) and new boots. She’s not wearing a hood anymore. I’d forgotten exactly what her hairstyle was. I haven’t seen it for around 40 levels. 

I plan to try to finish the class story this weekend. Until then, you can find me running around the warzones with a purple blade.

Han Solo book hitting shelves Winter 2012 and other book news

According to the Star Wars Books Facebook page, Timothy Zahn's Han Solo book will hit shelves in Winter 2012. Dare I say that 2012 is going to be a good year for EU fans?

In addition to that, Drew Karpyshyn is working on another SWTOR novel title Annihilation.

From the Facebook page post:

Republic agent Theron Shan and his Twi’lek compadre, Teff’ith (from Dark Horse Comics’ STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: THE LOST SUNS) must contend with a Sith Empire counter-attack against the Republic, spearheaded by the lethal apprentice of Darth Malgus. Satele Shan and Jace Malcolm co-star in what will be a fast-paced and tension-fraught tale based on the award-winning video game from BioWare and LucasArts.

 Unfortunately, the book news isn't all good. The Nomi Sunrider novel was cancelled, ruining a fantastic opportunity to see a woman lead.

Movie Review: The Phantom Menace 3D

There’s nothing quite like hearing the 20^th Century Fox music in surround sound in a movie theater. The Lucasfilm logo follows and then the first chord of the fantastic work of John Williams blares through the speakers. A certain chill goes through the air. The yellow text scrolls up the screen. No matter how many times I’ve read the scroll for The Phantom Menace, I read it again. 

There’s just something about watching Star Wars on the big screen. My husband and I went to see The Phantom Menace on Friday during the afternoon. The theater gave us a pair of Darth Maul 3D glasses. The collector in me would have liked to receive one pair of Maul and one pair of Anakin’s racing goggles, but I’m not complaining. 

During the movie itself, I was constantly aware of the 3D element, which presented itself the clearest during close-up shots. The 3D, as it is in all 3D films, was distracting. The only upside to the new format was how bright the colors were. We saw this with the Blu-Ray, so it wasn’t anything new. The 3D was better than other films, but it’s still not worth it. 

I don’t like being aware of 3D while watching it. While it’s important to notice that it’s there. It shouldn’t be distracting or annoying. Even though Lucas’s 3D was much more tolerable to the eyes than others, I still experienced eye strain. 

I’d rather watched the movie in 2D once again rather than waste money on 3D. It wasn’t an option. In the small area I live in, the theater is eight screens and something must be a mega blockbuster to earn another screen. The other movies theaters closed years ago due to lack of business. 

The best part about the Star Wars movies coming out in theaters again is simply that we fans can enjoy them once again on the big screen. It brings back feelings of awe and wonder. It’s also a great way for new fans to experience the Saga. For this reason alone, I’ll go see the others—even if I have to view the 3D. 

After viewing TPM once again, I think that the story is pretty solid. It’s a good foundation for what lies ahead. I discussed the plot last week, so I won’t repeat it.

The movie was fourth in the domestic box office. That’s not bad at all for re-release. The Vow beat it, but it was also the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Plenty of people were going on the weekend for the holiday. I’m not sure what Lucas was deem “successful.” 

With the rest of the Saga, I hope that more theaters can show it in 2D so that the fans who can’t watch 3D won’t miss out on the experience. We all need to see Darth Vader say, “Luke, I am your father” on the big screen again.

My Star Wars Love Story

I met my husband through the Star Wars fan website, TheForce.net. 

We both wrote fan fiction on the site boards. He was an Anakin/Padme writer and I usually stayed in Beyond, occasionally straying into the Saga era. I was aware of his user name and work, but never had spoken to him about anything on a personal level. 

One Saturday morning in Fall 2005, shortly before I had to leave for work, I received an IM from him. He introduced himself and complemented one of my horrible stories. It was awful. I admit. I started writing fan fiction in eighth grade. I have my share of horribly written stories from years ago, like many other writers.

