A Question Of Morality

[Rtas Vadum 17]

...much more than just "How you play the game". What I wish to ask, is a question of sides, and not just the constant clash between red and blue, dark and light. Some might think it is that simple, but it never is. Not all situations can be solved, simply by thinking the same base way each time.

 

This does extend to other games, mostly because they share the game-play or story where a character chooses a side, and deals with it. But in this case, my main point of discussion is(for the most part), why we are all here. Both of the games display this, and rightly so. But I find that there is a dissonance in how people usually play it, for various reasons. Not to suggest that there is a problem with playing the game in the way one chooses, both ways have been made with the intent for players to do just that(aside from the fact that certain places have a lack of care for one side). For this, canon doesn't matter. Whatever other work or WOG said the official character is, disregard that(not to mention appearances in other games). Here, it is about what the character is for you.

 

Where some might have a set way they usually play the game, I'm fairly sure that it only has one direction, that can mostly relate to them. A general way to play any RPG is to play yourself - no matter how extraordinary the character is. For my own case, which isn't as unqiue as I might've thought at one point, it is two-fold. Considering the first, which is alignment. I cannot say I at all act like the way I would play games, barring the feelings I write into characters. But my usual inclination with any game of these sorts, is to go for the 'dark' route, or whatever the game calls it. There are a few reasons for it, though most of them seem to lapse into being rather childish, such as being able to threaten someone who has information you need, rather than having to earn their trust to get it(which would likely involve a large quest that doesn't equate to the rewards).

 

The second, is gender. This one is of certain interest, since any game I get my hands on, if playing a female is an option, I don't need to question myself to chose it(nor do I need to even ask one). Why? Well, it is mostly due to my large irritation that most male characters in games are almost always the military types, or damn near close to it(where a buzzcut or anything similar is obviously popular, or simply practical). Or, it is simply that the character is not that impressive. The clothing is hardly interesting(even if there are a number of clothing options), and any style they might have, does not appeal to me. I don't doubt that there is a game that would subvert this, so I am not totally adverse to the option.

 

Granted, I mostly mean to discuss the morality, but that doesn't suit it. I really don't wish to start an argument over which side is better, as that wouldn't go very far. So maybe I did dig myself down into that grave marked "Liar", since this is about how you play the game. But I do mean it to be about more than that. Do you go darkside, yet treat your party fairly well? Do you play the kind Jedi, but chide your companions for anything out of line? Maybe the games are not so multi-layered as that, but these elements are still there.

[MrPhil 58]

Well, I generally go for a mostly lightside/paragorn path, with a few exceptions when a character pisses me off. Otherwise, I'm not picky about male vs female. However, I also like to experiment the "dark side" or grey side once in a while. I generally like to experiment what it likes to be one or the other in games.

[Extreme110 4]

I generally stick to Light Side Male. No particular reason, except that I feel comfortable playing a character who I try to model as close to who I'd like to be as possible.

[GovernorTarkin 0]

I lean more towards the grey style, its more interesting to be borderline evil/good. Usually female, at least since i played Mass Effect, Femshep is just so much better than Maleshep.

[MrPhil 58]

I lean more towards the grey style, its more interesting to be borderline evil/good. Usually female, at least since i played Mass Effect, Femshep is just so much better than Maleshep.

 

That's just because you like Jennifer Hale's voice, isn't it?

[Fair Strides 510]

I generally go for a lightside female. Yes, I'm a guy, but which would you rather stare at for 12 hours, hmm? I go lightside out of practicality. If I wanted myself and my party members to look all freakoid-ish, I'd shove them into the Jekk'Jekk Tarr without envirosuits. I just can't make myself go darkside! I tried it ONCE on the xbox a few years back, but that SOOO didn't look right. Bao-dur creeped me out bigtime. That, and I like the LS ending more.

