I genuinely can't believe how bad faction balance is on every server.

[Lunablade]

I play both sides on the Darth Malgus server and from what I noticed they are both equally populated. I agree with the people which said on this thread that for most part imperial story is bit better done and has more interesting characters than rep one. From animations standpoint I would say that I like my sage better than sorceress, because it has more varied ones and on sorceress I got bored of all the lightning spamm . I have to say tho how I enjoy now game more when I experienced the storylines from different perspectives than I was when I played only one side for a long time

( the imp one ).

[Ollmich]

Imps outnumber the Pubs 3 to 1 or worse on every single server. It's amazing

And?..

 

I’m not a passionate PvPer but every time I queue regs on my pub toons I rarely wait more than a couple of minutes, and usually it's just 10-20 seconds. At prime time, of course.

 

Oddly, MM FPs used to pop faster on pubside for me. I usually queue as healer, maybe there’re just more heals on impside.

 

And there’s roughly the same amount of LFGs on both fleets but on impside you have to suffer through endless flow of “use my ref”, “buy my stuff” and “game is dead” with moronic speeches of another Dôńåld Trūmp on top of it. Republic fleet is much calmer and kinda pragmatic.

 

From my point of view there’s nothing wrong with regular activities. If you’re interested in progression raiding you have more chances to find a team on impside but there’re dedicated raiders and HM/NiM guilds on pubside as well. And I don’t know a thing about ranked PvP but I see plenty of “lfg ranked no mats” in Republic chat, so it’s not completely dead I suppose.

 

***

 

As for “imps are just better in every possible way”, it all is quite subjective, you know.

 

Design? Polished Imperial interiors look way too cold and lifeless for me.

 

Outfits? Almost everything is ugly on both sides, with imps having this and pubs this. All hail Cartel Market!

 

Animations? It’s hard to argue that agents and hunters look more stylish though nothing can be compared with mando’s beam of green goo and scoundrel’s dirty kick. But Force users… if only I could unsee how 30 stacks of fury look like. And sorc’s consuming darkness (shrugs). And many other things. And how they’re called.

 

Class stories? Matter of taste. In the end, the ones we enjoy most are those which offer us to play the role we find most interesting and feel comfortable with (a Jedi diplomat, a sneaky spy, a witty rogue, etc). They all are decent, if you don't like some of them it means they're just not for you.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Ollmich

[kodrac]

Wait, if Imps outnumber Pubs, then why does light side have a nearly unending victory state? All those nice Sith?

[TUXs]

Wait, if Imps outnumber Pubs, then why does light side have a nearly unending victory state? All those nice Sith?

Imps tend to do more PvP...Pubs suck at it so they're doing PvE stuff getting the bonus's from that. That's the only thing I can come up with as to why that happens...

[Atalantia]

Well Tux Im going to disagree with you on that response, One of the few times I have, I think there are alot more LS sith than one realizes theres now way the PUB's can keep that light side meter full nearly 24/7

[TUXs]

Well Tux Im going to disagree with you on that response, One of the few times I have, I think there are alot more LS sith than one realizes theres now way the PUB's can keep that light side meter full nearly 24/7

Ahhh...you may be correct...I forgot that Light/Dark isn't tied to faction. Makes sense.

[Dallayna]

Ahhh...you may be correct...I forgot that Light/Dark isn't tied to faction. Makes sense.

 

Actually, imho (just mine but it does seem to be shared by a lot of others I play with) LS Imp has some of the most interesting (and in at least one case amusing) plots in the game- far more interesting and nuanced then DS Pub plots.

 

As for the rest... I do know that my server before the merge, we were absolutely inundated with trolls Pub side for awhile at one point,, so a lot of the more mellow players like me wound up finding our focus shifting to Imp and many might have been just like me and never bothered to try and go back. Which brings to mind that something along those lines might still be having a slight effect on your server's population.

 

I mean, I'm not saying that Pub side is still filled with more than its share of trolls (I'm pretty sure that effect couldn't have lasted long) but, merely pointing out that it could be just one of those "cultural" things that come to hit servers and games once in a while. In other words: certain kinds of players sometimes just find themselves congregating on a certain server or playing a certain game.

