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Consular Story


Gekido

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I have noticed a lot of people condemning the Consular story and I can't understand why, am I missing something? I personally enjoyed Chapter 1, it's more of a behind the scenes story than, say the jedi knight story Edited by Gekido
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it's more of a behind the scenes story than, say the jedi knight story

 

That's one of the reasons why. The Consular story is has more to do with the secret history of the Jedi Order than more overt objectives, which some people enjoy a lot while other people don't. The Consular story is one of the more polarizing: people either like it a lot or dislike it a lot. There isn't really much middle ground.

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The consular story just doesn't feel as epic, especially as it progresses. The JK is taking on the emperor while consulars are reduced to chasing down his minions. Our companions are also not as interesting.

 

I've played all four of the Jedi/Sith storylines, and the consular is the worst story. The Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight stories are both excellent. The Inquisitor story isn't much better than the consular.

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The consular story just doesn't feel as epic, especially as it progresses.

 

I personally felt it was more epic because you're doing diplomacy, gaining command of armies, and rooting out an unseen evil within your own ranks rather than getting together with a few other knights with an over-exaggerated opinion of themselves in an, obviously, poorly thought out plan to kill/convert the Emperor. It felt like you were actually accomplishing something, even if no one but you, your crew, and the Jedi Council would ever know about it. The Jedi story doesn't really have much nuance to it.

 

As to the companions, it's also a question of nuance. The Knight companions are relatively straightforward: the RD-D2 expy, Han Solo the doctor, the evil guy with a common goal, the "win-at-all-costs" soldier. The only character with any appreciable degree of nuance is Kira, mainly because she steals from the Consular story a bit (or adds to it; once again, your interpretation) and isn't just a stock character. Qyzen is definitely one of the more unique companions in the game, with a very interesting viewpoint; Tharan is a monumental perv that actively dislikes the force, being courageous, and destroying dangerous stuff, but runs around with you anyway, not to mention Holiday who is a character unto herself; Zenith is a guerrilla warrior that's involved in the politics and rebuilding of his planet with a nonstandard code of ethics to go with it; and Iresso is the world's unluckiest surviving soldier who has also been labeled as completely untrustworthy. The only Consular comp without an appreciable degree of nuance, as I see it, is Nadia because the only major facet of her character is "the innocent padawan", since the whole "diplomat" aspect of her backstory is ignored whenever she joins you.

 

But, like I said, it's a matter of opinion. The elements of story that make the Consular's interesting aren't really the elements that enthrall everyone. Of course, it doesn't have to. With 8 different stories and the impressive difference in theme and context when playing through as LS and DS means that the developers could write more specialized stories that weren't geared to appeal to absolutely everyone.

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The problem with Chapter 1 of the Consular story (and I guess the Sith Inquisitor story as well) is that you do the same thing for 5 planets:

 

 

"rescue" Jedi Masters who are under some mysterious plague (inquisitor is the opposite- acquire 5 artifacts.) There is really no difference between LS and DS choices for the Consular story in Chapter 1 other than saving the Masters or killing them.

 

 

I agree that the story picks up dramatically during Chapter 2 and 3, and ultimately, I thought it one of the better stories in the game.

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The problem with Chapter 1 of the Consular story (and I guess the Sith Inquisitor story as well) is that you do the same thing for 5 planets:

 

 

"rescue" Jedi Masters who are under some mysterious plague (inquisitor is the opposite- acquire 5 artifacts.) There is really no difference between LS and DS choices for the Consular story in Chapter 1 other than saving the Masters or killing them.

 

 

I agree that the story picks up dramatically during Chapter 2 and 3, and ultimately, I thought it one of the better stories in the game.

 

As opposed to the trooper who

 

Tracks down defectors across the same planets

 

Or the bounty hunter who

 

Tracks down random bounties across 5 planets

 

And lets not forget the smuggler who

 

Plays FedEX across 5 planets

 

 

Noticing a trend here. Almost everyone's Chapter 1 follows the same formula. It's not so much what you're doing but the story behind the why and the interactions with the environment during that make the story either groovy or not. I agree the Consular story is a little lacking in chapter 1, but i still prefer it over the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler.

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I see your point, Kitru. And if we were just comparing Act 1 and 2 from the JK story, I woulld agree. However, in Act 3....

