The Empire seems to have better writing

I post this as a die hard Republic player. And the JK story is, in my opinion, the best of the best. I also have a 50 shadow, and am currently leveling a GS.

But on the other side, I have a 53 sorc that I'm currently taking through Makeb. And the story is just so much better than the pub version. Without getting into spoiler territory, as an imp you actually get to know your team members a bit and why they are actually on the planet. They are greatly humanized. And if you're playing LS (which is FAR MORE BETTER then playing a derpy dark sider) you really get some insight into what's going on with the Empire.

You are basically the underdog on a pub world that has something that you desperately need not to win the war, but to survive it. Your side is losing and you are told this the moment you arrive on Makeb. Additionally, there are concerns about the missing emperor and rumors abound.

The writing is just so much better here. Truly.

I can't even remember the pub story on my sentinel. I just remember being frustrated at the quest on those platforms with the dome structures. So, without this devolving into BW showing imp bias, why do you think - with a couple of exceptions - that the storytelling and writing is just so much stronger on the imperial side?

I have my own theories but am looking for a few others.

It has to do with the nature of each side...

the light/ dark - good/ evil thing.


I have a lot of characters on a ton of servers. I learned to accept the writing for what it is. The republic writing is one of courage and heroism and helping the little man.

While the imp writing is the do whatever, kill people, choke people, and do bad things and try to help people.. somewhat. meh.

Maybe you should go back to the game and take a look on the Imperial Agent story, that feels much more heroic then the republic ones, and has very little to do with wantever your fancy is. Playing that class light side in an evil empire felt great. By the way, the light and dark side options are on both sides, and both can have interesting choices there, if you always do with Sith equals dark side and Jedi equeals light side, the stories automatically become far less interesting.

I think the empire works better, because the stories can evoke more emotions, the republic is often to rational and very few choices really feel like choices. One of the few stories I liked on republic side is the companion story the trooper gets with Aric Jorgan. While the empire, pertty much everyone meets Thana Vesh and most end up loving or hating her. The emotional build up is there better. As republic you get pretty much told from the beginning you are awesome, so my character has less of an arc, while being a slave on the empire and watch me rise to power feels different. And then of course all the revenge stories, I am a sucker for those (Hamlet is still my favourite story), and the empire has plenty of them. While the Sith you kill as a Jedi rarely mean anything, they just feel like cannon fodder, and that includes all the losrs and whathaveyou. Maybe Kilran and Malgus are the rare exceptions, but both are in flashpoints and one can be killed by both factions.

My point exactly. I think it transcends SWTOR and just has a lot to do with the nature of the sides. For example, it's much easier and more interesting to write for Batman than it is for Superman.

One character is human whose parents were murdered in front of him. He has no special powers or anything like that, and is in a constant war with himself to control his darkness. He also lives in Gotham City, a place known for having some of the most criminally insane minds in the world.

The other character is basically a god. He's not human, has unlimited powers and abilities and can essentially do whatever he wants. He's also perfect. Has zero flaws and represents a near unrealistic ideal of goodness without sin of any kind.

As a writer, which character sound more interesting to write for?

I would have to agree

I am way more a republic fan then a empire fan lore wise, not a fan of fascist, racists, evil or power over allies, I am not a bane fan, not a maul fan, exar, vader, and palpatine are pretty cool though but was just... so wrong on so many levels, im paragon in mass effect and strongly believe compassion and allies are the true signs of strength which is totally against everything the sith stand for and hate reading from the sith characters point of view who thinks everything sacrificed for more power. the only thing I put empire above republic is fashion and design lol. star tours as a kid walking through those hallways with the fog and red lights was awesome, the imperial ranks on the officers is so cool and though x wings are ****** who doesn't like a tie fighter or want a star destroyer.

