SW: The Old Republic Part 4

[Cantousent]

I've played the majority of the classes so far. I think my favorites are Bounty Hunter and Consular. Yeah, I get the complaints about the Consular, but I like how the light side dialogue isn't insulting. You can play the good guy without sounding like a complete idiot.

[Calax]

Honestly, the Sith Warrior is a lot like that too. In the Warrior, you end up getting yelled at by your stereotypical partners (the other sith around) but end up getting a MUCH more... interesting tale out of it (being light or dark actually has an effect on one of your companions).

 

Also, zipping around on a Jedi shadow... (consular advanced class that's tanky and melee) and HOLY CRAP BASTILA MADE A CAMEO!

[Spider]

Weird you didn't get the invite, I did send it.

 

The trial only lasts until level 15, so you won't get off the second planet. But the game doesn't open up that much after that anyway. Sure you'll have access to all planets, but since they're level based you have to do them in order anyway more or less.

 

As far as stories go I think the agent one is the best I've played (all dark side, two incomplete light side) by a fair margin. Inquisitor is the worst. It starts ok, but falls apart quickly in act 2.

 

It also helps that the agent has the best voice work.

[Raithe]

I do wish they hadn't used Jennifer Hale for both Satele Shan and the Republic Fem-Trooper.

 

Also, it means that Fem-Trooper does come across a bit too much like Fem-Shephard

[Spider]

Probably the point

 

Anyway, apparently new event going on. Treasure hunt on nar shadaa this time. Haven't been myself but could be fun. Also new raid promised to drop next month.

[Oner]

Can you guys tell me a bit about the Trooper storyline? Is it any good? Are there nice twists? Scheming and backstabbing? Are the companions well written?

[Raithe]

Well it starts out with you being the new guy put into the Republics Elite of the Elite special forces group, otherwise known as Havoc Squad.

 

 

 

Then as you reach the end of the Prologue, the old timers pull a betrayal and defect to the Empire due to dissatisfaction with some spectacular screwups and lack of support from senior officers which led to a few deaths of squad members. You get left holding the bag as the sole surviving member and get tasked to rebuild Havoc Squad.

 

Thus leading into Chapter 1 and the beginning of the hunt for the old members of the squad. Throw in various black bag elements as sidelines.

 

There's that mix of betrayal and sympathy for the defectors. Some definitely twisted and dark side due to the horrors of war and actions they've commited, others who are honestly disapointed and disgusted by Republic officers and politicians who sent them in and left them for dead in certain situations. So they don't all go cookie-cutter on why the various members did what they did.

 

 

 

That's about how far I managed to get into it during the beta trial weekend last year before the game was released. Since I did that then, I've been leaving the Trooper as one of my last toons to play since the game came out.

 

The companion you first get is an officer busted down to nco, who has a chip on his shoulder. He tends to be a ranged tank if I recall. Then you get the cute girl - combat medic type, who used to be an Imperial but defected to the Republic. So there's all those trust issues brought up. The third companion you pick up is that Droid featured in the above video. He being a mean prototype stolen by a group involving one of the Havoc squad defectors, and you manage to restore his original programming.

[Oner]

Sounds good, thanks!

[Calax]

I've heard that the Trooper and Consular acts 2 and 3 are some of the funnest (with larger scale operations being a part of the storylines... and you assigning your companions to act as leaders for the attacks etc.)

[Raithe]

Also, apparently the latest "event" is going live around now?

 

Some sort of Treasure Hunt with the Chevin?

[Guest Slinky]

Also, apparently the latest "event" is going live around now?

 

Some sort of Treasure Hunt with the Chevin?

 

Find stuff around dromund kaas and nar shaddaa. Very boring quests with very crappy rewards, unless you want a crossbow shaped blaster/sniper rifle.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Slinky

[Raithe]

Talking of Bio writing.. here's some of the more amusing dialogue (at least, to my mind):

 

 

Kira Carsen "Dear Czerka, please stop finding ancient horrible things. Love Kira."

 

Player (Jedi Consular) "Wow, there is incompetent... And then there are you guys"

 

Elara Dorne: Status report, lieutenant! Are you injured?

Player (Trooper) : [Flirt] I don't know, I might need an examination.

Elara Dorne: This isn't the time for joking around.

Aric Jorgan: I'm guessing that's a 'no', lieutenant.

 

M1-4X (after repeatedly clicking on him) "Do not worry, master! My armor is impenetrable to your touch, no matter how repetitive!"

 

Darth Baras: YEAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH

Player (Sith Warrior) : I feel your anger, master.

Darth Baras: A blind, deaf, comatose, lobotomy patient could feel MY ANGER!

Vette: Okay, I'm officially scared...

 

 

Darth Baras: Yeeeeaaaaarggggghhh! I cannot break him!

Player (Sith Warrior): Is there a problem here?

Darth Baras: Who would ask such a stupid question!? Clearly, there's a problem here!

 

 

Vette: Well you started the Dromund Kaas death toll early.

Player (Sith Warrior): It was a long shuttle ride...