 

Actually preventing the Emperor from destroying the entire galaxy and then striking him down in his temple is just far and away more epic than any of the First Son stuff.

 

 

Another complaint I had about the Consular story is that it relied on some twists that were pretty easy to spot a mile away.

 

As for companions, I will agree that T7 and Rusk are pretty boring. Doc is OK. At least as interesting as Theran. I actually like Doc more. Theran is annoying beyond belief. Kira is WAY more interesting than Nadia. And I think Scourge is one of the more interesting companions in the game. He certainly has a more interesting back story than most of the other companions for any class. Qyzen is OK, but the scorekeeper stuff gets old pretty quickly. Zenith was rather boring for my taste. Iresso has an interesting personality, and I like his character, but he doesn't have that interesting a story.

 

The real problem I have with the consular companions is we don't get anyone as interesting as Jaesa (Warrior) Scourge (Knight) or Khem (Inquisitor). They all have really interesting storylines and/or back stories.

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The problem with Chapter 1 of the Consular story (and I guess the Sith Inquisitor story as well) is that you do the same thing for 5 planets:

 

Most of the first acts can be described as the exact same thing: Knights track down 5 superweapons, Smuggler tracks down 5 deals, Troopers track down 5 traitors, etc. and the LS/DS options along the way don't make one whit of a difference mechanically. It's more of an RP thing, honestly. It would be interesting if, when you do the last mission in the Consular Act 1 finale, you got a debuff for every master you saved (probably countered by the presence of said masters you saved to help you out as a balancing factor or a buff to your companion that counteracts the negative effects), but it's unnecessarily complicated.

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I can understand why people might not like the consular story. It's slower and real "behind the scenes", whereas many people really like to play the hero or at least make a larger impact on the story.

 

I have heard that the biggest reason people dislike this story is that if you deviate from the "Consular" archetype very much you'll notice the spots where the story fails to match up with other class stories. I'm playing my consular light side, but it's my understanding dark side consulars have a problem with their dark side choices simply not impacting their story in any reasonable way. In other words, they are arbitrarily behaving like douchebags and nobody seems to notice or care. It shows a lack of polish and attention to detail.

 

LS/DS choices really don't seem to impact any story in any meaningful way, but my BH and Warrior both got many, many comments on their general behavior/alignment throughout the story, people actually NOTICED if you were a ruthless killing machine or had a soft spot. Even my dark side warrior was called a "walking contradiction" by a jedi master because of the way I had handled something two planets ago. If this sort of consequence of choice is missing from the consular story it'll be pretty conspicuous in its absence and probably sorely missed by anybody who played the other stories first.

 

I've played the bounty hunter and sith warrior to completion and loved both stories. I've just started Alderaan with my Consular and I love this story so far. It's a little repetitive, but people seem to forget that most class stories are during act 1.

 

I had hoped I'd get to play the diplomat a little more, but it really doesn't seem like that's the case so far. I'd also have liked to see the shielding take a more obvious toll on the character as time goes on.

 

However overall I really like being the behind the scenes person, kind of feels like the unsung hero.

Edited by eldefail
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I too don't see where all the dislike for the Consular story comes from, but like others have said it's just a matter of taste. I find plots that actually make me think and don't reveal everything up front far more engaging and involving.

 

The problem I have with how most people describe acts is they only hit the broad, general strokes of what you're doing, and don't seem to bother focusing on what specifically goes on on each planet, which I find is the far more interesting thing to focus on. Yes, in general terms on each planet you end up saving a Jedi Master from their "disease", but it's not like the same exact specific events happen on each planet.

 

Or how the JK act 1 is all about stopping the Sith from using super weapons. Each weapon on each planet is completely different. You aren't just going from planet to planet deactivating the same exact nuke. Also, each weapon is being held by a different one of Angral's Sith lieutenants, and each one is completely different in personality/fighting style.

 

 

Fighting Praven on Tatooine was epic, and it was cool to see and fight an honorable Sith and being able to turn him to the light side, or fighting the Sith Lord on Alderaan (can't remember his name) who used stealth and having to dodge the space laser. That was a really cool and interesting fight.

