The TCPrime server has received some more updates for the Galactic Moon Festival, which launches Oct. 14 on the live servers. One of the most noticeable changes is that most rewards have had a 30% Galactic Moon Festival coin cost reduction. Also, the number of festival celebrants in Moenia and Mos Eisley has increased.

The full update notes can be found here or after the jump below.

Also, there's still some server downtimes for hardware maintenance occurring throughout the rest of the week. Check here to see when your server will be affected, including Wanderhome, Shadowfire, Bloodfin, Chilastra and Starsider.

The TCPrime server has received a new build that focuses on testing the upcoming Galactic Moon Festival, which launches Oct. 14 as a Halloween celebration. According to the notes, all costumes have a 30-minute timer and cannot be worn while in combat. If your costume is scary enough, you will be able to get some prizes as a result of trick-or-treating.

Also, the notes state that veterans of the game who have played SWG for 63 months can choose a mini-replica of either the Yoda Fountain or Emperor's Statue, which will be able to fit inside a home.

Of course, the build also includes some fixes, such as fixing an issue that was randomly breaking customization for some objects. For the full notes, check this post or keep reading below.

When you think about The Empire Strikes Back , what comes to your mind? Darth Vader's shocking revelation? Yoda? Cloud City? All good answers, but you left out one: Hoth.

This snow-covered battlefield is a staple of Star Wars lore, and it's about time that Star Wars Galaxies players get a chance to experience it in the MMORPG arena, even if only in the form of a Heroic encounter. The SWG team has been releasing more and more information on the instance every Friday since early September, and today's post focuses on the loot in Chapter 11: The Battle of Echo Base.

Two unique weapons, new stackable storyteller tokens, distinctive armor and cold protection gear are just some of the spoils available in this encounter. Keep reading below for more detailed information, or check the official post here .

Between a lead designer transition, upcoming free server transfers, a brand new Halloween event and the excitement surrounding the Hoth release, there's a lot of news on the horizon for Star Wars Galaxies. Let's jump right in, shall we?

First off, Jesse "Loche" Benjamin has introduced himself as the game's new lead designer. Benjamin was most recently assistant lead designer, but will now be replacing Thomas "Blixtev" Blair, who said in his farewell post that his goal has always been to "entertain the customers." Benjamin will be answering fan questions in the Star Wars Galaxies newsletter. You can submit your questions here .

For more information on free server transfers and the Galactic Moon Festival, which will launch on Oct. 14, keep reading or check out this producer's note .

Even galactic servers sometimes require repairs. SOE has announced that several galaxies will be unavailable for hardware maintenance during the week of Oct. 6. Check here for the list of servers or keep reading below, but keep in mind that the times are approximate and may take longer than scheduled.

Star Wars Galaxies will receive a small update tomorrow, Sept. 30, to apply some fixes to the game. All U.S. and European galaxies will be taken down at 4 a.m. PDT for server maintenance and a live update. All galaxies will be made available after final testing is complete, which will take an unspecified amount of time.

As far as gameplay is concerned, players should experience less false positives with server location rubber banding once the update is live. Also, Galactic Civil Wars bases should now disappear properly when destroyed.

For the full update notes, check out the official post or keep reading after the jump.

For some, the annual SOE Fan Faire is a place to gather with friends from around the globe, catching up on old times shared within an online world.  For others, it's all about the panels and meeting the devs, community teams, and other players.

Then there are those who go for the events... such as the Live Events... hosted each year by the community teams for each respective title.  This year was no different.  There were Live Events for EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, and Vanguard, created by the community team for each game.

Just what is a Live Event, you ask?  Well... let me tell you!

For those who are seriously in to puzzle solving, riddles, and questing, Live Events are just for you.  That's right... it's a live quest.  You start with a quest giver who provides you with the necessary information for you to search out your next clue towards completing your task.  Be sure to ask the right questions, though, if you are hoping for success!

The great thing about Comic-Con is that so many different types of popular media and art are available, and I was not disappointed after a visit to the LucasArts booth, where Champions of the Force was being shown. Marco Cresenti spent about an hour going over the game with me, even playing a full game to completion with his NPC opponent.

Champions of the Force (CotF) is the Online Trading Card Game intermixed with the Sony Online Entertainment MMO Star Wars: Galaxies, similar to their EQ and EQ2 game Legends of Norrath. CotF can be played from a stand alone client or from within the SWG client, though you must be either a current or former subscriber to access the game.

Over 20 loot cards are included in the launch set of CotF, all available from booster packs, rather then starter decks, and they have some pretty neat stuff to show! From a Jawa Vendor to the exclusive images below, you can expect some good stuff for your in game fun! These items will be randomly inserted into the virtual booster packs that will be available from the online store once the game goes live. Booster packs will also be lootable in game, but only during special events. They will not be added to the loot tables for all creatures at all times in the Galaxies world.

On Tuesday, July 29, at 4:00 AM PDT all U.S. and European galaxies will be taken down for server maintenance and a live update.

When the update is complete, all galaxies will be live but unavailable while we complete final testing. All galaxies will be made available after that time. (Please note that this may be a longer period than normal due to the new systems included in this update.)

4:00 AM PDT (Los Angeles) / 6:00 AM CDT (Austin) / 7:00 AM EDT (New York)
11:00 AM GMT / 1:00 PM CET (Berlin) / 8:00 PM (Tokyo)
Click here for a Time Zone Calculator.

Star Wars Galaxies: Game Update 5
Publish Notes, July 29, 2008

Highlights:

I began playing Star Wars Galaxies in the summer of 2003, within weeks of its release here in North America. My foray into the world of An Empire Divided lasted, oh... two months or so. I remember thinking to myself every time I logged in, "This game would be so great, but..." But, the servers were always going down. But, the combat system was underdeveloped. But, the game had more bugs than a cheap New York City apartment. BUT, the game just wasn't finished yet, and needed more time in development. I know every game has its kinks at release, but this just seemed excessive to me. To make it worse, the game had so much potential, if only all the pieces would fit together. It became a major frustration to me, because the game could have been great.

I know I should have stuck it out through the rough times, but playing a game that buggy just wasn't fun for me. I decided to take some time away from the game, let them smooth out the rough spots, and come back in a month or so. I knew Star Wars Galaxies would be great, given just a little time. But then, Final Fantasy XI came out to distract me, followed by World of Warcraft a year later. Despite my intentions, I never went back to Star Wars Galaxies.

June 16th marked the five year anniversary for Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. FIVE years. Had it really been that long? Word of drastic changes - their merits debatable - intrigued me, and two weeks ago, I decided it was time to go back, and check it all out again.