Neutral third faction?

[DPCummerbund]

I've seen a lot of people ask for a neutral third faction or set of choices (like the Mandalorians, or whatever) and I'm not sure I really understand the point.

 

The only 2 ways this makes sense to me are:

 

1) From a "gear" perspective - I'm still in the early stages, but from what I understand you can eventually get Light Side gear and Dark Side gear, while those whose characters don't necessarily line up with the game's Light Side and Dark Side may not be able to get these items. I'm not sure why being "all good" or "all bad" gets you special gear, but being somewhere in the middle doesn't. I agree on this point.

 

2) From a PVP standpoint, it separates players and character bases (i.e. if I'm a rep and my buddy is an Imp we can't play together).

 

From a PVE, story, or "neutrality" perspective - Do people want to be able to choose "neutral" options (other than just light or dark side)? I really don't see how a third faction makes sense or is playable in this game. We're not talking about a neutral third country that would sit around playing Parcheesi - this game involves toons who run around killing everyone and everything. I started playing a light-sde BH a few days ago (around level 20 now), and I have yet to really see a quest where a "neutral" option would be viable. If your choice is either "kill that guy" or "spare that guy", what third choice is necessary? If you'd like a variety of more nuanced options, that may be more advanced than what this game is capable of (or any other MMO I've seen), and I'd say falls into the realm of "added features" rather than "options".

 

 

If you want to play a character whose story is oriented around personal profit rather than helping others or hurting others, again I think all the options are already in this game. In particular, both in class quests and general feel, the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler are already oriented that way. Sure, that's 3 "good" classes, 3 "bad" classes and only 2 "neutral" classes, so I do hope that any new classes/stories are oriented that way.

 

Is it a question of content? If BW wanted to pull Smugglers and Bounty Hunters away from the Rep or Imp sides, and give them their own "neutral" stories - well, I'm all for more stories, and I hope they keep making more planets, classes, and stories as the years go on. But I think it would stink to block of a "neutrally" aligned world (or whole series of worlds) from the other classes. The game is already divided up enough.

 

So, for those of you who want a "neutral" third faction, what exactly is it that you want? How would you like to see it implemented?

[Kalifus]

Could be part of the hutt cartel, even the black sun, or any of the other freelance factions.

[Marak]

Why is it every MMO always has this crowd?

 

This game needs a more centralized story for both factions to focus on. Not a third neutral faction.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Marak

[Ascertes]

I think what they mean (and this is just my take on it) when they say they want a "neutral" faction, they mean a third faction that's perhaps not quite so directly invovled in the overall galactic scheme. For example, an underworld faction. The Underworld in the SW universe does play a major role, but at this time it is also sort of step-backed from the galactic playing field, though both Republic and Empire vie for their support. It actually wouldn't be so hard to implement a third faction, especially an Underworld one. Planets like Tatooine and Hoth have many, many pirate held areas and outposts...im sure they could make that work.

[Kencussion]

I personally would love to see a third neutral faction... specifically for Smugglers and Bounty Hunters (and maybe a 3rd "new" class to balance the factions). The reason for this is simple, Smugglers and Bounty Hunters, in character, don't really care about the factions - they're in it for the money. The Republic should be able to give Bounty Hunter jobs just as the Empire does. The Empire should be able to give the Smuggler jobs, just as the Republic does. It would be a very different style of gameplay, but it would suit various people.

 

Neutral characters could start on neutral planets, but if they want - they could work for either faction. So you could play with your friends on either faction. There should also be a faction-score of course. You wouldn't want someone that has been working for the Republic for several months, just start doing BIG missions for the Empire... when switching sides, they'd have to start with small missions to earn their trust - while their faction-score with the opposing faction would drop. Or, they could remain truly neutral and work for the Hutt Cartel, or various gangs.

 

Warzones would still be the same, except the neutral classes would be randomly put in either faction (as if that faction "hired" them for that warzone).

 

Don't be so quick to say that something is a bad idea until you really think about it... too many of "those people" out there.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Kencussion

[MalakDawnfire]

After running The False Emperor again earlier I thought to myself "Damn, this would work great for a third faction!" It already has a foundation in the story and is combating both Republic and Empire, it'd only make sense in my opinion if they wanted to add a third faction.

[Mandrath]

I'm actually one who has mentioned a third faction before, and this is my reasoning.

 

1) I'm an old DAoC player and I loved that you could make temporary alliances with another faction to take down the third. Once the third was down, yours and your ally would eventually turn on each other. This really only works for open world PvP, but my original idea was to add planets like Ilum to the mix with the goal to seize the planet for your faction. Once your faction controls a world, you get a bonus.

 

2) To me, Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are misplaced. Sure, Han Solo worked with the Republic in the movies, but not all Smuggler types did. By definition they play both sides to their own benefit. Same with a Bounty Hunter. Again, in the movies Boba was working with the Empire mostly, but he also worked for the Hutts.

 

3) The Voss would be a perfect example of a neutral force sensitive race/class which could be developed. There are others as well.

 

In summary, take the BH and Smugglers and attach them to the Hutt Cartel. Develop the Voss into a true neutral force sensitive class, other races could of course choose to not follow either the Jedi order or the Sith. They could become "mystics" or some such. A little of both.

 

To flesh back out the Republic and Empire, develop a Republic Agent and an Empire Trooper type.

 

Now you have three factions. Three way Realm Vs Realm was awesome in DAoC because it could always change dynamically based on the player base's alliances.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Mandrath

[irishfino]

I agree. Bounty Hunters and Smugglers should be able to play both sides of the field. They follow the cash, not the ideals. Heck, on Hutta there's a side-quest where a smuggler is bidding to get spice for the Empire. I can't recall seeing any Bounty Hunters on the Republic side, but I haven't played it as much as I have Empire.

 

Bounty Hunter, Smuggler, and a third class to be named later would make a great neutral faction and add depth to the game.

[Nethgilne]

I think the OP's was arguing AGAINST a neutral, playable faction; But I, for one, LOVE this idea.

 

Take the Smuggler and BH, stick them in the neutral faction, throw in a "grey Jedi" or "untrained force sensitive" class and BOOM. Third faction.

 

To make things really interesting, BW can mix in branching story line options where one class can defect to any of the other two factions at certain points in the story-line (perhaps at the end of the prologue).

[Codeplayer]

I could totally see this working, because in the lore their are even force users who dedicate their life to neutrality in the force, and follow a person or path rather than the light side or dark side of the force, and whether they were good or bad or called upon the light side or the dark side of the force, they still represented a neutral faction. An example would be the imp knights from legacies (not the same empire faction as in TOR) they used white crystals to display their neutrality between the two sides, and were not harbinger's of the dark side, or enforcer's of the light, but simply force sensitive soldiers who were trained to command the force properly, and could be just as strong as any light or dark sided force user. The non force using classes have already been pointed out, and a bounty hunter with a different name, and a smuggler with a different name would be easy enough to conceive. (ex. Pirates,). would it be cool? yes. Would I want it however? not exactly. I feel it would be too many resources for the developers, and how would we reason them into the flashpoints, and operations, since there isn't much reason for the cartel to take interest in many of the things in the flashpoints and operations.

[ZionHalcyon]

Could be part of the hutt cartel, even the black sun, or any of the other freelance factions.

 

 

Agreed - a 3rd faction makes no sense here.