Jedi Knight Story: LS vs DS

[Z-ToXiN]

Im about to start a Jedi Knight and Im really not sure of whether to go light or dark. Eventually someday far into the future I may do the opposite alignment and gender and advance class of what I do now, but Im not counting on it.

 

So basically: how is the dark side story? Is it a big difference from the "standard" light side story, is it even plausible? I have heard that the light side knight story is much better and makes much more sense than the dark side story, is that really the case?

 

The other thing to consider is the alignment/race/gender combination. Im thinking of either a dark side female Chiss or a light side male human. Obviously the first option is a very different, non-traditional jedi character while the second would be your standard choice. A unique opposite vs traditional action hero. There's also the Kira romance to consider.

 

Which would make for a more compelling story experience?

Edited November 2, 2012 by Z-ToXiN

[OldVengeance]

My Jedi Knight was mostly Lightside and I really enjoyed it. The Kira romance was a lot of fun but I don't think it was essential to the experience. One thing that is worth noting is I think it's a little bit of a difference in the playthrough how dark you want to go. There are a lot of darkside choices that are pure evil and others that are sort of "greater good" type of choices. Basically it depends on if you want to play as a hero, anti-hero or villain (who fights other villains).

 

I think for the most part dark Jedi is plausible, though there does come a point where it does seem like a stretch that the Order doesn't take any steps to deal with a clearly dangerous knight.

Edited November 2, 2012 by OldVengeance

[maxetius]

No, it's not plausible. It is, in fact, mostly a waste of time.

 

Nobody actually notices or mentions you are dark side until halfway thru Act 2.

 

Other than that, people just react to your choices. As is the nature of this sort of game, there are no repercussions to your actions. [there used to be repercussions in beta, but they removed them]

 

Simply no point. Even the final boss claimed i wouldn't kill him like I was a light sider despite the fact that i was obviously dark V and killed everyone up to that point in the story.

 

It was really bad. If you want to go against the grain, pick Empire.

Edited November 3, 2012 by maxetius

[Flyceratops]

No, it's not plausible. It is, in fact, mostly a waste of time.

 

Nobody actually notices or mentions you are dark side until halfway thru Act 2.

 

Other than that, people just react to your choices. As is the nature of this sort of game, there are no repercussions to your actions. [there used to be repercussions in beta, but they removed them]

 

Simply no point. Even the final boss claimed i wouldn't kill him like I was a light sider despite the fact that i was obviously dark V and killed everyone up to that point in the story.

 

It was really bad. If you want to go against the grain, pick Empire.

How much interaction had you previously had with the final boss, though? I mean, he may have just assumed that you're like almost every other Jedi ever...

[errant_knight]

I've done purely LS and gray to various degrees. I prefer more gray. My feeling is that the story lends itself to the occasional lapse to the DS. In fact, the choices are very cleverly done to make DS seem more reasonable over time. To be purely LS, you have to be a character who believes so strongly that they're willing to risk a lot to toe the line. I think it's best in general to make some character decisions early on like what your character values, goals etc, and use that to make the decisions rather than whether it's a ds or ls choice. You'll end up with a more interesting person.

[Z-ToXiN]

Thanks for the responses guys.

 

I was initially thinking I would go either full one way or the other. But now I am leaning towards making the female knight and being slightly dark side, but not all the way - the "anti-hero" path, as the second poster mentioned. A fallen hero with a troubled past that just isn't able to understand and accept the Jedi way despite really trying and wanting to.

 

If I want the full DS corruption look, I could just do Diplomacy missions to get that without having to go all psycho killer dark side in the story.

 

Its funny because all of my Imperials are light side (some fully, some only light 2 or 3 by the end) and my Republics are dark side... Its either that I like to go against the tradtional view, or Im just such an Empire supporter that I make the Imperials out to be the good guys and the Republic to to be the bad side...

 

@Errant_Knight:

That may be the best thing to do here. Some of my characters I played from an RP perspective, not going with just one alignment all the time, picking based on their beliefs and values and character. Ive also had a Sith Warrior how is 100% pure light side... and I actually really liked the way that character worked out. But that may the best way to approach this here.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Z-ToXiN

[AshlaBoga]

True the LS Sith Warrior is cool, but that's because you conspire to start a revolution within the Empire with LS Jaesa.

Hmmm, I wonder how the plant to turn the Empire into a safe, sane and consensual society will turn out:rolleyes:

Edited November 3, 2012 by AshlaBoga

[errant_knight]

It's also cool because nothing feels more deadly than being LS in a DS world. You not only have the normal target on you that all sith wear, but another one that could potentially make enemies of even those who have nothing to gain by your death. It's rather exciting.