that said I rolled a imp character first [ I thought I would get used to the game first before I rolled my main as a pub and did not want to spoil any story] and I was for the empire ever since, played through all 8 classes through makeb and even have seen the story on both sides of oricon on pts and yep empire all the way. in swtor there is no competition the imp stories and characters are just so much better, not that the pub side doesn't have its gems but overall I just cant get into the republic side at all. I believe its the writing, not that the writers don't write for both sides but it is what it is

outside swtor I may still be for the republic but in swtor its IMP all the way

To be honest the only one I found seriously lacking was the Consular story arc, after 17 levels I was ready to toss myself in front of a fast moving train. JK is great and what I believe would've been the story for KOTOR 3 had they made it instead. Smuggler was a bit disjointed after chapter 1 but overall not bad. Trooper is kinda the same thing. And the rest were superb, especially the Agent arc, which I'm replaying now as a Sniper as we speak.

Even though it might be easier to write for batman than for Superman, I still would pick superman. Why? The challenge! There are a few really good superman stories out there. I for my part love the ones that deal with his farm upbringing in contrast to the big city life he is living now (which make Loise and Lex as contrast to him so great). While Batman delves to often in the just dark elements. I prefer stories with contrasts, and the empire does that in SWTOR better than the Republic.

Look at the Dark Knight movie, Joker sees himself as the same kind of freak like Batman, and to some extent he is right. If the script would not have that brilliant idea that Joker tricks Batman into saving the wrong person, it would much less good. Because it takes the moral choice and runs with it. It is the same where the sequeals for Matrix fail. The decision between the loved one and the greater good. That decision is too often clear now in mpvies, that the hero these days goes for the love interst. And like that most choices feel in SWTOR meaningless. You cannot lose a companion (sure you can lose characters like Ave Jaxo, another little story that made the trooper story work for me), so I had no issue to send Felix Irreso on a possible deadly mission with my consular, I knew he wouldn't die. On, the other hand empire stories are far more about losing, betrayel and such things. they are not just dark, they have interesting contrast. Like I said playing a light side agent who is always on the edge between doing the right sing and doing save choices, never sure who to trust, even your own companions are not so clear cut. Or the sith warrior, with Jaesa Williams develops very differently when you go light or dark side with her. Sure, some decisions in the empire feel like the dark side option is just stupid destruction, while the light side is the better for you and the empire (I am still amused that when I played my sith Warrior as an evil mastermind who is friendly like palpatine to get the trust and always things about getting something back for it, how light side that game considers that approach, man Palpatine in the movies must be light V, since the intentions are not asked only the words I use)... but in the end dark and light side do not matter in the game at all, and maybe the stries would have been better if BioWare would not have included it or if it would actually have some impact on the story. Sure, the Jedi Counsil compains about Jedi player who are pretty dark, but it has no consequences, no story no attunement no nothing follow it. And here too, the empire has storeis that deal with that, like the whole revenite thing already on Dromund Kaas.

Jedi Consular, my main class, has the worst story in SWTOR. The first too worlds are just fetch some holocrons, then the next four worlds are again repetitive, look for some crazy Jedi. No surprises, no interesting choices, nothing! Then chaper two brings at least some variations, but still not very intersting, I only liked the 3rd chapter because with all the folks on board, my ship felt alive and I could feel like a general in war on Correlia, diciding how to move troops, that had a good Obi-Wan in clone wars vibe, but was from a story point of view still weak... and funny, I am to this day not sure if I am now in the Jedi Counsil or not, I didn't killed Syo Bakarn, and there was talk about it, but I think the game never said clearly what my possiotion is now with the Jedi. Anyway, never looked back on that, and mostly just played PvP after that.

from a lore point of view I really enjoyed the consular story, I felt it had more nods to the old republic time line then any of the classes. I know its not a popular story but I really did enjoy it, low on the list but worth a play through

Sure, there are gems there. I liked to see Nomi Sunrider for example (who is called Nomi Da-boda in the game, which I think is idiotic since why she would go back to her maiden name after death? I thought the naming issues with that character had been solved already). Anyway, all those little easter eggs for fans still don't make it a good story.