The first very first reaction to last week’s interview with BMF came from none other than the Legacy Senator – BadgerSmaker. This was somewhat fortuitous for me because I had previously planned on him being my next victim in my quest to find more talented people to write my column for me. Thankfully, he agreed to my pestering and the result of which is another very interesting read from a player I have always had a great deal of respect for.

For as long as I can recall, Badger has been quietly compiling guides, answering noob questions and providing extensive testing for the benefit of SWG. It would be fair to say that the man should be drawing a salary from SoE as he has frequently stepped in as the main QA Tester, Community Rep and Fountain of Knowledge during some of the darker periods of this game.
While BMF’s work has captured a lot of people’s imagination, Badger has always dealt with the mechanics of the game; the glitches in combat, the effects of grouping, how core stats affect your combat abilities, etc, etc. The nuts and bolts stuff that takes an age to compile, but is essential to the health of the game. Badger is the McCartney to BadMisterFrosty’s Lennon, except that Badger never wrote Mull of Kintyre.

BadgerMacca	BadMisterLennon

I didn’t know what to expect from the interview. In my wildest dreams, I wanted to find out that Zion is a sex addict and GreyPawn loves to wear ladies clothes. Badger is a notorious diplomat so I didn’t anticipate too much dirt from someone too professional to slip up. For that reason, I tried to make the questions as difficult as possible and dare I say it, a little negative. However, what I got back was frank, honest and extremely interesting with a lot more surprises than I imagined.

Both the Badger and the BMF interviews have been heavily focused on the Senate. With good reason too, like many of you, I’ve felt a little dissatisfied with the Senate program. I didn’t think it was working as it should and it seemed to be moving backwards in terms of the goals I originally thought it set out to achieve. Frankly, I thought it was in danger of disappearing up its own arse.

GreyPawn wasn’t too enamoured with last weeks depiction of the Senate Program thrown in a trash can. Understandably of course, since both he and his Senators have ploughed so much work into the project. Later on, Badger comments that the Senate program is working a lot better than the old system and it’s clearly visible that Community Rep and Dev team are committed to the program too. So where is the problem?

GreyPawn today	GreyPawn after implementing my new system

The real issue here is that when the correspondent system was resurrected by GP, he made a rod for his own back by giving it the Star Warsy title – The Senate. A few weeks later a newly appointed senator (I can’t recall which one) ran with the theme and proposed the use of Bills to highlight their feedback.

Being a Senator implies you are in a position to make changes. A Bill suggests that a specific change will be made. This naturally, gives us players the misleading notion that these community leaders are powerful enough to alter the future of SWG while at the same time puffing on a fat cigar and causing an untold amount of stains on Monica Lewinsky’s dress.

Watch out Monica, I hear Zion is a sex addict

As far as communication goes, the system is working perfectly with GP liaising with the Senators and the dev team. However, take a look at the following list of completed Bills:-

Bill #002	Implemented
Bill #003	Approved
Bill #004	Vetoed
Bill #005	Vetoed
Bill #006	Vetoed
Bill #007	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #008	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #009	Approved
Bill #010	Vetoed
Bill #011	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #012	Already on the cards
Bill #013	Vetoed
Bill #014	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #015	Already on the cards
Bill #016	Vetoed
Bill #017	Approved
Bill #018	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #019	Vetoed
Bill #020	Implemented
Bill #021	Already on the cards
Bill #022	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #023	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #024	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #025	Already on the cards
Bill #026	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #027	Already on the cards
Bill #029	Vetoed
Bill #031	Vetoed
Bill #032	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #033	Already on the cards
Bill #034	Vetoed
Bill #035	Vetoed
Bill #036	Approved
Bill #037	Jar-Jarred*
Bill #038	Approved

*Jar-Jarred – Too much work or Too hard to do or Will look at this another time
What do you make of this? Only 7 of 35 bills will result in any sort of change. Let’s look at them in more detail.

