I don't really find Arcann or Valen interesting characters (although the cinematic trailer made it look as though they make Valen more interesting later?). I really like the character of Valkorian but I read ahead and it seems like they didn't really know what to do with him.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
They try to put the focus on Vaylin in Eternal Throne. I think they certainly explain her better but her behavior doesn't change and she doesn't really become any more interesting or complex as a result. Her tragic history as another victim of Valkorion's doesn't mean she's not an irrational thrill-killing tyrant.
As for Valkorion, that's what happens when you have an idea for a villain that's a bit too much like one that already exists so you try to retcon them into being the same person.
It's a shame, because the character model and voice actor are both great. It's great whenever he's on screen and I enjoy his presence immensely, but it feels like they couldn't think of anywhere interesting for that character to go.
I also kind of feel that way about the ending to the
Alliance.
I read ahead a lot, sue me
They put the player in a really interesting, bold position and then... immediately destroy it in order to restore the status quo. That's understandable, but they'd have been better off just not writing themselves into that corner. Don't make the character an Emperor if you're going to need to call takebacksies in the next update, it's a rug pull and feels really unsatisfying. Sure, the Eternal Empire has to fall at some point, but you know, plan ahead and figure out how you're going to do that before you get there.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
Headcanon: Valkorion and Vitiate are and aren't the same person.
Valkorion, after becoming immortal and discovering Zakuul, decided he wanted to actually try to be a good ruler now that he had a society to rule that wasn't a fucking death cult. So he performed a ritual to remove all of his negative and evil impulses so he could become a benevolent god-king.
The problem is he's immortal, so the negative and evil impulses didn't just vanish. They became their own being, which returned to the Sith Empire as Vitiate. The remaining Force connection between the two of them meant that Valkorion was not as pure as he intended, and Vitiate was constantly stymied by Valkorion's reining in his worst impulses. When he wasn't plotting his ominicidal rituals, Vitiate was trying to drive Valkorion to evil in ever-more-subtle ways. Hence, Valkorion told himself that he really was doing what was best for Vaylin when he locked her away. Hence, he told himself he was making his sons strong and self-sufficient, so they could be great rulers. In truth, his immortality meant he did not need nor ever intend to have an heir. He was simply manipulating them to learn more about how far people could be pushed before they broke.
And then one day, shortly after the Revanite crisis, Valkorion came face to face with the evil he once thought he'd sloughed off like so much dead skin, and battled it. He defeated it--but this time, believing he had made a crucial mistake before, and knowing he was unable ot destroy Vitiate without killing himself, he took his evil back into himself, believing he could control it now.
And then we have the Valkorion that launched the raids by Zakuul against the rest of the galaxy in order to lure the Outlander into his grasp.
One of SWTOR's writers, Charles Boyd, actually talked about Valkorion and Vitiate on the SWTOR forums and how the two personas of the Emperor are meant to work with each other and more importantly why it wasn't spelled out in the game. Boxed for both spoilers and length of explaination.
One of my absolute favorite lines from the vanilla game is when you encounter the Emperor in the Jedi Knight's story and he gives his big villain speech about out why he wants to be an immortal god:
"You discern a fraction of reality. Beyond these stars exist other galaxies, other worlds, other beings. I will experience or ignore them as I wish. I will spend eternity becoming everything: a farmer, an artist, a simple man. When the last living thing in the universe finally dies, I will enjoy peace and wait for the cycle to begin again."
That is a villain I can easily believe was already spending centuries of his ageless life building Zakuul - exploring what it was to build a "perfect" society where he was a beloved ruler (and even as close to 'benevolent' as he is capable of), and exploring what it was to fall in love and have children. (Which, of course, he is terrible at since the guy is legitimately evil to the core as we already knew.)
Hey, that's the line I was going to quote!
Since Valkorion is one of the biggest discussion points lately, and it's been a while so I feel like it's free range to discuss, I'll just lay out everything we had in mind for Vitiate/Valkorion and y'all can have something concrete to discuss and/or kick me about
**HEAVY SPOILERS BELOW**
Centuries before our story begins, Tenebrae becomes Vitiate, becomes Emperor of the Sith, and leads the survivors of the Sith into exile to Dromund Kaas. He rules directly for many years.
As years go by, he becomes more and more dissatisfied with the Sith Empire he's created. He finds himself increasingly distanced from the Sith philosophy that first brought him to power and sees it as a dead end (as he expresses several times in KOTFE/KOTET) and, with the immense power at his disposal, begins striking out in search of something better. This is when his "long periods of silence" begin.
He discovers Zakuul, which is in a comparatively primitive state (by Star Wars tech standards, anyway) and dominates Valkorion, as he describes in KOTET Chapter 2. He learns the ancient legends of the gods, of the Eternal Fleet, etc, and investigates them with his considerabe resources. By this point, he has certainly already started the collection of rare and powerful technologies and artifacts that we find in the Arcanum, his vault on Nathema, etc. He (or perhaps agents working for him, such as the Servants) finds the Eternal Fleet disabled in deep space and is able to seize control of it (based on how ARIES talks, we can be fairly sure that neither Valkorion nor his agents ever visited Iokath itself).
The technology of the Fleet helps him raise Zakuul still further. In his Valkorion persona, he constructs a more stable society that he finds more interesting, one that has more potential to let him explore different experiences for centuries to come (his quote above and his many claims of Zakuul being the bestest thing ever). So now, he just needs to ensure that he'll live forever, and that nothing else will threaten his new creation. The ritual (the one the Jedi Knight ultimately stops) will serve both purposes, so he sets that plan in motion, kicking off the Great Galactic War between the Sith Empire and the Republic. (I don't think it's much of a stretch to believe that he could avoid destroying Zakuul, which is waaaay out at the outer edge of the galaxy, when using a ritual that he himself is creating over many, many years, but that should've been something we at least let Jedi Knight players ask.)