 

I mean, for example, for awhile all of the PvPers found themselves loving one server and RPers seemed to all be going to another before mergers changed the set up.

 

So, basically, at least part of it could just be more of the folks that like Imp than like Pub just happen to find themselves all on the same server at the same time. In a year, it could easily go the other way.

[kodrac]

Well Tux Im going to disagree with you on that response, One of the few times I have, I think there are alot more LS sith than one realizes theres now way the PUB's can keep that light side meter full nearly 24/7

 

I thought we were all edgelords though?

[drug_cartel]

Honestly, I would be shocked if even 1% of the playerbase did not have at least one character on each side. Everyone I know has played all 8 stories at least through the end of Chapter 3, and even players who haven't done ALL stories, they are likely to have at least one character in either faction.

 

What you are seeing instead is the results of the poorly contrived WoW-two-faction-system. Prior MMOs had managed to seamlessly introduce factions without these rigid constructs, but since WoW dumbed things down, and WoW was successful, essentially everyone follows the model.

 

The result? You have characters on both sides. But since the majority of players tend to rally around the endgame (either raiding, gear-treadmill, or PvP but as max level characters), and since endgame activity primarily involves group content, the players end up focusing on playing as characters on the faction where it is easier to find a group.

 

Since the only difference between Imp and Pub is cosmetic, balance swings one way with more and more people playing on the side where they are able to progress, and for many players, when they want to play on the smaller faction, they actually advertise it on the larger faction's chat, assemble at least the framework of a group, and then everyone logs over together. In SWTOR, many of the top guilds have their "Republic sister-guild" which is just a fancy way of saying that they can talk to each other and build a group before ever logging over, and then log over and queue immediately into an instanced area, so you never even recognize that they are playing.

 

I cannot say it strongly enough. The best approach to a faction system ever made was the original Everquest. When you started out, Humans and Halflings get along fine, while Humans and Dark Elves do not. But when my human goes on a murder spree in the Halfling capital city, slaughtering their guards, the result of his actions adjust his faction. Now he is Kill On Sight by Halflings, but the Dark Elves (who are sworn enemies of the Halflings) actually dubiously tolerate him. Each character was accepted or rejected by each individual group of people based on a combination of predispositions (race, class, religion) and the sum of your actions (everything you do having a permanent effect on how NPCs respond to you).

 

In SWTOR, we have a story where we can betray our original faction, complete to the point we are killing Empress Acina or Sareesh, but nothing we do, no amount of betrayal, will ever cause our original government to cast us out, nor will it ever make a difference in how the opposite faction treats us. Simply put, it's that lazy, poorly done, WoW 2-faction system, and it results in a world that is so binary that it is difficult to ever truly lose yourself in what you're doing.

[DefenderTwo]

The Imperial class stories in my opinion are more fun than the Republic side, so I can understand why people would prefer to stay on the Empire's side.

[casirabit]

Maybe what they should do is keep a running tally of imp and pub toons, and no one can make any more of one until everyone's made enough of the other to even it out.

 

I already do but I still play more on the republic side.

[Atalantia]

Honestly, I would be shocked if even 1% of the playerbase did not have at least one character on each side. Everyone I know has played all 8 stories at least through the end of Chapter 3, and even players who haven't done ALL stories, they are likely to have at least one character in either faction.

 

What you are seeing instead is the results of the poorly contrived WoW-two-faction-system. Prior MMOs had managed to seamlessly introduce factions without these rigid constructs, but since WoW dumbed things down, and WoW was successful, essentially everyone follows the model.

 

The result? You have characters on both sides. But since the majority of players tend to rally around the endgame (either raiding, gear-treadmill, or PvP but as max level characters), and since endgame activity primarily involves group content, the players end up focusing on playing as characters on the faction where it is easier to find a group.

 

Since the only difference between Imp and Pub is cosmetic, balance swings one way with more and more people playing on the side where they are able to progress, and for many players, when they want to play on the smaller faction, they actually advertise it on the larger faction's chat, assemble at least the framework of a group, and then everyone logs over together. In SWTOR, many of the top guilds have their "Republic sister-guild" which is just a fancy way of saying that they can talk to each other and build a group before ever logging over, and then log over and queue immediately into an instanced area, so you never even recognize that they are playing.

