That's true. Though there are already plans to give advantages to people who use the Legacy system anyway I thought (Legacy skills or something)? Personally, I think it's a little silly to have 2+ alts and they are all 400 Biochem...being able to make BoP items for your alts would increase diversity in crafting professions serverwide leading to a more varied economy. As it stands now people are already leveling to 400 Biochem just to get the BoP items and then switching to another craft to get its BoP items. I don't really see why having an alt do it for you would be any different other than saving time and money. Though I guess Bioware does want your time AND money... And it's not like you'd be able to use the crafted artifact items right off the bat since they have level restrictions on them anyway. Just a thought, though it probably would require a whole lot of tweaking to balance it.

Ooh, and what about crafting? Would your Alt-Companion be able to craft for you as well? Like say if they are 400 Biochem they can make Biochem items for you, including the BoP items...that way different alts are actually encouraged to have different crafting abilities. The possibilities are endless with this idea. Really, truly brilliant, OP.

This is actually a really cool idea, and I'd be all for it. I do see a few problems with the combat system, though. Would the Alt-Companion have access to all their skills, or just the ones that available at the same level as the main? And what about specs and people who multi-spec, where skills aren't necessarily associated with a certain level? I could see a problem if you had, say, a level 50 Corruption Sorcerer with access to Revivification while your new main is at level 10. That might put the game on super easy mode for some, which isn't really that bad of a thing. Still, awesome idea, would really love to see something similar implemented!

You're putting words in people's mouths, just like you claim they're putting words in your mouth. I already said that I didn't think the OP's point about the Republic being all female and the Empire being all male was sexist. I thought that was a good point. And I said that you didn't have sexist intentions. I know you didn't MEAN to be sexist when you said it. Probably just like how the OP didn't MEAN to be sexist when he said the thing about masculinity. But the idiom you used IS sexist. It has a sexist implication IN and OF ITSELF, even if YOU personally did not intend to convey THAT particular meaning. I seriously don't know how many times I can reiterate this. No wonder men don't have positions of power in the Republic - none of you have reading comprehension!

As much as I hate Rakghouls, I really hope that Bioware puts in some truly creepy moments in there, a la Dragon Age's Broodmother, or Mass Effect's Husks and Thorian Creepers. One can dream!

^^^^^ This.

I was not personally offended by the fact that he used that statement. I was merely pointing out that people can say sexist things (including a sexist idiom) without intending to be sexist. And, since the content of what they're saying is sexist, it is offensive to some people. Thus I can understand why people are upset. Thus I think it is not fair to marginalize them. You see, my intent was also pretty innocuous. I intended to point out that people were saying sexist things unintentionally, but to some people it came across differently. They reacted to what I said with offense without actually seeing the intent. It goes both ways. And man, I actually do hope they close this thread soon. It's really off-topic!

I already said that the statement itself is sexist, but I'm sure it was not your intent to be sexist. Read my original post, thank you.

Just because you're not TRYING to be sexist doesn't mean you aren't, though. That's what I've been trying to explain and that's what a lot of people aren't getting. The thread name itself is sexist. "Too damn many female leaders". Just think about that for a second. Can there ever be too many female leaders? In what situations? People sensitive to that statement probably read that and came into the thread with the expectation that it was going to be sexist regardless of what the OP said. What he's really saying is that the Empire/Republic gender ratios are imbalanced. Important Republic leaders are all women according to him, and important Empire leaders are all men, and he would've liked to see a woman on the Empire side and a male on the Republic side. That's perfectly fine and I see nothing wrong or sexist about that. But then he also says "Are you trying to say something about the masculinity of the Republic, Bioware?" And that's the statement I (and I'm assuming others, I cannot speak for them) have a problem with. I also have a problem with the people who are screaming "There are NO male Republic leaders!!" To them, I say...So? And? What's your point? And yes, I will agree about the double-standard of equal treatment between men and women but that's another issue entirely and I think this thread has been derailed enough. I do wish Satele were less bland, though. I don't know much about her yet, I guess, so time will tell. the Empire guys just seem so much cooler!

It is sexist, but in a positive way. "You have balls!" implies that someone is being brave or courageous like a man, which is construed a positive thing. "Panties in a bunch" implies that someone is being overly sensitive like a woman, which is construed as a negative thing. Do you see the difference?

