Since we're just basically wandering into "what if" territory with this one, I'd kind of like to see the possibility of a pair of companions (romanceable companions, in particular) coming back as a couple. I mean, "forever" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, and some people just don't have it in them to pine for you for the rest of their lives. Andronikos Revel and Risha - for example - hooking up as space pirates, and then something more? Makes sense. It seems like a whole lot of interesting RP choices can come out of a situation like that.

You considering the Jedi knight storyline to be the "canon" one isn't the same thing as it being the "canon" one. Sometimes, people who start things don't get to be there when those things are finished - Kira and Scourge were just unfortunate in that regard. And, if it is, indeed, a question of the voice actors' strike holding up the return of certain companions (even my formerly-romanced Jaesa, who I'm now looking forward to potentially dealing with as some manner of Vaylin-lite), I'm 100% for them withholding their talents for as long as is necessary for them to get the fair working conditions and compensation they're demanding.

I'd hate to be anyone tasked with interacting with a fan community. What I do for a living isn't quite the same thing, but it's close enough, and I feel that the lessons I've learned apply. There's a difference between what you might like to do as someone who makes creative content, versus what your bosses allow you to do. And there's also a difference between what you're permitted to say to the consumers of your product, and what might necessarily be the whole truth. Seriously, don't blame the person whose paycheck depends on reciting the script - it's no better behavior than yelling at a customer service representative because you want them to overreach the scope and authority of their job to address your problem.

As it turns out, there's really no good reason for the women in SWTOR (or anywhere, really) to need to conform to anyone's particular standard of "hot."

Whatever's going on with Satele Shan, I'm positive it's something to do with the "will of the Force." I feel like she and Marr are going to henceforth be the heralds of "whatever expansion comes next." As to Acina, as I've noted elsewhere, it feels like the only person in the Sith Empire with the right combination of charisma, patience, personal power, and political influence to dethrone her is Darth Vowrawn (though, honestly, I'm really happy with her being in charge - I think she was a very solid pick for the new ruler of the Empire).

That, right there, would be a glorious spread of classes. I heartily approve.

While I'd be super-excited for a new class in the game, I feel that the likelihood of it is slim to none, sadly. That said, I could very much get behind Zakuul knight, droid, Imperial soldier, and SIS spy classes.

"Emperor/Empress" wouldn't be the first immersion-breaking title to show up in the game, if we're looking at it purely from that perspective. "Barsen'thor," for example, is a title that's only been given out three times over the course of millennia, while "Republic's Most Wanted" necessarily implies a single individual. In the end, my Sith chose to be an emperor, I'd love the title to go with it.

I brought the fight around to the side of the throne stairs and just put my back to it. Every time she did her knockback, I didn't go anywhere, because there was nowhere to go.

I mean... sure? I'd rather spend a dollar on something I definitely know I want than ten dollars for the chance of maybe getting something I want, but the point is that there are clearly enough people willing to spend that ten dollars to make it worth Bioware's while to go that route. (This is also why I only buy stuff with my regular monthly subscriber CC allotment.) As to pricing on the GTN? People will charge whatever they can get away with charging. If no one's buying, the price drops. On the other hand, if I can get a hundred million credits for something, I absolutely will, and I won't for a second feel badly about it.

The only way I'd expect to see even the possibility of Darth Acina as a permanent companion is if she's overthrown. The one confirmed surviving character in the Sith Empire I can think of with the political savvy and resources to pull that off is Darth Vowrawn.

I wasn't quite able to eke out the stuff necessary for the Master Ranos companion in time, but I'm given to understand that, if you're missing a Force-using companion, she's got an update on them. All of them, however, seem to boil down to, "Your companion headed out into the far-flung reaches of the galaxy - maybe dead, now? Maybe crazy? Maybe they just don't want to come back to you? Or maybe it's all just rumors and hearsay?"

All of this is true, but the supposed "immortal emperor" you went out there to hunt died by your hand, and, as far as the galaxy knew, you died immediately thereafter by his son's hand. Suddenly, the whole thing seems like you went out there, found the wrong guy, and got killed in the process. For those five years you were in carbonite, there was no sign of Vitiate/Valkorion, since he was hanging out in your mind. I'd assume that Kira and Scourge - either together or separately - would've gone back on the hunt for the Sith Emperor, following up on other potential leads in far-flung quarters of the galaxy.

There are other ways. The characters could've died over the course of the last five years. (Anticlimactic and disappointing, but certainly possible.) Kira and Scourge could simply have not have known that Vitiate and Valkorion are one in the same - "psychic connection to" is not the same as "flawless knowledge of" (particularly after Ziost, when he became more and greater than the being they had known) - and therefore have been elsewhere, pursuing other interests over the course of the war against the Eternal Empire.

At this point, I'm kind of hoping that any companions who don't return in Alliance alerts that roll out within the next couple of months, at most, are revealed to be deliberately keeping their distance, having moved on with life (and now perhaps being at cross-purposes with the figure you've necessarily become). Like, you could get them back, but you'll have to track them down and do some convincing.

An Acina romance option would be fantastic. As it stands...

What was her hypocrisy, if I might ask? As I recall, she gave approval to my unapologetic dirtbag of an Imperial agent for sleeping around on the job, even when the two of them were together.

I feel like it's worth noting that, even when you've gone to every planet in the game, there are still some fairly large gaps in the galaxy map, containing presumably unexplored space, full of who-knows-what kinds of potential threats. And all of this is above and beyond the possibility of an extragalactic threat (which, if it happens, I deeply and sincerely hope is not the Yuuzan Vong).

I suspect that "just letting us buy things with CC" directly is the less profitable course of action, thus the less prudent business decision. Some people will sink huge sums into CC to buy obscene numbers of packs, hoping for ultra-rare items. That's good for the game, even if it's frustrating for players looking for individual items.

After my second try, I realized that I just needed to pause in the safe areas between junctions to observe the skytrooper movement patterns for a moment. After that, it was a breeze.

I'm not gonna lie - as a Sith player, it was pretty awesome running around with a companion who'd occasionally yell, "FOR THE SITH!" in combat.

You probably want to drop a spoiler tag in here, somewhere. That said, I got the impression that the aid the Scions were promising is yet to come, for some conflict they've foreseen which has not yet occurred.

I rather enjoyed it, myself. Having played the whole thing on "hardcore Sith" mode, it definitely felt like finally arriving at the end of a long, bloody road of ambition and vengeance.