 

I cannot say it strongly enough. The best approach to a faction system ever made was the original Everquest. When you started out, Humans and Halflings get along fine, while Humans and Dark Elves do not. But when my human goes on a murder spree in the Halfling capital city, slaughtering their guards, the result of his actions adjust his faction. Now he is Kill On Sight by Halflings, but the Dark Elves (who are sworn enemies of the Halflings) actually dubiously tolerate him. Each character was accepted or rejected by each individual group of people based on a combination of predispositions (race, class, religion) and the sum of your actions (everything you do having a permanent effect on how NPCs respond to you).

 

In SWTOR, we have a story where we can betray our original faction, complete to the point we are killing Empress Acina or Sareesh, but nothing we do, no amount of betrayal, will ever cause our original government to cast us out, nor will it ever make a difference in how the opposite faction treats us. Simply put, it's that lazy, poorly done, WoW 2-faction system, and it results in a world that is so binary that it is difficult to ever truly lose yourself in what you're doing.

 

ALl I want to address is the red bolded large part of your post.

 

I doon't have a rep toon past chapter 1 did get a 50 smuggler and 50 sentinel during the DvL event simply because i had to do republic crud to get get the achievements. I leveled those toon on Kuwat and FP's as sson as I got to ten did PvP to 15 then FP and Kuwat shipyard.

 

SO not everyone has taken Rep toon through chapter three

[PorsaLindahl]

ALl I want to address is the red bolded large part of your post.

 

I doon't have a rep toon past chapter 1 did get a 50 smuggler and 50 sentinel during the DvL event simply because i had to do republic crud to get get the achievements. I leveled those toon on Kuwat and FP's as sson as I got to ten did PvP to 15 then FP and Kuwat shipyard.

 

SO not everyone has taken Rep toon through chapter three

 

Let's compare green text. Red hurts my eyes.

 

Honestly, I would be shocked if even 1% of the playerbase did not have at least one character on each side. Everyone I know has played all 8 stories at least through the end of Chapter 3, and even players who haven't done ALL stories, they are likely to have at least one character in either faction.

 

It would seem that drug_cartel doesn't know you, so that doesn't invalidate his statement. He doesn't know me, either, but his statement is accurate in regards to my characters, of which I have 37 total. Which in turn are mostly Imperial classes.

[ShieldProtection]

WHAT If I told you.....

 

 

Republic sucks and people got tired of their jedi nonsense and switched to the Empire side? Because you know....We Imperials are amazing. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

 

[AlrikFassbauer]

Imp side has farb better design - but it is still far too dark for my taste.

 

But ... in this "age of heavy metalization" - I have found for myself the word "heavymetalization" or "heavy metalization" to describe what goes on in all media - dark and blood and homnour abnd war and death are considered "cool" and even "good" because they are so manly. The design of Heavy Mtal music is permeating everything in the media - games, too. No wonder WWII shooters and killing games like Hitman and gangsta games like GTA are so popular. The darker, the more brutal, the better. Because it gives adrenaline.

 

Lighthearted games are considered as pure trash in the eyes of people following the "heavy metal" fashion, and light colours are considered childish and weak, and therefore aren't manly at all.

 

You just ned to look at how people do as if they were someone superior by their replies of "go play Hello Kitty". It is THE display of the heavymetalisation : Hello Kitty is considered to be lightheared, colourful and - because of that - childish. A thought might go like this : "Me putting Hello Kitty as the opposite of "what should be" makes me look so much more manly."

 

The imperial side is just THE display of HeavyMetalStarWars. And that's why peple play it. Lots of dark, occult plot themes, a lot of metal, blood and honour - and war, of course.

War is THE possibility to display oneself as being manly !

 

The Republic side is all of this NOT. And therefore boring.

[PorsaLindahl]

Imp side has farb better design - but it is still far too dark for my taste.