 

Also, and this is lame I know, I've had TSLRCM for over two months, but I have never completed a single playthrough on the PC. The farthest I ever got was the Polar Academy when you have to fight Atris. I had the Handmaiden for fem Exiles mod, had installed it first instead of last, and could walk around a completely empty academy in which the door to Atris' meditation chamber would close and never open after I entered that room. After that, I got side-tracked. I also happen to treat my companions nicely, except I can never get enough influence with HK-47.

[DeadMan 103]

My Exile is usually a light-side male. He's not getting lightside mastery (sometimes I'm giving myself to anger ), but almost there.

But K1 is a different story. Those 'good' Jedi erased MY memory, they were manipulating me all along!!! So in the end my light-sided Revan turns to the Dark Side and takes the mantle of the Dark Lord.

[GovernorTarkin 0]

That's just because you like Jennifer Hale's voice, isn't it?

 

Maybe

[Fair Strides 510]

Usually female, at least since i played Mass Effect, Femshep is just so much better than Maleshep.

 

True, true. Generally, on any game where there's a choice, I play female..

[bendarby24 24]

i generally do what is best for the storyline and which feels good, in kotor im good to start and when bastila or others try to persaude me to go to the dark side i flip a coin to see if they persaude me or not. in kotor 2 i stay gray because the exile is not a jedi or a sith, whan it comes to choices if i creates anogher scene later on that cool i will do it e.g. geting negitive influences with atton and postive with dispiple, this creates the scene where they fight ecah over.

 

have no clue why it done that bellow this? sith holicron or another admin can you deleate it?

[Malkior 476]

That's just because you like Jennifer Hale's voice, isn't it?

Maybe

 

Or it could also be that Male Shepard had the worst social graces of basically any lead character. For example:

 

What it says onscreen to say: "I'm sorry that you are feeling so bad about this")

 

What Male Shepard actually says:"So you had better buck-up, whiner; it's your fault all of this happened" (And this was the Paragon response!)

 

In ME2 when you are talking to your science crewmember (the Salarian, I can't really remember his name) He mentions an afterlife after viewing a particularly gruesome spectacle of someone he cared about,

 

and when you choose the response,

"You don't normally mention your beliefs" Your character blurts out (with a smirk) "I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE RELIGIOUS!"

[manmur 0]

On the first play through I normally go light-side male whenever I play KOR 1 and 2. However when I play the second time, I go dark-side female.

 

on the 3rd play through I go LS-female. on the 4th its DS male.

[xavier1985 2]

morality is a fickle thing..

 

is it wrong to kill 100 people to save one life? pretty much sums up star wars. s t wrong to do a terrible deed for a good cause? good for a philosophy debate heh

[Guest R2-X2]

I mostly go for a lightside mastery male that makes good use of force lightning... it's horribly inefficient but it is just the way I like. I did a playthrough for DS-male, DS-female and LS-female to see all the stuff, too, but what I still prefer is going the usual LS-male way. Once I tried to always choose the option I would choose if I really were the character and ended up somewhat on 40% light and 60% grey. Was a fun game when at times I went down to dark when too many "bad" options came in a row, but then again followed a light run... I think playing as grey is among the best ways to complete the game, although being that bit of light you need for some equipment is nice to have.

 

This is pretty much limited to KotOR/TSL, I haven't played that many other RPGs yet.

[HaVoKeR 3]

AM i the only one around HERE?!!? that thinks being a dark sider in TSL is actualy being a stupid d1ck, low intelligence being, that have no idea what evil is, but only destruction and its own ego whims? Instead of being a true sith Warrior, harbinger of doom and conqueror of the force and/or the Galaxy?

I LOVE to be a sith, BUT ITS 2 DAMM HARD TO FEEL LIKE IT in TSL.

 

You kill people for no reason, do stuff for money and sh1t... a true sith doesn't care about money or useless people lives, they only care about power and the force, i mean, if you want an item from a store, you don't buy it, you make the dude give it to you (in exchange of "protection"? or letting him live? or killing him quickly and softly ;p)... just like the gangsters from good ol'times (e.g. denzel's movie, al pacino in scarface/godfathers)... the money is just a detail, what they trully want is power.