Then, Vitiate abruptly stops the war, proposes a treaty claiming seemingly-random planets, and starts the Cold War. An obscure step in his plan to complete the ritual? Makes sense, though if we look at how old Valkorion's children appear to be, they'd be getting born right around this time... coincidence?
Senya tells us that Valkorion started becoming colder and more distant as the children grew up, so we can surmise that he's splitting his attention again during this period. The assault of Sel-Makor and the final attack by the Jedi Knight take a lot out of him. His ritual is thwarted, and he is too weak to dominate another body or risk Valkorion until he's reinvigorated by Revan's plot in SoR - otherwise, he would've surely done so. He could've used the Fleet to cause the necessary deaths, but he wasn't ready to reveal its power to the galaxy yet - more on that shortly.
The events of Shadow of Revan give him the boost he needs to become active again - and he does so in spectacular fashion on Ziost, all while playing up his "evil destroyer of everything" Vitiate persona to the max. He's greatly reinvigorated, he's dealt a significant blow to the Sith Empire (which had been rapidly increasing in strength after Rise of the Hutt Cartel), and he's baited the player and their allies in one fell swoop. All of which leads inexorably to the confrontation in the throne room in the beginning of KOTFE - but why?
For this, we just have to look at the last person who ever stood up to Vitiate at anywhere near the level that the player's character did on Ziost: Revan. When Revan took a crack at him, Vitiate locked him up for centuries, picking and prodding at his mind the entire time. So we know that Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion doesn't destroy people who are a legitimate threat to him; he's fascinated by them. He entraps them, studies them, manipulates them, and corrupts them. (He did it to Vaylin, too! And Dramath!)
So, to review: Valkorion has been revitalized; he's got a tremendously powerful fleet; he's got the Republic in the weakest state it's been since the treaty of Coruscant and the Sith Empire not far behind; he's discovered a new threat that can actually take a shot at him; and he's got a wife who's left him and children that he finds deeply disappointing (see pretty much any time he ever deigns to speak to them) in line to take over his supposedly perfect society. Time to solve all of his problems at once!
He spurs his son's bloodlust and ambition by setting him and the fleet loose on the galaxy (now that they're definitely in no state to resist the fleet's power or endanger Zakuul). He lures his new enemy into a trap and captures them. He arranges his own "death", whether by the player's hand or Arcann's, and invades the player's mind. Arcann and Vaylin do exactly what he expects, which is to generally muck up the galaxy and establish themselves as tyrants in need of overthrowing. And then he arranges and guides the player in doing just that, all the while laying the groundwork for dominating their mind at the moment of their victory and commanding a newly-reshaped galaxy as a heroic liberator - an all-new experience to try out. Too bad it didn't work out for him
So, all of this leads to a perfectly reasonable question: why didn't we just come out and say this in the game?
First, we only have so much room to tell a story, so we have to pick what seems most crucial. If a detail isn't vital to understanding the plot or really entertaining or personal, then we don't have time to spend talking about it. Maybe we assessed things wrong, or aimed to cover too much ground in too little time so too much was left out - perfectly fair feedback, and something I would certainly take moving forward. But in principle, there will always be details we don't explain purely because we don't have time to do so.
Beyond that, I don't like explaining every single detail of everything anyway. I think it's boring. It's boring to write, and it's (almost always) boring to experience as a player. It's fun to read in a Wookieepedia article sometimes! But I don't think it's the job of the story to lay out every single thing (the movies certainly don't do so). Plus...
Mysteries are fun, and I like leaving at least a few things up to players to work out, theorize, or decide for themselves. Surely it's more fun to leave some things to the imagination?
Selfishly, it's good for us as writers to leave some things vague so that we can expand or change them later. For example, I never said anything about Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion's original body anywhere up above, because I think it'd be a pretty cool plot element to explore someday. Maybe we won't get around to it, maybe we will, but if it's something that we can't give a lot of love now and want to do later, I won't hesitate to leave it out so that we have room to do so. Plus, as this thread plainly demonstrates, people don't like it when you retcon past details, so if those details aren't there to retcon...
Lastly, and this is specific to this particular situation, but the only real source that could give the player all of this information directly is Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion himself. There's clearly no reason he would tell someone about a lot of these things if his goal is to seduce and destroy them, so we used more indirect means to reference them where it made sense.
So, there's my giant post about Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion and our reasons for going about it as we did. Having a reason to do something doesn't make it the right thing to do, of course, so I'm happy to hear everyone's feedback and take it in mind going forward. But, as usual, please be cool about it and be respectful to one another
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
Over multiple attempts I was not successful. It should be easier with the server consolidation to get a group these days however. If you are on star forge this weekend, define a time and I may be able to help you out
ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
edited May 2018
Discovered something interesting today. If you have Tharan Cedrax set to DPS, he has a stun, but rather than replacing his sleep/daze ability (in his case, Holiday), it's in addition to it, even though the stun ability isn't listed on his ability bar.
So Tharan is officially the best DPS companion in the game now. Go figure.
Discovered something interesting today. If you have Tharan Cedrax set to DPS, he has a stun, but rather than replacing his sleep/daze ability (in his case, Holiday), it's in addition to it, even though the stun ability isn't listed on his ability bar.
So Tharan is officially the best DPS companion in the game now. Go figure.
I'm glad they didn't get rid of Holiday as a move.
Discovered something interesting today. If you have Tharan Cedrax set to DPS, he has a stun, but rather than replacing his sleep/daze ability (in his case, Holiday), it's in addition to it, even though the stun ability isn't listed on his ability bar.
So Tharan is officially the best DPS companion in the game now. Go figure.
I'm glad they didn't get rid of Holiday as a move.
He would have it normally as a healer, it's just that he still has it as DPS.
