Spoiler:

Personally, I like the new system better. Yes, the companions now seem a bit as if they came from an assembly line as far as their abilities go, but I never cared much for that; instead, I always cared about which companion was the most interesting and/or pleasant for me to quest with. Unfortunately, there were always cases, no matter what class I played with, where at least one, more often two, companion was completely useless to me as far as gameplay features went and so I never really bothered going on adventures with them. Example, for a tankng Juggernaut I never picked Pierce or Broonmark before because they were tanks as well - and while Broonmark is no great loss, I always wanted to like Pierce and have him with me, but I never did. Another example, with a Gunslinger, Risha was my favorite personality among my crew, but since her role as a ranged DPS overlapped with mine, I preferred to have a meatshield who would engage the enemies from melee while I did my thing from afar, and as a result I spent much more time with Bowdaar and Akaavi than I actually wanted to. Now I can call whoever I like, I often change them up and even though it sounds silly, it makes me appreciate them more because I can spend more time with every companion instead of using one or two and mostly ignoring the rest.

Don't worry about it. I won't say more unless you want spoilers

I have been a player since January 2012, but I've never played it constantly in that time. Usually I subscribe for a month or two, then after I feel a bit tired of it all, I take a rest (usually for more than half a year at a time) until I want to play SWTOR again . It's a great way to avoid burnout, but a bad side effect is that I often forget the stories of classes that I haven't finished yet. I recently finished the last levels of a JK and a BH, and I had forgotten a lot of details which probably lessened the effect they had on me. It can also be quite jarring to see big changes if you've been away for as long as I usually am.

Nobody really seems to have any solid info as far as a date goes, but apparently it should be sent to your e-mail either in the week after the 14th, or before the end of February.

I don't dress up my characters + companions unanimously (though I admit that it would work nicely for Troopers, though that's the one class I've played the least - never past Ord Mantell, really). Instead I waste a lot of time, and sometimes credits, trying to come up with looks that suit the personalities. While a lot of people probably to that for their characters, I try to do it for most companions too Like, for example with Gault when I played as a BH and recruited him, I decided to follow up on the whole thing where he had created this false identity - so now that Tyresius was gone and "Gault" became a part of a Bounty Hunting crew, and made an outfit that screams out that this dude is a ******, with the trenchcoat with the open bare chest, Mandalorian gauntlets and a huuuuge sniper rifle, with the idea that it was all a sham fitting Gault's character, to make him look convincing as a Bounty Hunter all the while he's not really that tough guy he pretends to be with his new wardrobe. I try to do this for as many characters as possible, but with some it's either too easy (Quinn, for example, can only wear a some sort of Imperial uniform in my mind, and I only decided on the color (Red/Black)), or not really possible (Bowdaar, 4X, etc.). With others I have an idea, but sometimes it can't really be achieved fully due to limitations of what gear is available in the game as a whole, or if it would be way to much of a hassle to obtain something (like I recently wanted to get Canderous Ordo's vest for Andronikos on my Inquisitor, because for some reason I had decided in my mind that he needed something sleeveless, but I balked at paying nearly 2 million for it so I got him a more generic and pirate-y trenchcoat). Believe it or not dressing up my companions in outfits that I put a lot of thought into is the main money sink in that game for me.

I think of it like a sociopathic serial killer. The type that lives in the suburbs, has a 9-to-5 job, a hobby, maybe a family, later people would describe them as making the impression of being quiet and/or harmless, etc. but actually chops people up every few weeks. They put up an act, and the act is often very convincing. The benevolent emperor persona is obviously just that, a persona. One of the things that made an impression to me is something that Senya tells you at some point, how in their marriage Valkorian eventually grew more and more distant, and so she eventually saw bits of what lies beneath the cracks of the mask, though she still is pretty much clueless as to exactly what sort of a monster he is. And I would even question how truly benevolent is he to Zakuul. Like, sure, he made sure they have strong armies and good technology and stuff, but if you think about it, in his mind he still treats them like a plaything. Maybe his favorite toy, but still a toy. The latest chapter with Kalyo shows that Zakuul is overly reliant on their tech such as droids, and the wars against the Republic and the Empire, while going well for now will, ultimately, lead to Zakuul's fall thanks to the Outlander.

Thana was so useless that it was hilarious. I guess all I could use her for would be to Leeroy some bad guys to distract them from a real attack behind the lines or something. That's not a half bad idea, you kill two birds with one stone because she'll likely get herself blown up. But considering I chose to kill her with the only character I now play through KOTFE, it would be kinda stupid if she showed up.