 

But ... in this "age of heavy metalization" - I have found for myself the word "heavymetalization" or "heavy metalization" to describe what goes on in all media - dark and blood and homnour abnd war and death are considered "cool" and even "good" because they are so manly. The design of Heavy Mtal music is permeating everything in the media - games, too. No wonder WWII shooters and killing games like Hitman and gangsta games like GTA are so popular. The darker, the more brutal, the better. Because it gives adrenaline.

 

Lighthearted games are considered as pure trash in the eyes of people following the "heavy metal" fashion, and light colours are considered childish and weak, and therefore aren't manly at all.

 

You just ned to look at how people do as if they were someone superior by their replies of "go play Hello Kitty". It is THE display of the heavymetalisation : Hello Kitty is considered to be lightheared, colourful and - because of that - childish. A thought might go like this : "Me putting Hello Kitty as the opposite of "what should be" makes me look so much more manly."

 

The imperial side is just THE display of HeavyMetalStarWars. And that's why peple play it. Lots of dark, occult plot themes, a lot of metal, blood and honour - and war, of course.

War is THE possibility to display oneself as being manly !

 

The Republic side is all of this NOT. And therefore boring.

 

LOL

 

You sound like one of those old ladies who used to yell at me an my friends for playing the "Devil's Music" (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, AC/DC etc.) at the park back in the '70's.

 

If you think all heavy metal is "dark and blood and homnour abnd war and death" then you have a narrow view and are only hearing what you want to hear from it, like those old ladies I mentioned.

[Aeneas_Falco]

Doesn't the "bad guy" faction always have a higher population in MMOs?

 

I don't have experience with MMOs outside of SWTOR but I've seen that posted several times. Is that correct?

[Suzsi]

That is why I put "at end-game". The stories are different and that matters to some people. After chapter 4, the stories are not different, so that isn't a factor any more.

 

Generally you still have to take those chars through the stories to get to end game though. Unless you want to spend a bunch of credits to get there. Makes sense people would still play the more interesting ones over the less interesting to hit the end game you speak of.

[Suzsi]

Doesn't the "bad guy" faction always have a higher population in MMOs?

 

I don't have experience with MMOs outside of SWTOR but I've seen that posted several times. Is that correct?

 

Used to be the opposite in swg, everyone wanted to play the rebels.

 

LS also won dvl.

 

The group of people super into the bad guys is generally less than those who prefer to be good but in swtor you can do that no matter what side you play.

[Aries_cz]

At end-game, there is literally zero (non-cosmetic) difference between the factions, so why is it like this?

 

Because people like being massive edgelords by being "evil"

[AlrikFassbauer]

LOL

 

You sound like one of those old ladies who used to yell at me an my friends for playing the "Devil's Music" (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, AC/DC etc.) at the park back in the '70's.

 

If you think all heavy metal is "dark and blood and homnour abnd war and death" then you have a narrow view and are only hearing what you want to hear from it, like those old ladies I mentioned.

 

Well, go listen to Amarok (by Mike Oldfield), then come back so we can continie discussing.

 

And, besides, I always wondered why there is so few White Metal around ?

Edited April 18, 2018 by AlrikFassbauer

[cagthehack]

Part of it is the freedom of the Imp side. If you play a SW, the class story there's no down side - light or dark. NPC's (and you companions) are mostly surprised, in a good way if you choose light side options. But JK... you go dark the game goes out of it's way to make you feel like crap. Except for Scourge, the rest of your crew will not be happy with you.

 

Course that doesn't matter these days. But back in the day it did.

[PorsaLindahl]

Part of it is the freedom of the Imp side. If you play a SW, the class story there's no down side - light or dark. NPC's (and you companions) are mostly surprised, in a good way if you choose light side options. But JK... you go dark the game goes out of it's way to make you feel like crap. Except for Scourge, the rest of your crew will not be happy with you.

 

Course that doesn't matter these days. But back in the day it did.

 

I remember my LS JK's having anywhere from -6k to -8k affection with Scourge. Needless to say, I never did any crew skills with him.

[RagnarAugustus]

Imperial class animations are about a million times cooler. Our stories are better too. And companions. And planets. And ships.

 

There is this but most end game players I know tend to play both factions but we seems default to Imp for most raids. Group finder seems to pop quicker for Imp than Pub on all three EN servers as well.