I'm not objecting to the hacking and slaying... I would expect nothing less from a game that gives me a lightsaber! It's just having to hack and slash meaningless minions that I'd rather do without. The trailers and hype building up the game promoted the "cinematic" feel quite a bit, and while the game certainly has those moments they are only after the monotonous slog of punching through legions of meatbags.

That might explain things in the context of the Clone Wars, but it seems like Jedi have been placed in positions of military authority throughout Republic history. How much of this is the writers of Star Wars materiel inherently favoring force users over average people? I don't know. To a large extent, the Jedi are the Super Heroes of the Star Wars universe. I think that the mythos and nature of the Jedi/Sith abilities appeals to us as an audience, but in a sense I think that we also see "normal" people in the galaxy relegated to the status of secondary actors in the galaxy. It's almost as though only Force users have the ability to accomplish significant things. Anyone who exhibits extraordinary ability in a certain field tends to get it explained away as having untapped Force potential. Does anyone else get that sense? But the Republic DOES have a formal military. It's in decay during the latter days of the Republic, but back in the times of the Jedi Civil War it was far more vibrant. Otherwise, I agree with you. It seems that the primary responsibility of the Jedi is to train for war. But why are they so confused and conflicted on this matter? They are constantly bemoaning the fact that war always leads to the dark side, and that their lightsabers are tools not weapons, etc. This strikes me as silly. Obviously lightsabers are weapons! Every Jedi carries one, and trains extensively in combat techniques. I feel like it's time for the Jedi to own up and accept the fact that they're basically the Republic's emergency defense force/trump card. Yes, they perform other duties, but those duties are generally performed in the ABSENCE of warfare/conflict.

Some of my fondest memories of college were 2 v 2 matches of Battlefront 2! I am itching to see more of this game, I'm confident that DICE will deliver an awesome experience. One thing that bothered me about some Star Wars shooters was that they didn't always have that "Star Wars feel", but it looks like they're getting down into the nitty gritty details. Keep hitting us with those updates, Beni!

Nonsense, I still remembered the exact sequence of buttons that I pushed in each and every fight to trigger my abilities in the order that worked best. Combat is fairly routine against the legions of mooks. The problem was that all my skills had been reset and many of them changed so I had to learn a new sequence of buttons to push each time I entered combat, and didn't have the benefit of slowly leveling up to organically learn my character's abilities. I simply take issue with the fact that native wildlife and what appear to be bandits are capable of going toe to toe with my character. It's absurd that every forty yards or so is a life threatening monster or gang of super-powered thugs. If the planets were really that dangerous, no one would be dumb enough to try and live there.

Heck, how are there even any civilians at all? I'm a high-powered Sith Lord with a face eating monstrosity of a bodyguard following me around and I still get massacred by random animals and street thugs from time to time... all the normal civilians in the galaxy wouldn't live long enough to pick up groceries!

I hadn't played this game in over a year, but recently renewed my subscription because I vaguely remembered enjoying some parts of this game. I wanted to finish up my Sith Inquisitor's storyline, build my Legacy a little, and maybe start a new character and explore some of the other stories. But NO! All the skills appear to have been reworked, so I'll need to redesign my character's combat abilities (actually quite tricky at higher levels) and then I just wanted to advance the storyline a little but was forced to wade through legions of mooks and incredibly aggressive wildlife to get anything done... The fact is that the game just felt like work. Repetitive and annoying. Mass Effect had a "narrative" mode where the combat was partially glossed over and the difficulty set way down. It was good for when you just wanted to see how things unfolded and enjoy the ROLE-PLAYING aspect of the RPG. Can they make that mode for SWTOR? Then I might be able to enjoy playing a powerful Sith Lord who is conquering the galaxy without being bored to tears having to murder stray dogs on Taris.

Maybe move the champions from the standard league into the elite league? It pays to be a winner.

Sounds like you just need an "elite league" and a "weaklings who didn't make the first round draft" league.

I love it! I've always thought that well trained and well equipped heavy troopers could be devastating. Star Wars seems to have a strange predilection towards light infantry, whereas with the technology available I would expect powered armor and highly mobile shock troops to be the dominant offensive force in an infantry engagement.

Was there ever a formal agreement? From what I see in the PT and TCW, it seems that the Jedi generally report to the chancellor's office. They operate independently but also accept missions from him (not the Senate, from what I've seen). The Jedi councils seem to govern the Jedi internally, and occasionally handle outside disputes. I'm really unclear on how they formally relate to the Republic government. And then there's still the question of why the Republic military generally defers to the Jedi during wartime, appointing them as generals, etc.

