Defection

[masterleonidas]

There are a lot of defections throughout start wars, so I think they should make a new part of the story for you to play on the other side and give you the choice to defect. Anakin went to the dark side, Mara went to the light. Some clones became deserters, and Bounty hunters don't have to work for the empire.

SO MY QUESTION IS... Y CAN"T WE DEFECT?

 

ps. if you want to put up some ideas for a defection storyline with any class, feel free to do so

[Rassth]

Yeah, I was kind of hoping way back that you could. There are plenty of opportunities that pop up where you could, and it would add replay value IMO.

 

 

I believe at the end of the Imperial Agent storyline you get to make a choice to defect to the Republic, but it doesn't actually do anything outside of the storyline. You're still pure Empire, but in the story you defected. Could be wrong, but pretty sure I heard that. Similar with the Smuggler; I think you can choose to help the Republic, the Empire, or yourself towards the end, but it doesn't change your affiliation outside of the story.

 

 

I think it would be quite awesome to have the opportunity to switch sides, but that would also require a ton of work. Balancing for one. So you're a Sith Inquisitor or Warrior; all of your rage/lightning based abilities but now you defect and go all good guy and try to join the Jedi! Do you keep all the rage/lightning abilities or do you miraculously transform into the Knight/Consular equivalent? Do you not allow the force users to solve the problems like that? Okay. That'd probably be easier, but they'd feel left out and just as upset as not having the opportunity. Especially since there are clear opportunities in the storyline that would push you towards that route (depending on how you play your character) But you then also need to write an entire story up for the people that choose to defect and those that don't. Switching sides would drastically change the current story lines in place. I'd like it a lot, but I think it may be too late for it.

[Zohkar]

The way it was done in EQ2 when I use to play was three factions basically. The good or evil switching side would eventually become their respected mirror class, but while they where in the process of switching sides they became known as the exile faction. They where able to be attacked by good/evil and even other exiles. People swapped sides mostly because eveil/good factions had races the other side couldn't have normally.

[CharagonIGN]

Questing storylines are too tied to faction to ever allow it.

[Pernicia]

Fairly certain they said before release that this would not ever be an option. Their reasoning was something along the lines of it being far too much work and way too expensive to justify. The closest thing that I'm aware of is the IA, which can choose to become a true double agent at the end of chapter 3 if and only if you made the appropriate choices throughout chapter 2 and after claiming an item at the very end of the story. Edited November 12, 2012 by Pernicia

[Narien]

Considering a defection option would require the amount of class story content to be doubled without actually advancing any of those stories, it's not going to happen.

[Huttchew]

I always felt that the Imperial Agent and the Smuggler should start out more in a neutral way and later on get the opportunity to aid either the Republic or the Empire (this can also happen based on light-side or dark-side alignment)