Written by: Padraig Ashbourne
Images by: Sav Lanzet & Filipa Thespian
There are few people under the age of 50 who don’t connect on some level or another with Star Wars. Decades ago, young parents took their children to see the opening weekend of the then-fledgling space opera and thrilled at the epic story of good vs evil and special effects of a brand new modern-day mythology. Those children grew up having memorized all the lines, having played with all the toys and read all the books; and are now married with children of their own, who in turn now memorize every scene, connect every lego, and play every related video game. After nearly 35 years, the Star Wars saga continues to permeate our culture and inspire us with its tale of good vs evil.
Small wonder then that Second Life (SL) should see a thriving role-play collective built around Star Wars – complete with Jedi, aliens, droids and smugglers!
You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy …
Set in a galaxy far far away, nearly 250 years after the events of the original movie, there are now an estimated two dozen affiliated sims purposed for Star Wars role-play (SWRP). From seedy cantinas in busy spaceports and Imperial space stations to distant and near-barren worlds, there’s a diversity in the available role-play scenarios to please nearly everyone.
intact, a remnant of the Sith Empire continues to thrive so that the Jedi have an enemy to fight. The Jedi themselves consist of many orders and operate from several worlds. The Hutts are alive and well also in the community, hosting a weekly event every Wednesday to do business with smugglers, Mandalorians (think Boba and Jango Fett) and other bottom-feeding clientele.
Immersion seems to be one of the keys of success to the SWRP. The hardcore role-players dive into their roles, actually taking the time to learn the developed Star Wars fictional languages such as Mandalorian and Hutt, or will at least employ a translator HUD to speak in the appropriate language for the right effect. Despite the sometimes fanatical adherence to the details and cannon of Star Wars films in the SWRP community, the express goal of the SWRP is not to recreate the actual story lines from the movies, but instead use Lucas’s detailed story as a backdrop for their own unique adventures. Setting the timeline of the SWRP affiliated groups 250 years ahead of the events of the original trilogy indeed mitigates the number of people who attempt to pose as Luke, Han, Leia or any of the other main characters from the books and movies.
“There is a lot going on in the community at-large, but my main draw to it all was my love for the series, and wanting to become a part of it … to see how I could make Star Wars fun for everyone I get involved with in here,” says Lucian Vanek (known in character as Zarbok), owner of Boz Pity Trade Station. I sat down with Lucian Vanek to discuss the SWRP and his popular cantina at Boz Pity.
Though Vanek’s been involved with the SWRP since 2009, his character of Zarbok came onto scene in January of 2010 and Boz Pity opened for business in January of this year. Having hosted cantina events from other sims for almost a full year, Lucian eventually opened the station to implement his own vision. “I noticed that no one was really taking a hold of the whole cantina aspect and really breathing life into it; it was then that I birthed Zarbok into the SWRP community,” Lucian explains.
Currently Boz Pity hosts weekly tournaments of various games of chance and the occasional race. Vanek has his eye on adding a fighting arena in the near future as well as expanding to cover a limited number of apartment rentals for his regular customers. Boz Pity is simply one of the many sims dedicated to Star Wars RP in Second Life, and with over two dozen sims actively involved, you’ll find anything you desire that is Star Wars related: military RP, Jedi training, the Sith, avatars, apparel and much more.
For those of you hardcore Star Wars fans who’ve not yet checked out the SWRP community in SL, rest assured, this is a largely old-school Star Wars RP environment (Midichlorian-free) with plenty of space to explore and create your own stories. There’s so much space that you may actually have some difficulty tracking down … well … ANY smuggler with a bounty on his head – especially those precious few who can make the Kessel Run in less than 8 parsecs!
BOZ PITY:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Endless Destiny/38/206/3657
Star Wars themed alien avis:
NAR SHADAA-Smuggler’s Moon
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/YToub System/110/115/2441
Weapons, Ships, Podracers and other props:
SWRP MALL
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Minkowski/24/49/600
Sith Empire Capital, Storm Trooper, Sith, and Mandalorian style costuming:
BYSS
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Byss/156/185/602
Jedi and Academy themes:
RUUSAN–NEW ORDER OF THE JEDI
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ruusan/140/128/1015
Reproduced with permission from Roleplay Guide Magazine.
April 2011 – June 2011 – August 2011 – Sept 2011 – Oct 2011 – Nov/Dec 2011 – January 2012 – Oct 2014