So far we've had: Jedi Knight: - Kira - Doc - T7 - Lord Scourge - Rusk Smuggler: - Corso - Bowdaar - Risha - Guss - Akaavi Jedi Consular: - Qyzen - Nadya - Tharan - Iresso - Zenith Trooper: - Aric will come in the next Chapter - Tanno Vik - 4X - Yuun - Elara Dorne Sith Inquisitor: - Khem Val - Xalek - Ashara - Talos - Andronikos Sith Warrior: - Vette - Quinn - Jaesa - Broonmark - Pierce Imperial Agent: - Kalyo - Dr. Lokin - Vector - SCORPIO - Raina Temple Bounty Hunter: - Mako - Torian - Blizz - Gault Rennow - Skadge We've got 13 out of 40 (counting Aric Jorgan next month). While it's not even half, it's still an okay ratio because I'm sure that they intend to continue on with that story and the monthly chapters for the foreseeable future. I'm more worried that some classes like the Trooper or the Agent have almost their whole original A-Team back, while others like the Sith Warrior and the Jedi Consular only have one, and the poor Smuggler has nobody. I get that they're bringing the companions back based on how they would fit best in the overall story arc, and are not as worried about "playing it fair"... but godammit, I can't help but feel like the most interesting ones are not "unlocked" yet. I play the KOTFE thing with only one character, a Sith Warrior, and I really want Vette and Jaesa back (though Xalek also makes for a good apprentice), and a confrontation with Lord Scourge should, theoretically, be awesome if you're a Sith Warrior, as would be recruiting the cowardly Guss, but alas.

I've always had a special place in my heart for Tatooine. The main storyline is so wonderfully creepy the first time you play through it. I loved the whole thing with the Rakata archaeotech turning people into zombies, and the old messages from the doomed Czerka facility. The contrast with the bright and sunny visuals of the zones is pretty cool. I also like Imperial Balmorra, methodically crushing the local resistance.

In the Return video the Zabrak Jedi is Kao Cen Darach. The girl is his Padawan, none other than Satele Shan who later (i.e. during the time of the actual game which is some years after the intro videos) becomes the Grand Master of the whole Jedi Order. The two Sith Lords are Darth Vindican and Darth Malgus. The soldier is Jace Malcolm and the guy who was arrested for smuggling Sith artefacts out of Korriban is named Nico Okarr. There is a cameo by the astromech droid T7-O1 who will become one of the Jedi Knight's companions during the game. In the Hope video we have mostly the same roster - Satele Shan and Jace Malcolm on the side of the Republic, and Darth Malgus who leads the Empire's troops. In the Decieved video we once more see Darth Malgus, though older and more scarred. The Twi'lek that accompanies him is his wife, Eleena Daru. The red-haired chick with the Mandalorian armor and the jetpack is Shae Vizla. On the side of the good guys we have Jedi Master Ven Zallow, he is the one who duels with Malgus and loses, and another small cameo from T7.

Koth is super annoying. I mean, sure, I get it - he's only seen the good things that happened to Zakuul because of Valkorian, so from his point of view he's a benevolent ruler not an omnicidal psychopath. But we, the players, KNOW better. We've seen the omnicidal psychopath, front row seats. So while Koth's very limited perspective on the matter is understandable, he is plain wrong. And so he becomes annoying as hell when he refuses to listen and instead whines on and on, and on. The audacity to try and actively screw you over by was the last nail in the coffin for me. Good riddance, buddy, I'll miss ya like a toothache.

Then again, though, would it hurt them to say when the code will be received?

Two? We got regular humans, blue humans, green humans, blind humans, pale and bald humans, humans with cybernetic stuff on their faces and horned humans. Heck, you might even argue that the Sith Pureblood is a slightly ugly and deformed red human. Nothing wrong with the OP's idea and the Kiffar race itself, but I think that the visual diversity between the playable species has to be greater. The Cathar, while in my own opinion being kinda lame, were a step in the right direction, and the more recent inclusion of the Togruta was something I felt was missing since launch. I hope they continue that trend, as we nave more than enough humans-with-an-outlandish-skin-color-and-a-few-minor-tweaks-here-and-there.

A huge part of me is downright relieved that he's gone. Then there's another part who remembers that he tried to steal the Gravestone... so assuming we're gonna meet him again at some point, he'd probably be taking a lightsaber in the face. I mean, okay, dude, you want to be the hypocritical naysayer, fine, get lost - I am going to win this with or without you anyway. But trying to actively screw me over by taking the single biggest ace in the hole we have against Arcann's mighty fleet... there's no forgiveness there.

I assume that the main bad guys (Valkorian and his children) will be defeated completely. There will be some shenanigans involving Valkorian possessing you, and Senya will have a big role to play at some point during the final showdowns. I am willing to bet money that at some point Vayiln will betray Arcann, though I have no idea if she will remain as an antagonist or will jump ship to our side. After the dust is settled, I imagine that the player character will restore their faction's power and will deal with NPCs like Saresh or the new Sith Empress whose name I forget right now. We'll see more of Satele and Darth Marr's ghost too.

I've made my peace with this a long time ago. I have a ridiculously hard time cobbling together the looks I want for my characters (and because I'm crazy, I do this for the companions too, almost always coming up with something different than the things they have by default). Generally, there are a lot of ugly armors and outfits in SWTOR, some of them ridiculously overdecorated, and it's harder to make a Star Wars-y look than it really ought to be. But, truth be told, this is a problem that seems to always pop up in MMOs, at least for me.

