Assessment of the Smuggler Story (Long)

[Bobbyrab]

I am bored and decided to write a long-winded assessment of the first story/class I played. This was the story I was most looking forward to. There's a TL;DR at the bottom if you'd like to skip my bloviating. If anyone else is bored and would like to A. Refute me B. Post another assessment of the smuggler or C. Assess another class feel free. There are minor spoilers.

 

Bit of Background: When the game was a few months out from launching, September or October, I looked at the classes and knew the smuggler would be my pick. My friends and some family were gearing up to play and I remember we were so excited and everyone was doing the same. Most picked the "important" classes like Jedi or Sith for the obvious reasons. I wanted to be different, and wanted a story off the vein of "hero of the day" to experience as I figured the Jedi would be the big heroes in their stories and all that. So I picked smuggler.

 

Assessment: The story was fine(I'm referring to chapters 1-3, not any post-50 content) and that is its worst problem. While the story is very average, I think it could have been great, a la the Agent story, which is regarded (on the forums, at least) as the best story of the 8. Now, I believe part of the Agent's story success can be attributed to the fact that the agent didn't have a specific template to follow. The JK had to be like Luke, the SW had to be like Vader, the BH had to be like Boba Fett, etc. Therefore, the writer(s) could simply tell a good story for the agent, and (referencing behind the scenes remarks from the writers) the agent was given a kind of James Bond/Jason Bourne template that could be molded however they saw fit to tell an effective story. I believe a looser format could have been used to the benefit of the smuggler's story.

 

The smuggler is obviously based on our main smuggling man, Han Solo. Maybe a bit of Lando thrown in there too. Maybe. Considering two of the smuggler's companions are Leia and Chewbacca stand-ins, this isn't hard to see. Sidenote: the addition of an idealistic young Jedi-in-training to the companion fold would have been pure gold. Obvious, yes, but a straight-edged young man telling our world-weary hero what to do because the Force told him so would have been priceless. Anyway, Han Solo's story is of a freelancing mercenary getting a heart and giving himself for others rather than money. I feel this is the general direction the writers were going for with the smuggler, but rather than our smuggler giving himself for those he loves/cares for/regards, he decides to give himself for the Republic.

 

This is my first frustration with the story, the second being the villians, who will be covered later. After that, I'll list the things I liked about our smuggler's story. I felt the story was too much "smuggler goes to planet to chase bad guy, meets with Republic liaison, does things for Republic, then goes to bad guy area to see bad guy on holo who tells smuggler how dumb he is and how bad villain is and hahahaha I'm the bad guy and I already left the planet." By the end, the smuggler has become a hero of the Republic (just like the Jedi) because he A. is being called a hero by all the main Republic people and B. He's done about as much work as an entire army of Republic soldiers.

 

I think it would have been a better story for the smuggler to assist the Republic in very passive ways. For instance, suppose a Republic official, or Jedi, or, dare I say it, princess comes along hotly pursued by a bad bunch of bounty hunters. The smuggler roles his/her eyes and agrees to help the person out...for a nice pocket of change, of course. We travel with the smuggler and whoever all over the place as THE OTHER PERSON does their Republic or Jedi thing. We deal with Sith, Hutts, bounty hunters, scum and villainy of the highest order (or, well, lowest order) as the smuggler slowly thaws (or, dark side-wise, stays a jerk and keeps reminding the harried person how much their tab is racking up as they run all over the galaxy) to the plight of the person. THE PERSON. The smuggler could give a rip about the Republic (or perhaps on hardcore light side choices, the smuggler could join the cause, too) but the people he's helping have his heart. I believe this was the Han Solo story, though Han did go more "light side" and basically joined the rebellion. Anyway, I think this would have forged a more personal story for our smuggler rather than the bland handy-man jobs the smuggler did on all the planets. I just finished Makeb, and it's the same thing: "Oh, you're the big hero! Please please help us with the Hutts Big Hero! The Jedi Knight and Consular are busy, but you're a Big Hero too!" I just don't feel that's the full flavor of what the smuggler could have been. The smuggler even reacts to this at times, with dialogue options that say, "Um, can't your people handle this?" or "Let me guess, you want me to go do that."