 

Edit:regarding the DS/gray Jedi...It's not important whether people notice. A jedi's battle between light and dark is a private and personal struggle--and you get lots of very interesting opportunities to go either way, especially in the later acts. If you rp, there's a lot to work with there.

 

True the LS Sith Warrior is cool, but that's because you conspire to start a revolution within the Empire with LS Jaesa.

Hmmm, I wonder how the plant to turn the Empire into a safe, sane and consensual society will turn out:rolleyes:

 

Lol! Not well in the long run, but there are hundreds of years within which such a sith society could exist before falling. Actually, I think it's more likely that they'll create a schism within the empire, perhaps creating a new society which could exist apart from the sith, leaving the most rabid and ds behind, and attracting disaffected from the republic.

Edited November 4, 2012 by errant_knight

[maxetius]

How much interaction had you previously had with the final boss, though?

 

It's worth noting that The final boss's sidekick immediately knew I was darkside before I even opened my mouth.

[OldVengeance]

I don't know if that's a bug or not because Scourge says that on Quesh to both lightside and darkside Jedi Knights.

[errant_knight]

Well all jedi have darkness in their hearts. Joking aside, it's a safe bet, given some of the choices that the majority of jedi will have made at least one ds choice by that point, and most will have waded into gray territory.

[Projawa]

At around 6000 affection or around there I got a conversation with Scourge where he says stuff like "You are a Jedi but you have the heart of a Sith"

 

I was dark 3 at that point so I don't know if he would've said that to a light side player or if he says it to all knights regardless of alignment just to mess with them.

Edited November 5, 2012 by Projawa

[OldVengeance]

Isn't that by the time he's spent a lot of time with you? I was referring to the scene on Quesh when he first met you.

 

Regardless of your darkside or lightside alignment he says "You're strong and touched by darkness. That is unexpected."

 

Seeing as no explanation was ever provided that I could remember, I've come to suspect he's supposed to say something else to lightside Jedi but doesn't.

 

Scourge talked like the Jedi Knight was "touched by darkness" and was unusual among Jedi because of it. I actually RP my JK like he did often have a darkside choice when he came to fighting Sith. But this didn't make him a "gray" Jedi. By the end of the game I was Lightside IV instead of V.

Edited November 5, 2012 by OldVengeance

[errant_knight]

Sure it does. Gray covers a very broad range from almost black to virtually white. If a character makes a single DS choice, they've been touched by the DS.

[OldVengeance]

OK, but that's definitely not what Scourge was talking about. By that standard there is not a single being in the galaxy that is not "touched by the darkside" and every Jedi that ever existed would have to be a "Gray Jedi." So clearly that wasn't what Scourge was talking about because he said it was unexpected.

[errant_knight]

Maybe, or maybe it means that the things he's heard about you lead him to expect something different. Scourge gains power by using the emotions of others. He's unusually good at it. Who knows, maybe he senses something. In any case, my point was that the line will work for most people and if you don't want to tie dialogue to an 'if-then' loop in your code, that's the way you have to go. Worked great for me. Edited November 5, 2012 by errant_knight

[maxetius]

Maybe, or maybe

 

Whatever, you've gone off the deep end already trying to justify what amounts to missed opportunities for the creators of the game.

 

 

Dark side Jedi knight story is nowhere nearly as interesting as lightside sith story.

 

period.

 

Nobody really notices you're dark side as a Jedi, while a lightside Sith pretty much every NPC talks about how strange and different from 'other' Sith you are.

 

Jedi Knight is meant to be played lightside, and it shows.

 

Vs say,

 

Sith Warrior, where they obviously put extra work into making the story go both ways.

[errant_knight]

Whatever, you've gone off the deep end already trying to justify what amounts to missed opportunities for the creators of the game.

 

 

Dark side Jedi knight story is nowhere nearly as interesting as lightside sith story.

 

period.

 

Nobody really notices you're dark side as a Jedi, while a lightside Sith pretty much every NPC talks about how strange and different from 'other' Sith you are.

 

Jedi Knight is meant to be played lightside, and it shows.

 

Vs say,

 

Sith Warrior, where they obviously put extra work into making the story go both ways.

 

Sorry, but that's bull. The whole third act is FAR more interesting if you make ds choices as is your interaction with Scourge. Both stories were well crafted to work both ways. If you didn't like it, all that says is that you didn't like it, not that you speak for everyone.