Why do people blindly choose LS or DS choices?

[Eivon]

I'm playing a darkside trooper and am "guilty" of what the topic starter described.

 

For the first 10-12 levels or so I listen occasionally to the voiceovers( but read all the subtitles) and watched the cutscenes. However after that and as of now lvl32 I never bother anymore to read or watch anything I just mash spacebar as fast as I can. Since I have no clue what the story for the quest in question is about I just choose either option 2 or 3 and then whatever darkside option there is. It just takes to much time of sitting around not playing trying to invest oneself in the story.

 

Now if I was playing the game like most people are, meaning that I don't do all the side and bonus quests in area before moving along I could see it being viable to follow the quest stories. However I am one of these "completionists" who have to sniff out and clear everything in an area(even grey quests) before I continue to the next zone. It would be a collossal time sink to sit through the bazillion number of quests I am doing and think through every response, watch and listen to every voiceover and cutscene.

 

At this moment I am even mashing spacebar when playing in a group even though it doesn't save me any time since I know I will have to wait for my party who watches. STill I do it. There are just so many quests that after awhile you loose interest completely in following them.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Eivon

[Majestic_Jazz]

Do you have a Red Color Crystal?

 

I do and in fact, those are the only ones DS/LS specific items I see in the GTN. EVERYTHING else is neutral.....the Darkside Vendor doesn't update with new items........and I have recieved 0 DS gear from loot drops and I have recieved 0 DS gear from rewards.

 

The way Bioware talked about it was making its seem like most of the gear/weapons you see in higher levels will be either LS or DS specific and you'll eventually be forced to pick a side. However, I am pushing level 40 and that isn't the case. The way it is now, I could be a neutral player and still have the most up to date gear as MOST gear is neutral!

[Coolmoos]

You still get the LS points so quit crying bro.... Let them play the game the way they want. And you go about your business the same.

[Adlertag]

I am playing a Sith and I planned on making all DS decisions, no matter what. HOWEVER, the story is so well done, this is almost impossible.

 

Many of the decisions are more than simple black and white (DS/LS) and I find the creative story line has me trying to make the deicsion that is right for me at the time. There are also my companion's feelings to consider.

 

Kudos to the writers for making this an emotionally and morally involving game. I am loving it.

[Trevalon]

Because apparently there is a cap on the amount of LS/DS points you can get and if you don't "specialize" You will never hit DS/LS 5 and will forever be locked out of getting some great items taht require LS/DS 5.

 

Simple as that...You are penalized in this game for not staying 1 course the entire game...

 

I blame Bioware not the players.

[krisslanza]

Companion gifts. Easier than worrying about how they react.

 

It's possible for some companions, to lock them out of romance with some actions you can do I hear.

[Docyrian]

My question is....why the HELL do you care what other people do? It doesn't effect your choice except for in the cinematic....YOU still get the full LS/DS point increase based on YOUR individual choice. Personally, I'm playing my SA entire DS. I don't care what it is, if it's dark, I'm taking it! Most of the time because I just like the option better anyway.

 

As a Sith though, I feel like I get the opportunity to be the most ruthless, scheming, disgusting bastard I can possibly be, and that's what I want to do with my SA. The majority of the time, it fits with what a SA SHOULD be anyway.

 

So, when you start paying everyone elses' subscription, you can decide how they make their choices. But until then, enjoy your own, and do what you want. The minute you stop worrying about everyone else, is the minute you'll start REALLY having a blast with the game.

[LilPika]

Because apparently there is a cap on the amount of LS/DS points you can get and if you don't "specialize" You will never hit DS/LS 5 and will forever be locked out of getting some great items taht require LS/DS 5.

 

Simple as that...You are penalized in this game for not staying 1 course the entire game...

 

I blame Bioware not the players.

 

That's... not true.

 

If you don't hit it the first time, go run a few flashpoints or Heroic Daily quests to switch over the points. They are repeatable after all. I ran the starship one (I forget it's name, the first Republic one) twice just because I ended up with like 40 points away from lightside 1 and I WANTED IT SO BAD.

[Trevalon]

That's... not true.

 

If you don't hit it the first time, go run a few flashpoints or Heroic Daily quests to switch over the points. They are repeatable after all. I ran the starship one (I forget it's name, the first Republic one) twice just because I ended up with like 40 points away from lightside 1 and I WANTED IT SO BAD.

 

This might be true, but I have read a couple threads that talked about once you hit 10,000 poitns TOTAL (between both LS/DS) you cannot gain anymore points even from repeating old stuff...IE there is a cap on the amount of points you can gain...

 

It seems like a bug to me and will probably be fixed, assuming its true at all... but still...

[Vlaxitov]

What a pointless thread this is. I'm rolling a smuggler atm and LS choices = han solo scaming stylized comedy, DS choices = killing 3-4 more people than I already have per cut scene.. its sooo simple. DS choices suck for smugglers imho.

