Choosing a Faction on Iokath

[Codedrago]

Consequences? What consequences? The results are almost identical irregardless of what I choose.

 

The consequence of a companion refusing to join you, and even dying because you placed yourself as their opposition.

[October]

I'm rather disappointed that the companion is tied to faction. My loyalty is to the Empire but I do not want Quinn, I would much prefer Dorne.

[masterceil]

I'm rather disappointed that the companion is tied to faction. My loyalty is to the Empire but I do not want Quinn, I would much prefer Dorne.

 

Same tbh. I don't want Quinn on any of my characters, regardless of faction, but Dorne is awesome people. I don't like the fact that I have to choose a faction to begin with, tbh, but this is just an extra kick in the pants.

[Gelious]

I'm rather disappointed that the companion is tied to faction. My loyalty is to the Empire but I do not want Quinn, I would much prefer Dorne.

I think its great that companions are tied to faction. It makes for a more authentic in-game setting. Why would Elara, who defected to the Republic in the first place, because she didnt like how Empire does things, want to side with a supporter of the Empire?

 

On the same note, what exactly will Jorgan, Aygo, Hylo, T-7 do when my SW starts killing Republic troops and helping the Empress? Nothing, I guess, which is a damn shame. But then again, there are too few Imperials among Alliance leadership in the first place. Basically no one, except me and Lana.

[Rune_Castle]

What Eanelinea said... I'm mostly concerned my faction choice will have consequences for future companions. My bounty hunter is light IV & desperately wants her Mako back! Been pining away for ages ;-) Should I choose Empire or Republic? I kinda liked the Alliance coz I'm not that black & white myself, like my universe to be diverse. But now I have Lana on 41 and Kaliyo on 36, so if I don't want to lose them as companions I'd better go Imperial... Come to think of it, I chose Vette over Torian, so Mako might just kill me on sight for that... ;-) Argh, anxiety... #FirstGeekProbs

I do have my Sith Sorc @ 70, (dark I), so maybe I should do a test drive with her first...

[SithKoriandr]

I think its great that companions are tied to faction. It makes for a more authentic in-game setting. Why would Elara, who defected to the Republic in the first place, because she didnt like how Empire does things, want to side with a supporter of the Empire?

 

On the same note, what exactly will Jorgan, Aygo, Hylo, T-7 do when my SW starts killing Republic troops and helping the Empress? Nothing, I guess, which is a damn shame. But then again, there are too few Imperials among Alliance leadership in the first place. Basically no one, except me and Lana.

 

Agreed and agreed! Elara wouldn't make sense teaming with someone who values the Empire's way of thinking. Also, none of those you mentioned should actually side with a PC like that either

[casirabit]

What Eanelinea said... I'm mostly concerned my faction choice will have consequences for future companions. My bounty hunter is light IV & desperately wants her Mako back! Been pining away for ages ;-) Should I choose Empire or Republic? I kinda liked the Alliance coz I'm not that black & white myself, like my universe to be diverse. But now I have Lana on 41 and Kaliyo on 36, so if I don't want to lose them as companions I'd better go Imperial... Come to think of it, I chose Vette over Torian, so Mako might just kill me on sight for that... ;-) Argh, anxiety... #FirstGeekProbs

I do have my Sith Sorc @ 70, (dark I), so maybe I should do a test drive with her first...

 

My sith sorceress is dark V but that doesn't mean she is going to side with the Empire. She doesn't believe in slavery and that has been a thorn in her side since the beginning. She knows what it feels like being a slave and does not approve of slavery and forcing people to do what someone else says.

 

My agent is dark V as well but due to what the empire did to her in her story she has no love for the empire as well.

 

On those two characters I would have prefer not taking sides as neither side would appeal to them but since they forcing them to take sides it will not be the empire.

[ElZaguero]

This is the single most annoying thing you've done to this game, BioWare, and that's quite an accomplishment. You let us assemble this faction-be-damned, let's get something done Alliance and we now just toss it all away for the rest of the "story."

 

You completely negate everything we went through in the grand lectures from Darth Dad and Grandmaster Mom in Chapter 12 of KotFE.

 

Big deal we can switch once a day for regurgitating dailies in lieu of content. It's not the same as actually following through on what we worked on in KotFE. It makes all the bad things about KotFE even worse and just dumps a load on what was good.

 

Very strongly agree. Well said. This is just utter nonsense.

[mmsock]

I just want to comment that there is one thing I really don't like about this faction choice. The choice that makes a difference for future reference is of course related to the companion matter.

