If you don't like the Trooper story ...

[Noxinfernus]

Light side - Dark side, whatever.

I let the Jedi worry about that stuff. I'm a soldier of the Republic, and my choices were always made in the following order:

1.) What was best to complete the mission at hand

2.) What was in the best interest of the Republic

 

Surprisingly, playing in this fashion ended up with my Trooper neutral (just shy of light I).

Edited March 1, 2012 by Noxinfernus

[Rhavim]

well, i leveld one trooper light side ot 50 because i thought it mattered.... turns out, only thing my trooper uses her amazing 10000 lightside points is for a shiny speeder. so now i'm lvling another one, on a different server because of population problems, and now i'm just choosing what feels right, sure, its going more light then dark, but the story is alot more colorful, some of the dark side choices do however seem like a "a soldier would not do this, even if he was high ranked and top shot." like the accepting bribes and doing things for personal gain...

 

however, some of the darkside options (like that one on ord mantell where you have a choice to kill that fish guy prisoner after releasing him and he acts like a total *****... i shot him in the back, he wasnt important. felt good.

[Guildrum]

That's just it, we shouldn't have to meta-game our characters so we can enjoy the story. Both sides should be rich, which is the quality a lot of us have come to expect of BioWare. But the Light Side, and overall, the Trooper feels extremely robotic.

 

With every third line "For the Republic!", regardless of the alignment attached, gets old before you even get off Ord Mantell. I'm glad that an intern's story was selected, that's great for him, but the quality of the in between is flat and lifeless, unlike the Smuggler, Knight, or Consular. "Alright, I'll do it." A trooper should have more personality than that.

 

Call me a Bad Company Fangirl, but those characters had personality and depth, but the simplicity that made them attractive protagonists. Haggard and Sweetwater went back and forth on the most random of topics. Why can DICE, who focuses solely on Multiplayer, make a more interesting story for a campaign half their customers don't even see, than a Roleplaying, Storybased company.

 

Even the Dark Side is increasing dull, that's the character we expected to see overall, someone who doesn't give a damn about red-tape.

 

Honestly, I was let down by the story, which is probably why I've spent all my time PVPing and running Flashpoints.

 

~Myxam

 

I don't get what people expect from the Trooper story. "All right, I'll do it." and "Yes sir" is what should be expected from a soldier. I mean, do you expect the Republic's elite to be going around, demanding money or questioning every order they are given? Tell me, what's the difference between...

 

Trooper: Yes sir

Smuggler: I wasn't planning on living forever

 

If anything, I find that the Trooper lives up to what I would actually expect from, GASP, a SOLDIER?! Someone who is trained to FOLLOW ORDERS?! What is this madness that Bioware has given us?

[Myxam]

No, I'm not one of the ones who didn't see it coming that a soldier is a soldier, I was let down by the lack of personality in that role. See the example that you obviously quoted without reading.

[Guildrum]

No, I'm not one of the ones who didn't see it coming that a soldier is a soldier, I was let down by the lack of personality in that role. See the example that you obviously quoted without reading.

 

No, I read it, and I do not know what Bad Company is, so I cannot compare. But I find that the Trooper has personality, even the Light Side Trooper.

 

"You remember that big, expensive toy of yours that I blew up?"

"We are in the middle of a business transaction. Come back later."

 

Yes, he isn't going around constantly wisecracking and making jokes or going and talking nonsense, but he's a soldier, he isn't supposed to make jokes or wisecracks, he's a soldier and a leader. He isn't chatting or "just talking", because once more, he's a soldier on a mission

[LinKStatiC]

Well, the main quality of special forces soldier is an ability to follow orders while completely ignoring his own internal moral compass. Orders are orders, you can leave guilt trip for those who gave them.

[Dayfax]

Great post, OP.

 

I'm still leveling, but I'm playing my Vanguard as a gung-ho, no-nonsense, "For the Republic!" type (Aric Jorgan loves me).

 

I've been tempted to level a commando (I love this class), and you've pretty much convinced me to go dark with him.

[Dohnutello]

Yes but, but...

 

I wanted to **** Elora, so I ended up saying everything she wanted to hear.