Time for our next experimental server event and you are all invited! We are on the Darth Malgus server. This event is called Wacky Races and if you ever watched the old cartoon then you'll have an idea of what to expect
We have selected five race courses from across the galaxy and all you have to do is get from the starting point, through all the check points and reach the finish. Easy...if you can survive!
We are looking for two sets of people. One lot who want to run the race and claim the bigger prizes and another group who we've dubbed "the killers" whose job it is to stop the racers from reaching the finish line. As with the cartoon, there is nothing stopping the racers from eliminating their competition!
Prizes For Each Stage
First 5 racers each win 5 million credits and a chance cube
If the killers prevent all the racers from completing the course then the top 5 /rollers in the killers ops chat each win a chance cube
If we have more than 1 killers ops group then it is the top 5 rolls across all groups plus an extra chance cube for highest roll in each group
You can win more than once so for instance if you are in the first 5 of every race you end up with 25 million credits
Kills counts towards the I Am Death Incarnate and planet based PvP kill achievements
How To Join
This event is open to people on both factions. You do not have to be a guild member. We will advertise racer and killer group invites on both fleets at the event start time and once the groups are complete we will summon you to each location.
When?
Sunday 13th at 13:00 BST / 12:00 UTC. Event duration is expected to be around 2 hours.
Rules
Prizes will be given to the first 5 racers to survive to the end of the course and /clap at their ops group leader in general chat (we use the chat log timestamp for decision making)
You must be in either our racers or killers ops groups to win prizes
If a racer dies then they lose that course
A dead racer can revive to seek revenge...
Racers can have their friends come and defend them
No quick traveling for racers before they are dead but the killers can
No summons for racers after we've brought you to the starting point
Killers can summon each other as much as they want
Racers can be on foot or on their mounts
Racers must pass all the checkpoints! (We will be watching)
Killers must contribute to the hunt or they will be kicked to make room for others
Players from both factions welcome, we'll have ops groups on both sides
All abilities including gap closers are allowed
Stealth allowed
Guild ship orbital support is allowed
Stims, adrenals and medpacs allowed
Companions allowed
Heroic abilities/defenses allowed
All mounts allowed
All levels welcome
We recommend you purchase speeder unlock level 5 from the legacy character perks panel
Voice Comms
We will have dedicated channels on our teamspeak server for both the racers and the killers. Spectators are welcome.
Video Streams
If you are going to stream the event then please post a link to your channel below so spectators can see the action.
Race Courses
Alderaan
Belsavis
Ilum
Quesh
Tatooine
See the link for links to the courses and more information like teamspeak servers etc.
Any officers in Remarkable Circumference still play? I wouldn't mind taking some of the reins for the guild and see if I can get stuff happening within again like a flagship for us to hang out in.
NEO|PhyteThey follow the stars, bound together.Strands in a braid till the end.Registered Userregular
I'm probably still in it, no clue if anyone ever put me into an officer rank.
It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
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NEO|PhyteThey follow the stars, bound together.Strands in a braid till the end.Registered Userregular
ok, updated my game to take a look, looks like one of my character is indeed Officer rank in Remarkable Circumference, with @Assuran sitting in the guildmaster seat. If we wanna attempt to revive Rigorous Scholarship while we're at it, I've got an officer in there as well, and @Rakai would be guildmaster.
It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
I thought the best DPS companion is Shae Vizla? At least thats been so in my experience
Her death from above ability is great at wiping out mobs.
Nah. Aerial Annihilation is just the standard DPS companion AoE attack. Tharan has that.
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AssuranIs swinging on the SpiralRegistered Userregular
I am essentially just keeping that seat warm, so if someone is going to revive the guild I will happily turn over leadership. I think I only have it because I was logging in.
One of SWTOR's writers, Charles Boyd, actually talked about Valkorion and Vitiate on the SWTOR forums and how the two personas of the Emperor are meant to work with each other and more importantly why it wasn't spelled out in the game. Boxed for both spoilers and length of explaination.
One of my absolute favorite lines from the vanilla game is when you encounter the Emperor in the Jedi Knight's story and he gives his big villain speech about out why he wants to be an immortal god:
"You discern a fraction of reality. Beyond these stars exist other galaxies, other worlds, other beings. I will experience or ignore them as I wish. I will spend eternity becoming everything: a farmer, an artist, a simple man. When the last living thing in the universe finally dies, I will enjoy peace and wait for the cycle to begin again."
That is a villain I can easily believe was already spending centuries of his ageless life building Zakuul - exploring what it was to build a "perfect" society where he was a beloved ruler (and even as close to 'benevolent' as he is capable of), and exploring what it was to fall in love and have children. (Which, of course, he is terrible at since the guy is legitimately evil to the core as we already knew.)
Hey, that's the line I was going to quote!
Since Valkorion is one of the biggest discussion points lately, and it's been a while so I feel like it's free range to discuss, I'll just lay out everything we had in mind for Vitiate/Valkorion and y'all can have something concrete to discuss and/or kick me about
**HEAVY SPOILERS BELOW**
Centuries before our story begins, Tenebrae becomes Vitiate, becomes Emperor of the Sith, and leads the survivors of the Sith into exile to Dromund Kaas. He rules directly for many years.
As years go by, he becomes more and more dissatisfied with the Sith Empire he's created. He finds himself increasingly distanced from the Sith philosophy that first brought him to power and sees it as a dead end (as he expresses several times in KOTFE/KOTET) and, with the immense power at his disposal, begins striking out in search of something better. This is when his "long periods of silence" begin.
He discovers Zakuul, which is in a comparatively primitive state (by Star Wars tech standards, anyway) and dominates Valkorion, as he describes in KOTET Chapter 2. He learns the ancient legends of the gods, of the Eternal Fleet, etc, and investigates them with his considerabe resources. By this point, he has certainly already started the collection of rare and powerful technologies and artifacts that we find in the Arcanum, his vault on Nathema, etc. He (or perhaps agents working for him, such as the Servants) finds the Eternal Fleet disabled in deep space and is able to seize control of it (based on how ARIES talks, we can be fairly sure that neither Valkorion nor his agents ever visited Iokath itself).
