Hi mav,
SWG is set between Ep4-5 just before the new Death Star was made. MMO RPG is Masively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. You don't HAVE to role play it though its just the genre because it lends itself to it brilliantly.
Basically in te game you pick what you want to start out as, crafting, attacking, healing, dancing, virtually EVERY Star Wars profession is open to you eventuall, even Dark Jedi Master!!! The difference with this game is, you actually play online with thousands of other people doing the other profs you didnt choose, so theres something there for everyone.
I've been playing about 6 months now and have nearly hit Master Bounty Hunter so I'm currently hunting Jedi and the such, Im also a Dark Jedi Padawan. If you love Star Wars and sci-fi films, you WILL love this game. You get to play the Star Wars saga between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back exactly the way you want to, it never ends.
The beauty of this game is that you aren't following a set list of things to do or following a story line, you make it up as you please. For example, I roleplay my BH and Smuggler, so sit in cantinas listening to people talking about things, and then if something interesting comes up I follow it up. Namely with killing the Jedi in question. All players can become Jedi, it just takes work to get there which is what makes it so much more fun.
If you do join, go on FarStar server and I can help you get started. I am second in command of a guild on there and also the most wealthy out of the lot lol, £10mil sound nice to anyone hehe.
Ep III is going to absolutely blow you away, and whats better, I get to see it 3 days before it comes out GET IN!!!
Hope to see you online
Boardy