Does the story improve? (spoilers up until Tantooine)

[Senden]

Been making use of the double xp to level up my gunslinger a bit and I must say that I'm finding the story a bit so so at the moment. Up until Corusant was decent however on Taris especially and to a lesser extent Nar Shadda, I felt like nothing more than an errand boy. I don't feel much like a Smuggler that's for sure. Does it improve? About to start Tantooine which I'm hoping will be a little more fun.

 

Also, are gunslingers the best burst dps pvp wise in the game? At level 26 I'm doing so much damage and feel almost invincible 1v1. Regardless, kicking a sith in the nuts has to be one of the most satisfying things in the game.

[drug_cartel]

The errand boy factor will end with Act One, which sounds good at first. But Act Two and Act Three become progressively worse for many Smugglers.

 

If you enjoy being the faithful, loyal, Republic Privateer, then the story picks up a bit for you. But if you're 'just in it for the credits', or if you actually play making Dark Side choices, much of the Smuggler story later on will leave you scratching your head wondering "Why does this guy trust me enough to send me on this important mission? And why is my character supposed to say Yes?"

 

Imagine Han Solo flying the Falcon into the middle of a warzone to save the day. Sounds heroic. Now try and imagine that if he'd never met Leia and he was only interested in himself and money. That's us. We're doing the heroic stuff, but we're entirely without motivation.

[Rushroca]

Nope. Simple answer

 

I am level39 and the terrible story line just conitues down the same boring path.

It feels like the writers didnt know what to do so they made extra planet quests and

then just dropped names of evil imps into the conversations.

[drug_cartel]

Re-working the Smuggler story in order to make it fun.

 

On Alderaan, have the Smuggler meet a love interest. Let's say a Princess or Prince (there could be a brother/sister combo so there is one of the correct gender for you). Now let's say, at the end of the Alderaan arc, you've helped this hypothetical set of Royal Siblings out of a few jams and really ingratiated yourself to their family. Perhaps you, I don't know, represented them in a duel and saved one of their lives, in addition to retrieving for them the information that brought them great wealth and influence on Alderaan again. But then, before you can even collect your overwhelmingly lavish reward, they are kidnapped by some Imperial Operatives while you are off ending a grudge with some old enemy.

 

If you're light side, saving them is the right thing to do.

If you're neutral, well, they are incredibly wealthy royals and they're open to a bit of fade action as well, so it makes sense.

If you're dark side, they are a potential source of untold wealth and connections, easily manipulated and in your debt; the perfect mark to be abused to your own personal gain.

 

Spend Act 2 infiltrating Imperial Bases, stealing valuable information, hyjacking ships, etc, until you finally track down your captured nobles to an Imperial Headquarters where you can save them.

 

Discover that they have caved during interrigation and revealed the secret source of their (your) wealth. The Voidwolf has claimed the wealth of House Terr- I mean, these random nobles, and has now claimed Nok Drayen's place as King of the Underworld. Spend Act 3 going on a one man wrecking spree against him, eventually overthrowing his empire and taking your rightful place as top dog gangster in the galaxy.

 

In short, we want our Smugglers to be Smugglers for the whole story, not just for Act 1. The "Royal Republic Stooge" portion of the story gets real old, real quick.

[Cryowolf]

I went basically all light side and/or smart @ss and chose every flirt option and loved the story. Easily my 2nd favorite class story after the Imperial Agent.

 

I have heard complaints about the dark choices from other players though.

Edited March 25, 2013 by Cryowolf

[LarryRow]

No, the story is just lame. It doesn't have the epic feel or significance of the others.

[Bleeters]

I enjoyed the smuggler class story, but the actual story in of itself is fairly uneventful. There's really only one twist the entire time, it doesn't make all that much sense, and it's exactly the same twist that literally every Republic class story has. That it's one of my favourites regardless is entirely due to it being constantly funny.

 

It doesn't have the epic feel or significance of the others.