 

I lol'd, great comment

[neothesithlord]

I pick the choice I feel is right and morality be damned. A lot of light side choices are ones that I would probably pick irl so it works out. Got about 3.2k LS points and 600 DS points at lvl 28. I'm liking the story.

[Jakeithus]

Really, the best and most logical way to play a Trooper in this game is to forgot about the in-game morality points and simply make decisions based upon the situation at hand. You'll likely end up somewhat neutral, and get to have a variety of different outcomes.

 

My personal Trooper approaches his tasks trying to put the Republic's best interests first and foremost. While it might not be perfect, the Republic is light years away from the Sith Empire, and as such there are standards such as the respect for all citizens, the importance of democracy and the rule of law that must be upheld. It's not this simple though, as early on in your career as you follow the light side, General Garza basically tells you that we do the hard things that allow for the Republic and it's citizens to survive and flourish. I took this to heart and started making those tough decisions so others wouldn't have to.

 

Basically, my Trooper doesn't take bribes, he helps civilians and those in need, and doesn't go out of his way in terms of murder and destruction.

 

On the flip side, he guns down Imperials and traitors if he feels they deserve it, and is willing to sacrifice others if that is what is required for victory over the Empire.

 

Basically, he uses his brains to put the Republic's best interests first, and this means a variety of light and dark choices.

 

 

As an example, when I had the option to use the Barrager on Balmorra to destroy the Imperial fleet, but at the cost of the planet, I turned the option down. The planet and its resources are better served as part of the Republic than the short term gain using the weapon would provide. My treatment of this superweapon is different than the Rahkghoul plague, which I turned over to Garza with the belief that it would be used by Republic scientists to develop a cure in case the Empire ever used the plague as a weapon against the Republic.

 

[Mosene]

Newsflash, choices mean **** story wise.If it sucks as light it sucks as dark.

[va_wanderer]

 

My treatment of this superweapon is different than the Rahkghoul plague, which I turned over to Garza with the belief that it would be used by Republic scientists to develop a cure in case the Empire ever used the plague as a weapon against the Republic.

 

 

Interestingly enough, one of the potential answers when you turn in the plague has Garza tell you pretty much this- that it's for research purposes ONLY (and the answer that'll get you positive responses from both Aric and Elara- just Yes-sirring it gets you +Aric but -Elara.)

 

 

The whole Trooper line is really a lot of "grey" compared to the Jedi. IMHO, if you're actually thinking about each decision, odds are you'll do some DS stuff. After all, we aren't saints, we're soldiers. Religion is for Jedi. Practical application is our bailiwick.

[Fishcatch]

M1-"I assassinate sith by throwing bounty hunters at them"-4X mostly prefers our DS story choices.

 

'nuff said.

Actually... he prefers both. Forex is kind of a kiss-up who loves most things you do.

 

I went almost entirely light side, and the story seemed alright. My main issue with the Trooper is your overall epicness level feels too high, and I doubt it's lowered based on LS or DS.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Fishcatch

[Xzenorath]

I went mostly LS but reached 50 with about 2000DS... there's just too many Imps and Scumbags that are just simply asking for it...

 

I can't stand people who play pure light or pure dark, THAT is boring.

 

I thought the story was great, so great in fact that I'm half way through my second trooper, Vanguard this time around!

 

 

I especially enjoyed the end when I got to tell the Chancellor that giving back that ******* to the Empire is not what I stand for and if this is the kind of ******** she plans to do when she sends me in for missions, she can forget about me.... and she ate it up. BOOYA. HAVOC SQUAD 4TW

 

[AcidQueen]

I am gonna go on a limb here and guess that you played a "light side" Trooper.

 

I did play a "light side" Trooper--but my story didn't suck.

 

You know why? Because I'm not 100% LS.

 

I refused to get a sample of the nekghoul plague, sure--getting Needles was more important than some "please help the Republic engage in bio-warfare" request from Command. I even let Jaxo die, because she was, in the end, a selfish little ***** and wanted me to put her ahead of 300 Republic soldiers.

 

But you can betcherass I killed the hell out of that Imp war criminal on Taris, and General Rakton. Why? Because they deserved it. And on Balmorra? I kept a few pieces of hardware for Havoc Squad, because it helped the Republic--and by extension, Balmorra. And so on.