 

Jaesa Willsaam "There was a cute Lieutenant... I think I got to know him real well... or maybe I killed him. Or both. I don't remember."

 

Scientist: You kidnapped me away from the Republic so you could go skinny-dipping in a toxic waste pit?

Player (Sith Inquisitor): A Sith's got to have some way to unwind.

 

Player (Sith Inquisitor): "With great power comes a lot of nagging, apparently..."

 

Jedi: *waves hand* You will drop your weapons and surrender.

Player (Bounty Hunter): *waves hand* You're an idiot.

 

Player (Imperial Agent): What can I say? People just fall at my feet.

Kaliyo: They do. Me? I have to push men down there. But, it all works out.

 

 

Grand Moff Kilran: I'm about to bombard your position from orbit.

Player (Any Republic): I've survived worse. Seeing your face, for starters.

 

NPC1: "How about I feed him his eyeballs?"

NPC2: "You said you wouldn't kill him."

NPC1: "He'll live... he'll just have a case of bad indigestion."

 

Dromund Kaas NPC: "I used to be respected, you know. My word carried weight. Then, one tiny mistake and suddenly no one trusts me. My troops were acting strangely, plotting something. Obviously they were traitors. All the warning signs were there. The smart move was to kill them all! How could I know they were planing a surprise party for my promotion!!"

 

Dromund Kaas NPC: "Grathan's trouble, big trouble, you see. Mad scientist type: Likes weapons, cyborgs, droids, ergonomic chairs..."

 

Alderaan NPC "I'd rather see Alderaan blasted into space debris than given over to the empire."

 

Imperial: Next! Name, please.

Prisoner: Kateo.

Imperial: Let's see... Ah, there you are. "Killer" Kateo, butchered and entire squad of Republic soldiers with... a shiv?

Prisoner: That's me.

Imperial: Someone get this man a blaster! Welcome to the Imperial Army, Kateo. If there's something else we can get you, maybe something dull and rusty? Just ask!

 

[Calax]

As a sith warrior, in one of the first quests on dromund Kaas, you can scare away would be ambushers by threatening to eat them.

 

Edited August 16, 2012 by Calax

[Hurlshort]

Awesome, I never played it like that

[Cantousent]

That was actually funny. Why does the bad guy always get the best lines? I've tried at least a few levels of every class now. I think the Jedi Consular and Sith Warrior are my faves for low level. I can see playing a light side Sith Warrior with a lot of funny consequences. I like the voice over work best for the Imperial Agent, but I like that starting world the least. I think, after all that, I'll play the Jedi Knight. I'm going a bit farther with that character. I did like one of my options for dialogue: I helped this chick by finding her dead husband and getting the necessary materials to craft medicine to save her daughter and she says she doesn't know what to say giving me the option of "Don't say, just pay." hehehe I didn't choose it, of course, but I did enjoy it. I have seen some pretty bad dialogue in the game, but I've actually been impressed with some of the writing and dialogue.

 

The whole light side/dark side always irritates me, just like alignment irritates me in DnD. I've been thinking of some ideas of how to approach it, but I don't want to gunk up this thread with the discussion. I'm going to play to level 15 and see how I like the game. I'm surprised in that I was far more excited about Diablo III, but this game has worn much much better that D3 did at this point.

[Nepenthe]

The whole light side/dark side always irritates me, just like alignment irritates me in DnD. I've been thinking of some ideas of how to approach it, but I don't want to gunk up this thread with the discussion.

There's no way anybody would (could?!) make a star wars game with choice that didn't have an ls/ds mechanic. The setting has that black and white morality.

 

But, yes. Had my first unpleasant flashpoint experience yesterday with some "serious" gamers. Typically I also ****ed up about everything possible when in a group like that, so a nice time was had by all. The faster I find a chill social guild, the better off I'll be.

[Cantousent]

Yeah, it's built into the system to be sure. There's nothing you can do about it. However, I think the devs could have a bit of fun with the whole light side/dark side decisions in the game. Maybe I'll waste some time and put the thoughts together and start yet another alignment thread.

 

I've been asked to join a guild twice already and my highest level character is level 9, and I *just* got to that level before posting this. I think tOR must have the same guild incentives they put into WoW.

[Calax]

Yeah, it's built into the system to be sure. There's nothing you can do about it. However, I think the devs could have a bit of fun with the whole light side/dark side decisions in the game. Maybe I'll waste some time and put the thoughts together and start yet another alignment thread.

 

I've been asked to join a guild twice already and my highest level character is level 9, and I *just* got to that level before posting this. I think tOR must have the same guild incentives they put into WoW.

 

The wierd thing is that the Light/Dark options really VARY in whats "light" and what's "dark" according to the devs. Mainly because f the fact it's written by dozens of people who do light/dark options. But Class quest vs story quests are the most jarring (a light option being killing somebody fast as a class quest, while a dark option is to take a tiny bribe... as a Sith.)