It doesn't, but I was fine with that. Everybody being some grand hero of the ages got a little tiresome eventually after playing other classes.

[Gidrea]

No, the story is just lame. It doesn't have the epic feel or significance of the others.

 

Smuggler is the worst. It took me over a year to finish it, and then only because my guildies took me through the last five levels just to get it done.

[Chiramu]

Smuggler story is fun to play for a girl because the female Smuggler gets to flirt with lots of guys unlike the rest of the female characters. That's why Smuggler is good, but unfortunately, only Act 1 is written well, Act 2 falls down a bit and Act 3 is dismal.

[Pilgrim_Grey]

No, the story is just lame. It doesn't have the epic feel or significance of the others.

 

I'm not through chapter 1 yet, but I'm loving it up through Tatooine. The smuggler is a smart aleck and can roll light side without seeming to be a stick in the mud. I enjoy my Guardian, but I do hate how preachy some of his lines can be (and sometimes the choices are be preachy or egotistical).

 

The real meh ch. 1 storyline for me of the lightside ACs is the Sage. You don't really have a strong relationship with the master you are trying to save, and you don't really have a strong villain you're going up against. Smugglers have a good rival and storyline in ch. 1, and Knights have a great grouping of villains and storyline from the start up through the 40s (where I am at currently with my Guardian).

 

I realize that may change at some point, but ch. 1 of the Smuggler storyline is still good fun. I was wishing I had an enemy like Skavak to hate and chase as my Shadow, that's for sure. It's been great seeing Skavak get more and frustrated by my actions, too.

[Luckeyduckey]

I actually liked the smuggler story. I mean, don't play it by the books. Smuggler is my favourite class, because it feels great and it's easy to RP as, which made me like the story more. I just pretended I was Han Solo, working with the Rebel Alliance and thwarting Imperial Plans. Can't beat that.

[Dallayna]

I actually liked the smuggler story. I mean, don't play it by the books. Smuggler is my favourite class, because it feels great and it's easy to RP as, which made me like the story more. I just pretended I was Han Solo, working with the Rebel Alliance and thwarting Imperial Plans. Can't beat that.

 

I just thought it was funny and enjoyable period. But, then again, I was looking for a break from all the "epicness" of the other classes so maybe I went into it with a different perspective? I mean, I can see why most people would go in thinking "Han Solo" but I was more thinking "Star Wars: The Road Comedy" and, in that respect, it didn't disappoint in the least.

 

Besides, there's just some indefinable... enjoyment in teaming up with all of these people waving "light sticks" and tossing boulders with telekinesis and just walking up to the bad guy and kicking him in the crotch.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Dallayna

[OddballEasyEight]

Hmm... good thing i read this...

Just hit lvl 22 and started doing Taris (yeah i know, overleveled, but thats how i like it right now) with my "ice queen" thats only in it for the cash... Sounds like the story will be completely borked for me if i keep down that road. I guess ill have to change her personality to more of a smart-alekey but generally good hearted ruffian...

[Ramalina]

Really depends on how you view your character.

 

Mine just wants to: Pick up cargo, fly it to another planet, unload the cargo, get paid for doing it, and spend as little time as possible doing datafiling for customs official.

 

Unfortunately, this moron called Rogun hired a gullible fool of a dock foreman, who hired a swindler that stole their cargo, and my ship. They stole my ship. My ship.

 

Skavak committed suicide when he went off in my ship, he just didn't realize it. I might have let the issue slide with Rogun if he had promptly apologized by delivering my ship, a big pile of credits, and Skavak's head in a bucket. Instead he blamed me for the actions of one of his employees. His employee, his organization, his responsibility, and he sends bounty hunters after me?

 

That motivation took me all the way through the end of chapter 2 of the storyline. It also explains a lot of the motivation leading up to chapter 3. Why did I work for dodgy characters? Well, as long as they were getting me at least one step closer to Skavak, and later Rogun, I really didn't care what their agenda was.

