Like I said in the OP, though, every single Act I has the same story structure. Let's take the most commonly cited favorite the IA. The IA faces the exact same issue and choice on every planet. Break up the terrorist cell. That's it. If the JC story can be boiled down to "save the master or heal them", then the IA story is "break up terrorist cell". The JK is "recover/destroy superweapon", the BH is "get bounty", the Trooper is "catch/kill traitor", etc.

 

This is what blows my mind. If you judge the JC story by its skeleton, why not the others?

Wow, when was the last time you played IA Act I? How is the experience infiltrating the terror cell on Balmorra anything like dealing with Watcher X on Nar Shaddaa? Yes the goal of 'destroy the terror network' links the two planets, but the experiences on each planet are wholly unique. In no way are you presented with the same choices, situations, anything.

Whatever the JC does on each planet, in the end they end up in the same situation with a master. There are never any surprises or twists to this decision, and since the first choice on Taris I've made the same one. Each time I'm again annoyed when everybody's like, 'Oh no! You're weak now!' except I'm really not and could only wish there was some actual weight given to the decision to sacrifice yourself. There is no other class story that has a repeat decision like this (except perhaps BH, but I think that's done better), and it brings the story down.

And then you're off to the next planet, where hopefully you'll enjoy your mini-story on that planet before you get to the lame end decision again.

To be fair though, I think this weakness of the story really only sets in on Tattouine. I felt Nar Shaddaa got a bit more interesting despite the repetitiveness because it introduced some intrigue by revealing the masters were linked (if I'm remembering right). But then that intrigue was destroyed on the next planet when the 'mystery' became easily decipherable by anyone paying attention. That would've been OK if the story acknowledged how painfully obvious the answer was, you reported it to your superior, and the plot thickened from there. But the plot did not thicken. More like, got left out too long and curdled a bit.

Most of the Act finales have some surprises. The JC finale just confirms what you figured out two planets ago, and presents you AGAIN with that same damn decision!

Again, I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad for liking Act I. I liked Act I, but it was for flavor reasons. I like the healing, Jedi-based, mystery (while it existed), force-related stuff story. Liked it way better than JK Act I, bored outta my gourd there. But when I look at the story like a critic, I can understand how people not into the flavor would be turned-off.

1) The ending.

Just take a look at what happened to Mass Effect 3, there is nothing like a ruined ending to downgrad opinions about a story. Sure I liked the first chapter of the jedi consular. It was cool to look for the crazy jedi master, and the plot twist in the end of chapter 1, very well done! However, the whole matter of the Rift Alliance is just... boring. It feels like you fly around the galaxy trying to please some whinners, and then in chapter 3 you storm around yelling: "Who is the first son!" Then when you finally find him it is YET another jedi master... Wow, we didn't just spend the whole of chaptor one hunting jedi masters... Furthemore, the whole way the ending is made is significantly less epic than the 4 other class stories I've played:

In all of them you do something epic and furthemore, you leave Corelia and do something "more"

Here are the 5 endings I've played try comparring them to one another if you wish:

Warrior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S31bz5RsiA

Knight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2xDmsimw4M

Inquisitor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKqXe8VTF4s

Agent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVeUnQlJDJ4

And... Consular (yes I'm a pureblood for rp reasons) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSdcnIYO-NM

2) Getting too predictable

Oh noo! This guy was a child of the Emperor... Oh there is one more, oh guess what that person is... yet another child of the Emperor... How suprising...

3) Too many irrelevant characters:¨

There is so many characters in the this story because there are so many people on your ship after chapter 1. This resolves in none of them getting enough screen time and those they become irrelevant. For instance

4) The Last boss in the consular story feels... pathetic.

I mean to me it felt like 1 storywriter: "Hey the jedi classes should fight the Emperor!" 2 storywriter: "Oh yeah... but only one of them can fight him..." 1 storywriter: "oh... yeah... Then the other one can fight his children!"

I have plenty of other reasons but it would take too much time to write down, these are just the ones from the top of my head.

