This questline had absolutely terrible lightside/darkside options.

 

Option 1: Scout out the Talz so we can get an idea of their numbers so we can kill them all--instead of killing one group.

 

Option 2: Kill the Talz that were attacking base.

 

Option 1? Light side points.

 

Soooo...we're getting light side points for having better tactical assessment? Or for doing it because a Chiss suggested it? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

But wait, there's more.

 

I get to choose who should be commander of the Dorn base. The inept human who gave me option 2, as well as every other choice along this mission path that involved weakening the enemy temporarily and in no way strengthening our own position...or the Chiss who gave sound advice, kept his head, and was...in general...a much better leader.

 

But if I pick the Chiss, light side points.

 

Why? ...no, really. Why?

 

Let the dark side option be to slice the inept Human in half for being a weakling.

Edited January 28, 2012 by Drazzat

1. The dark side choice comes from immediately striking out and destroying your enemies. Alot of dark side/light side choices Empire side have to do with using violence as a solution or excess collateral damage vs. taking the most tactically sound option. Dark side tends to make alot of arrogant, pointlessly violent choices.

 

2. The option to choose the inept human over the intelligent Chiss that clearly deserves the promotion fits in perfectly with the Empire's mindset. There are almost no aliens in positions of power in the Empire, as they are human/sith supremacist. Giving the Chiss his credit and not recommending the human based purely on keeping the Empire humans-only is definitely light side.

 

Just my take on how these choices are rationalized. I like most of the Hoth LS/DS choices, they really show the Empire's difference in mindset to the Republic.

Both justifications sound moronic to me. I don't mean that to you, I mean that an idiot would do those things. An intelligent dark sider would do the tactical/logical thing ala Inquisitor. Particularly scouting them out to find out there numbers so you can kill them *all*

*shrugs* It made perfect sense to me. And there is alot of precendence for both choices in previous LS/DS choices in the previous Empire zones before Hoth, going back to the starter planets. And I personally like seeing variety in my choices; I get tired of the dark side option being murder.

But...the dark side choice there *is* murder. *LESSER* murder. The killing of a handful instead of their entire tribe!

I didn't see the choice as 'murder vs. genocide of the Talz'. I saw it as the human commander wanting to attack the Talz that attacked you, whereas the Chiss says that this will just drive the other Talz groups into hiding and not end the threat completely. No matter which choice you pick, the Talz are allied with the Republic and very much your enemy. It's just a matter of whether you want to take the easy way out and strike at the Talz you know attacked you, or choosing the more tactical option and seeking out the rest of them.

 

Personal vengeance vs. for the greater good is a very big DS/LS theme. Just in this case it happens to be represented by how many Talz you end up killing.

 

Sadly, in a game where you only get 2 choices when it comes to LS/DS, inevitably some people won't get the option they were hoping for. I'm sorry you didn't in this case.

Personal vengeance vs better planned vengeance is the impression I got. Nothing about the greater good entered in to it, far as I saw.

 

To me, its more a matter of Warrior mentality vs Inquisitor...and frankly, planning always strikes me as more evil than a blunt force attack.

 

Emperor vs Vader

Edited January 28, 2012 by Drazzat

..which is exactly why my Warrior is neutral. I stick to my characters personality, not "light" or "dark". Makes the game much more interesting instead of going "oh, theres the light side choice, better take it".