 

I feel this was done because the writer(s) were afraid the smuggler might be too disconnected from the Republic cause so they threw traditional (and lame) Imperial villains at him and had the smuggler constantly doing tasks for the Republic...eventually, if I recall, the smuggler doesn't even ask for money (it's been two years since I finished the story originally). And the hero thing. I hate the Big Hero thing. Okay, fine, call me a Big Hero, but give me an option to blow them off, or at least deflect a bit, Solid Snake-style ("I'm no hero"). Now, if I'm the JK? Yes, call me a Great Hero and throw a parade and all the rest. Because that's the point of the JK story! Not the smuggler's. It can be, but I feel like Bioware really missed an opportunity to create something different. A new flavor of character, rather than just a Big Hero who wields a blaster or two rather than a lightsaber (or, for the trooper, a big gun and a uniform). See, the smuggler could have helped the Republic still! Just have him do it FAR more hesitantly than he did. Or have the Republic officials constantly rolling their eyes when he demands exorbitant prices for his services (I'm thinking a more dark side smuggler here).

 

Now, the villains. None are bad (in the quality sense). None are spectacular, either. Or memorable. Or particularly vicious. Skavac takes your ship, which is kind of cool, then taunts you from his holo comm, planet to planet, until there's a showdown. Rogun the Butcher and Voidwolf follow almost the exact same pattern. You go to a planet where they're at, then, oops! they're gone and after some kind of throwaway boss fight they taunt you by holo comm. We're not building any tension between the smuggler and his adversaries, no chemistry or "heat." Just...they're the baddies, and I'm supposed to not like them a lot. Why? Because I've come to that feeling based on what they've done? No. We rarely see the villain personally interact with the smuggler, and rarely have any reason to hate the bad guy other than that the smuggler, the Republic liaison, or someone else tells us, yes, this guy is a really bad guy and you should be scared of him because, you know, he's the bad guy. The smuggler story could have been the pits but if there was a strong villain it would have helped a lot.

 

Now for the good, and there is some good. The Risha romance was great, tying directly into the main story. Her suddenly becoming a figurehead for her home planet (as a Queen no less!) was unexpected and I always enjoyed picking up that thread of story. Also the smuggler's one liners. Sadly, since time has passed I don't remember any of them but I distinctly recall the humor and sarcasm. Here's another little spot that I loved, which I think ties straight into my argument above: the time with the Jedi woman on Tatooine. I remember loving all of that slice of the story, and the interactions between the Jedi and my smuggler were great. She was a straight arrow, all business, to my who-cares smuggler. That's a microcosm of how the story should have been the whole way through: if the smuggler is going to ally with the Republic (rightfully, I think) then let him be the outsider. Yes, give the extreme light side the opportunity to go all in, but let it be for the people he's involved with. Don't turn him into a True Patriot, or Captain Republic. He shouldn't have been the winner of the Unlikeliest Golden Boy award for the Republic, he should have been someone else's window into the scummiest parts of the galaxy. You don't meet Republic mission givers on the planets, you meet liars, con men, jerks, bounty hunters and Hutts. Okay, some Empire types wind up in there, sure, but they're the oddities in the smuggler's world, not the norm, like they become in the smuggler's story.

 

TL;DR- Smuggler story was a missed opportunity to create a special story outside the norm, much as the agent's story did for the Empire side. A few good notes like humor and the Risha romance don't make up for lame villains and our smuggler turning into the Republic's latest golden boy.

[Asheris]

True, I was hoping the smuggler would be a bit more like the agent, with different outcomes to different decisions made not at the very end but along the way

like the opportunity to become an agent for the Republic, the story puts you in a place where the option becomes natural and from there you continue to the end.

 

I was hoping to have a choice in the matter of becoming a crime lord or a Republic loyalist waaay before the end, but no...one dialogue choice and only then you make a choice that has no impact whatsoever. The agent at least got a few bit here and there according to his affiliation.

 

[Pechunga]

Awesome post I agree with everything you said

 

I also feel like the story would have been better if the bad guys could have done some real harm to you and your crew like in the sw story where Lord Draahg beats your crew. Rogun or the void Wolf could have done something like that at the start of act 2 and you just barely get away at the skin of your teeth. And then you would have to make deals with hunts, bounty hunters etc to stay alive.

Maybe the villain of the story could use their power and influence to mess up some of your deals or jobs. And then you can turn the tables by maybe collecting favors or blackmailing people in to following you to take down the big bad. And at the end you yourself could become a kingpin of the underworld or gave all away to the republic.

This story just has so much unlocked potential

Plz excuse any mistakes in the text i'm in rush right now

[Cedia]

I agree completely. While my Smuggler is and always will be my main character, I found that I could not really play her as a neutral party as I wanted to. Sure, working for the Republic is good money, but my gal, like Nico, has no problem smuggling Sith artifacts.