 

*Another good idea for a mod, change in the dialog file all the "ohh im bad, you die" lines for a more stylish and thoughtful argument for those DS points.*

 

Also morality in Star Wars has changed in the long term, Qui-gon clearly steals and lies and cheats to get Anakin in EP 1.

Some time ago people thought that jedis were the paladins (D&D concept, i say this because some rpg writers/designers here in brazil made so in their products) of the future...

 

The thing is, the force messes up the minds of jedis and other force-users, specially if you explicitly use powers to go dark. -Luke: Vader... Is the dark side stronger?

-Yoda: No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.

Thats the only explanation i accept for anakins quick DS transiction (they fuckep that up amiright? anakin is an emo from my pov), Revan's maybe too (in the canonical history he was turned dark by the emperor right?)

Anyway, Vader is stylish evil, educated, polite but arrogant, omnipotent AND won't accept disrespect (or failures ;p)... like an old style gangster. hahahaha thats how i wanted to play it. =/

 

So this is why i almost always play LS in TSL, but love to do DS in the first game, ofc its impossible to keep it 100% at all the time. One thing that i loved about Kotor1 is that you can be LS 90% of the game, and then in the end go dark with Bastila, betray and KILL those vermin jedi that stood up in the way of power, because THEY are the actual betrayers - for Revan is the One and shall not be interrupted by fools.

Heck, you can even make the wookie kill his loved friend... isn't there so much beauty in that? It's meaningful, it passes a message to the others, shows them that you don't care and has no regrets. It's the most amazing and evil momment of all Kotor imho.

 

I guess this is it, by the way should i edit this and make a spoiler alert? i mean, everyone in here saw the movies right? xD

Also, as a (former) social sciences student, i know that there are some f!@$%¨up stuff in morality nowdays, too much prejudice and sexism involved, so its a very delicated subject, everyone should study it before forming opinions (i don't think its needed for this kind of topic though, just adding this for the hell of it).

 

Edit: about the gender? i don't care much, i always played male because i wanted to get every chick i could in the games. But again, as a social sciences student i say people should play both and do both sides whenever you can (if you know what i mean) and don't feel ashamed for it xD kidding.

 

Thx for any replies & remember - keep it G -

[morninboner 4]

AM i the only one around HERE?!!? that thinks being a dark sider in TSL is actualy being a stupid d1ck, low intelligence being, that have no idea what evil is, but only destruction and its own ego whims? Instead of being a true sith Warrior, harbinger of doom and conqueror of the force and/or the Galaxy?

I LOVE to be a sith, BUT ITS 2 DAMM HARD TO FEEL LIKE IT in TSL.

 

You kill people for no reason, do stuff for money and sh1t... a true sith doesn't care about money or useless people lives, they only care about power and the force, i mean, if you want an item from a store, you don't buy it, you make the dude give it to you (in exchange of "protection"? or letting him live? or killing him quickly and softly ;p)... just like the gangsters from good ol'times (e.g. denzel's movie, al pacino in scarface/godfathers)... the money is just a detail, what they trully want is power.

 

*Another good idea for a mod, change in the dialog file all the "ohh im bad, you die" lines for a more stylish and thoughtful argument for those DS points.*

 

Also morality in Star Wars has changed in the long term, Qui-gon clearly steals and lies and cheats to get Anakin in EP 1.

Some time ago people thought that jedis were the paladins (D&D concept, i say this because some rpg writers/designers here in brazil made so in their products) of the future...

 

The thing is, the force messes up the minds of jedis and other force-users, specially if you explicitly use powers to go dark. -Luke: Vader... Is the dark side stronger?

-Yoda: No, no, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.