 

So yeah, it's possible to be LS while still making the occasional "Dark Side" choice, and still enjoy the trooper story.

[Aeryl]

Meh, the individual choices along the way don't change the overarching story that much. So I don't believe anyone's Trooper story "rocked." We're a military unit. We went and killed bad guys. I didn't play for much more than that.

[LukeDanger]

I disagree with the assessment that the LS Trooper sucks. I do agree, some of what consitudes Light Side and what constitude Dark Side irks me (and sometimes completely violates common sense; IE: that Imp on Taris who surrenders, the war criminal? Can't we just, ya'know, stun the twit and try him for war crimes? If anything, letting him go should of been Dark Side), but overall I find that the Light Side Trooper is great fun. The Trooper mirrors Shepard pretty closely (Indeed, the female Trooper is voiced by FemShep's VA, Jennifer Hale). The 'Light Side' Trooper is generally the Paragon, while the Dark Side Trooper is generally the Renegade.

 

Let's use the case-in-point of Garza ordering the execution of Civvies. Even Jorgan, who is normally the 'do anything to help the Republic win' is against the idea. What does the sane LS Trooper do? Get their ID and gets the civvies to Coruscant Security so they can be checked out. Boom, you just did a Light Side action and avoided unneccesary death which could shoot the Republic in the foot when it comes time for PR.

 

Bioware stated it as much: The Trooper's morality arcs around how far to go to win the war. Will they do everything; salt the fields, kill everyone who gets in the way, do whatever it takes even if it means destroying what the Republic is supposed to be and, in essence, become the enemy. Or, will the Trooper stand up against the descisions to kill/main/destroy everything in order to win, but in the process build up long term possibilities for the Republic to survive past the war. As the LS Trooper tells Garza after the cyborgs; "Are we the Republic, or the Empire?"

 

Now, do I feel that some choices being LS are pretty stupid? Yeah. In hindsight, letting the soldiers go on Taris shouldn't of been the ONLY light side option. There should of been an option to tell them off for abandoning their comrades, who will now suffer more because they decided to abandon them. There also should of been an option to check the chain of command; remember how they said they only signed on for one year, and were on Taris for five or something? IIRC, unless there's an active war (and there wasn't at the time), that's illegal. Even if it took a little longer and was harder, they could still get off Taris without abandoning everyone. That's a Trooper acting Light Side (there's more than just yourself at stake), but he's not brutalizing them towards an option.

 

All in all, you do NOT have to be a total Dark Side bastard to enjoy the Trooper story. Indeed, some things work better by being Light Side than Dark Side. Killing every Imperial you meet won't win the war, sometimes you need to capture them (see Moff Dracen in the Republic side Quesh world arc) rather than give in and let their insults make you do something stupid and play into their hands. War is not just won by killing everyone; it's also won by destroying their will to fight. The LS Trooper shows a strong character who can go toe-to-toe with Sith Lords and win, and the LS Trooper (from knowing Elara) knows that all Imperials aren't scum. Some are just patriotic people doing what they feel is best for their nation and for their families back home. The Light Side Trooper knows more often than not when they go to far.

 

I'm no Jedi fanboy and I think they need to be hit a few times to wake them up to reality, but they aren't wholly screwed up, and neither is being a Light Side Trooper. The Dark Side path is "quicker, easier", but it is by no means the most permenant solution. Remember that the LS Trooper, while certainly happy to end things diplomatically if it can be done, has absolutely no qualms about gunning his/her way through legions of Imperial soldiers and Sith in order to win the war, and you can stanging well bet that it wasn't by talking them down.

Edited March 3, 2012 by LukeDanger

[Maltra]

Light choices were fine, it's the story itself that becomes pretty much "meh" after you've dealt with your former squad.. i mean, the "villain" after that is weaksauce stuff at best.

[Iponly]

Light choices were fine, it's the story itself that becomes pretty much "meh" after you've dealt with your former squad.. i mean, the "villain" after that is weaksauce stuff at best.