Bill #002	Renaming of a forum title
Bill #003	A promise to look into the feasibility of the change
Bill #009	A promise to look into the feasibility of the change
Bill #017	A promise to look into 2 bugs
Bill #020	A request for a new senator forum
Bill #036	A promise to implement new lightsabers
Bill #038	A promise to implement features in a later chapter

Looking at things this way, it’s easy to have a very negative view of the Senate program. Only two Bills out of 35 have actually attained a commitment from the Red Names to change something in SWG. If the current system stays in place, there is definitely evidence to say that the program has some serious flaws that need to be ironed out.
But what about changing the current system? Although I’m not actually a Senator, I present to you dear readers, a new proposal - the last ever Bill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill #066 – Kill the Senate
I propose that we get rid of the very notion of the Senate, Senators and Bills and simply go back to being Correspondents again. The reason why the previous system failed was due to a lack of communication, this is no longer the case.
Please allow everyone involved in this project to be measured on the quality of communication and not by some silly Bill system that places unnecessary pressure on everyone. This hopefully, will open up the dialogue even further as the Developers would be more inclined to discuss various topics without the fear of having to make any sort of formal commitment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I got this under 150 words too. Seriously guys, let’s lighten up this system. Both the way it works and the way we look at it.
That’s enough ranting for me, back to the reason why you’re here – the BadgerSmaker interview. Again, I’ve left it in its unabridged from. Enjoy.

When did you first become a senator/correspondent?

June 2005 I think it was when I took over as Pistoleer Correspondent The previous chap, LordMaxx was very unhappy with the Combat Upgrade and stepped down.

I had been a Pistoleer since November 03 and I loved the profession, I'd already been posting a lot in the Pistoleer forum and was very happy that my application was accepted. The pistoleers were very cool folk, it was a pleasure and an honour to represent them.

I also stood in for the Combat Medic correspondent while he was away and enjoyed hanging out with those evil medics.

After the horror of the NGE I was still around so along with the other remnants of the correspondent program I got tagged as a Galactic Senator.

An artist’s impression of what Badger may look like in real life. Assuming he is a badger and not a human being as it has often been speculated.

How does the new senator system compare to the old correspondent system? What aspects are better, what's worse?

The new system is only a few months old and has already seen more changes in game than the old system. My memories of the old correspondent system revolve around complete stagnation and very little actually ever happening despite tireless efforts from the correspondents, which would probably be explained by the fact that SoE were in the process of scrapping most of our professions without telling us.

Hopefully the new system can keep momentum and more good changes will come from it. I really like the fact that the community can read the Senate Discussion and Legislation forum, I think that as community leaders we should be totally accountable to those we represent.

I used to spend four hours a week putting together reports on what was going on behind the closed doors because I wanted the players to be informed about what we were talking about on their behalf, I'm glad I have that time back now and that everything is so much more accessible.

There does however seem to be less visits from SoE staff to the Senate, we used to get posts from Customer Services, the Community Team and the odd Dev when the forum was private, but I think that is because they are discussing most issues out in the public forums now which is much better for all involved.

A man in a badger costume, yesterday

What parts of the role do you enjoy the most - and the least?

I like that fact that I have no specific area that I am supposed to concentrate on, so I am free to work on core issues that affect a large number of players. For instance, at the moment I am working on:-
Encouraging Grouping
Combating Credit Farming
Enhancing the Planetary Control Meta Game
Smuggler Bugs and Issues.

As a profession correspondent, once you've got a list of all the things your community wants and you've tested all the bugs there isn't much left to do but wait, which can be very frustrating.

I like the fact that I can get my teeth stuck into the big problems that arise and can help a large number of players in the process.

The least enjoyable part of it all is when the feedback doesn't come from the other side, from the Dev or Community team. This is usually because they have no plans to work on whatever it is I am trying to get feedback on at that time, so then it becomes a case of trying to raise the priority of the issue with the team and with the community.

This process can take months, and even though I've been a community leader for a couple of years now it still doesn't get any easier to wait so long for resolutions to problems that players are asking you to sort for them right now.

One of the biggest frustrations I find though is when I am moving an issue along nicely, having got some great initial news from SoE, and I try to illicit feedback from the community. I put a post together, ask for everyone's ideas but most people are too busy posting in "Nerf profession X" threads to get involved in something that they could actually have a say in.

Drives me nuts!

Has there been a moment in SWG history where you've felt that you had to bite your tongue because of your role, either due to another player or SOE itself?

I used to be a lot less restrained on the forums than I am now. I remember the Pikeman, Creature Handler Correspondents and flaming SoE on the Private Correspondent forum on the announcement of the NGE. We were all extremely upset and angry at the news that our beloved professions were being removed.

Over the years I like to think I've developed a more professional demeanor on the forums, although I still get carried away when I'm discussing something I'm particularly passionate about.

How did you rate Thunderheart as a community rep?