 

I would have preferred if the Smuggler *accidentally* helped either the Republic or the Empire. S/he is goofy enough at times to just be an innocent bystander who somehow does the right thing and ends up on being the good (or bad) guy, through no real effort on his/her part.

 

I guess I just find it sad that there are no true neutral options on the Republic side. On the Empire side, you can pretty much play both the Bounty Hunter and the Agent as being faction neutral and the story still makes sense.

[Amadahy]

I actually agree with most of what you said, and smuggler is my favorite class. I love it for the humor, most of the companions, the characters and of course the smuggler themselves. However, I do feel like there was less actual smuggling, and more errand boy/girl for the Republic.

 

As for our villains, I wouldn't really classify them as that either. They felt more to me like rivals who just so happened to be threatening the Republic. Which, comes back to being the errand boy/girl.

 

There are times where I feel like I am playing more of an SIS agent, undercover as a Smuggler, rather than a Han Solo type of character.

[Bobbyrab]

I agree completely. While my Smuggler is and always will be my main character, I found that I could not really play her as a neutral party as I wanted to. Sure, working for the Republic is good money, but my gal, like Nico, has no problem smuggling Sith artifacts.

 

I would have preferred if the Smuggler *accidentally* helped either the Republic or the Empire. S/he is goofy enough at times to just be an innocent bystander who somehow does the right thing and ends up on being the good (or bad) guy, through no real effort on his/her part.

 

I guess I just find it sad that there are no true neutral options on the Republic side. On the Empire side, you can pretty much play both the Bounty Hunter and the Agent as being faction neutral and the story still makes sense.

 

Yes, yes and more yes. It's like Bioware went gray with the Empire, which is understandable as the Empire is thought of as the baddies yet a lot of people don't like just playing straight evil people, so a lot of allowance had to be made for neutral Empire characters. Sooo...where's that thinking with the Republic? Not even some anti-heroes? Even the smuggler's "evil" dialogue options are just harder edged sarcasm.

[OldVengeance]

If you didn't want to be a hero you should have picked the darkside options. That way the smuggler doesn't especially care about the Republic. Edited July 27, 2015 by OldVengeance

[ChaosIsGolden]

First and foremost I concur with nearly all of your post. My first main was a gunslinger (two guns ) that I created at the games launch, and while I thought the smuggler’s tale was okay. I loved the humor and companions (Risha’s romance was excellent, as was Bowdaar.)

 

To me, Rogan and the Voidwolf were not impressive end-game villains because your interaction with them was comparatively thin. It was a fixed, these are the bad guys, and you have to eliminate them, and their evil schemes, etc., etc. Unlike some of the other classes main villains; Baras, Thanaton, the Emperor, Hunter, Jun Seros, which gave you more personal reasons for hating them. However, I did like Skavak, pig that he was. I found him to be an entertaining rival/nemesis for our smuggler at the games start.

 

Lastly, I do wish you could have been more neutral party throughout the game, instead of the Republic’s errand boy/girl.

[Bobbyrab]

If you didn't want to be a hero you should have picked the darkside options. That way the smuggler doesn't especially care about the Republic.

 

For one thing, going dark side doesn't alter the fact that your smuggler becomes the Republic's newest Golden Boy. In fact, it makes the smuggler's continued slavish mission running for the Republic even stranger. You'd think a dark side (read: selfish) smuggler would insist on getting more credits...I'm not an authority on mercenary pricing/profits, but I'd think a merc who's accomplishing the magnitude of missions that the smuggler does would demand huge payouts for his services. The smuggler doesn't. Ever. Now, obviously the game can't give out millions of credits to smuggler players as it would upset the economy but I think the principle stands.

 

Second, the smuggler, regardless of light or dark, loyally shows up at every planet to help the Republic forces there. I doubt a dark side smuggler would be so loyal.

 

Lastly, none of the above even matters because the dark side options are little more than harsher, more sarcastic replies. Once these replies are given, the smuggler goes and does the work anyway. If I recall, dark side really didn't amount to much more than singular decisions that didn't affect much more than the Here and Now.

[Bobbyrab]

 

Lastly, I do wish you could have been more neutral party throughout the game, instead of the Republic’s errand boy/girl.

 

Yeah I'd really like to know the thought process going into the creative choices for the smuggler's story. I'm sure Bioware was trying to make the best possible story for the classes, and I'm sure there's limitations based on the class existing inside an MMO and companions being limited and all that, but I still can't imagine the writer(s) looking at the story and saying, yes, this is THE smuggler story.

[OathboundCoH]

While overall I like Smugglers (mostly to do with their gameplay and snark), I will definitely agree that the story is somewhat lackluster.