Thats the only explanation i accept for anakins quick DS transiction (they fuckep that up amiright? anakin is a emo from my pov), Revan's maybe too (in the canonical history he was turned dark by the emperor right?)

Anyway, Vader is stylish evil, educated, polite but arrogant, omnipotent AND won't accept disrespect (or failures ;p)... like an old style gangster. hahahaha thats how i wanted to play it. =/

 

So this is why i almost always play LS in TSL, but love to do DS in the first game, ofc its impossible to keep it 100% at all the time. One thing that i loved about Kotor1 is that you can be LS 90% of the game, and then in the end go dark with Bastila, betray and KILL those vermin jedi that stood up in the way of power, because THEY are the actual betrayers - for Revan is the One and shall not be interrupted by fools.

Heck, you can even make the wookie kill his loved friend... isn't there so much beauty in that? It's meaningful, it passes a message for the others, shows them that you don't care and has no regrets. It's the most amazing and evil momment of all Kotor imho.

 

I guess this is it, by the way should i edit this and make a spoiler alert? i mean, everyone in here saw the movies right? xD

Also, as a (former) social sciences student, i know that there are some f!@$%¨up stuff in morality nowdays, too much prejudice and sexism involved, so its a very delicated subject, everyone should study it before forming opinions (i don't think its needed for this kind of topic though, just adding this for the hell of it).

 

Edit: about the gender? i don't care much, i always played male because i wanted to get every chick i could in the games. But again, as a social sciences student i say people should play both and do both sides whenever you can (if you know what i mean) and don't feel ashamed for it xD kidding.

 

Thx for any replies & remember - keep it G -

 

wow you write it so good, it was interesting to read.

 

First of all sorry for my english

 

I use to go through kotor 1 with LS until Malak tells me that I am Revan... Jedis just used you and would never tell you who you are. Just what would you think on Revans place if Malak didnt tell you who you are? And after you kill Malak Jedi were like "oh well thank you... its time to open your eyes... you once were a great jedi who stoped mandolorians... you also became most dangerous sith lord... and we should thank you for killing Malak... by the way he was your apprentice... ah and thank you for destroying the Star Forge... So what now Revan, we hope you are not angry at us"

And also jedi vs sith at the end its just too boring. Just imagine the epicness when two sith lords fighting each other and the winner will have the whole galaxy in his hands, and in the meanwhile Jedis and Republic fighting and dying around because they were tricked.

[The.Frosty.One 4]

For me I play as Canon exile and role as a grey force user I make it clear in the game I'm not a jedi but ill help people when ever need be I often contemplate kreias words of wisdom on nar shaada but I'll help however, if I happened to come across any form of injustice (Vaklu exchange thugs and those jerk quarrians) or people try to pick a fight hurt the innocent I will go 100% darkside with extreme prejudice and a pinch of sadisticness to top it off, my actions are primarily governed by an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth, unless you have a justifiable reason for your actions...

[PheonixKing3000 1]

I play the game in many different ways, I've played LS male female, DS male and female, I've also played characters that don't really associate with any side.  I used to mainly play characters who were 100% LS through and through, but I've changed a lot since those days.  I generally like to play characters and shape them up to be anti heroes who make realistic choices that benefit them and the people they care about.  What I mean is in the real world, sometimes you have to make tough logical choices that go against what you would want to do.  My character WOULD sacrifice a planet or even 10 planets just to save even one of his crewmates, and I don't think it's a bad thing.  Sure people can say it's selfish, but let me ask you this.  Why should I sacrifice the people I love and care about who have been through hell with me for the sake of a bunch of mostly ungrateful strangers?  Most people you save could care less about your existence, so why should I care so much about theirs?  Does that make me evil? No, it's just sensible.  Now if my character sees a poor refugee girl getting beaten or raped would he help?  Of course he will, because he also doesn't like to see suffering either. Sometimes he/she will make decisions that contradicts their previous decisions, but that's what makes them human.