This thread is hopefully meant to add as a kick off point for input that the Devs will read. Go troll somewhere else because I'd like this to be a serious discussion. Please give legitimate facts or opinions here guys!

When I first started this game, I fell in love with it because not only was it Star Wars, but your character really felt like they were part of the world around them. For the first 3 chapters of their story they really develop and you get to know and love them. You also got to see their relationships grow... whether love or friendship. After chapter 3, that all kind of goes away. The story becomes cookie cutter and everyone experiences the exact same thing.

We NEED that special story feeling again! We NEED that connection with our companions! You start doing that, and people will be drawn to the game again. I have several characters maxed out, but to be honest... after the first what is the motivation to level any of the others? Its the EXACT same story! Bioware, please do what you do and give us the magic of our characters back!

While I really get what you mean - because I feel fairly the same - we have to realise that the decision to have each class go through a similar story is due to a lack of resources, manpower and time. As matters stand currently, Bioware simply is incapable of continuing the idea of separate class stories. It is why in KotFE and KotET the devs even abandoned the idea of 2 separate stories for each faction. Luckily, Onslaught turned that around again and Empire and Republic get their separate stories again. But that very fact caused Onslaught to be a little shorter than what we were used to regarding expansions. But frankly, if we get to keep 2 separate stories for each faction that way, then I don't mind having slightly shorter expansions.

So, separate class stories is something we can only dream about. It was a great feature of the vanilla game and it is why I consider the original game to be better than anything that came afterwards. No story released after Ilum can compare to the class stories.

That said, I think there would be room for the story team to add in class differentiation into the faction stories. By that I mean that each class would still experience the same story based on their faction, but they could at least make us feel our classes much more distinctly. They have already started this in Onslaught, where there is some differentiation going on based on your class. For example, if you rejoin the Empire as an Imperial Agent you become Keeper. If you rejoin as the Sith Inquisitor you get your seat on the Dark Council back as well as all your previous holdings. If you rejoin the Republic as a Jedi Knight your get the role of Battlemaster of the Order back. As a Jedi Consular, you become Barsen'thor once more.

This is what we should encourage Bioware to do, to keep adding class story flavour into the "cookie-cutter" faction stories. The fact that we already got 2 separate stories is a miracle and I hope we'll get to have 2 separate stories for each faction for the rest of SWTOR's existence. But even if the stories for each faction will be roughly the same for each class, I think there is more than enough room for Bioware to keep up with the class story flavour in each faction story, like we got at the end of Onslaught. An Imperial Agent will feel like an Imperial Agent, a Sith Warrior will feel like a Sith Warrior in the story.

That's the most we can hope for when it comes to making the class stories be felt more within the story again. We shouldn't expect the class stories to become separate again as that is simply not realistic in terms of resources, manpower and time. However, adding in class story favour should be more than possible, and we should definitely encourage Bioware to keep that up!

There are 4 phases I recognise in the development of the story telling. They are as follows:

• Class stories
  
• Faction stories
  
• Commander stories
  
• Non-consequential stories
  

So what do I mean with those?

Class stories, I think is clear. There was an overarching story, with two main sides, with individual class story lines intertwined into them

Faction stories is what we got with RotHC and SoR. We had an overarching story line with two main sides. We lost the individual class stories. There was still some form of individuality but the final battle against Revan showed that we were no longer that powerful and NPCs started to become main characters more and more.

Commander stories are what we got with KotFE and KotET. There was an overarching story but the sides were lumped together, so we lost the factions. Also by becoming the commander our classes became completely and utterly irrelevant to the story with the title of Commander. There also was no more personal development of our character as the Commander became a fixture and the last semblances about personal development and growth of our characters were taken down. The story was about other people now, about NPCs. They grew and developed. We didn't.

Non-consequential stories is what we got with Onslaught. Why non-consequential, because there is no longer an overarching story. What happens in the main story line in effect depends on which side you play. So we got two faction stories which are based on the same event points but with different results. So the faction determines the outcome and there is no longer an overarching story that we're all part of.

