DrBrydon Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I have to say that in general I am enjoying the class story as a game element. I think, though, that the Risha story arc is poorly done. The major reason for this is that once it began I started to feel like I wasn't playing my story, but hers. She is nothing but an uncommunicative quest giver. Time to go. Deliver this. I'll tell you why later. Trust me. I soon began to lose track of why I was doing anything. I get more information from planetary quest-givers. That's the second problem. I have to trust Risha, and I really don't have a good reason to. Frankly, her holocall in Diago's lair would have been well calculated to get me killed. I am just about to retrieve Nok's treasure (I think), and the revelations accompanying that had me looking for the dialog option to say "Good-bye". The only reason I do go along with her is that I know out-of-game that she becomes my companion, which means there has to be something that makes it all workout. The fact that I have to rely on that to keep "I have a bad feeling about this" in check is a major problem with the story. This brings up another issue: Nok's treasure. As my smuggler I have little reason to trust Risha regarding what this is, or that I will see any of it. Right along she's been playing her game (or I've been playing her game). I still wouldn't be surprised if Skavak shows up with her on his arm, and buggers off with the dingus. At the same time as a player I know that the treasure is going to be a gyp. There is no way that the game is going to let me end this quest with a payout of so much as three pieces of great armor (oranges) or even 20k credits, let alone a legendary treasure. ("Well, more wealth than you can imagine!" "I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit.") At the end, therefore, I am going to be left holding the black bird, not the Maltese Falcon. (And if the treasure winds up being the place inside each of us, created by our goodwill and teamwork [simpson's 4F10], I am going to go back to boardgames.) The initial Skavak-focused story worked because the quest givers made sense, and I knew there was an actual prize (my ship) at the end. (I still kick myself that I could have had a ship at level one if not for trusting him!) With Risha I just keep thinking "I want this woman off my ship!" (Ohhai, Iz in yur ship gibben U qwests.) I know, of course, that any changes to the actual story would be difficult at best. Perhaps, though, as other stories are crafted, the devs/writers could keep these things in mind. On the other hand, at least I am not a trooper. My wife keeps getting told she's a loser in her story line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZakMorgan Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) This gave me a good laugh, mostly because I know entirely where you're coming from. Its also the reason I ditched my Smuggler. Like you I'd found the Smuggler story more than tolerable up until we were done with Coruscant and given our ship (back). Then I met the wretched woman (who I personally wanted out my ship the second I met her...but of course I had no say on the matter). It just doesn't make sense from a SMUGGLER, i.e. the most independent class of the Republic, to suddenly start taking orders from a colleague of Skavak who's decided to take the liberty of monopolising your ship (which you spent the entire prologue trying to get back), and if that wasnt enough - ordering you around like her personal dishrag. Edited January 8, 2012 by ZakMorgan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnnyB Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Yeah I'd say it's the weakest part of the smuggler's storyline. Don't worry though, overall I thought the story was great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeyan Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Dunno, after being Risha's errand-slave, in act 2 you just become: a republic errand slave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akento Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Really? I think Risha is a grand addition to the smuggler storyline. I guess it's personal taste, I do the job, I better get paid. With that said, you're not really an errand boy, you're delivering the goods... What smugglers do. Level up to after Hoth. Then reflect back on everything you've accomplished... Damn... Better than my buddies class quest, from what I've seen of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genpion Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) @DrBrydon, Xeyan Thanks for pointing this out and make me spend my time on another class.The smuggler would be my favorite class; selfish, independent, fun to play, stealth to avoid grind mobs.But the story begins weak.And becomes worse, judging from what I read. Edited January 8, 2012 by genpion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rankaze Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 @DrBrydon, Xeyan Thanks for pointing this out and make me spend my time on another class. The smuggler would be my favorite class; selfish, independent, fun to play, stealth to avoid grind mobs. But the story begins weak. And becomes worse, judging from what I read. I wouldn't really agree with Xeyan's assessment of the story in Act 2. Admittedly I am only on Balmorra, so not that far into Act 2 yet, but I have already had several opportunities to give the Republic the finger and do what I want if I felt like it. As it happens, my smuggler is a Republic sympathizer, and is pretty agreeable with helping the Republic as long as she makes a profit... but she doesn't do just everything they ask, either. I do agree about Risha, though. I spent a good chunk of Act 1 feeling like I was being railroaded because I was being forced spent the whole arc basically doing the bidding of someone I probably would have kicked off the ship in Taris if I'd had a choice about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBrydon Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 @DrBrydon, Xeyan Thanks for pointing this out and make me spend my time on another class. The smuggler would be my favorite class; selfish, independent, fun to play, stealth to avoid grind mobs. But the story begins weak. And becomes worse, judging from what I read. Don't get me wrong. I really like Smuggler (esp. Scoundrel), and the Risha arc was a minor