 

BTW if you're reading this and really don't know which companions are involved and also don't want to know, stop reading here.

 

As a mostly imperial player who doesn't like the imperial companion choice I feel I am in a damned if do and damned if don't situation. Since I will choose Empire for my Imperial characters from a character story and background point of view I don't really feel this is much of a choice. So my Empire characters will choose Empire. However, I do not want the companion that comes with that choice. So I'd rather not do the story then get stuck with a companion I want dead. I'm really happy for all those who have a crush on him, but I am clearly not among them.

 

Of course on my Republic characters there is a slightly different situation. I would normally pick Republic but on a couple of them that are rather DS, I could be tempted to side with the Empire...except, I don't want this companion so I won't.

 

So Eric, I know we don't have full details yet but based on what I know at this stage, do you understand that I don't feel that this "choice" is really a choice simply because it's linked to a companion choice which is a matter of taste rather than story?

 

I will accept that if you guys actually went the extra mile and say would allow a character to pull Elara back to the Empire for example that I would be impressed. But somehow I'm not holding my breath on that.

 

But really, do you get that how much people like or dislike either of these two companions will trump the actual story choice? I really don't think that's to the benefit of the story myself.

 

So I will not play an Empire character through this story until I know that I can choose Empire and reject the accompanying companion Quinn at the same time.

 

This is the major problem with Iokath. People love/hate Elara/Quinn, and will prioritize that over story which BW claims to champion. We need the option to choose companion over faction at some point, or the ability to reset.

[Shirvington]

Tyth and the rest of the Operation are just a part of normal play, so your standard faction is what dictates your group as normal.

 

-eric

 

This is false at the moment. I can't group with my guildmates to do the OP who are opposite faction-aligned since the game kicks you out of group as soon as you land on Iokath.

[Azreail]

Once you have completed the storyline and have access to the daily area, there is a terminal you can activate to switch sides once per day.

 

 

Also not currently true for everyone. I have been unable to switch AT ALL since I first picked a faction at the terminal 4 days ago immediately after doing the story.

[MorganLaFayy]

I am really uncomfortable proceeding with the Iokath faction choice on characters who still have missing companions (i.e. basically every class but Trooper) without a straight answer about whether this faction choice could entirely prevent us from re-recruiting certain companions. Eric, can you provide any more clarity on this? If there are former companions whose future recruitment is entirely excluded by choosing Empire or Republic on Iokath, I think players deserve to know and you previously stated that you would tell us. Here are some example statements that would be reassuring:

- There will be a way to recruit a particular class' former companions regardless of Iokath faction choice (i.e. previous connection potentially trumps Iokath choice)

- Ease of companion recruitment will be affected by Iokath choice but future recruitment will not be outright prevented by this one decision

- Companion X will not be available if you choose Empire on Iokath, etc.

 

Please?

[Vikin]

Why do I have the feeling that the traitor is either Theron or Lana, and the choice of faction determines who it'll be?

[IanArgent]

Why do I have the feeling that the traitor is either Theron or Lana, and the choice of faction determines who it'll be?

 

It is the simplest solution. Make sure to write a way to "forgive" them (a la quinn) or punish the traitor, and it'd satisfy almost everyone.

[Kyrra_T]

It is the simplest solution. Make sure to write a way to "forgive" them (a la quinn) or punish the traitor, and it'd satisfy almost everyone.

 

Logically given the Scions presence and the fact that the ones being released are gods of Zakuul the traitor is far far more likely to be Senya. Arcann is possible but honestly he's not tied to the Scions like she is.

 

Whoever did this is trying to destroy both the empire and the republic not help one or the other.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Kyrra_T

[Ralei]

Why do I have the feeling that the traitor is either Theron or Lana, and the choice of faction determines who it'll be?

 

If another LI betrays my warrior, I will flip this entire game table so hard.

 

Logically given the Scions presence and the fact that the ones being released are gods of Zakuul the traitor is far far more likely to be Senya. Arcann is possible but honestly he's not tied to the Scions like she is.

 

Whoever did this is trying to destroy both the empire and the republic not help one or the other.

 

I killed Arcann and Senya. What now?

[Korenus]

I love how as soon as major story questions come up (like wanting to stay neutral on some toons and hating the fact that if you don't go pick a side your toons are now stuck (Lore-wise) and won't get anymore damn story. Seriously, why should my BH or Smug choose a side when we can play both?) Bioware goes immediately radio silent. Oh sure they'll respond to mechanics questions, but anything remotely about story issues and suddenly its static.