Or just dang good. Something deep inside me recoils at the idea of disallowing a competitor because they are just better than everyone else. Call me overly egalitarian.

And yet, despite these tremendous advantages, the galactic natives did find ways to mitigate those threats and eventually defeat the Vong. In open combat, they're very very strong. However, they do have many limiting philosophies and cultural quirks which make them less than perfectly efficient slaughter machines. I'm not going to get too involved in this Kaggath (time constraints, mainly) but I would like to chime in and speak out against disallowing a whole faction's warships just because they're really good. I think that eliminating them would reduce the variety of the factions, and make for a less interesting fight.

What does that mean, though? I had a friend who majored in Peace & Justice... he currently works at a coffee shop. Peace and Justice is a fairly nebulous aim. Yes, military advisors quite often. And Jedi Healers are slightly less common than Jedi Generals, pilots, and warriors. I don't believe that is true. Throughout most Star Wars media, the common citizen tends to react with suspicion or confusion when dealing with Jedi because the Jedi are an inherently introverted society. They raise their members from childhood, take a dim view of close ties to outsiders, and wield a powerful energy that they themselves only partially understand. Frequently, it seems that when Jedi get involved, things escalate to violence even more quickly. This is due either to people's fearful reactions to Jedi (they are renowned as warriors, after all) or because the Sith gravitate towards interference in these scenarios. So is it really that practical to involve the Jedi in those types of delicate diplomatic mediation? It seems that a well-trained, non-Force using arbiter would get better results most of the time. Especially if he could always hint at playing the Republic trump card: "If we can't find peaceful resolution... I may need to involve the Jedi. And their lightsabers." Here's a question geared mostly for Aurbere, since he's the resident guru on SW history. Do the Jedi have a mission statement? Some kind of clearly defined set of objectives? Is there a document or treaty, any agreement really, that outlines their relationship with the Republic?

I am most pleased with this. You can bet that link is getting bookmarked!

An hour??? Are you an endurance runner? My legal counsel told me not to smack talk on the internet, so I don't get to have any more fun with this conversation. EDIT: Since my original comment upset you enough to ask for a deathmatch, I would like to apologize for it. Obviously, I was only joking. I would never condone the slaughter of innocent Ewoks purely for the sake of entertainment. That's just sick.

I'd pay good money to watch Gungans and Ewoks kill each other for two hours. You can't go wrong with that plotline.

Most of the EU is, I have to admit "bad fan fiction". Read some of the old Star Wars novels that weren't written by Michael Stackpole and try not to cringe. Read some of the new ones, heck, there's a little bit of good and a whole lot of bad in there. I'm excited for some Avenger's-style movie franchise management from Disney. New Star Wars film every summer for five years? I'll take it!

That was hilarious!

Slight literary license, haha. But during the periods of peace... what do the Jedi do? Seriously. Did they legitimately spend 1,000 years just mediating disputes between planetary governments and organizations? If the Jedi are not inherently a military organization... why does the Republic turn over command of fleets and armies to them by default? In the Clone Wars, the Mandalorian Wars, Jedi Civil war, etc. the Republic military essentially makes Jedi into automatic generals and admirals to command their forces. I find this extremely odd if the Jedi had the primary directive of preserving peace and justice. What qualifies them to be military leaders? Why would the even WANT to accept that role anyways? It seems to me that the Jedi spend far more time providing support for Republic military actions (be it against rebels, pirates, Dark Jedi, or foreign military forces) than they do... helping people. I don't see any arm of the Jedi dedicated to building houses, or feeding the poor. So what do they do aside from kill people and mediate disputes? This is a matter of perspective. YOU, as a Star Wars fan who has seen the majority of the Star Wars universe through the eyes of Jedi or those closely allied with them, would trust a Jedi. The average galactic citizen? They know VERY little about the Jedi. They're strange, secretive monks who wield a mysterious power which allows them to perform crazy feats of athleticism and mind control. Sometimes, they decide to be evil and take over the galaxy and thousands of people die in the ensuing turmoil. Would you want THAT guy mediating your disputes? I'm thinking of two primary examples of Jedi mediation, feel free to contribute other specific examples. First is the beginning of Phantom Menace. Trade dispute between Naboo and the Federation... which somehow resulted in an invasion??? We'll pretend that movie made sense somehow and just take it as fact that Jedi are sent to resolve those types of situations. Second example is in KotOR on Dantooine when Revan/Player-Character is called upon to help resolve cases involving various settlers and farmers who have grievances with each other.

Easy, there. Let's not make this a flame war over whether the Jedi should be aligned with the Republic. I was more interested in exploring what is expected of the Jedi during times of peace, and whether those expectations matched what was seen throughout Star Wars history (and if it is practical).