Anyway, we started talking. He was curious about the EU. We talked online often until we eventually fell for one another. As they say, one thing led to another and before I knew it, it was May 2009, I was standing in front of family and friends saying, “I do.”

Without Star Wars, we wouldn’t know each other. It’s no surprise that this franchise is important to us. We don’t follow the same parts of Star Wars. I’m an EU fan, love pilots and the military. I’m more of an action orientated person while he’s all about the Jedi, the Sith and the Force. He follows the pre-OT era more than I do. He’s the one who brought The Old Republic to my attention. 

We haven’t spent our years together in a constant Star Wars haze. Like any other interest, life interferes, interests move around and other things crop up. Back in 2009, I had started rereading the EU. I had stopped reading during college due to a variety reasons including dissatisfaction and lack of time. He gave me Millennium Falcon as a Christmas gift that year and I was hooked once again. 

We play SWTOR together. We saw The Phantom Menace in 3D last weekend not only because it’s in theaters again, but also because we’ve never watched the movies in that setting together before. 

Star Wars has always been important to me. It’s something I grew up watching and playing. Now it means even more, as it brought about an important part of my life. And this is one of the many reasons I hope the franchise stays strong. 

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Where's the love? A look at the lack of romance in the EU

Romance is a fickle thing in writing. Too much will make the story seem too soppy or distract from the main plot while too little leaves readers unsatisfied. Finding that balance is one that many writers struggle with. When it comes writing romance, I shy away from the long, love-filled speeches. I prefer to use actions and gestures, like a touch or favor. There’s no set formula, though, about how much or how little a story needs.

Romance plays a vital role in so many stories we love. Think about Empire Strikes Back. The love story between Han and Leia was phenomenal. It wasn’t drippy or character killing (go Harrison Ford’s improvising). It wasn’t awkward. It was believable. Their actions made sense for the characters, making their love easy to see. It was a vital chain in the story, not some silly side plot.

Take Harry Potter as another example. While love is a major theme of the book, it’s not romantic love. The romance in Harry Potter is much less than some fans wanted to see. Hermione and Ron don’t have grand, loving moments. In the books, we don’t even see their first kiss. The movie handled that scene well. It was the moment we were all waiting for—and expressed the same amusement as Harry did about the situation. 

Romantic pairings come into play in Harry Potter. The Ron and Lavender incident caused severe friction between the three. And who can forget about the Yule Ball fiasco? Bill and Fleur’s wedding and the pairing of Remus and Tonks added not only a touch of romance, but hope to the latter books. 

Even Harry’s crush on Cho and feelings for Ginny were rather muted. He pined for them, but it wasn’t as if they were the focus of the books.

When it comes to Harry Potter, I don’t think that the books needed more romance. It wasn’t about Harry’s relationship with Ginny or Remus learning that he can have love too. The romance added a bit of flavor to the book, the topping if you will.

Romance is something severely lacking from the Star Wars EU. It didn’t used to be. The best example of this recent problem is the Fate of the Jedi series. It started with great romantic interactions with Jaina Solo and Jag Fel. These continued through the series until Backlash. There was nothing in Backlash. No real Jaina and Jag or Han and Leia. Allies? Yeah right. Vortex, a sliver. Conviction? Not really. Ascension? I’ve already expressed my feelings on the “romance” in that book. 

What doesn’t make sense with FotJ is that there was a love story right there to work with and expand upon. Jaina and Jag were prominent characters in Outcast, for one. After that, their roles dwindled. It’s important to maintain some type of character balance in a long series, but it was lost along the way.

When I think of romance in Star Wars, I don’t think of chats in the starlight or candlelight dinners. It’s more action orientated and animated. It’s possible to have a romantic interaction without gooey language or even a kiss. It’s all in the wording and the character point of view. A person’s reactions are more telling than anything else is. Look at the Hunger Games trilogy when Katniss thought Capital was going to torture Peeta. She wanted to kill him to save him. Even though she didn’t realize it, it was clear she loved him.