The technology of the Fleet helps him raise Zakuul still further. In his Valkorion persona, he constructs a more stable society that he finds more interesting, one that has more potential to let him explore different experiences for centuries to come (his quote above and his many claims of Zakuul being the bestest thing ever). So now, he just needs to ensure that he'll live forever, and that nothing else will threaten his new creation. The ritual (the one the Jedi Knight ultimately stops) will serve both purposes, so he sets that plan in motion, kicking off the Great Galactic War between the Sith Empire and the Republic. (I don't think it's much of a stretch to believe that he could avoid destroying Zakuul, which is waaaay out at the outer edge of the galaxy, when using a ritual that he himself is creating over many, many years, but that should've been something we at least let Jedi Knight players ask.)
Then, Vitiate abruptly stops the war, proposes a treaty claiming seemingly-random planets, and starts the Cold War. An obscure step in his plan to complete the ritual? Makes sense, though if we look at how old Valkorion's children appear to be, they'd be getting born right around this time... coincidence?
Senya tells us that Valkorion started becoming colder and more distant as the children grew up, so we can surmise that he's splitting his attention again during this period. The assault of Sel-Makor and the final attack by the Jedi Knight take a lot out of him. His ritual is thwarted, and he is too weak to dominate another body or risk Valkorion until he's reinvigorated by Revan's plot in SoR - otherwise, he would've surely done so. He could've used the Fleet to cause the necessary deaths, but he wasn't ready to reveal its power to the galaxy yet - more on that shortly.
The events of Shadow of Revan give him the boost he needs to become active again - and he does so in spectacular fashion on Ziost, all while playing up his "evil destroyer of everything" Vitiate persona to the max. He's greatly reinvigorated, he's dealt a significant blow to the Sith Empire (which had been rapidly increasing in strength after Rise of the Hutt Cartel), and he's baited the player and their allies in one fell swoop. All of which leads inexorably to the confrontation in the throne room in the beginning of KOTFE - but why?
For this, we just have to look at the last person who ever stood up to Vitiate at anywhere near the level that the player's character did on Ziost: Revan. When Revan took a crack at him, Vitiate locked him up for centuries, picking and prodding at his mind the entire time. So we know that Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion doesn't destroy people who are a legitimate threat to him; he's fascinated by them. He entraps them, studies them, manipulates them, and corrupts them. (He did it to Vaylin, too! And Dramath!)
So, to review: Valkorion has been revitalized; he's got a tremendously powerful fleet; he's got the Republic in the weakest state it's been since the treaty of Coruscant and the Sith Empire not far behind; he's discovered a new threat that can actually take a shot at him; and he's got a wife who's left him and children that he finds deeply disappointing (see pretty much any time he ever deigns to speak to them) in line to take over his supposedly perfect society. Time to solve all of his problems at once!
He spurs his son's bloodlust and ambition by setting him and the fleet loose on the galaxy (now that they're definitely in no state to resist the fleet's power or endanger Zakuul). He lures his new enemy into a trap and captures them. He arranges his own "death", whether by the player's hand or Arcann's, and invades the player's mind. Arcann and Vaylin do exactly what he expects, which is to generally muck up the galaxy and establish themselves as tyrants in need of overthrowing. And then he arranges and guides the player in doing just that, all the while laying the groundwork for dominating their mind at the moment of their victory and commanding a newly-reshaped galaxy as a heroic liberator - an all-new experience to try out. Too bad it didn't work out for him
So, all of this leads to a perfectly reasonable question: why didn't we just come out and say this in the game?
First, we only have so much room to tell a story, so we have to pick what seems most crucial. If a detail isn't vital to understanding the plot or really entertaining or personal, then we don't have time to spend talking about it. Maybe we assessed things wrong, or aimed to cover too much ground in too little time so too much was left out - perfectly fair feedback, and something I would certainly take moving forward. But in principle, there will always be details we don't explain purely because we don't have time to do so.
Beyond that, I don't like explaining every single detail of everything anyway. I think it's boring. It's boring to write, and it's (almost always) boring to experience as a player. It's fun to read in a Wookieepedia article sometimes! But I don't think it's the job of the story to lay out every single thing (the movies certainly don't do so). Plus...
Mysteries are fun, and I like leaving at least a few things up to players to work out, theorize, or decide for themselves. Surely it's more fun to leave some things to the imagination?
Selfishly, it's good for us as writers to leave some things vague so that we can expand or change them later. For example, I never said anything about Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion's original body anywhere up above, because I think it'd be a pretty cool plot element to explore someday. Maybe we won't get around to it, maybe we will, but if it's something that we can't give a lot of love now and want to do later, I won't hesitate to leave it out so that we have room to do so. Plus, as this thread plainly demonstrates, people don't like it when you retcon past details, so if those details aren't there to retcon...
Lastly, and this is specific to this particular situation, but the only real source that could give the player all of this information directly is Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion himself. There's clearly no reason he would tell someone about a lot of these things if his goal is to seduce and destroy them, so we used more indirect means to reference them where it made sense.
So, there's my giant post about Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorion and our reasons for going about it as we did. Having a reason to do something doesn't make it the right thing to do, of course, so I'm happy to hear everyone's feedback and take it in mind going forward. But, as usual, please be cool about it and be respectful to one another
I read this a while back. I really liked KotFE/KofET. I loved where it left the game and while there were some nick picks (some of the above could have been added, better companion returns, a bit more for non force users, etc), overall it was great. I like that they did the best they could with this crappy WoW knockoff combat system and added raid level stuff to bosses. Playing the other story lines post KotFE felt weaker for not having them.