 

 

I realize this is the Consular forum and I've talked more about the JK story but that's because I've only played a consular up to Nar Shaddaa whereas I've played a JK up to Hoth. My main point was it just irks me the broad strokes people give when discussing overall act plots. I realize it's probably to stay away from spoilers, but people go so far as to say that it makes an entire plotline boring/repetitive. Overall yes you end up doing relatively the same thing on each planet, but the specific events that happen on each planet are what I find more interesting.

 

So for the consular story so far I really enjoy it. I like the mystery behind it. I like how you know there's some malevolent force doing this to the Jedi but you don't know who exactly, as opposed to the JK where you find out who your first real antagonist is name and all by the end of Coruscant. The consular story feels very KOTOR 2 like.

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The consular story feels very KOTOR 2 like.

 

There you go, that right there.

 

ALL classes have a repetitive Act 1. Sith Warrior? Go kill some people Baras tells you to kill. Bounty Hunter? Go collect a bounty on each planet. Jedi Consular? Go shield or kill corrupt jedi masters.

 

As I said earlier I just started Alderaan and so far I actually really like the light side Consular. It isn't as action packed, but even light side I've had a few moments where I got to be a total ****** without breaking character. It isn't some sweeping, galaxy changing story so far, at least not in the short term, but the story feels more behind the scenes and in the long run, more grand. The Jedi Knight is out to save the galaxy, the Consular is arguably the only thing that can save the Jedi order--perhaps including the Knight. I feel like the unsung hero, the one who plays just as major a role in this story as any other class, but sadly won't make the history books lol.

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Just got to chapter 3 and living it, the idea of taking out the emperors first son and all the sith hiding among the Republic is fascinating, these are key enemies that, unless killed will strike hard and cause massive destruction to Republic forces and outposts, sure JKs killed the emperor but ultimately if we didn't take these sons out that would have been for nothing.
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Just got to chapter 3 and living it, the idea of taking out the emperors first son and all the sith hiding among the Republic is fascinating, these are key enemies that, unless killed will strike hard and cause massive destruction to Republic forces and outposts, sure JKs killed the emperor but ultimately if we didn't take these sons out that would have been for nothing.

 

bit of a spolier or two there dude

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My issue playing a DS Consular (polar opposite to my LS trooper) is that, as stated before, no one cares that I'm a complete c*nt to people.

 

"Oh, why did you kill that guy?"

"Cause I figure it was easier, he was evil."

"Well damn."

 

And that's it. No real scolding or issues with me systematically taking out powerful Jedi even though I was sent to shield them. I was able to handle Yuon on Cor no problem, but that's only cause it wouldn't let me kill her there. /shrug Honestly that's my complaint. No one cares that I'm obviously falling DS.

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I can see why the dark side thing is a problem. im playing a neutral grey Jedi however and loving it. I see my self as the disciple to Rajivari from the prologue and saw the first act as an opportunity to cleanse the order. Im secretive and manipulative especially towards other Jedi and the council so it kind of fits that they dont really know the things I do. If anyones read the Dawn of the Jedi comics thats the style im going for, a Jedi in balance, and its working really well too.

 

This is one of my favorite stories (not completed imperial agent yet mind you) much more interesting than the Knight, you really feel like a powerful Jedi I think.

Edited by ImperialHippy
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I can see why the dark side thing is a problem. im playing a neutral grey Jedi however and loving it. I see my self as the disciple to Rajivari from the prologue and saw the first act as an opportunity to cleanse the order. Im secretive and manipulative especially towards other Jedi and the council so it kind of fits that they dont really know the things I do. If anyones read the Dawn of the Jedi comics thats the style im going for, a Jedi in balance, and its working really well too.

 

This is one of my favorite stories (not completed imperial agent yet mind you) much more interesting than the Knight, you really feel like a powerful Jedi I think.

 

I just started Act 2, currently doing the Balmorra bonus series. I am really liking the Consular the further I get in the story. I think that unlike other (or all?) stories they didn't actually take into account a dark side playthrough. Even the Sith Warrior feels natural and plausible when you make light side choices, AND the npcs throughout the story will recognize that.

 

I've been debating rerolling my consular to go a more gray/neutral route, Rajivari was one of the coolest things on Tython and I'd probably get along a little better with Qyzen ;)

 

How does a more neutral playthrough work? I've made some dark side choices with my light side consular already, in the name of practicality in war time, but I still feel -too- goody two shoes. Might warrant a second playthrough.