[Cantousent]

I really hate the way games look at light/dark sides and alignment in general. I can see why having chaotic (good, neutral, evil) and lawful (good, neutral, evil) and true neutral would make it hard on the design team. That's why the devs always seem to throw over lawful and chaotic and concentrate on good and evil. Fair enough. It's a stupid system, but it's part of DnD.

 

...But light and dark? Give me a break, there are only two choices, right? It should be easy to come up with reasonable options to reflect one or the other! wrong. That just means every single shade of human morality and ethics is reflected in two extremes with a really wimpy middle. It just makes it harder for the design team to make all of those decisions on a case by case basis. Of course, they could develop a good standard, but since mankind has been unable to find a universal standard, I don't see how the hell a game developer can devise one.

 

Wouldn't it be nice, though, to see someone come up with something more creative than the whole "good = refusing payment" and "bad = indiscriminant murder?" Hey, how about this, if you have a support team and you refuse payment owing to your overweening pride, you get dark side points for taking food out of the mouths of your companions? How about this, if you refuse a powerful weapon that would help you destroy the bad guys attacking the town out of a selfish desire for reputation, you get dark side points for undermining your ability to protect the joint? You can't create a Star Wars game without a light side and dark side mechanic, but it just means a lot of silly consequences.

 

On the other hand, I think doing all light side choices with a dark side character is fun. If I continue playing tOR, I'll do that eventually.

[Humanoid]

That's what you *have* to do to play "properly" last I knew - just like ME2's (can't recall the others) system where if you don't go to either extreme, you don't get the optimal rewards. In this case it was that you can't use certain gear unless you've maxed out the alignment bar.

 

It's not a hindrance for someone just playing the 1-50 story I guess, but I imagine for someone planning to do the endgame content, it basically forces them to blindly pick either the top option all the time, or the bottom option all the time.

 

 

Making each decision on its merits as I did, by level 40 I was basically flip-flopping between the neutral zone and "Dark I" which meant I couldn't use any alignment gear at all.

[Raithe]

But the Light / Dark items available aren't really that great compared to other elements you pick up during the end-game stuff. I mean, sure some of it's nice fluff, but it's more of a useful aspect when you can pick them up earlier in the game. By the time you get to end-level, there's better stuff available from pvp'ing or operations and the like.

 

It's kind of interesting that a lot of the Imperial "Light" side choices are actually around being honorable and not abusing Imperial troops under your command (or that you're working with). Even if you're approaching it from the angle of being a ruthless bastard who is looking for the long-term benefits to the Empire and your own power base.. you get them as Light side choices rather then dark.

 

Of course, if you listen to Lucas, Light/Dark isn't actually about the choices you make, its about the emotions you're feeling when you make them. I mean, technically, if you were serene and at peace with it all, and not feeling anger and hatred and fear. you could kill a whole buncha folks and not go Dark Side...

[Oner]

Dromund Kaas NPC: "I used to be respected, you know. My word carried weight. Then, one tiny mistake and suddenly no one trusts me. My troops were acting strangely, plotting something. Obviously they were traitors. All the warning signs were there. The smart move was to kill them all! How could I know they were planing a surprise party for my promotion!!"

 

Imperial: Next! Name, please.

Prisoner: Kateo.

Imperial: Let's see... Ah, there you are. "Killer" Kateo, butchered and entire squad of Republic soldiers with... a shiv?

Prisoner: That's me.

Imperial: Someone get this man a blaster! Welcome to the Imperial Army, Kateo. If there's something else we can get you, maybe something dull and rusty? Just ask!

These are the best. :D

[Spider]

The only items that care about light/dark side is a few relics and some light sabers. The latter are completely replaceable and the best relics don't care, so while it could matter a little while leveling the impact is minuscule.

 

Or just go biochem so you can send companions on the appropriate diplomacy missions.

 

Nepenthe, what server are you on?

[Gromnir]

Also, apparently the latest "event" is going live around now?

 

Some sort of Treasure Hunt with the Chevin?

 

Find stuff around dromund kaas and nar shaddaa. Very boring quests with very crappy rewards, unless you want a crossbow shaped blaster/sniper rifle.

 

am believing that the blasters is legacy items, meaning you can send between your characters. for folks that got multiple characters, this is a nifty bonus as there were no way for a player to send bound columi/rakata/war hero barrel mods between characters til now. is not meaningful for the non-hardcore player, but am gonna guess that the folks with multiple 50s is gonna take advantage o' using the legacy blasters as a mailbox.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited August 16, 2012 by Gromnir

[Cantousent]

I've gotten to the next planet as the Jedi Knight. I chose to be a guardian. Still haven't reached level 15, though. I did a couple of battlegrounds, but I thought it was strange how the levels mix. No range like WoW but completely mixed 10-40+. I was the ten, of course, and I felt sorry for my group for having a lowbie and a newbie rolled into one. Still, we won the first battleground handily and lost the next horribly, so I guess you never know what you'll get.

 

I'm much *much* more positive about this game now. It's actually shaping up pretty well and it has something WoW completely lost for me... something new and interesting to explore. I'm actually thinking about making the purchase, but I'm going to get to level fifteen to see if Bio could seal the deal.