 

A DS choice has only appealed to me one time in game so far in the begining and why? Because I didn't agree with the notion that a smuggler has to be "anti spice" to be LS. I really doubt that many people are "blindly" chosing LS/DS during dialog. Thats basically like accusing people you don't know of being illiterate or at very least having no reading comprehension. Again, what a pointless thread this is. It almost borders a troll thread.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Vlaxitov

[fwloehr]

My question is....why the HELL do you care what other people do? It doesn't effect your choice except for in the cinematic....YOU still get the full LS/DS point increase based on YOUR individual choice. Personally, I'm playing my SA entire DS. I don't care what it is, if it's dark, I'm taking it! Most of the time because I just like the option better anyway.

 

As a Sith though, I feel like I get the opportunity to be the most ruthless, scheming, disgusting bastard I can possibly be, and that's what I want to do with my SA. The majority of the time, it fits with what a SA SHOULD be anyway.

 

So, when you start paying everyone elses' subscription, you can decide how they make their choices. But until then, enjoy your own, and do what you want. The minute you stop worrying about everyone else, is the minute you'll start REALLY having a blast with the game.

 

You must be playing that "ruthless, scheming, disgusting, bastard" role a little too much because it is leaking into RL.

 

The OP was only commenting on a pattern he has noticed in other players and was starting a discussion on why that may be. Jumping down his throat about worrying about other people is just unproductive to this thread.

 

I for one have been enjoying reading other people's approaches to the story line.

 

I play a LS sith sorc. The story in my head is that my sith is loyal to the empire and agrees with the sith's emphasis on passion rather than the jedi way, but that doesn't mean hate and anger have to be the main passions. I have been loving the story so far but I have noticed that DS/LS doesn't necessarily pertain to moral choices, it also seems to me DS = loyalty to the empire and LS mean being against the empire. This sometimes makes it difficult for me because I want to stay loyal to the empire but those LS points are so tempting....

[FSEric]

I really doubt that many people are "blindly" chosing LS/DS during dialog. .

 

I am dark V, if I make a light choice my dark V gear becomes unusable until I get more dark points, which who knows when I'll be facing my next DS option.

 

 

This is why me and many other players don't care what the option is, so long as it's dark/light. If there was some wiggle room at dark V (like if it started at 9500, for example) then I would be more inclined to choose LS once in a while.

Edited December 28, 2011 by FSEric

[USSDefiant]

This is just a rookie mistake by the game designers. Any designer who had worked on an mmo for a while would have foreseen that people would ignore the RP concept of light/dark and just min/max it to get the gear they want.

 

Whether I want light gear or dark gear (even if it's mirrored), it's going to penalize me to choose the wrong side by slowing my progression towards the side I'm going to gear from.

 

It's a silly game mechanic to turn the RP element into gear. They should have left it RP only or taken it out.

 

Swtor is a great game, but there are a lot of rookie design decisions that they could have foreseen with just a little research and/or industry knowledge.

[Majestic_Jazz]

You must be playing that "ruthless, scheming, disgusting, bastard" role a little too much because it is leaking into RL.

 

The OP was only commenting on a pattern he has noticed in other players and was starting a discussion on why that may be. Jumping down his throat about worrying about other people is just unproductive to this thread.

 

I for one have been enjoying reading other people's approaches to the story line.

 

I play a LS sith sorc. The story in my head is that my sith is loyal to the empire and agrees with the sith's emphasis on passion rather than the jedi way, but that doesn't mean hate and anger have to be the main passions. I have been loving the story so far but I have noticed that DS/LS doesn't necessarily pertain to moral choices, it also seems to me DS = loyalty to the empire and LS mean being against the empire. This sometimes makes it difficult for me because I want to stay loyal to the empire but those LS points are so tempting....

 

Thank you!

 

I mean, isn't this the purpose of the forums? To entice discussion regarding in-game experiences?

 

I am not complaining by any means because I still get my DS/LS points regardless of the outcome. I am just wanting to create a productive discussion of why it may be that Republic players most of the time go LS and Empire players most of the time go DS.

 

Do Republic players view LS as the default and DS as the default for Empire?

 

I believe it is a nice topic to talk about. If you do not have anything meaningful to add to this thread, please take your immaturity somewhere else.

[ArmchairMagpie]

Depends on character.

 

My Operative being purely Light side usually tries to avoid overly cruel acts, especially when it involves feeding someone else's sadistic desires.

She doesn't feel like the Sith are their superiors but instead the Empire is.

She doesn't like giving into personal anger because that's unprofessional and the same goes making a personal profit out of things.

She does not do favours for ranking officials and succumbing to the treacherous path of corruption, fraud and bribery, it would get in the way when true loyalties are requested.

