Dune Awakening Feels Like SWG All Over Again

[Æsir]

I’m honestly surprised there aren’t more comparisons between Dune: Awakening and Star Wars Galaxies (SWG). For many of us older gamers, SWG wasn’t just a game-it was a living, breathing world that left a lasting impression. Even with its flaws and missteps, SWG created an immersive experience that made you believe in its universe and formed memories that still stick with me today.

I vividly remember hunting Rontos deep in the dunes of Tatooine, leveling my marksman skills while passing by player-owned mining operations fueling the player-driven economy. I spent countless hours in those vast deserts, sandstorms rolling in, and spotting a patrol of stormtroopers in the distance. The towns felt alive-players selling goods, doctors healing wounds, dancers and musicians providing buffs. One unforgettable moment was meeting a husband and wife duo who played doctors in Bestine’s medical facility, just hanging out and chatting like it was their real-life hangout spot. It made the game feel incredibly real and personal.

SWG wasn’t perfect-it had patches that alienated players and ultimately didn’t last as long as many hoped. But those imperfections never erased the immersion or the friendships and stories that grew from it. If you believed in the world, you created memories that lasted a lifetime.

Playing Dune: Awakening’s beta, I’m getting that same feeling. The developers have clearly taken notes from SWG’s strengths and weaknesses. The sandstorms, the massive open world, the faction politics, base building, and a player-driven economy all come together to create a world that feels alive and reactive. It’s a different universe, but the core is the same: immersion is the key. When you feel like you’re truly living in the world, the game becomes more than just mechanics-it becomes your story.

Both games have their flaws, and that’s okay. Perfection isn’t what makes a game memorable-it’s immersion and the connections you build. If Dune: Awakening can capture even half of what SWG did in that regard, we’re in for something special.

I’m excited to see bustling trade hubs, players focusing on non-combat roles, and communities forming stories that will be talked about for years. Here’s hoping Dune: Awakening becomes the immersive MMO experience we’ve all been waiting for-flaws and all.

[Æsir]

Any SWG folks out there?

[Toni 'Bō' Jones]

I never played SWG but I watched stream (by Cohh) before playing beta and many people mentioned that game as well. Honestly, I am mighty impressed by everything I've experienced - except melee combat (I played as Swordsman and used melee 90% of the time) and never-ending stagger mechanics and funky animations, but overall it was massive fun out of the game I wasn't even into that much.

[Capan]

I am. And to be totally fair i would wish to have the same feeling as you do. But except maybe a bit of the "looks" i just dont get the feeling.

I would wish that i can get a game like SWG (before that combat patch thing) - again. Never ever i have experienced such an excellent crafting as i had in SWG - i was a really really well known CHEF and my Brandy was almost unmatched.

Jeesus i miss it. I really do

[Æsir]

Awesome man! I love running into other people who've played SWG! What was your build? I'm assuming you played the CU and not the pre-CU. I think they changed it to professions then.

[Flint]

I played swg and have good memories, meeting in a tavern and just playing instruments before or after never experienced it like that again.
The crafting system, especially the resource system was great, was always on the hunt for the best quality resources to feed my production lines...., ran a tavern on Tatooine in our Guild Town ..., an AT-ST as Companian..., unlocked Jedi pre-NGE ..

For me, DUNE:Awakening didn't bring those feelings back. The whole concept is too different for that, but the cutscenes in particular made me feel well transported into the Dune world.

[SOLDIER]

Damn I'm going to go watch some youtube of SWG now, sounds like it was a lot of fun.

[Argahawk]

SWG veteran here. I had pre-CU Dark Jedi and Bounty Hunter on Eclipse.

Galactic Empire officer and Ace pilot of Storm Squadron.

Long live the Empire

[Capan]

Chef/Doctor --> 990/981/999/954 --> i will never forget that numbers. Tha was my best avain meat i ever could get. That was one incredible batch of Brandy ..... jeebus it made me rich. And i mean 13 billion rich ;)

[Æsir]

Originally posted by Flint:

I played swg and have good memories, meeting in a tavern and just playing instruments before or after never experienced it like that again.
The crafting system, especially the resource system was great, was always on the hunt for the best quality resources to feed my production lines...., ran a tavern on Tatooine in our Guild Town ..., an AT-ST as Companian..., unlocked Jedi pre-NGE ..

For me, DUNE:Awakening didn't bring those feelings back. The whole concept is too different for that, but the cutscenes in particular made me feel well transported into the Dune world.

I had the AT-ST pet too with the full storm trooper armor, and always hung around Imp Hill in Bestine, good times.

Damn you lucky dog! I was one class away from getting my force sensitive. I had to master dancer when I was all about smuggler and riflemen, lol, I afk leveled that whole mastery.

Dang man, was hoping the adventures I had resonated with others,

Hey it's s new experience to be had. Let's hope it surpasses any comparisons and becomes it's thing and more,

[Æsir]

Originally posted by Argahawk:

SWG veteran here. I had pre-CU Dark Jedi and Bounty Hunter on Eclipse.

Galactic Empire officer and Ace pilot of Storm Squadron.

Long live the Empire

I remember Eclipse server and had an alt on it that I barely touched. I was on Sunrunner.

Long live the empire! 🫡

Loving it! I wonder if there will be a lot of SWG folks giving DA a try,

[Berry]

SWG former resident here, all the way from beta 2 to shutdown.

I get what you are saying and agree, it definitely felt like Dune, much like SWG felt like Star Wars

edited to correct a typo

[SpaceCowboy7]

Meanwhile back at Dune..... :D

[Æsir]

Originally posted by Berry:

SWG former resident here, all the way from beta 2 to shutdown.

I get what you are saying and agree, it definitely felt like Dune, much like SWG felt like Star Wars

edited to correct a typo

Holy hell, you probably went through an emotional roller coaster, You're a unicorn.

I hear ya. If I played some John Williams' SW score in the background while playing Dune, it won't feel the same, hopefully it provides new memories of a similar feeling. SWG is definitely too special, it'll be tough to fill those shoes, but I'm hoping it feels like it's offspring at the least,

[Æsir]

Originally posted by SOLDIER:

Damn I'm going to go watch some youtube of SWG now, sounds like it was a lot of fun.

Check out the day the servers ended. But the game was one of those had to experience it back then. It's pretty dated now. And the combat even for it's time was a little weird. Probably why folks jumped over to WoW. But there were other issues, like the Holocron fiasco. But the game was deep, and you could master several elite classes, Smuggler/Bounty Hunter and I think Rifleman and have enough points to put in combat medic, there were tons of classes,

I played in a way to just learn everything on my own and dabbled in different skill trees.

Bioengineers could take your creature mounts and give them better stats. Creature Handler were the ones to capture and train wildlife and you could combine that profession with bioengineer to modify them and sell them. Then you had, doctors, combat medics, scouts, musicians, dancers, mayor's, and more, it was WAY ahead of its time. Smedley ruined it by simplifying it and later regretted making that decision.

Wild stuff.

[Kalgert]

Come on now, please don't try and sell me on the idea of SWG and the old 2000s era of online MMO gaming, because I know for a fact that it's something that you will not be able to relive in any modern new releases, even if they try and capture that same effect.

It just makes me feel depressed because I know that if I were to get Dune and soon as I boot up the game and load into a server, I'll just find myself wandering around for an hour or so, then get killed by a player who functions more like a bot (Or at worse, will call me a skill-lacking pleb in nicer terms) and feel like my time had been wasted.

No fun wild experiences, no eternal bonds within a videogame, no lifetime friends. Just another stranger with a name hovering over my head among people who I'll never meet again and who they'll forget I exist soon as I leave their sights.