one of the problems with these games from a story point of view, IMO, is that you used to be a Jedi. I agree that starting off as a Sith recruit would allow for more possibilities.
you get a dialogue trigger within the first hour about your view on Jedi and Sith and you have the ability to leave the Sith academy on someone's ship, etc.
I suspect most people will do that but those that want to stay DS and actually pursue the Sith/DS path can do so.....what if you want to play DS and be anti-Republic and cooperate with the Sith? Right now, the DS guy really only has one viable path -- to be the reluctant ANTI-HERO and defeat the Sith.
There needs to be an actual pro-Sith DS path in addition to the pro-Republic LS path, absolutely. And, if you want to go the DS path, you should not be chasing after Jedi mentors for training....you have Sith mentors for that. Faction membership in general needs to be implemented alot more, IMO.
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Ah, but the downside is you will have alienated a lot of the potential audience. E.g. check out all the posters in the KotOR 2:TSL General forum who can't play DS (<{POST_SNAPBACK}>). If you give them a character that is a (fully cognizant) Sith apprentice, then they just won't identify with them and there goes your immersion and suspension of disbelief.
It seems that it is better to have a small number of well-researched and documented characters, with varying backgrounds, then one main character.