Recently I was invited to join the Bioware Influencer program for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The program is designed to bring community, and especially community content creators, into a conversation with the development team to help accomplish two things:

• improve the game based directly on community feedback
• showcase some of the content that fans are creating for SWTOR

The program kicked off in late 2016 with some big names in SWTOR podcasting and video production. I’m talking  Bad Feeling Podcast, SWTOR Central, SWTOR Escape Podcast,  Kid Lee, Swtorista, Ootinicast,  and Corellian Run Radio. In December, I was asked by Community Manager Eric Musco if I would be interested in joining the project. Who, me? I mostly just play my army of characters and Tweet #SWTOR, and while I have made screenshots a way of life, I am hardly a content creator or a community leader! I’ve been a guild leader for a few years and I work on a guild and community podcast I love with the undeniably more talented and better-looking Sechari and JT, but yeah, I’m outclassed in this group.

So, you are wondering what I could possibly bring to the Influencer Program. I know this is what you’re thinking because I have been asking myself the same thing! After mulling it over, I think what I bring is simple: I am an everyday player, a workaday midlevel gamer who doesn’t represent the upper tiers but the more populous middle ones. When it comes to SWTOR, I am not outstandingly skilled or evolved, but I am enthusiastic and passionate about playing and doing whatever I can to help others enjoy the game, too.  I care about SWTOR- a lot. And I care about the community even more.

I hope that by participating in the program I can help Bioware keep its ear to the ground, listening to everyday player feedback. We need each other: There is no SWTOR without the community any more than there would be a game without the devs.

I’ve been at this game for five years and I am excited about the increasing emphasis on community involvement and developer responsiveness. The Influencer Program is growing as we speak -myself and the amazing Vulkk being the newest members- with more to come very soon (it’s a secret!) and I am hopeful that it can help us, the players, shape the future. I’m not being asked to change or promote certain things or anything like that. My usual mix of playing my toons, writing a little, Photoshopping a lot, and talking almost constantly will continue without interruption or prejudice.

Thanks to Bioware for asking me along and to the other Influencers for so warmly welcoming me to the group! (A special thanks to SWTOR Central for going so far as to request me!)

Respectfully submitted,

Jessie, AKA Stardust Legacy

Link: The Influencer Program by SWTOR Central