Everything after has just been sad though. I kind of wish they'd have just left it and if they are planning a followup, save it for that. All the extra 'missions' have been boring, dumb, poorly written, and short. To hear it's all coming to an end, just makes me sad at the wasted potential.
A true sequel DLC could have added a strategic mini component, where you can pick missions on different planets for either the republic or empire (maybe even Hutts or cartels), boosting rep with either for rewards. Missions could be solo or co-op and randomly generated, so you're never sure what you'll get (boss with mostly AoE's or a hard hitting ST attacks). Heaven forbid they could have taken from the Nemesis system and added boss mobs that got stronger if you failed, scars and such if you win. Throw in a true story around the alliance falling apart (without a singular threat old hatreds flair up, loss of the eternal fleet, etc), could have boosted the game for awhile.
Of course we don't know what is going on, perhaps since this game is pre-Disney buy out, there is pressure to wind it down? Perhaps they are working on another one?
I honestly suspected that the ending of KOTFE was going to be the sunset for this game.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
Which is why I'm disappointed it wasn't, in some way, a downer ending. (A reset button to the old status quo is not a downer ending.) I mean, full-on dark age type stuff, explaining that a lot of knowledge of the past was just lost when, say, hyperspace was disrupted so that sectors were cut off from each other. (That would have put a neat twist on Zildrog--if it had been a superweapon with the power to block off hyperspace.) Plus it would be unique in the annals of Star Wars lore: a war that neither Jedi nor Sith won, they just sort of stopped fighting. Because they couldn't fight anymore.
I am essentially just keeping that seat warm, so if someone is going to revive the guild I will happily turn over leadership. I think I only have it because I was logging in.
I wouldn't mind at least a higher rank to help out with stuff and maybe get the ball rolling for a guild flagship. Though that'll take a good long while even with people showing up again seeing it costs 50 million.
Right, guess I'm the Remarkable Circumference guildmaster now. So, anyone that's on Star Forge Sith-side that isn't a part of it yet can send me a PM here and I'll shoot an invite. Ditto if anyone needs a reinvite. It'd be nice to see if we can get a flagship up and running though we can start smaller and set up shop at one of the regular Strongholds since they're available for guilds too. Oh, and I can set up a Discord room for us if need be as well. Just let me know one way or another what you guys would like done and I'll try to get it in play.
Right, guess I'm the Remarkable Circumference guildmaster now. So, anyone that's on Star Forge Sith-side that isn't a part of it yet can send me a PM here and I'll shoot an invite. Ditto if anyone needs a reinvite. It'd be nice to see if we can get a flagship up and running though we can start smaller and set up shop at one of the regular Strongholds since they're available for guilds too. Oh, and I can set up a Discord room for us if need be as well. Just let me know one way or another what you guys would like done and I'll try to get it in play.
Ugh, I'd send you the info for my bounty hunter, but I had the esteemed wisdom to give her a name inspired by Aztec mythology, that I also spelled wrong, so I can't remember it. Maybe I'll screenshot it.
Me: Man! I'm actually really digging the Bounty Hunter story, especially after the Jedi Knight story! It's nice to just be A Person Who Wants To Get Fukkin Paid
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
*NOT ONLY THAT but even with my bounty hunter's cavalier "Either it's about money, revenge, or Honor; otherwise idgaf" but he murdered A LIVING WITNESS to MY FUCKING QUARRY'S LOCATION
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
Me: Man! I'm actually really digging the Bounty Hunter story, especially after the Jedi Knight story! It's nice to just be A Person Who Wants To Get Fukkin Paid
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
*NOT ONLY THAT but even with my bounty hunter's cavalier "Either it's about money, revenge, or Honor; otherwise idgaf" but he murdered A LIVING WITNESS to MY FUCKING QUARRY'S LOCATION
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
Skadge is only not as bad as Corso because he's clearly intended to be an odious shitsack.
Me: Man! I'm actually really digging the Bounty Hunter story, especially after the Jedi Knight story! It's nice to just be A Person Who Wants To Get Fukkin Paid
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
*NOT ONLY THAT but even with my bounty hunter's cavalier "Either it's about money, revenge, or Honor; otherwise idgaf" but he murdered A LIVING WITNESS to MY FUCKING QUARRY'S LOCATION
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
Skadge is only not as bad as Corso because he's clearly intended to be an odious shitsack.
Me: Man! I'm actually really digging the Bounty Hunter story, especially after the Jedi Knight story! It's nice to just be A Person Who Wants To Get Fukkin Paid
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
*NOT ONLY THAT but even with my bounty hunter's cavalier "Either it's about money, revenge, or Honor; otherwise idgaf" but he murdered A LIVING WITNESS to MY FUCKING QUARRY'S LOCATION
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
Skadge is only not as bad as Corso because he's clearly intended to be an odious shitsack.
Someone needs to come up with a chart or something with all the interlinking parts of the different stories. Feels like there were a ton, just can't remember them all.
Me: Man! I'm actually really digging the Bounty Hunter story, especially after the Jedi Knight story! It's nice to just be A Person Who Wants To Get Fukkin Paid
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
*NOT ONLY THAT but even with my bounty hunter's cavalier "Either it's about money, revenge, or Honor; otherwise idgaf" but he murdered A LIVING WITNESS to MY FUCKING QUARRY'S LOCATION
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
Skadge is only not as bad as Corso because he's clearly intended to be an odious shitsack.
There's no .gif I know that captures my absolute glee at these two shitshows accidentally tripping over each other's stupid, stupid feet.
It's certainly one of the neater things about the core game...
...in that some of the Companions actually know each other. Videos in box has spoilers for Consular, Warrior, Trooper and (especially for the) Smuggler stories.