Wow, when was the last time you played IA Act I? How is the experience infiltrating the terror cell on Balmorra anything like dealing with Watcher X on Nar Shaddaa? Yes the goal of 'destroy the terror network' links the two planets, but the experiences on each planet are wholly unique. In no way are you presented with the same choices, situations, anything.

It's my most recent character. And my most hated to be honest. I found Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa to be extremely similar: infiltrate terrorist cell and its backers; kill same. Of the Act I areas, I only found Alderaan to be unique. The IA story is so cliched and nonsensical, I genuinely cannot understand what people see in it.

I found Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa to be extremely similar: infiltrate terrorist cell and its backers; kill same.

And you really didn't notice the difference between the ways to do it on Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa, did you? As well as the fact that NPCs helping/opposing you on these planets are also unique, and the choices you face in the end of each planet story are not similar in any way.

I honestly don't understand what made Alderaan look unique in your eyes, then

And you really didn't notice the difference between the ways to do it on Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa, did you? As well as the fact that NPCs helping/opposing you on these planets are also unique, and the choices you face in the end of each planet story are not similar in any way.

Surely, decision to kill or to let go a dangerous crazy ex-agent with interesting information is exactly the same as decision how to deal with a terrorists' leader on Balmorra to gain the greatest profit.

 

I honestly don't understand what made Alderaan look unique in your eyes, then

Watcher X was OK, but really all he was was the local quest giver. Take the spooky cool factor out of him out of it. He's just telling you...go here...do this...here let me cut you open. On Balmorra the resistance cell leader had your running here and there.

The Agent story wasn't very interesting or unique to me. I found Alderaan a bit more interesting because it was less about breaking up a cell and more about catching the Cortess traitor and the financial backer. How the Kiliks figured into it was interesting as well.

But look, it is already well established since my favorite class story is most people's most hated that I don't necessarily like what the majority likes!

But look, it is already well established since my favorite class story is most people's most hated that I don't necessarily like what the majority likes!

Actually, I don't quite get it why people hate consular story so much. I just arrived on Taris, though, but the prologue was fine.

...

Whatever the JC does on each planet, in the end they end up in the same situation with a master. There are never any surprises or twists to this decision, and since the first choice on Taris I've made the same one. Each time I'm again annoyed when everybody's like, 'Oh no! You're weak now!' except I'm really not and could only wish there was some actual weight given to the decision to sacrifice yourself. There is no other class story that has a repeat decision like this (except perhaps BH, but I think that's done better), and it brings the story down.

...

And then you're off to the next planet, where hopefully you'll enjoy your mini-story on that planet before you get to the lame end decision again.

...

Most of the Act finales have some surprises. The JC finale just confirms what you figured out two planets ago, and presents you AGAIN with that same damn decision!

...

The JC story could have been done better, certainly. But I don't have a problem with the repetitive structure. (Keep in mind that I finished the story at launch.... so it's been a while)

You always had the same choice. But why wouldn't you? It was the same big bad and you've given no reason to change his strategy. I don't think this would have been such a problem if they created progressively more tension in the choice. Specifically remembering Rajivari's principles from the prologue, where was the voice that was questioning whether you'd be able to save the next one? Why wasn't I accused of playing the short game by saving each master? Who was telling me I was too important to be doing this to myself? Certainly a LS Consular would still shrug off these objections and do the right thing anyway, but I think this kind of thing would make the repetitive nature of the choices a major benefit of the story structure. You can't really worry "but what about the next time?" or "how long can I keep this up?" if you don't know that this scenario is going to repeat itself.

Another thing I think would have been interesting and added weight to the choices would be:

But as it is, it's a passable act to a good (not great) overall story. I'm not majorly critical of it, but I certainly recognize that if I have to try and think up reasons why the choices matter beyond what's presented, the story isn't doing a good job.

EDIT: I wanted to add based on your BH comment that the BH story makes this repetitive choice a non issue by giving a consistent character reasons to choose one way on one planet, but choose another way on the other. For the Consular each progressive choice gives you no reason to change your mind.

Actually, I don't quite get it why people hate consular story so much. I just arrived on Taris, though, but the prologue was fine.

Then you haven't seen it yet. You will. But with that said, I hope you enjoy it.