Totally, it has an amazing potential story and characterization-wise. Like you said, there is so much between him and the Knight already, and a Jedi/Sith relationship will be something unique, at least to my knowledge. And I can't help but remember how Lord Scourge's immortality has basically dulled his senses and robbed him of all joy (I think he even commented something like he would like to remember the color the eyes of his first love, but he can't, not anymore). Imagine the potential! He could seriously be an awesome romance choice.

Oh my gosh, yes, I'd totally make a new Knight and replay the story just to be able to do that! Definitely would pick Lord Scourge over Doc (I like Doc as a whole, but he's a sleazeball, Scourge is completely awesome).

Arcann and Vaylin are the vile scumbags they are because of Valkorian and his parenting I think your husband is on to something, I am sure than Vaylin will, at some point, turn against her brother. She's totally giving him an evil look every chance she gets lol I don't know if she'll be a companion, though I wouldn't rule it out. If it's up to me, I'd rather she and Arcann both take a lightsaber in the face.

Am I the only one who, after Koth skedaddled, basically heaved a sigh of relief and said "Good riddance!"? Life in the Alliance would certainly be of better quality without his constant hypocritical whining and glorifying the main villain of the whole freaking game. Anyone?

I love Vette. Quinn, though, makes my skin crawl. I honestly haven't thought of the reasons behind it, but I guess it comes down to this - I dislike Quinn because he's a total bootlicker who betrays you near the end. The betrayal itself is not the main reason why I don't want him anywhere near my ship - him being the most servile companion I've seen so far is, but it certainly isn't doing him any favors; the fact that you can't kill him after is even more damning because it moves him from "an unpleasant character, but fine, I guess the betrayal was needed for the story" to simply annoying. Even when pushing aside my personal dislike and thinking from role-playing perspective and what would be in or out of character, my Sith Warrior is not a full on DS "grr, I'm a bloodthirsty maniac, grr!" type, he usually varies between Neutral and Dark 1, but even he would totally slaughter Quinn if the game allowed it - he's simply not trustworthy, and he's never demonstrated anything that would make him irreplaceable in my eyes. With Vette, I've found that most people either love her because she's funny and mostly a positive influence on your Warrior, or they hate her... for mainly the same reasons. There are basically a bunch of ways to roleplay a Sith Warrior, and one of them is to make him/her a haughty and bloodthirsty, very-obvious-mustache-twirling villain; and to such a character tolerating a mouthy slave makes about as much sense as keeping Quinn alive after the betrayal. Like I said, though, I play my Warrior more as a "still a bad guy, mostly, but not a total monster" type, trying to roleplay more his Magnificent Bastard qualities than the Brute ones, and I've rationalized him being close with Vette (and eventually even romancing and marrying her) exactly because she helps him not to succumb fully to the darkness, because most of the completely evil Sith tend to also be so blinded by being eeeeeeeeviiiil that they start getting stupid at some point, and thus can be removed by more level-headed characters. So while my SW generally tends to make dastardly choices (unless they are Stupid Evil), Vette is like his lifeline into the light.

Personally, I use the Social 1 Elegant Dress, sans the ridiculous hat, because I think that a former Jedi (and whose parents were Alderaanian servants if memory serves me right) gone insane like her would like to tap into new and opulent experiences. If you're going for a more basic, "darksider"-type of look, I'd suggest something like the Dark Acolyte or the Sorcerer. I even use the Dark Acolyte chest on my very own Inquisitor, as I rarely use whole sets and prefer to cobble together the look of my toons and companions from many different sources.

If anything, the Republic is stronger than the Empire in military terms, or at least was during the Great War. The Empire managed to score early victories mainly due to the surprising and fast attacks it launched, but by the time of the treaty of Coruscant, the war was heading to a stalemate the Imps would not have won because they couldn't match the Republic's enormous manpower. The treaty was good for the Empire because it ratified their control over key systems, but it never would have been signed if it weren't for Malgus' assault on Coruscant. During the time of the game itself, which is just a few decades later, the Empire was probably stronger than it had been initially, but the Republic had also had time to lick its wounds and prepare. And the fact that the Empire lost planets like Corellia and Balmorra hit them hard. And while the Republic guys have troubles with separatists and the occasional corrupted Jedi, the internal strife is small compared to the Empire's where the Sith are CONSTANTLY fighting against each other (much more so than the Jedi who, as a whole, are cohesive and on the same page) and where stuff like Malugs' rebellion and Baras' scheming happen; heck, even on Dromund Kaas you deal with rebellious Sith lords like Grathan, the Revanites and Tytonus, while on Coruscant your enemies are either criminals or Imps, not Jedi gone rogue. If anything, the Empire is going to be ultimately defeated not so much through the Republic's efforts, but due to their own infighting. And I consider myself an Empire fan, but still, one can't ignore the obvious.