Someone needs to come up with a chart or something with all the interlinking parts of the different stories. Feels like there were a ton, just can't remember them all.
There's quite a bit of it. And...
...it more or less comes up to the forefront by the end of the Agent's story.
ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
edited May 2018
Here's what I got. Spoilered for length, and also for spoilers.
In General
HK-51 was originally programmed by the Empire, decades ago, to seek out Tol Braga (back when he was still a Jedi Knight), Harron Tavus (back when he was still a lietuenant), and Darmas Pollaran, among others, and assassinate them. (By the time he can be activated, of course, two of the three defected to the Empire and were either killed or captured by the Republic, and Pollaran was revealed as an Imperial double agent and was killed or captured by the Smuggler.)
The Jedi Knight: In General
T7 is seven hundred years old. He's the astromech in the Return cinematic, meaning he knows Satele Shan. He was working for the Jedi in a sting operation to catch Nico Okarr, who was smuggling Sith artifacts. Apparently Nico found one that stops his aging, which is why he looks identical when he shows up in Knights of the Fallen Empire. He also knew and worked with Ven Zallow, whom Darth Malgus killed in the Deceived cinematic.
On Tatooine, there's a side quest for any Republic player, given by a Jawa, whose droids have gone mad; he says there's something wrong with the planet's core and it's not the droids' fault. As a Jedi Knight, you of course know it is the Shock Drum superweapon.
At the end of Shadow of Revan, the Jedi Knight is named the new Battlemaster of the Order. The Bounty Hunter killed the Battlemaster who had served during the previous war, Jun Seros; Oric Traless, his replacement, was killed during the Imperial attack on Tython in the leadup to Shadow of Revan.
The Jedi Knight and the Sith Warrior
Lord Scourge is the Emperor's Wrath. Secretly, he is immortal, having been gifted immortality by the Emperor as a reward for betraying Revan and the Exile, who had planned to kill the Emperor. The rest of the Empire believes that the name of Lord Scourge and the title of Emperor's Wrath are both legacy titles. This allows for him to be replaced with the Sith Warrior when Scourge defects.
On Voss, the Emperor has possessed a Voss Mystic as his Voice, but in his attempt to utilize the dark side entity Sel-Makor, he was imprisoned by the creature. The Sith Warrior frees him. The Emperor then sends his agents to use Sel-Makor to drive the planet mad with fear and hate, hoping to use the resultant death and destruction to spark the ritual that will consume all life in the galaxy and elevate him to godhood. However, in the process of freeing the Voice, the Sith Warrior may have weakened Sel-Makor enough that Tala-Reh, a Voss Commando aided by the Jedi Knight, was able to sacrifice herself to destroy it (if the JK player went light side).
The Jedi Knight and the Jedi Consular
Kira Carsen is a Child of the Emperor who, as a kid, figured out something was wrong and fled to Nar Shaddaa, before eventually being discovered by the Jedi and taken on as a Padawan. Little is known about the Children at the point she reveals her secret, but they become more important in Chapter 2 and 3 of the Consular story. When Kira is revealing to the Jedi Council that she's a Child of the Emperor, Syo Bakarn gets an oddly nervous expression on his face. He is, of course, revealed on Corellia as the First Son of the Children.
The Jedi Knight and the Sith Inquisitor
One of the components of the Desolator superweapon is the CN-12 targeting chip, designed by Doctor Godera for the Deathmark orbital laser system. The Sith Inquisitor's cult on Nar Shaddaa, the Screaming Blade, later acquires the plans for this chip to manufacture, allowing the creation of the Silencer superweapons.
The Jedi Knight and the Imperial Agent
On Taris as a Jedi Knight, you encounter Watcher One. When learning about the different designations as an Imperial Agent your first time on Dromund Kaas, Watcher Three mentions that Watcher One is on assignment.
Doc, as shown in the above post, both knows Kaliyo (as an ex-girlfriend) and Nem'ro (as a potential patient).
The Jedi Knight and the Bounty Hunter
Doc, as shown in the above post, is unable to cure a rare Hutt disease because the prospective patient is Nem'ro, who is murdered by Skadge before Doc can heal him.
Sergeant Rusk eventually comes into conflict with a resurgent Black Sun on Nar Shaddaa in Knights of the Fallen Empire, lead by Skadge.
The Sith Warrior: The Sith Warrior and the Trooper
Pierce assembles a team under the command of General Rakton to seize the Bastion fortress on Corellia as part of the Empire's invasion, which the Trooper later raids to capture General Rakton.
The Sith Warrior and the Bounty Hunter
Vette and Gault form a con artist team after the Sith Warrior and Bounty Hunter vanish at the start of Knights of the Fallen Empire.
The Sith Warrior and the Smuggler
Vette grew up in Nok Drayen's gang with Risha.
The Jedi Consular In General
The new Imperial Governor of Balmorra, Darth Lachris, whom Imperial players who do the planetary storyline or bonus series will work with, is the final boss of the Consular story on Balmorra.
The Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor
The Guiding Hand cult of Duras Fain, fought by the Jedi Consular, and the Screaming Blade cult of Lord Paladius, taken over by the Sith Inquisitor, are implied to be in direct competition with each other on Nar Shaddaa.
The Jedi Consular and the Imperial Agent
Zenith knew Gray Star, the leader of the Balmorran resistance, who was either killed by the Agent or replaced with an Imperial operative working with them.
The Jedi Consular and the Trooper
Iresso used to work with Jorgan. He thought Jorgan had a stick up his ass.
The Jedi Consular and the Bounty Hunter
Qyzen Fess knows Mako, and helped her out once. Mako is of the opinion that if Qyzen were more of a big name hunter and less of a big game hunter he'd be much more wealthy and famous.
The Trooper In General
[*] Nekghouls, seen in the Republic Taris bonus series and Imperial Taris are not a natural development of rakhouls; they were a bioweapon developed by Needles.