I learnt an extraordinary amount about communicating with people from Kurt, he was a great mentor and is still a great friend. We were always working together to tackle the big issues of the day, chatting daily to try and resolve whatever hot topic was bothering the players at the time. I always got the impression that his hands were somewhat tied and that even though he did a great job, the feedback he was giving to the team wasn't being acted on.

Ricky from BBC Soap Opera, Eastenders	Kurt ‘Thunderheart’ Stangl

Over the years, I've built up a tremendous amount of respect for the effort you have put into the game. How frustrating is it when sometimes this work isn't taken on board? What keeps you motivated?

I really enjoy playing Star Wars Galaxies, it's a great way to either relax or take out your anger on some poor chap in PvP.

When something doesn't work as it should in game it annoys me and I look for a way to fix it, when other players get annoyed by things not working properly it annoys me even more. I want them to enjoy the game as much as I do, and I want to take away those things that upset them.

That's pretty much my motivation, and if something isn't taken on board I just change tack and work it from a different angle. I just keep going, usually in the end I get the results that make players happier.

Overall though, it is equally frustrating when players don't take time to read through the guides I've put together or provide feedback on issues I've raised as it is when the Devs don't read the focus thread I assemble.

The senate has come under a lot of fire recently (somewhat unnecessarily), what would you do to improve this?

I've been working a lot with GreyPawn on the structure of the Senate; I really want this program to succeed after going through the endless frustration of the Correspondent Program.

I want the new community leaders to have the best start possible and every opportunity to get the things that their respective communities need. We use the Private Senate forum for general chat about Senate workings and I try to offer advice to the Senators there as much as possible.

I put together a guide for the new Senators and set up avenues of communication for them to all use, which I think is of paramount importance. We've still got some bumps to smooth out but I have high hopes for what these new community leaders will be able to achieve, they are a great bunch of people and I learn cool things from them every day.
If you could force SOE to fix one bug, what would it be?

Right now, I'd go for the Glancing Blow chance modifier in PvE. If you group up with a player higher level than you, you will do 100% glancing blows to that players high level targets. The modifier should be based in the combat level of the highest level member of the group, so that lower level players can have fun with their friends, not get 60% damage reduction on targets that they already do hardly any damage to in the first place.

BadMisterFrosty is reluctant to become a senator because he feels that the community's perception of his reports would suffer because of it. Would you agree?

A lot of players cynically see the Senators as just SoE appointed "Yes Men", so BMF's reports have a great deal more of an impact with those players as he is perceived as "One of Us".

I think he works better being able to freely express his opinions than being constrained by any rules and I fully understand a reluctance to get back into a system that in any way resembles the old Correspondent Program where as the GCW correspondent he was ignored along with the rest of us.

We recently started working together again to find ways of making his concepts a reality, while he often deals in high level "look and feel" aesthetics, I'm more of formulas, numbers and game mechanics type person so together we make a formidable team.

We are currently looking to put together a bill on Enhancing the Planetary Control Meta Game, so far it’s looking great and I urge the SWG community to get involved and provide feedback on what they want to see with regards to factional planetary control.

With the exception of the mighty BMF, if you could nominate someone to be a senator, who would it be?

Most of the ones I had my eye on got in with the first pass of new Senators. The new Medic Senator in particular I have been very pleased to see appointed.

I didn't send in any nominations myself but the cream certainly floated to the top, they are a smart bunch.

What senator have you enjoyed working with the most?

I've enjoyed helping the new chaps get set up on TC-Prime and pointing them to some of my contacts on the Quality Assurance, Customer Services team and Community Team.
I really like what the Role Playing Senator has been doing, it has made me realize that for a role playing game, role players haven't had much representation over the years so I make a point to assist her whenever possible.

 Do you use Mods? If so, what is your favorite?

I haven't needed to use any mods since they made the radar resizable (I've gotten used to the tiny status bars), but I have slipped in a couple of replacement music files that play Battle of the Heroes and Duel of the Fates as my combat music every now and then.

Combat just seems a lot more "Star Wars" when those kick in.

How would you rate the smuggler profession right now? Ever fancied picking up a glow stick and going uber for a while?

Smuggler is without doubt the most underpowered right now, but I think the Smuggler community has done a great job getting rid of all the bugs that existed with the profession when the NGE hit.