The saying itself is sexist. It implies that people who wear panties (usually women) get upset when said panties are in a bunch. Basically, women are easily upset. That's a sexist statement. You could have said underwear. That is gender neutral. And not all women wear panties, so that's a stereotypical and generalizing statement, and not an accurate one. It's a sexist statement no matter how you dress it up, panties or not. Even if there is no ill will, if the statement is sexist, then it's perfectly understandable why people are upset. If someone said something unintentionally racist, it's still racist. It's still demeaning to a group of people. It's perfectly understandable why someone would be offended by that. And then to have other people marginalize those feelings is basically like kicking a person when they're already down.

The OP may not be trying to be sexist, but his post inherently is. A lot of posts here are. They're not TRYING to be sexist (unless they are trolling), but some of them ARE sexist by pure virtue of what they're saying. The intent might not be there, but that still does not make it okay. That's why people are getting upset and making a big deal about it. Not only are sexist remarks being made, but they're also being marginalized. For instance, you just said "getting your panties in a bunch". That's sexist, too. You might not have intended it to be, but that doesn't change what it is.

Yeah, the SI storyline is...really underwhelming. The first part is nonstop fetch quests. You're basically Indiana Jones, but even though you have lightning, you're still not as cool. How is that possible? They couldn't even give us some exposition on what KIND of relics we were getting or the HISTORY or I dunno, some sort of cool explanation of the inner workings of the Dark Side or original Sith Lords or SOMETHING? Anything?? Then you become a Ghostbuster, and you're not even the one played by Bill Murray. I just...fail to see the whole point of this. Wouldn't it have been cooler to actually do some political intrigue? Or anything at all involved with the main plot? It just feels like SI's story occurs in a bubble and nothing you do has any real effect on anyone else. And throughout the whole thing, you're basically someone else's lapdog and also completely incompetent on your own. Kallig saves you (and then proceeds to call you foolish) how many times? You're beaten by how many Darth Nobodies? How many of these plans were your own? Freaking lame. I guess Bioware had to make something about the SI bad so people would roll other classes.

Good job not even reading or seeing the point of my post. Exactly what argument was I trying to make?

Okay, not going to read all the posts about men vs. women because I can only get so angry in one day. I will address the fact that the poster is, by the very virtue of his topic title ("too many damn females"), being sexist. I do appreciate that you recognize that you are, however, though I will advise that you perhaps look into the reasons behind your feelings and try to address them in the future. Honestly, if they had made the Republic leaders an even 50/50, we'd be left with 1 or 2 strong female leaders in the entire game, because we all know the Empire doesn't like having women in charge. And then it would just be like any other game, where women are constantly overlooked or marginalized. I applaud Bioware for having so many strong female characters ingame. And honestly, it's still not a lot if you include the less important NPC's. And yes, in our world, there aren't very many women in positions of power. It upsets me when, once people DO see an equal representation of women in power in a fictionalized world, they find it jarring. The OP said that he thinks it makes the Republic less masculine by having women in charge. Well, is masculinity really that important? Should it really be the defining characteristic of a nation's military? As long as they are still effective, why does it matter? Don't you think that's something wrong with your attitude towards women in general and not the game itself? I do agree that having the Republic leaders be all female and the Empire leaders being all male is a little strange...but honestly, I'm just glad there are as many strong female leaders as there are. And then I get upset when I come to the forums and read page after page of sexist (some unintentional, some just trolling) comments. Yes, seeing strong female leaders in an MMO actually makes me happy. Yes, seeing countless sexist/misogynistic comments on the forums actually makes me a little bit upset. Don't you think that's a little sad? I certainly do. So, thank you, Bioware. Thank you for having strong women in prominent leadership positions in your game. I can only hope that one day, people will no longer find that strange. Just my two cents.