The EU books need romance to balance out the story. Think about a book or story. Now categorize what is going on in the book. Each piece acts as a building block to make the perfect tale. Too much of something and the story feels odd. 

Romance is something that most can understand. Most people want to love someone or already do. It’s an emotion we can understand, even if we don’t have any experience with the situations or emotions the characters are feeling. I’ve never been hunted, or as good as dead, but I understood Peeta’s need to keep Katniss alive in The Hunger Games, for example. 

Star Wars is a space opera. Love plays such a vital role in the overall Saga. Anakin’s obsessive love for Padme influenced his decisions to go to the Dark Side. Would Anakin have fallen had he not fallen in love and married Padme? It’s very possible, but the story wouldn’t have been the same.

Romance also appeals to everyone. We all know the arguments about romance novels and “chick flicks.” They’re for “women.” Plenty of men enjoy these types of stories. The concept that romance is only for women is a pointless, old stereotype.

One of the many questions I’d love to ask the editorial team and writers is where the romance went. Including some aspect of it would not only make the books feel more “Star Wars,” but would also make the stories more appealing to a wider audience. Without Mara and Luke, the content falls mainly on Han and Leia’s and Jaina and Jag’s shoulders, yet we don’t see too much of either. 

When writing, I can’t put the number of pages or romantic interactions into a calculator to determine how much more or less I need. Reading the story and finding feedback is the only way to accomplish this. Receiving feedback from multiple sources is even better. That way, it’s possible to see multiple views of the scenes in question. Some stories only need three or four romantic moments or bits while others need a chapter’s worth of content.

The argument for balancing romance is similar to angst, tragedy, comedy and other genres. Each has a place in a story—and a certain amount called for. While not every story needs romance, that factor was established as a key factor of Star Wars during the OT. It’s time for it to come back.

The Phantom Menace: Hate it or love it?

The Phantom Menace. Will reviews change this go around or will people still consider it the weakest of the Saga?

Unfortunately, I doubt anything will change. I’ve blogged about how nostalgia for the Original Trilogy and expectations hurt the chances of TPM being accepted as it deserved. The reasons people dislike this film are a mixed bag of plot and character issues.

 “Trade routes? Trade Federation? What?”

Why is it when politics are brought in, a movie is suddenly labeled “boring”? The politics made the movie interesting. I admit when I was younger I didn’t find it nearly as interesting as I do now. It wasn’t the blaster fighting, action-packed movie fans were used to. The galaxy, unbelievably, isn’t at war all the time. Something had to happen for Palpatine to rise to power. Empires don’t spring out of the sands of Tatooine with a little womp rat fertilizer. 

The movie used a smaller plot, the issue with the Trade Federation and Naboo, to open the door to the larger scheme of everything. This move eases viewers into the story rather than throwing them into a whirlwind of treachery, deceit and betrayal. While trade disputes might seem unimportant, look at the history of various countries to see similar problems. Trade routes being blocked or blockaded lead to wars and border disputes. A large bomb or attack isn’t always the way the wars begin.

The plot was the foundation for the trilogy and in a broader sense, the saga. Think about the prologues, introductions or beginnings of stories. They are typically filled with background information and details that come into play in the future or tell fans who the players are. To some this information seems boring but it is vital to a complete and well-developed story. Without a foundation, the story will fall. Knowing that Anakin was a slave and seeing how leaving his mother affected him was vital to understanding his fall to the Dark Side. Another example is how Obi-Wan become a Jedi Knight and Anakin’s master as such a young age. That event also sheds a bit of light on Anakin’s eventual turn. 

Coupled with the plot are the characters. Lucas and co. received quite a bit of criticism over Anakin as a nine-year-old boy. Sometimes when reading these complaints I wonder how much time that person spent around nine-year-old boys. They say strange things. They are (usually) naïve even during a hard situation. They point out what they believe should be the obvious answer to a problem. And they remember some statements parents say to use later. Jake Lloyd’s acting was like a kid. Had Anakin acted too “adult” or hard, it’d been hard to believe he was a kid. While Jake Lloyd was no Dakota Fanning, he did pull off a difficult role.