At that time I was focused on doing volunteer QA work on Medic, Officer, Spy and Smuggler, and Smuggler was the most broken out of the lot. I've since handed that work over to the respective Senators but have teamed up with the Smuggler Senator to continue what I have been doing while she concentrates on Smuggling. I'm geared up for a combat balance pass on Smuggler after Chapter 7.

I've never actually played Jedi apart from a brief spell in Trials of Obi Wan beta test where I spec'd out a full template Jedi from the character builder terminal. The only Jedi I've played in the NGE was while testing some of the professions bugs on Test Center.

If I want to be uber I can just log on my old Elder Pistoleer/Elder Combat Medic who is a Medic right now, but after playing SWG on "hard" mode with Smuggler other professions don't hold my attention as much. I love the challenge of playing a Smuggler well.

A Star Wars Galaxies smuggler begins another mission

In the Dev Discussion forum, there is a long running thread on PVE difficulty; the majority of posts are asking that PVE be toned down. How do you feel about this? Would you submit a bill that you were fundamentally against?

The posts in the threads I've seen on this topic seem to be either "It's too hard!" Or "It's fine, lrn2play" posts. I think a lot of players got used to the broken PvE experience that we were left with in the year after the NGE, Chapter 6 has put some of that difficulty back.

That said, I do feel that some areas of PvE difficulty could be worth a look at, I've got some stuff floating around in my head that could help and I may well go to work on this issue once I've had some progress on my current projects. As always it would take a few weeks of testing and number crunching to even start it.

How would you describe the overall health of the game?

Better than ever and improving I think. A lot of us look back through rose tinted glasses at the past, but I remember all the things that players have complained about over the years and the things they complain about these days are not the fundamental core system problems that plagued SWG in the past, but often more relatively trivial matters.

It’s crazy to think what we've all been through with this game, it's been a real roller-coaster ride and we've even come off the tracks along the way. SWG has a solid foundation to build on now and things can only get better.

Leia or Padme?

Not a fan of Portman and Leia is a much stronger heroine with a better character in the movies.

A cheap excuse to show a picture of Leia

Have you ever considered stepping down? If so, what prompted it?

Having a baby made me think I would have to stop doing this stuff due to lack of time, but I get the odd hour here and there and having discovered mobile Internet a year ago means I am often posting while walking down the street or on the train to work.

Oh, and the NGE made me want to quit!
What would you say are the 5 biggest gripes players have with SWG at the moment? What are your opinions on them (the gripes, not the players - hehe)?

It depends who you talk to, a person that played an Elder Jedi extensively will tell you that combat animations are very important, while a pilot might say that there are important combat imbalances with ship chassis. I try to evaluate all these and focus on something that is both feasible for the Devs to resolve as well as having a big impact on all players.

The problems with targeting are such well known issues that it doesn't really need any more feedback, so there isn't much more we as players can do on that one.

Client and Server performance is another big concern, but the Devs are actively working on improving client performance which should help in those 120 player battles.

Group Experience gain has been a pet issue of mine for a couple of years now and it looks like we may see a "Mentoring" type system from that, but hopefully work on this system will also feature some of the other tools to encourage grouping that I envision players using to find friends in game.

Then we have the lack of content, SWG has a huge game world and large areas of it are devoid of much to do. Visiting a new NPC city should provide the player with a plethora of quests and experiences that make exploring fun rather than just being a backdrop for a single linear quest path.

What prof needs the most attention?

The one modeled on Han Solo that can't smuggle.

What's next for the Badger, both as an SWG player and as a Senator?

I just go with the flow, I have no real long term goals, I just focus on the needs of the community in the moment. Come January I will not be part of the Senate as my six month term as a Legacy Senator will be over, and I don't wish to run against anyone who might want to see what it is like to be in the Senate.

I'll probably see what it's like in Blue Glowie Island, but I'll still be doing what I do now, just more in the way that BadMisterFrosty does it.

As a player I still have a BH, Spy, Officer and Commando to level on different live servers and lots of friends to play with, I may even play my CL6 Jedi at some point... You never know.
I also love the TC-Prime community, there are some very cool people over there and I have been leveling another Smuggler for testing purposes. But mostly I love PvP'ing with my Smuggler on Chimaera, its frustrating playing such an underpowered profession but ultimately very rewarding when you get it right, a bit like being a Senator I suppose.

Take care of yourselves readers, I guess that’s what you’re best at.
SuperFurry – 4th October 2007
Email me: SuperFurryGalaxies@hotmail.com