 

That said, my bounty hunter acts according a different agenda, he would pick Dark and Light.

He would shoot that guy hunting locals for sports in the head for being a sicko.

He would however not oppose doing favours if there is a profit.

He does not do good deeds because his heart is in the right place, but because circumstances allow for greater leverage.

He would not go out and free slaves, he would however kill the slaver if there is something to cash in.

He would not be cruel for cruelties sake, he would be cruel if it is for his own good.

 

 

Just a few examples. Of how things work out. That is if you actually roleplay and your motives might be different.

Edited December 28, 2011 by ArmchairMagpie

[Dasri]

A couple of days ago my entire Black Talon group picked the light side choice at a pivotal point in the run. Don't see very many "the Stalwart" titles on the Empire side.

[ScruffyRogue]

Do Republic players view LS as the default and DS as the default for Empire?

 

Frankly, yes.

 

I have characters on both sides and it seems like LS *is* the default for Republic, and DS for Empire. I don't choose blindly, I have the character in my head and I pick the closest option to what they would actually do or say. Often, there is no "correct" choice for my character and I just have to fake it.

 

So while I don't just pick the "default" it seems pretty clear to me that the default is there.

[Ituhata]

What's wrong with wanting to kill everyone that helps you, stands in your way, or inexcusably stops you to say hello?

 

Personally I'm interested in the story of someone who just wants to watch the world burn. I'd be curious to know what happens to my character after I've burned every bridge I possibly can.

[USSDefiant]

Depends on character.

 

My Operative being purely Light side usually tries to avoid overly cruel acts, especially when it involves feeding someone else's sadistic desires.

She doesn't feel like the Sith are their superiors but instead the Empire is.

She doesn't like giving into personal anger because that's unprofessional and the same goes making a personal profit out of things.

She does not do favours for ranking officials and succumbing to the treacherous path of corruption, fraud and bribery, it would get in the way when true loyalties are requested.

 

That said, my bounty hunter acts according a different agenda, he would pick Dark and Light.

He would shoot that guy hunting locals for sports in the head for being a sicko.

He would however not oppose doing favours if there is a profit.

He does not do good deeds because his heart is in the right place, but because circumstances allow for greater leverage.

He would not go out and free slaves, he would however kill the slaver if there is something to cash in.

He would not be cruel for cruelties sake, he would be cruel if it is for his own good.

 

 

Just a few examples. Of how things work out. That is if you actually roleplay and your motives might be different.

I like the write up here, and I too try to identify my characters' motivations before I start them.

 

Sadly the LS/DS system is such that I get penalized for sticking to character motivations almost all the time.

[Docyrian]

You must be playing that "ruthless, scheming, disgusting, bastard" role a little too much because it is leaking into RL.

 

The OP was only commenting on a pattern he has noticed in other players and was starting a discussion on why that may be. Jumping down his throat about worrying about other people is just unproductive to this thread.

 

I for one have been enjoying reading other people's approaches to the story line.

 

I play a LS sith sorc. The story in my head is that my sith is loyal to the empire and agrees with the sith's emphasis on passion rather than the jedi way, but that doesn't mean hate and anger have to be the main passions. I have been loving the story so far but I have noticed that DS/LS doesn't necessarily pertain to moral choices, it also seems to me DS = loyalty to the empire and LS mean being against the empire. This sometimes makes it difficult for me because I want to stay loyal to the empire but those LS points are so tempting....

 

 

No. The OP was to ***** about people always picking either LS or DS EXCLUSIVELY! And to complain about how the gear works. I simply am pointing out that it's not his decision to make OR ***** about! He can make whatever decision he wants, which is the point.

 

So, I'm sorry if i come off like a "ruthless, scheming, disgusting, bastard", but I don't like being TOLD what i should or should not do with MY DAMNED ACCOUNT! That may not have been the original intention, but that is what was posted, both in title and in comment.

[Gerandar]

because they want to max out dark or light to get said gear the outcome of the conversations means very little in the end

[Chomag]

I play LS but I choose DS if some bastard NEEDS to die or if I feel the DS choice is more appropriate.

[xXAngelicEvilXx]

My main character is squeaky clean Light Side. That's just a personal preference. I made a Smuggler, and she'll likely bounce back and forth between the two. I just like experiencing all of it, and I'll definitely have something different for each character.

[Durzaka]

I dont know if it was mentioned, but as of now if you pick ONE opposite choice, you will not be able to get Dark V or Light V EVER.

 

 

In case you want to argue, i know people with the issue. you can ONLY get 10k darkside/lightside points. you need 10k DS to get Dark V. If you pick one LS option, you will forever be stuck at 9950 (if it was a 50 LS option, and lower if it was a higher LS option).

[Qoojo]

Because it hinders you by not getting your DS/LS level as high possible due to commendations equipment having alignment restrictions on it.