Jar Jar Binks is another character ran through the gutter. I never cared about Jar Jar either way. He was just “there.” That said, I could completely understand why he annoys the snot out of so many people. I do wish he’d been disregarded after the first movie. Bringing him in as the idiot who gave Palpatine more power was a little too “let’s blame it on the village idiot.” 

The Phantom Menace isn’t my favorite of the Saga. It’s not even in my top three. I don’t find it to be a failure as others do. Is it the perfect movie? No, but it’s still enjoyable and great to watch. It’s not fair to hate a movie without being completely objective about it and thinking about the points fully. Just because something isn’t how you expect it to be doesn’t make it dull or a mess. 

Either way, whether you love it or you hate it, The Phantom Menace 3D release will be an interesting one to watch. The box office numbers will be quite telling about the future of the 3D releases. I think the movie will fairly well for a rerelease. With the Clone Wars, more kids are into the fandom. Many may have missed the opportunity to see any of the six in theaters. This is another great opportunity to bring more people into the fandom.

When a character's sacrifice seems in vain

Contains major spoilers for The Hunger Games trilogy.

What do Chewbacca and Katniss Everdeen have in common? Both characters made a sacrifice that readers could see as a waste. Many readers don’t like it when a sacrifice was in vain, though these only seem that way on the surface.

Chewbacca died during Vector Prime, the first book of the New Jedi Order. He died in the only way Chewie could, a moon impaling a planet. He sacrificed his life so that Anakin Solo could live. And then, several books later, Anakin gives up his life to save the Jedi.

Chewie’s sacrifice could be seen as wasted here. I agree with the decision to kill off Chewie. It set the necessary dark tone to the series. Not only that, but it broke the idea that everyone was safe. NJO wouldn’t have worked if no one major died in the beginning. One could argue that what was the point in killing Chewie to save Anakin if he was going to die? I don’t know when it was decided that a Solo child would die, much less when Anakin was chosen over Jacen. Either way, Chewie’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Look at everything Anakin accomplished before he died. He found ways to fight the Yuuzhan Vong, he saved Jedi students and Tahiri, the list goes on. I don’t think that he would have been nearly as passionate or motivated to do everything he did had he not experienced some type of personal loss that taught him that it wasn’t a game. He was vulnerable just like everyone else. He didn’t learn the lesson entirely until the end, but the seeds were planted and field of understanding growing.
In that way, no Chewbacca’s death was not in vain.

Let’s look at another, example. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen volunteers as Tribute when her Effie Trinket pulls 12-year-old Primrose Everdeen’s name from the reaping bowl. Katniss manages to survive the Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell (Catching Fire) and makes it to Capitol (Mockingjay). When the end is near, Katniss loses Prim, the one she was willing to give up her own life so that the girl could live.

Had Katniss not taken Prim’s place, the Hunger Games would still go on until someone else forced the dissatisfied people to rebel. That would have taken years. Because of Katniss, not only were the Games stopped, but also a horrible replacement for President Snow was eradicated.

Putting the good of the people aside, why did Prim’s death work with the story and Katniss's character? Katniss is a loner. She had Gale before the Games, and Prim. She was a virtual stranger to her mother. After the Games, the only people who could truly understand Katniss were the former Tributes—and Prim to some extent. She pulls away from Prim, putting up a front for her family. She fell even more alone once Prim died. She was on her own. She couldn’t go back to the caretaker she was before.

The way Katniss breaks down at the end of Mockingjay is necessary for her to be in the right mindset to do what ultimately needs done: stopping Coin. Snow is already out of the picture. His replacement is almost as bad. Sometimes it takes the extremes to see the truth of a matter.