You guys missed the point of what I'm saying completely. Just because it's a goal of a group of people who are normally considered good guys does NOT mean it's NOT crazy. Genocide is wiping out an entire race of people. That's crazy. It doesn't matter WHO does it or for WHAT reason. It's. STILL. CRAZY. Period. End of story. Even if genocide falls within someone's character, which I didn't say that it doesn't. IT'S STILL CRAZY! Even if it is the most efficient way to end a galactic war. STILL CRAZY! If you truly believe otherwise and say that genocide is a legitimate, logical, and totally okay means to an end, then I fear for you and I fear for humanity. Truly. Malachor V was 300 years and many plot points ago. Revan tried to commit genocide then (as crazy then as it is now!) and look how well it turned out for him. Don't you think that, 300 years and several character arcs later, he'd have learned from his mistakes? Don't you feel a little bit cheated that he is right back where he started, having learned absolutely nothing from his cycle of corruption and redemption? That after all these years, he still fails to realize that wiping out an entire race of people based solely on their genetic ancestry is not the answer? I thought it was canon that Revan, after having his mind wiped and returning to the Light Side, had a concern for life Darth Revan did not previously have. HK-47 states as much during KOTOR, even going so far as to say that he is much improved now. But now with this Flashpoint, we're back to square one - genocide and total disregard for life. That's why I feel it was disrespectful to his character to have him go out that way. I never entertained the illusion that he was infallible, because that's what made him interesting. But to completely backpedal his genuine character development...that's downright shameful. I would have MUCH preferred a low-key, bittersweet but ultimately tragic ending to his tale. There was really no need to revert him back to his borderline megalomaniacal ways. I also would've preferred it if we never heard him speak or saw his face (or if he wasn't in the game at all), and that he remained a tragic and mysterious figure. He was so hyped up in most fans' minds, nothing they rendered could have ever lived up to our expectations, so why show him at all?

I hope they do fix this for the future. Frankly I think I look downright silly wearing certain helmets without the hoods also being up.

From ANYONE, Jedi or not, this plan is insane. Genocide = not sane in any way, shape, or form. He might have his reasons, but at the end of the day he still wants to mass murder an entire race of people as well as any person having the slightest bit of their genetic ancestry. I understand why he thinks this is the only answer, but that doesn't make it any less crazy. Just because you can explain the crazy doesn't make it less so. And just because he seems composed and articulate doesn't mean he's not stark raving mad.

He was trying to kill off everyone in the galaxy who had any sort of Sith Pureblood lineage in them. HK-47 states that it's something like 97% of the Empire's population. If you go with the dialogue choices that inquire as to his plans and tell him that he can still turn back to the light, he refuses and says it's the only way to stop the Empire once and for all. And he keeps screaming I AM A JEDI throughout the entire battle. Raving? Check. Genocidal? Check. Lunatic? On account of the other two, check.

I don't like a lot of things about the way they handled Revan's story. For instance, I don't like that the Emperor is what caused Revan to fall to the Dark Side in the first place. I don't like the way the Jedi Exile died. I don't like that Revan is even alive during TOR. I don't like that you see Revan's face. I don't like that you hear Revan's voice. I REALLY don't like that you fight Revan in a midlevel 4-man Flashpoint where you don't have complete control over the dialogue options and some idiot can ruin the scene by choosing to attack right off the bat. And yes, this is all probably because I formed a strong attachment to Revan after KOTOR. Don't get me wrong, the Flashpoint itself was epic and the boss battles were fun. But storywise...it just wasn't doing it for me. If you're going to insist on having Revan in a game that takes place 300 years later, his appearance should at least serve as good closure, both to those who hate him and want to personally kick his ***, and those who love him, and want to give him a respectful send-off. I would have MUCH preferred a one-time, level 50 quest where your character duels Revan one on one. He doesn't speak. He is cloaked and masked. You don't see his face. He is sitting silently in the middle of the room, watching a holocron of Bastila and maybe a young Vaner over and over again. You draw your weapon. He rises, turns, and draws his lightsaber. You then fight one-on-one, no companions, no groupmates, nothing but you and Revan. After the battle there is a brief cutscene of Revan lowering his weapon and bowing his head. And then you cut him down. Short. Simple. Poignant. I understand that you can't make everyone happy. But it just seemed so...jarring to have Revan, the character that started it all, go out as nothing more than a raving genocidal lunatic without any shred of dignity left.

There is so, so much wrong with that post I can't even... But I won't get into it because I feel the thread has been derailed enough already. Anyway, I am not really enamored with the whole companion/affection system in general. Every time they're in a party with me I feel pressured to make dialogue choices that cater to their sensibilities, unless I want to spend ungodly amounts of money buying them gifts to win them over. I also feel that the female romance options are a little bland and underdeveloped. Hopefully they intend to flesh these out a bit more in the future, in addition to including SGRA.

Agreed - this is really awesome. Thanks OP!

Right. The other poster's point was that Empire gets more color options than Republic, which just isn't true. Now about those Magenta Adegan Crystals...

Uh? He's Light IV. He wields a red and blue saber. That red saber doesn't exclude Light characters. Clearly you've heard of one?

I actually think they should do the above mentioned quest chain in order to make your own lightsaber as well (which is something I think a lot of us wanted to do) but custom in-game models for hilts will be harder to implement than just color crystals.