[IanArgent]

Logically given the Scions presence and the fact that the ones being released are gods of Zakuul the traitor is far far more likely to be Senya. Arcann is possible but honestly he's not tied to the Scions like she is.

 

Whoever did this is trying to destroy both the empire and the republic not help one or the other.

 

Senya could be dead, depending on choices. The list of companions it cannot be is anyone who could have been rejected in their recruitment quest (I don't recall the entire list right now) or anyone you could kill or exile in-story (Koth, most notably).

 

If another LI betrays my warrior, I will flip this entire game table so hard.

 

Unlucky in love, are you

 

I think there's plenty of downsides to this plan, and it's kind of a cheap trick to play; but one they've done before.... Technically, you could have a non-companion be the traitor, but most of the non-companions being the traitor don't have enough story weight.

 

I'd personally prefer it to be an unknown, myself, but that would be a different sort of cheap trick.

[AscendingSky]

Why do I have the feeling that the traitor is either Theron or Lana, and the choice of faction determines who it'll be?

 

I'm extremely worried that this is the path they're taking. I hope it's not, and that the traitor will be someone else. Both Lana and Theron have gone to the ends of the galaxy and back for you and never wavered. They both left their own factions to help you form the Alliance. I don't want to think that one decision (forced on us by EAWare because bad story) would make one of them automatically betray us.

 

That said, I do take some hope that this isn't where they're going with this in the fact that whoever the traitor is also somehow set up the Republic, the Empire, and the Alliance to show up on Iokath at exactly the same time. Lana and Theron don't have any reason to do that... surely if they wanted to favor one side or another they'd only lead that side to the superweapon, right? Why put obstacles in their way?

[IanArgent]

I'm extremely worried that this is the path they're taking. I hope it's not, and that the traitor will be someone else. Both Lana and Theron have gone to the ends of the galaxy and back for you and never wavered. They both left their own factions to help you form the Alliance. I don't want to think that one decision (forced on us by EAWare because bad story) would make one of them automatically betray us.

 

That said, I do take some hope that this isn't where they're going with this in the fact that whoever the traitor is also somehow set up the Republic, the Empire, and the Alliance to show up on Iokath at exactly the same time. Lana and Theron don't have any reason to do that... surely if they wanted to favor one side or another they'd only lead that side to the superweapon, right? Why put obstacles in their way?

 

Just because I agree with it being a simple solution, doesn't mean I don't think it's a terrible one. But if I was writing the story, it'd be a good deal different...

[Quraswren]

Why do I have the feeling that the traitor is either Theron or Lana, and the choice of faction determines who it'll be?

 

Nah. It's going to be the scions in some warped story writing. For them to just show up at the end like they did. The iokath story was nothing but a story written on convenience for the writer. Scions fill that roll as a another convenient traitor.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Quraswren

[Yezzan]

Wherever did you get that idea from? Go re-read letters from Acina and Jace. Empire and Republic recognize Alliance as a sovereign state with its own army and territories, but they do not consider themselves part of it in any way, shape or form.

 

Of course you can in theory send Fleet and Gravestone to bomb them both into submission, but until something happens, neither Empire or Republic are your servants.

 

Why are they sending the alliance tribes? The situation is no different from what Arcann was doing. He wasn't actively controlling the worlds he conquered but he left those orbital stations to keep them in check and they paid tribute to Zakuul; the same thing is happening here (if you chose the dark side version).

 

The only way to make sense of all this foolishness is to make a new character that uses the force (guardian, warrior, counselor, inquisitor) and tailor your choices from the very beginning to match the Iokath outcome. if you are gonig to choose to allign with the republic, you cannot accept Acina's offer of an alliance; and it's unfortunate that the only role the republic played in this whole saga was for Saresh to try and kill you.

 

The choosing sides thing was done very poorly.

[saberscreen]

First, to avoid any confusion: The faction you choose has no effect at all outside of Iokath. It only impacts story choices in the Iokath storyline (and future stories) and some gameplay impacts on Iokath.

 

I'm happy.

Edited May 7, 2017 by saberscreen

[Yezzan]

[/color]

 

I'm happy.

 

It's not so much about how choices will work in the future or outside of the Iokath Story line; its the lack of cohesiveness and coherence of the story. The writers did an awful job of connecting KOTET to this War on Iokath.

[Korenus]

It's not so much about how choices will work in the future or outside of the Iokath Story line; its the lack of cohesiveness and coherence of the story. The writers did an awful job of connecting KOTET to this War on Iokath.

 

Which is why, outside of one toon, I'm ignoring it completely