 

Yes, the problem I have with the trooper storyline is how disconnected all the missions are. If I compare it to my Sith Warrior, for example, the primary villain was always right in my face. I knew where I wanted to be at the end of the game and everything I was doing indirectly contributed to getting me there. I also got to really represent a philosophy-- The Darkside trooper might have the pleasure of following Garza's orders, while the light side trooper gets to support the ideals of the republic, but neither of them have the impact of, say, the Imperial Agent's endgame. LS trooper doesn't get to convince Garza to stop throwing troops away. DS Trooper doesn't change anything at all.

 

Without a strong rival or unusual goal, the trooper really does feel like any other grunt. Sure, you're the one who actually gets things done, but when they write the canon of the history of SWTOR, you could have been a million people while there's only one Bar'senthor, one Jedi Knight who was in a certain vision, one Wrath...

 

But the gameplay is really fun, so what the hell. On to 50.

Edited March 4, 2012 by Iponly

[AcidQueen]

Light choices were fine, it's the story itself that becomes pretty much "meh" after you've dealt with your former squad.. i mean, the "villain" after that is weaksauce stuff at best.

 

I have to agree--but it was sure damn satisfying to make him suck on my assault cannon at the end.

[Kagi]

My commando is about 300 XP away from level 40, and you know what my net alignment is? +500. I'm still pure neutral, and that's the way I balance it. It's pretty damn easy, too. A lot of the light and dark options swing to whatever is the most expedient option for any given circumstance, and it makes it really damn hard for the enemy to figure out what I'm going to do next.

 

But then, that's the point of being an Advanced Reconnaissance Commando, isn't it? Oh, wait, I'm not allowed to be clever or sneaky. I'm one of those...what was the OP's phrase? "Mind-numbed clone army". Yeah, I'm one of those guys. Oops.

[Necodreus]

oopppsss just made a thread that would have fit easily here instead. oh well, i loved the DS story, and Cant wait to play a LS story, yes i can see how people think yes sir, right away sir can get old and boring but so does the DS sayings, of Now youll see how havoc gets things done or im good what can I say. Lil more over all variance especially at end game would have been nice. Will it stop me from liking the story hell no. Ill probably make a Third trooper and make it female (both others have been male) thats neutral just to see another side of it lol Edited March 4, 2012 by Necodreus

[-Fritz-]

ive never understood why people would claim that light or dark side is a superior story.

 

the reality is those choices affect the next line your character says... and thats it.

 

after your nifty 'tough guy' one liner, you go right back to the same predetermined story you were going to get no matter what.

 

 

 

...it just doesnt make any sense to me.

 

its like claiming the blue pencil is better than the green pencil... when they are both pencils.

[GoldSquadGirl]

ive never understood why people would claim that light or dark side is a superior story.

 

Because the Light vs Dark standard is a Jedi standard, and we're Troopers.

 

If you measure up as a good jedi, how awkward.

 

the reality is those choices affect the next line your character says... and thats it.

 

after your nifty 'tough guy' one liner, you go right back to the same predetermined story you were going to get no matter what.

 

Only a jedi would think that way. Troopers, we aren't looking for brownie points from a higher power, or a dramatic complex storyline that spans all of history.

 

The art of a "one liner" is a big deal to us, it's all we have time for before we pull the trigger. Ever see the prelaunch Trooper boards? There was this long thread about trooper one liners, here's a sample of them that I saved:

 

My Prelaunch Trooper "Top Ten" from the endless thread of One Liners.

 

The "One Liner" is the trooper storyline.

 

...it just doesnt make any sense to me.

 

its like claiming the blue pencil is better than the green pencil... when they are both pencils.

 

Jedi may make all kinds of pretty pictures with colored pencils, and that's fine, I can respect that.

 

But our job is to patrol the area and protect the artist, and if he colors outside the lines, we put an assault cannon to his head and break the pencil in half.

 

+ 150 Dark Side Points

 

Green pencil, blue pencil, dark or light, doesn't matter to us.

Edited March 7, 2012 by GoldSquadGirl

[LordRaeth]

I've played light side up to to near the end of Alderaan and really regreting it, so very bland and boring, thinking of stopping and restarting with a vanguard and go moderately dark sided.