I'll put it in spoiler tags for those who haven't played Onslaught but here it goes:

Every phase after the first means we lose something. First we lose our class individuality, then our faction identity and then we do get the faction identity back but we lose the overarching story that we used to be part of.

I dread to think what we'll lose next time. I get that they have cost restrictions but I think they could've given us back the faction identity and still have an overarching story that is the same for everyone, that makes you feel as part of the larger whole. Here's my suggestion:

It's just a rough concept but I think they could've made that work with the same resources and without creating this weird disconnect where factions live in alternate universes which disrupts the whole legacy concept in game.

+1

OP said it all already

While I can agree with the things said above, I think now that we are delving back into the Empire / Republic war, it should not be too difficult to throw us a little bit of a bone for Class Stories. The other thing as well: Companions. They have gotten super flat. Hell I got Kira back, Jaesa back, Risha back, and Elara back (just to name my favorites).. we get a quick blurb about getting back together and that's it. I don't even have Elara telling me how foolish my choices have been! She used to be my portable conscience!

If we cannot get the class stories on track right now, please make our companions more than just the background healers they have become!

You are assuming Republic and Imperial loyalist. Saboteur, makes sure the other side wins. Which is a much more interesting story line. I just hope there will be actual consequences. Probably won't happen it would annoy too many people, but I think saboteur should be put in the position where they have to betray class companions who remain loyal.

Sooner or later the Saboteur has to betray the jedi or the major.

I will tell you what motivates my toons - Revenge.

(rp)

Revenge is the purest and most noble of motives. It is what lifts us above the mundane pettiness of daily life, and gives us purpose. It is what enables us to rise above the merely human, to exceed all our so-called limits, to become a tiny god of pure white-hot rage.

La venganza es un plato que se come frío

The unholy glee of finally achieving vengeance pursued for years or decades, vengeance dreamed of in the cold dark hours before the dawn of countless days, when a man's soul is at its lowest ebb, the fulfillment of this goal sought through so much and for so long, is a burning joy above all others. It is transcendence. It is divine.

(/rp)

I think Ylliarus already summed up what I'd view as the best compromise between the ideal and the practical options.

That said, I really wish I could get the choice to completely abandon the class stories too. I know that doesn't really make sense, given that, that would break the story into even more sections. I just really wish my smuggler had the option to end the motivational charade and go back to stealing and being a general annoyance with both nations.

You must be ignorant of the fact that there were 8 story writters during dvelopment of Swtor? Every class had its own. Now there is 1 guy responsible for every part of Swtor story aaaand for voice acting recording sessions and gods know what more.

The problem is that the devs do not have money and human recources to make more decent class stories, not that they do not want too. With 1 expansion per 3 years..You just be happy about what you get pal and hope you get some more faction story updates.

Swtor is life for me (cant force myself to play any other famous franchise) - but i had accepted the real situation about this game years ago - you should do too.

Of course the Class stories are (for the most part) the best solo content, and I know that it's too expensive to have 8 different class lines for each expac for this game, but....

Faction expac stories should be the limit to as watered down as they should go.

Having faction stories sharing zones with optional character pvp flag switches puts more open pvp for those who want it too.

just having the flag on in hoth and ilium was so fun way back when

Of course the Class stories are (for the most part) the best solo content, and I know that it's too expensive to have 8 different class lines for each expac for this game, but....

 

Faction expac stories should be the limit to as watered down as they should go.

 

Having faction stories sharing zones with optional character pvp flag switches puts more open pvp for those who want it too.

 

just having the flag on in hoth and ilium was so fun way back when

I believe they started 2 faction stories since Ossus and hope they will continue with that.

Non-consequential stories is what we got with Onslaught. Why non-consequential, because there is no longer an overarching story. What happens in the main story line in effect depends on which side you play. So we got two faction stories which are based on the same event points but with different results. So the faction determines the outcome and there is no longer an overarching story that we're all part of.