The Trooper and the Imperial Agent
Elara Dorne, as part of an old Imperial family, is presumably related to Vasil Dorne, a minor character Imperial Agents used to have to talk to in order to choose their advanced class.
The Bounty Hunter In General
Gault Rennow (formerly Tyresius Lokai) got his fortune by stabbing his partner/lover in the back (metaphorically). His partner/lover is Hylo Visz. After he frees her from Belsavis, where she hid herself away after being left holding the bag, she goes back into business, and their on-again off-again relationship continues into Knights of the Fallen Empire, where she is head of Underworld Logistics for the Alliance.
As early as Coruscant at least some Republic characters will be contacted by Supreme Chancellor Janarus; some will have more contact with him over the course of the original release story. However, at the end of the Corellia planetary questline, they will instead meet Supreme Chancellor Saresh, who they may have previously met when she was Governor of Taris, before the Empire destroyed the Republic settlement there. This is because Janarus went along with the plot of Jun Seros, the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, to frame the Bounty Hunter as a war criminal. After the Bounty Hunter killed Seros, Janarus decides the lie has gone on long enough, publishes a full confession, and is either captured or killed by the Bounty Hunter, or resigns in disgrace.
The Bounty Hunter and the Smuggler
Mako and Akaavi eventually start working together as a hunting team after the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler vanish in Knights of the Fallen Empire.
The Smuggler In General
Though there are hints that the Emperor knew of the existence of Belsavis, it is possible he did not know its true importance, and apparent that the Empire as a whole (and indeed most of the Republic) did not, and they only invade the planet after Ivory, Rogun the Butcher's old mentor now imprisoned on the planet, sends out a signal to them.
I've left the Imperial Agent to last, rather than going in the order I prefer of Knight->Warrior->Consular->Inquisitor->Agent->Trooper->Hunter->Smuggler, because there's a lot of crossover with a particular plot point in the Agent storyline which I don't think should be lightly spoiled, so I just put everything in a spoiler.
Imperial Agent In General
An ancient conspiracy called the Star Cabal wants to destroy both Empire and Republic (or, more accurately, get them to destroy each other), then rule the galaxy without interference from the Sith or Jedi.
Kolovish, the former leader of Kalikori village on Tython, is a member of the Star Cabal.
On Taris as an Imperial Agent, the involvement of Doctor Lokin means you visit virtually every area that dealt specifically with rakghouls in Republic Taris, including the lab of Needles from the Trooper story, and attempt to find and recover the UltraWave Transmitter, a device built by Doctor Godera from the Jedi Knight story.
Diago Haxen, an old rival of Nok Drayen, strongly suspected Drayen, Risha's father and Vette's former gang leader, was not what he said he was--that is, an underworld kingpin. Not only was Drayen secretly Dubrillion royalty, he was also a member of the Star Cabal.
The conflict between the Inquisitor and Darth Thanaton, as well as the Warrior and Darth Baras, on Corellia is egged on by the Star Cabal as part of their plan to create a flash point that will bring down both Empire and Republic, Sith and Jedi, allowing them to rule what's left. The number of forces diverted by the Empire towards Sith infighting is accounted for in the Cabal's calculations to ensure Republic and Imperial strength are as even as possible and prevent a definitive victor from emerging too soon.
Yem Leksende, father of Gayem Leksende from the Tatooine planetary questline, was a member of the Star Cabal.
The Imperial Agent and the Jedi Knight
Regardless of what the Jedi Knight player character decides, Tol Braga is killed by an assassin called the Creeper shortly afterwards; the Creeper is a member of the Star Cabal.
The Imperial Agent and the Jedi Consular
Shuuru, the representative of Manaan from the Rift Alliance in the Jedi Consular story, is a member of the Star Cabal.
Shadowen on
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OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
Dude. That is amazing. I've played all the stories through multiple times, but scattered across years and frequently with week and month-long gaps as I advance even one of them. You both reminded me of all the interconnections I'd noticed, and pointed out a number I was completely ignorant of.
Posts
As for Valkorion, that's what happens when you have an idea for a villain that's a bit too much like one that already exists so you try to retcon them into being the same person.
I read ahead a lot, sue me
They put the player in a really interesting, bold position and then... immediately destroy it in order to restore the status quo. That's understandable, but they'd have been better off just not writing themselves into that corner. Don't make the character an Emperor if you're going to need to call takebacksies in the next update, it's a rug pull and feels really unsatisfying. Sure, the Eternal Empire has to fall at some point, but you know, plan ahead and figure out how you're going to do that before you get there.
Valkorion, after becoming immortal and discovering Zakuul, decided he wanted to actually try to be a good ruler now that he had a society to rule that wasn't a fucking death cult. So he performed a ritual to remove all of his negative and evil impulses so he could become a benevolent god-king.
The problem is he's immortal, so the negative and evil impulses didn't just vanish. They became their own being, which returned to the Sith Empire as Vitiate. The remaining Force connection between the two of them meant that Valkorion was not as pure as he intended, and Vitiate was constantly stymied by Valkorion's reining in his worst impulses. When he wasn't plotting his ominicidal rituals, Vitiate was trying to drive Valkorion to evil in ever-more-subtle ways. Hence, Valkorion told himself that he really was doing what was best for Vaylin when he locked her away. Hence, he told himself he was making his sons strong and self-sufficient, so they could be great rulers. In truth, his immortality meant he did not need nor ever intend to have an heir. He was simply manipulating them to learn more about how far people could be pushed before they broke.
And then one day, shortly after the Revanite crisis, Valkorion came face to face with the evil he once thought he'd sloughed off like so much dead skin, and battled it. He defeated it--but this time, believing he had made a crucial mistake before, and knowing he was unable ot destroy Vitiate without killing himself, he took his evil back into himself, believing he could control it now.