Having just finished rereading Mockingjay, I find that Prim’s death makes much more sense than it did before. The Hunger Games isn’t about happy endings. It’s a lesson in becoming the very evil your fighting. It’s a lesson in revenge and manipulation. The reason Prim is dead reveals the final truth to Katniss.

Generally speaking, readers don’t like to see a character’s sacrifice go in vain. It happens; it’s unavoidable. With Chewbacca and Katniss, this isn’t true. The sacrifices of the both characters still mattered even though the ones they gave everything up for died, looking at it for the story, character’s sake or others.

Could Ben Skywalker and Anakin Solo co-exist?

Imagine the galaxy with Anakin Solo alive. It paints a pretty, uncomplicated picture at first. Jaina never fell to the Dark Side. Jacen wasn’t nearly so disturbed. Han and Leia didn’t lose a child. The prophecy about Tahiri and Anakin would have had the potential to matter.

Now think of Anakin co-existing with Ben Skywalker.

The image becomes a bit complicated.

Throughout Anakin’s life, it’s clear that he is destined to be the next Luke Skywalker. He is powerful in the Force, quiet, intelligent, brave and understands the point of sacrifice. Jaina and others mention, either aloud or through silent observations that Anakin seems to understand more about the Force, both before and after his death.

"It's like this. For the past two years, I've listened to Anakin and Jacen debate the role of the Jedi and our relationship to the Force. In the end, what did any of that amount to? [...] Anakin started to figure it out. I sensed it in him after Yavin Four. He learned something there that the rest of us don't know, something that could have made all the difference, if only he'd had time to figure it out. If there is such a thing as destiny, I think that was Anakin's. He has always been different. Special." –Jaina Solo, Dark Journey

Had Anakin not died, would he have become the leader of the Jedi? I’m not sure, but it felt as if that was the direction the authors were taking.

That is, until Ben came along.

Ben has had his own issues with having probably the most famous father in the history of the galaxy (Darth Vader may have him beat…maybe). Ben isn’t even 18 and he’s already treated as if he is the next best thing. With Ben’s birth, Luke had a direct heir.

At the beginning of the New Jedi Order, there wasn’t a question as to who was destined to be the most powerful Jedi. Jacen was the more peaceful and Jaina was the solider. They were the support behind Anakin. I haven’t seen enough to show that Ben is nearly as powerful as Anakin was. While I don’t think Ben would have fought Anakin over the issue, it would have raised questions among fans.

The question remains is that if Anakin survived, how word it have worked with Ben? Would Anakin have been the one working with Luke or would Luke have taken a step back from the front lines? Anakin’s voice of reason would have come through somehow. There’s enough of an age gap between the two that Ben could take time gain enough life experience, one could argue. However, the other side to that is Luke won’t give up the mantle of the No. 1 “go-to Star Wars hero” until, well, we don’t know but it doesn’t look like it’s happening any time soon. By that point, Anakin and Ben would both be experienced adults.

That is, of course, if the Jedi actually need someone to lead them.

"The order can't wait for a great Jedi Knight to lead it. That's what everyone thought I was, and when I died, too much died with me. Don't make the mistake I did, don't let anyone push you into that. Every Jedi Knight has to be his own light, because the light shouldn't go out when one Jedi dies." Anakin Solo, Abyss

Ultimately, I don’t think there should be one end all, be all being the Jedi look to. While Yoda was clearly the leader, it wasn’t as if his death would have caused such a huge reaction in the Jedi Order. Yes, he’d been around for a along as everyone could remember, but great Masters died often enough. Through the movies or books, it never feels as if should Yoda die, the Jedi will fall into shambles or act lost. It’s a different story with Luke. In the beginning, when Luke started trying to grow the order, it would have crashed without him. No arguments there. But now, it could go either way. The Jedi either get with the program and realize hey, no more Luke Skywalker to fix our messes or fall into chaos. With the state of things at the moment, I'm leaning a bit towards chaos.