It seems to me that the Jedi really exist for two reasons: 1) To guard against the Sith (who were originally Jedi, so... yeah.) 2) To serve as backup firepower for the Republic Senate. For example, let's consider every scenario in the history of forever. -Invaders threaten the Republic -Republic military gets slapped around -Jedi step in and beef up the Republic forces, acting as Generals, pilots, special operatives, and front line combatants. (Except when they have a hissy fit and split the order down the middle, ala Mandalorian Wars) This seems to be the norm, rather than the exception. All the other activities of the Jedi seem to relate back to these two objectives. Hunting for Sith artifacts? They're trying to make sure people don't learn about the Force and use it for things they don't like. Mediating disputes? Sounds good, but in practice it seems to be sketchy. For starters, what legal authority do Jedi possess? We so rarely see them in this role. Furthermore, how are they making judgements? If they're sensing their feelings and trying to discern the truthfulness of a situation... is that evidence permitted in court? Mace Windu says that they fight for Justice because it is the bedrock of peaceful mediation (I agree with him) but when you introduce pseudo telepathic warriors with the ability to influence the minds of others... doesn't that carry a hefty risk of subverting the very legal system they sought to uphold?

Sure, there's raw power with the Force, but the question I was getting at is more "What is the goal of a Jedi?" Is it to become as strong as possible in the Force? What is the measurement that Jedi themselves use? Obviously we deliberate over strength in the Force, skill with a lightsaber, etc. but what is it that actually matters to the Jedi?

Sure, it's there in the manual so to speak.... but are there actually any of these Jedi who mattered? It seems like ultimately, any Jedi of renown (i.e. sat on the council at some point) was a warrior. Think of any movie-era Jedi, or a prominent Jedi from games, novels, etc. They're all highly proficient combatants who dabble in philosophy when they're not fighting Sith or other baddies. I find it very odd that the Jedi appear to be in denial of the fact that their most important role is fighting. They appear to spend most of their lives training and preparing for it.

It's been awhile since I logged in and checked these forums (alas, the burdens of reality...) I noticed that the ongoing debates in "who's Force is bigger" are still raging healthily, and it prompted me to wonder: "What is the measure of a Force-User?" Obviously, this is an evolving question. Initially, we had the Original Trilogy and its vague, mysterious Jedi (guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy). Then we moved on to learn through the EU that the Jedi and Sith had waged a war since the dawn of time, and essentially defined the face of the Star Wars universe at every step of the game. Then came the Prequel Trilogy, and we were introduced to some aspects of Jedi philosophy and general behavior. There are also numerous novels, comics, and video games which all provide a practically infinite variation of themes and interpretations of the Jedi Order, the Sith, and the Force. So the question I pose here is two fold: Firstly, what makes someone strong in the Force? And how does that affect them? (From what I have seen, most authors have blurred it into a nearly infinite magical energy that can accomplish anything and everything... in the wisdom of the forums, is there a consensus on how the Force operates?) Second, what determines the measure of a Jedi? (Originally, there were apparently just "Jedi Guardians": warriors who defended the Republic... or maybe the galaxy, depending on who you ask. So what is the mission of the Jedi? Is it just to destroy the Sith? Or are they sworn to protect the Republic? There are supposedly great Jedi scholars, etc. but ultimately it seems that the only real abilities of a Jedi that matter are fighting prowess and skill with a lightsaber.) Ok, third question here -- what's the deal with lightsabers? Obi-Wan Kenobi loved the darn things ("A more elegant weapon from a civilized era" ... "This weapon is your LIFE.") and yet many Jedi throughout the films/EU seem to disdain the idea that a Jedi is first and foremost a WARRIOR. But you can't ignore the fact that each and every Jedi carries perhaps the single most powerful handheld weapon in Star Wars and trains extensively in its use. And yet they are pacifists? Sometimes? Unless the Sith are around? As for the "Jedi Orders" (i.e. Sentinels, Guardians, Consulars, etc.) I don't see any evidence for their existence. From the films and closely related materiel (i.e. Clone Wars) it appears that ALL Jedi are expected to act as Guardians (occasionally acting as arbiters in disputes, or as diplomats... but always prepared to step in forcefully --pardon the pun ) What are your thoughts, oh Children of the Internet?

Honestly, those excerpts from the novel sound like they were written by a moron. It simply makes no sense for them to form a "superconducting loop" or for there to be no "possibility of fatigue". That's just pointless and meaningless drivel, the author seems to just be blustering. What does that even mean, "under his own power"? Of course it was under his own power, HE DID IT.