And then we have the Valkorion that launched the raids by Zakuul against the rest of the galaxy in order to lure the Outlander into his grasp.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
So Tharan is officially the best DPS companion in the game now. Go figure.
I'm glad they didn't get rid of Holiday as a move.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Only one person needs it to set the phase. You can take advantage of that for the macrobinocular quest as well.
He would have it normally as a healer, it's just that he still has it as DPS.
Well I mean he's still creepy
https://www.reddit.com/r/swtor/comments/8ie7wa/darth_malgusevent_invitation_wacky_races/
See the link for links to the courses and more information like teamspeak servers etc.
Her death from above ability is great at wiping out mobs.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
EDIT: NM, we're good at the moment.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Nah. Aerial Annihilation is just the standard DPS companion AoE attack. Tharan has that.
I read this a while back. I really liked KotFE/KofET. I loved where it left the game and while there were some nick picks (some of the above could have been added, better companion returns, a bit more for non force users, etc), overall it was great. I like that they did the best they could with this crappy WoW knockoff combat system and added raid level stuff to bosses. Playing the other story lines post KotFE felt weaker for not having them.
Everything after has just been sad though. I kind of wish they'd have just left it and if they are planning a followup, save it for that. All the extra 'missions' have been boring, dumb, poorly written, and short. To hear it's all coming to an end, just makes me sad at the wasted potential.
A true sequel DLC could have added a strategic mini component, where you can pick missions on different planets for either the republic or empire (maybe even Hutts or cartels), boosting rep with either for rewards. Missions could be solo or co-op and randomly generated, so you're never sure what you'll get (boss with mostly AoE's or a hard hitting ST attacks). Heaven forbid they could have taken from the Nemesis system and added boss mobs that got stronger if you failed, scars and such if you win. Throw in a true story around the alliance falling apart (without a singular threat old hatreds flair up, loss of the eternal fleet, etc), could have boosted the game for awhile.
Of course we don't know what is going on, perhaps since this game is pre-Disney buy out, there is pressure to wind it down? Perhaps they are working on another one?
I wouldn't mind at least a higher rank to help out with stuff and maybe get the ball rolling for a guild flagship. Though that'll take a good long while even with people showing up again seeing it costs 50 million.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
Ugh, I'd send you the info for my bounty hunter, but I had the esteemed wisdom to give her a name inspired by Aztec mythology, that I also spelled wrong, so I can't remember it.
https://podcast.tidalwavegames.com/
Me: Also, I really love all my companions so far! Mako is adorable, despite his garbage intro I actually rather like Gault, and Torian is SURPRISINGLY a Non-Toxic Male! Like... oops, I'm dating Torian, because even tho he's about THA HUNT!!! he's also about respecting people and honor and shit. He's good. And down with my ROARING RAMPAGE OF REVENGE. And Blizz is ADORABOO. Man. Maybe this is the first story I play (out of three?) where there's no companions that I have a problem with! Everyone thus far is great!
Skadge:
Skadge: /MURDERS AN ASTROMECH DROID FOR NO GODDAMN REASON*
Me: ...........................................................................
Me: You're fucking fired
Me: I haven't even goddamn hired you yet and you're fucking fired
Me: You motherfucker
So, he offended Me, the Player, AND My Character, The Morally Dubious, AT THE SAME TIME.
https://podcast.tidalwavegames.com/
Skadge is only not as bad as Corso because he's clearly intended to be an odious shitsack.
There is one good thing about Skadge.
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
OH
MY
GOD
There's no .gif I know that captures my absolute glee at these two shitshows accidentally tripping over each other's stupid, stupid feet.
https://podcast.tidalwavegames.com/
/looks some stuff up
Wow, I am
really glad that my Smuggler is a male character o_O; At least I don't have to worry about him being a potential romance.
https://podcast.tidalwavegames.com/
It's certainly one of the neater things about the core game...
There's quite a bit of it. And...
Let's Play Final Fantasy 'II' (Ch10 - 5/17/10)
HK-51 was originally programmed by the Empire, decades ago, to seek out Tol Braga (back when he was still a Jedi Knight), Harron Tavus (back when he was still a lietuenant), and Darmas Pollaran, among others, and assassinate them. (By the time he can be activated, of course, two of the three defected to the Empire and were either killed or captured by the Republic, and Pollaran was revealed as an Imperial double agent and was killed or captured by the Smuggler.)
The Jedi Knight:
In General
The Jedi Knight and the Sith Warrior
The Jedi Knight and the Jedi Consular
The Jedi Knight and the Sith Inquisitor
The Jedi Knight and the Imperial Agent
The Jedi Knight and the Bounty Hunter
The Sith Warrior:
The Sith Warrior and the Trooper
The Sith Warrior and the Bounty Hunter
The Sith Warrior and the Smuggler
The Jedi Consular
In General
The Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor
The Jedi Consular and the Imperial Agent
The Jedi Consular and the Trooper
The Jedi Consular and the Bounty Hunter
The Trooper
In General
[*] Nekghouls, seen in the Republic Taris bonus series and Imperial Taris are not a natural development of rakhouls; they were a bioweapon developed by Needles.
The Trooper and the Imperial Agent
The Bounty Hunter
In General
The Bounty Hunter and the Smuggler
The Smuggler
In General
I've left the Imperial Agent to last, rather than going in the order I prefer of Knight->Warrior->Consular->Inquisitor->Agent->Trooper->Hunter->Smuggler, because there's a lot of crossover with a particular plot point in the Agent storyline which I don't think should be lightly spoiled, so I just put everything in a spoiler.
In General
An ancient conspiracy called the Star Cabal wants to destroy both Empire and Republic (or, more accurately, get them to destroy each other), then rule the galaxy without interference from the Sith or Jedi.
The Imperial Agent and the Jedi Knight
The Imperial Agent and the Jedi Consular