part of the activity on the four(?) planets it covered. If I were to do it again, and I might, I would just be as annoying and dismissive in story chat as I could be. After all, where is she going to go? And, of course, there's always: /emote flips Risha the bird I even had to laugh after I got Nok's treasure, and the class story was "You Can't Spend Infamy". Besides, she's pretty good in a fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genpion Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) I wouldn't really agree with Xeyan's assessment of the story in Act 2. Admittedly I am only on Balmorra, so not that far into Act 2 yet, but I have already had several opportunities to give the Republic the finger and do what I want if I felt like it. As it happens, my smuggler is a Republic sympathizer, and is pretty agreeable with helping the Republic as long as she makes a profit... but she doesn't do just everything they ask, either. I do agree about Risha, though. I spent a good chunk of Act 1 feeling like I was being railroaded because I was being forced spent the whole arc basically doing the bidding of someone I probably would have kicked off the ship in Taris if I'd had a choice about it. From what I read, I have the impression that playing a smuggler is about treasure hunting and being a police officer or bounty hunter for the republic instead of a criminal smuggler who builds up his blackmarket empire and profits from the war, as I had hoped. I guess becoming really rich would have destroyed the game balance because you would be much richer than other classes. And possibly Bioware thinks that: - following orders is the way the game works. This is acceptable and justifiable for all other classes but hardly for the smuggler who has no boss. As far as I have played, even the Bounty Hunter seems to do only the next logical thing in order to get the best bounties and preys. - many people want to play someone like Han Solo, who is concerned with small deals going wrong and staying alive. Edited January 8, 2012 by genpion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBrydon Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 @genpion: I think there is also a certain Solo-like aspect to it, in that you start off pursuing your own business, but get dragged into being a patriot. If there were a neutral alignment, as some have been urging, there would be more scope for non-aligned play (tautology is tautological). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genpion Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 @genpion: I think there is also a certain Solo-like aspect to it, in that you start off pursuing your own business, but get dragged into being a patriot. If there were a neutral alignment, as some have been urging, there would be more scope for non-aligned play (tautology is tautological). So at least the smuggler stays somewhat true to his intentions and goals. But the absence of smuggling and being a patriot for the republic is not what I had hoped for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dyalad Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) You have opportunities to build at least 1 market up. You just have to pick your conversations options carefully. On Hoth, when you have to decide what to do of "Trick" and Aillia, you can tell her to take over where Shai Tenna left and become associates. She will acecpt and afterwards, other NPCs will mention that you're becoming influencial with that business association. Shortly after, you can also decide to associate with Hutts, and that gets mentioned as well. Personally I think that the smuggler story sidetracks once you leave Ord Mandell, then gets back on track once you get on Hoth. Edited January 8, 2012 by Dyalad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rankaze Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 @genpion: I think there is also a certain Solo-like aspect to it, in that you start off pursuing your own business, but get dragged into being a patriot. This is pretty much it. The smuggler in this game is very much Han Solo. Mind you, this is what tends to happen to smugglers in wartime. What *would* be nice is if there was more of a sense of doing the things smugglers tend to actually DO in a war (blockade running, etc. It would be really cool if there were some class-specific space combat missions to this effect). Essentially, in Act 2, you become a privateer for the Republic. This basically means they pay you to pursue targets of opportunity which are either politically sensitive (i.e. the Republic can't attack it openly without being in violation of treaty) or require a more delicate touch than a regiment of troopers or a few Jedi. In some ways, it is more pirate than smuggler, really (given that privateering is essentially legitimized piracy). But this is EXACTLY the sort of thing that happens historically to owners of armed ships in wartime. They get dragged into the conflict on one side or the other, either by having their consciences and loyalties tugged at or sometimes by direct threat of force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genpion Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) A fleet commander and pirate of the republic on treasure hunt. I will give it a try after all Edited January 8, 2012 by genpion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeyan Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 decent plot twist at the end where you find out BOTH darmas and the senator are traitors working for the voidwolf, then you choose to either spare them or kill them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheldras Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) This is pretty much it. The smuggler in this game is very much Han Solo. . But Han has a NICE noble Princess... not the damn greedy daughter of a pirate, who might become a Princess of her grand grand grand-fathers homeworld, where said ruler seemd to be rather despotic... god they will love her when we ever follow that crown. Well i saw hints of her being less abrasive... i hope this hard Stone is only her shell, and shes a nice person inside. Otherwise, im sure i wont romance a Damn Mandalorian Hornhead... and for now im really sick of playing Smuggler in Balmorra. Edited January 10, 2012 by Kheldras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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