There’s no doubt that there will always be someone in charge, be it Yoda, Luke, Satele Shan or Ben. And while that isn’t a bad thing, blind dependence only leads to disaster. There are enough examples in both fiction and the real world to illustrate that point.

Ben has leadership qualities that come out, but not enough to make him win me over like Anakin did.

In the end, I don’t know how it would have played out. We’ll never know. Both characters are interesting, memorable and keep the reader’s attention. Until I see more of Ben’s character develop, I think Anakin would have been the better, more effective leader.

Odd Star Wars-themed merchandise

“Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made.”

That hard truth was spoken by Yogurt (Mel Brooks) in Spaceballs. For those who haven’t seen the movie (and if you haven’t, do it), Yogurt is supposed to like Yoda. That is, if Yoda took his own image, put it on a variety of merchandise and sold it. The items he talks about include breakfast cereal, a doll and, of course, a flamethrower (“The kids love this one, he said).

Many of us have sunk our hard-earned dollars into various Star Wars products. We consumers have so much to choose from to show our love for the saga. Some collect LEGO sets, while other make costumes and buy prop replicas.

For everyone awesome Star Wars product out there, there’s a weird one on the shelves. From robot swimsuits to fuzzy wookie hoodies, these are some of the odd items available around the internet.

Think Geek released a Tauntaun sleeping bag, which is a combination of awesome and oddness. It'd be fun to have as a kid, but that eye will never stop looking at you.

Then we have the J-Box R2 sauce dispenser. Looking at it I have to wonder how hard it is to clean.

One of the more disturbing items is the C-3PO tape dispenser. Placement of the tape roll aside, why is he screaming?

Apologies. You can't unlearn that image.

I admit, I'm not a zombie fan. That's not why this zombie poster of Empire Strikes Back is weird. Look at Han and Leia. Enough said.

There's really not much to say about the Lando Calrissian Disguise Kit. Is that a caterpillar on his nose? A bent cigar? Wouldn't a cape be more appropriate?

Happy New Year, everyone!

2011 in Recap

2011 is ending. I know. I can’t believe it either. This year I started blogging more often and intend to keep that up next year. This year was also an interesting one for Star Wars and geek culture in general.

So what happened this year that was significant to geeks and women? Let’s see, in February, Volkswagon aired a commercial showing a child dressed as Darth Vader trying to use the Force. Search engines exploded with questions about the child’s gender. Various factors like the bedroom and toys seen were used as evidence to both sides. Unfortunately, all this did was hurt the debate. In addition, this year was the first Geek Girl Con and based on various blog posts from those who attended, it sounded as if it was a rousing success and the Blizzard released a female-based World of Warcraft commercial.

In book news, fans were thrown for a loop when it was believed the X-Wing series was no longer in print. Fortunately, this isn’t true and we can all stay calm. Aaron Allston’s Conviction hit shelves, providing readers with his final piece of the Fate of the Jedi series. Fans can buy Star Wars books on their eBook readers and tablets. Unfortunately, not all book happenings were well received. Christie Golden’s Ascension caused a large stir with the introduction of domestic violence by heroes into Star Wars.

Amidst the other releases was the announcement of the release date and the cover of Aaron’s Allston’s new book Mercy Kill. Based on forums and Twitter feeds, fans are anxiously awaiting this book. There’s also word of a Timothy Zahn Han Solo book.

Finally, Star Wars The Old Republic launched. The launch of this game has been interesting. Servers are full. There are queues just to log into account management. The sheer number of people playing this game is fantastic.

Other pieces of Star Wars news trickled in, like the news of 3D Star Wars movies and return of Darth Maul to The Clone Wars.

2011 was up and down for us Star Wars. Lovers of the EU are still floundering in a state of limbo. Star Wars gamers have a great game. More people are accepting that women are an important part of the geek product market. We’re still seeing glass ceilings and brick walls, but it’s a start.

So what is 2012 going to bring? Will Apocalypse deliver? Are we going to see real female characters and not male characters with a women’s face?

Bring it on, 2012. Things are changing and it’s past time.