 

 

Also, it has a plot hole big enough to fly your freighter through.

 

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why would Darmas Palaran, an IMPERIAL AGENT aligned with the Voidwolf, EVER help your Republic aligned smuggler chase after Skavak an IMPERIAL COLLABORATOR?!

 

Now, you might say "He wants to get rid of Rogan so he can unify the underworld under the Voidwolf, and you're already on Rogun's bad side." But that doesn't really hold. If Rogan is so intent on hunting you down for LOSING his shipment of blasters, you think he wouldn't go after Skavak, the guy who actually stole his blasters twice as bad?

 

Darmas would have been much better off just tipping Rogan off to your location, letting you get captured/interrogate/killed, and then using the threat of Rogan to manipulate Skavak into even greater Imperial leanings. Hell promise Skavak that he can be the head of the underworld by killing Rogan and he's delusional enough he might just do your bidding even if Rogan DIDN'T come after him.

 

There's no reason for Darmas to lift a finger to help you in any way. That completely derails the smuggler's entire story from Coruscant on.

Edited July 28, 2015 by OathboundCoH

[OldVengeance]

For one thing, going dark side doesn't alter the fact that your smuggler becomes the Republic's newest Golden Boy. In fact, it makes the smuggler's continued slavish mission running for the Republic even stranger. You'd think a dark side (read: selfish) smuggler would insist on getting more credits...I'm not an authority on mercenary pricing/profits, but I'd think a merc who's accomplishing the magnitude of missions that the smuggler does would demand huge payouts for his services. The smuggler doesn't. Ever. Now, obviously the game can't give out millions of credits to smuggler players as it would upset the economy but I think the principle stands.

 

Second, the smuggler, regardless of light or dark, loyally shows up at every planet to help the Republic forces there. I doubt a dark side smuggler would be so loyal.

 

Lastly, none of the above even matters because the dark side options are little more than harsher, more sarcastic replies. Once these replies are given, the smuggler goes and does the work anyway. If I recall, dark side really didn't amount to much more than singular decisions that didn't affect much more than the Here and Now.

 

Yes it does. The ending of the game is a totally different scene if you pick the darkside choice in the end. And all the Privateering work you do for them beforehand becomes something you are doing for your own profit and power, while any aid to their cause is secondary. Choosing the right darkside choices will make it seem more like you are just using the Republic. Rogun will even mention this if you spare his life, I think. Aside from the darkside ending, Smugglers also get unique opportunity to help a Sith kill a Jedi on Tatooine, so there are chances for disloyalty or selfishness that, as far as I am aware, none of the other Republic classes are allowed.

 

The game was also never going to be able to accommodate the notion of a character who isn't important or isn't at least a little loyal to their faction, no matter who they are. The game's story hinges on completing the quests, there is no way around that unless you want to ignore the planetary quests altogether. I had similar trouble justifying why my Bounty Hunter was always bothering to stop to do everyone's menial tasks when he didn't much care for Empire as a whole. All I could think of was the "I'm getting paid for this right?" options. But I found it's just much easier to roleplay a character that had a strong sense of duty. Playing a (neutral) Smuggler is actually the only time I remember getting around this.

Edited July 28, 2015 by OldVengeance

[OldVengeance]

While overall I like Smugglers (mostly to do with their gameplay and snark), I will definitely agree that the story is somewhat lackluster.

 

 

Also, it has a plot hole big enough to fly your freighter through.

 

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why would Darmas Palaran, an IMPERIAL AGENT aligned with the Voidwolf, EVER help your Republic aligned smuggler chase after Skavak an IMPERIAL COLLABORATOR?!

 

Now, you might say "He wants to get rid of Rogan so he can unify the underworld under the Voidwolf, and you're already on Rogun's bad side." But that doesn't really hold. If Rogan is so intent on hunting you down for LOSING his shipment of blasters, you think he wouldn't go after Skavak, the guy who actually stole his blasters twice as bad?

 

Darmas would have been much better off just tipping Rogan off to your location, letting you get captured/interrogate/killed, and then using the threat of Rogan to manipulate Skavak into even greater Imperial leanings. Hell promise Skavak that he can be the head of the underworld by killing Rogan and he's delusional enough he might just do your bidding even if Rogan DIDN'T come after him.

 

There's no reason for Darmas to lift a finger to help you in any way. That completely derails the smuggler's entire story from Coruscant on.

 

Skavak is an unreliable asset. He betrays everyone he ever worked for, including the Empire. He could simply have decided he needed to be eliminated.