 

Chapter 3 was a bit of a letdown in some ways. The Voidwolf and his cronies were more paid work than personal vendetta, but it did make sense in terms of a transition from the class story to endgame FP, WZ, and Op content.

 

As far as light side/dark side my smuggler was 85 - 90% light. Dark side choices involved the removal of heads from Skavak and Rogun, and the occasional pragmatic elimination of Sith or Imperials in cases where it was clear that if you spared them you'd just wind up killing them some other time. If there was more actual smuggling, and avoiding taxes and paperwork counted as dark, then he might have been considerably more dark side.

 

I also didn't do the whole crime lord thing. Why would I want to have Rogun's treacherous, incompetent, slimeballs working for me? I have a competent (mostly) trustworthy crew already. Best of all, I don't have to pay any of them!

 

I kind of wish they had max level class quest lines though. IMO the class storylines are SWTOR's strongest feature and I'm not sure if I'll stick with the game once I run out of classes to level. Without them it's sort of like Burning Crusade era WoW with StarWars graphics pasted on top ( ok that's slightly harsh, but not far off the mark I think ).

[KryloKillian]

I'd guess future expansions, once they get large enough, will begin including more class story things.

 

Or at least I'd hope so, as the class stories really are the primary draw to this game vs other MMOs.

[Seireeni]

Been making use of the double xp to level up my gunslinger a bit and I must say that I'm finding the story a bit so so at the moment. Up until Corusant was decent however on Taris especially and to a lesser extent Nar Shadda, I felt like nothing more than an errand boy. I don't feel much like a Smuggler that's for sure. Does it improve? About to start Tantooine which I'm hoping will be a little more fun.

 

You should stop feeling errand boy at some point, yes. That point is after Voss. Unfortunately, then you have only 1 planet of class story left.

Don't know how smugglerish that part is, either, but at least you seem to be a major player in the game, not just a pawn. But smugglers have great conversations and they can [flirt] a lot, so at least you can enjoy yourself while running errands.

[SithKoriandr]

No, the story is just lame. It doesn't have the epic feel or significance of the others.

 

The final enemy isn't up to SW, SI, or BH level imo, but it's ending cinematic was better than the SW.

 

SW had a great exit scene, but SI, BH and Smuggler end with a scene with their crew, I found SW lacking in this.

 

My Smuggler ended LS2 (or barely 3) and flirted, went for creds, and took some DS choices even at big moment parts of some class story points.

 

Smuggler is more a fun ride than anything truely EPIC. But then, I don't think Smuggler was suppossed to be EPIC Hero, and more career criminal in the wrong place at the right time.

[ArisSN]

I disagree. I found the story line enjoyable.

 

Although I agree there should have been more of an emotional reason to drive the later character quests, It makes sense if you look at a smuggler's reasoning for being a "republic stooge."

 

As a career criminal, wouldn't it make more sense to help the side who's ideals give you a chance to elude capture, rather than the side that would shoot you out of the sky without a second thought?

 

While I play, I keep in mind that the smuggler's role isn't a desperate battle between good and evil. Helping the Republic is a means to an end. If the Republic stays in charge, criminals like the smuggler can continue the way they always have. Whereas if the Empire gained control of the universe, they would rather destroy the criminal havens than let them be.

 

Therefore, helping the Republic isn't about doing a civic duty for the smuggler, it's about living to burgle another day, all while making a heap of credits along the way.

Edited April 8, 2013 by ArisSN
Typo

[stormdrakelord]

I think the best part of the Smuggler's story is not the story itself, but the character who "drives" it. there really are not that many famous stories about the dashing scoundrel who joins the "respectable" military and then finds out the military manipulated you.

 

This may be because I feel my Gunslinger got into the smuggling world for the thrill, and to survive, not make a mountain of credits, though that helps.

 

I feel the best part of the story itself was actually the prologue (up to the end Coruscant) all because of

 

Your ship getting hijack (must have left the keys in the ignition) and the prologue all about stealing back what is yours

 

Edited April 12, 2013 by stormdrakelord