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How difficult is it to be creative?

Recently on #mojozilla, the discussion strayed to the upcoming MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. Players will be able to play many different races and also will be capable of becoming a jedi knight. Like most Star Wars computer games, SWG is promoted as a way for a regular fan to step into the shoes of a character in the Star Wars world. This sounds like fun, but from my own experiences, this is one way to make sure your universe is full of pathetic wannabes.

A long time ago, in this galaxy, Quintin Stone and I were admins on a MUSH (not unlike a MUD) based on Star Wars. There were essentially two people on this MUSH. Han Solos and Luke Skywalkers dominated the players and even if they couldn't BE that specific character, they would be a carbon copy with a different name. A majority of fans want to be (or try to be) their favorite character. A rabid fan run amok in their fantasy world is a nightmare as they take their favorite obsession and drive it into the ground, totally overlooking and ignoring any creativity they might have. What started out as a nice universe with a handful of unique characters is turned into a universe where those characters are duplicated over and over in endless succession. Luke Skywalker, the last jedi ... NO! Luke's got company now. An army of five thousand jedi's with lightsabers and force powers. Luke's not original, he's just one of the crowd. The very thing that made that character enjoyable is destroyed by fans.

A license for an existing universe seems like a sure-fire ticket to a popular game. I can see the benefit to riding the coattails of the Star Wars franchise. Giving up a small cut of the profits on a popular game must seem like a winning plan compared to the risk involved in keeping more profits on a game that has to stand on its own setting. But eventually people will see through the licensed property to the game underneath. They'll realize, in time, that no matter what setting is used, the game still has to be enjoyable. And the smartest of those playing will realize that it's no fun to just be a carbon copy of the other 4999 characters in the world.

In the end, I would rather forge my own story and character in a unique world than try to be unique in a story that allready has its heros and saviors shadowing over everyone.

since june 7 1999