Edited July 28, 2015 by OldVengeance

[Bobbyrab]

Yes it does. The ending of the game is a totally different scene if you pick the darkside choice in the end. And all the Privateering work you do for them beforehand becomes something you are doing for your own profit and power, while any aid to their cause is secondary. Choosing the right darkside choices will make it seem more like you are just using the Republic. Rogun will even mention this if you spare his life, I think. Aside from the darkside ending, Smugglers also get unique opportunity to help a Sith kill a Jedi on Tatooine, so there are chances for disloyalty or selfishness that, as far as I am aware, none of the other Republic classes are allowed.

 

The game was also never going to be able to accommodate the notion of a character who isn't important or isn't at least a little loyal to their faction, no matter who they are. The game's story hinges on completing the quests, there is no way around that unless you want to ignore the planetary quests altogether. I had similar trouble justifying why my Bounty Hunter was always bothering to stop to do everyone's menial tasks when he didn't much care for Empire as a whole. All I could think of was the "I'm getting paid for this right?" options. But I found it's just much easier to roleplay a character that had a strong sense of duty. Playing a (neutral) Smuggler is actually the only time I remember getting around this.

 

I rewatched the endings and yes, you're right, there are two different paths. I'd forgotten, it's been a couple years. I think my problem isn't doing menial tasks as yes, you have to do something for 50 levels and it all can't be end of the world stuff, but the presentation and execution. Forget privateering for the light or dark, I didn't like the privateering at all. Now, that's my thoughts. I'm sure lots of others liked the smuggler story. I just felt, especially with the agent story as a comparison, that it could have been a lot more.

[OathboundCoH]

Skavak is an unreliable asset. He betrays everyone he ever worked for, including the Empire. He could simply have decided he needed to be eliminated.

 

Sure, but at that early stage there's nothing to indicate that our character would be any more reliable than Skavak, and Skavak has already proven his willingness to operate alongside the Empire, unlike our character. (Frankly, given that the first thing he hears about us is how we lost a shipment and got our ships stolen from us, he has no reason to think we'd even be competent enough to carry out his plans either.)

 

It would make the most sense for Darmas to use Skavak as far as he can, then just eliminate him should he prove no longer cooperative/useful.

 

It doesn't make any sense for him to help us work against a potential Imperial asset.

[Azareya]

While story could have been better true (I wanted to be more of a lawman to be honest..)

But I disagree with your assessment, light sided smuggler is barely regarded as a hero I felt I was insignificant and everyone kept getting surprised when I chose Lightside.

 

I wanted to play smuggler as the rogue adventure type helping out the cause (if not lawman), but all I get is greedy references and in it for the money, except Corso and Bowdaar are in it for the thrill and helping out the Republic, and no matter how much light choices I make, everyone will still call you greedy/in it for the money etc. I'm not surprised considering the company the smuggler keeps, which brings me to this point..

 

The thing that ruined smuggler story for me was Risha and the other 2 companions after her, the romance was great, but I will never understand why bioware gave 3 neutral/HEAVILY leaning darkside companions to the smuggler, 2 of which are romances for male smuggler (and honestly It makes zero sense after Risha keeping that secret from you all in chapter 1 and then at the end you decide to just believe her and go get the treasure in the mysterious place, frankly It spelled trap all over it, she used you and now she's gonna kill you, but off you go!) couldn't they have at least gave us a lightside romance, now before you go on Saying Risha is neutral, I would argue she is at least dark 3-4, there are few obvious light side choices that she agrees to and 99% because of selfish reasons (ala I saved you so you can pay me later/let you live just cuz you're useful) I would argue she is more dark than Akaavi in her own Machiavellian way,

 

So in the end what I'm saying is, why the heck is the smuggler with the Republic when you give him 3 out of 5 companions that are willing to work with the empire for money (you even have the option to ask if voidwolf will pay to hire you and Risha, Guss lose affection if you don't ask that..) seriously a lightsided IA or BH is more loyal to the republic..

 

/rant

 

Oh and I wanted a romanceable jedi companion,, the class story could have been so much more..

Edited August 10, 2015 by Azareya

[samhinch]

A darksided smuggler is way more true to character. And I always felt that the smuggler just was in the republic because that's just where he ended up being. Like how some people just are in Washington or Georgia, they just happened to be there. And the empire is harsher on smugglers so why hang out there. The villains past skavik were a let down. I get why Rogan the butcher should have been way more evil and I have no idea why the void wolf is fixated on the smuggler, the only thing I can figure is that the smuggler is mad he was the random guy picked to the mark. I was way more angry at darmus and that attractive older senator.

 

Smuggler is still my favorite story and my main .