 

But I digress. I really do enjoy the consular story. It's like you're the main support to the Jedi Knight and other classes, those little background intrigues that may go unnoticed but are the foundation upon which victory stands. You aren't the in your face hero, and some people just aren't into that, but those of us who do like this story probably like it because your character's actions and story are subtle but equally important.

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As opposed to the trooper who

 

Tracks down defectors across the same planets

 

Or the bounty hunter who

 

Tracks down random bounties across 5 planets

 

And lets not forget the smuggler who

 

Plays FedEX across 5 planets

 

 

Noticing a trend here. Almost everyone's Chapter 1 follows the same formula. It's not so much what you're doing but the story behind the why and the interactions with the environment during that make the story either groovy or not. I agree the Consular story is a little lacking in chapter 1, but i still prefer it over the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler.

 

The issue is the Consular does the same thing on every planet in Act 1. Find Jedi Master - tell Him/Her they are sick and need help - They so no thanks - You fight and kill/heal them.

 

At least in those other class arcs you mentioned (Have not played the Trooper all the way through yet, but the others I have) there is some variety in how the story plays out. Doesn't feel that way for the Consular.

Edited by Serens
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Well, talking about troopers... they usually don't have any choice at all on their planets in Act 1. Consulars at least have this heal-or-kill thing, but troopers can make some big decisions only on Tatooine and in the very and of the chapter :) There are, of course, some minor choices, but all the classes have them.
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Heh, I should have restarted my sage when I came back, but I had done Taris and was part way through NS, so I said screw it. Maybe I can replay Tython just to go through that again, it was the best part of the Consular story so far. Is there still the bug with Setele being like 2 inches tall when she's projected into the Council room? That was funny even if it destroyed any sense of immersion, or maybe you could just RP that it was a projection system run by the like the galaxie's version of Microsoft.
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Noticing a trend here. Almost everyone's Chapter 1 follows the same formula. It's not so much what you're doing but the story behind the why and the interactions with the environment during that make the story either groovy or not. I agree the Consular story is a little lacking in chapter 1, but i still prefer it over the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler.

 

My sentiments exactly, it's the context not the process. The pattern is there to maintain a sense of balance, although had they made 20-50 levels for all worlds and expanded would have been cool but you wouldn't see TOR launch until this year or later :p

 

I only got passed Act 1 but I've done both Warrior and Inquisitor and the differences were great. The warrior felt like you were making an impact on a galactic scale, you were plotting and executing - where as an Inquisitor just ran around....

 

Ghost Busting!

 

 

Since the Consular in a way mirrored the Inquisitor's Act 2, I felt the same feeling that I was....

 

Ghost busting! ....but I felt more like a priest trying to rid the possessed from their demons!

 

 

 

But that's entirely subjective, being a Supertrooper... I just couldn't do it. Too much typical 'MURICA-bravado.

 

Heh, I should have restarted my sage when I came back, but I had done Taris and was part way through NS, so I said screw it. Maybe I can replay Tython just to go through that again, it was the best part of the Consular story so far. Is there still the bug with Setele being like 2 inches tall when she's projected into the Council room? That was funny even if it destroyed any sense of immersion, or maybe you could just RP that it was a projection system run by the like the galaxie's version of Microsoft.

 

Took them long enough but I believed that was changed sometime late in the summer. Don't quote me on that though.

Edited by tXHereticXt
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Also keep in mind that other classes do those things but with some added flair. The Bounty Hunter is participating in the great hunt, the Inquisitor has a subplot where they gain their own cult, etc. The other classes break up the grind with some interesting things.

 

The Consular, far from focusing on diplomacy or any particular task that requires their knowledge of the force, is just trying to stop the 5-man plague because... that guy broke the terminal thingy that taught people how to heal it, and the council is too stupid to realize the guy sapping their strength to save the Masters' probably needs some backup.

 

Also you do all that with Qyzen, along with your eventual generic gunmen companions, which doesn't particularly help. (As a point of reference imagine the JK story with only T7 through Nar Shadaa only to receive Sgt Rusk next, or BH with only Skadge until Tatooine... you start to get the picture).

 

In fairness though, the story does pickup afterward, especially with how the Consular gets an entire little alliance to take place on their ship to help break away from the predictable companion crew gain you come to expect.

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