I'll put it in spoiler tags for those who haven't played Onslaught but here it goes:

 

Empire - Goes to Onderon to weaken a Republic fleet and succeed. Then goes to Mek-Sha to do the same and succeed. Those two events were necessary to enable the last phase: Attack Corellia and destroy the new Republic's amazeballs arms factory...it succeeds.

Republic - Goes to Onderon to stop the Empire and succeed. Then go to Mek-Sha and stop the Empire and succeed. The the Empire attacks Corellia anyways and get defeated.

So the overarching story is: There are 3 conflict zones and somebody wins them all. That's not a story.

 

Every phase after the first means we lose something. First we lose our class individuality, then our faction identity and then we do get the faction identity back but we lose the overarching story that we used to be part of.

I agree with this so hard. The dev's push to add "choices" to the game just means that everything loses all sense of cohesion and meaning. I really can't imagine why they're shooting themselves in the foot -- future content becomes exponenitally harder every time your expansion allows two winners for every battle and literally options for different emperors and chancellors.

Those kinds of choices are cool in single player games like Dragon Age. In an MMO, it means future development quickly becomes harder and harder (while maintaining a cohesive story anyway) and it basically kills your RP community, because they then have to take "canon" into their own hands.

I agree with this so hard. The dev's push to add "choices" to the game just means that everything loses all sense of cohesion and meaning. I really can't imagine why they're shooting themselves in the foot -- future content becomes exponenitally harder every time your expansion allows two winners for every battle and literally options for different emperors and chancellors.

 

Those kinds of choices are cool in single player games like Dragon Age. In an MMO, it means future development quickly becomes harder and harder (while maintaining a cohesive story anyway) and it basically kills your RP community, because they then have to take "canon" into their own hands.

While I really like the stories of Onslaught, I do hope we'll return to a faction story approach like we had in Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Because the divergent continuities are a hell of a dilemma for the RP community to figure out. The lore has never been as ambiguous and uncohesive as now. First the RP community had to deal with the Acina/Vowrawn dilemma, but now with Onslaught the issues have tripled.

The approach as during Makeb was much better and created a more cohesive story and lore continuity. I really want them to continue to make stories for each faction, but there has to be more cohesiveness and clarity regarding the canon and lore of the game.

Unless, Bioware will put out their official version of events. That would satisfy RPers and give us clarity regarding the continuity and lore of the game's story and then they could add in as many story choices and diverging continuities as they like.

The approach as during Makeb was much better and created a more cohesive story and lore continuity. I really want them to continue to make stories for each faction, but there has to be more cohesiveness and clarity regarding the canon and lore of the game.

I also can't help but feel that the stories could feel much more significant if every conflict left us wondering, "Who will win?" rather than knowing, "The side I chose will win; and on my other character, the other side will win."

I also can't help but feel that the stories could feel much more significant if every conflict left us wondering, "Who will win?" rather than knowing, "The side I chose will win; and on my other character, the other side will win."

Well... technically the Empire will lose no matter what. In Legends lore the Sith Empire fragments in the (near) future. So, no matter how one twists or turns it, the Empire is fated to collapse in several decades or so.

But I do get what you mean. In Makeb you still had this feeling of "will we succeed?" while in Onslaught it did feel like "oh yeah, Empire will win cause I supported it".

While I can agree with the things said above, I think now that we are delving back into the Empire / Republic war, it should not be too difficult to throw us a little bit of a bone for Class Stories. The other thing as well: Companions. They have gotten super flat. Hell I got Kira back, Jaesa back, Risha back, and Elara back (just to name my favorites).. we get a quick blurb about getting back together and that's it. I don't even have Elara telling me how foolish my choices have been! She used to be my portable conscience!

 

If we cannot get the class stories on track right now, please make our companions more than just the background healers they have become!

This is what I sort of thing might work the best. IMO … 8 separate story lines will probably not return. Heck .. for that matter parts of the original 4 (LS) 4 (DS) were starting to merge by the time we got to Corellia. Not as an exact match for the classes but in some cases it was starting to shape up that way.

BUT.. if can at least see LS / DS story choices and results that matter combined with much better interactions with out companions that would at least provide a little bit of individuality in the story/character we are involved with.