jolee-bindo
Latest
BioWare: 'Gray Jedi' playstyle in SWTOR will reap rewards
Do you have aspirations in Star Wars: The Old Republic of becoming a neutral Jedi like Jolee Bindo -- but the light side/dark side alignment system is getting you down? Good news: The BioWare team is hard at work creating rewards for those who toe the line between naughty and nice. Speaking with PC Gamer, Game Director James Ohlen spilled a few more details about what he calls the "Gray Jedi" playstyle, which will be supported in an unspecified upcoming patch. Gray Jedis (or Gray Smugglers, Gray Inquisitors, etc.) happen when a player creates a balanced mix of light and dark side choices over his or her career and ends up staying in the "neutral" zone on the alignment meter. Because the game currently incentivizes strong light or dark side playstyles with specific rewards, neutral players are left out in the cold. Fortunately, the system that's coming will cater to these dirty, filthy neutrals. "We don't want to force people," Ohlen said. "Once we get to the next stage of our light side/dark side system, you'll see the rewards. Light side, dark side and the gray items will all get more powerful."
Hyperspace Beacon: The Gray Jedi
"For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire." Ben Kenobi explained this to a young Luke Skywalker when he gave the boy Anakin's lightsaber. Although this statement introduced us to the Jedi, it gave us only a brief glimpse into what it means to be one. In subsequent movies and books, the Jedi Knights were fleshed out to be anything from Buddhist Monks, Taoists, and Knights Templar. Maybe they are really a combination of all of them. George Lucas has never specifically mentioned where his inspiration for these warriors of a more civilized age came from, but one thing has been consistent: Jedi are the heroes -- or at least they are supposed to be. In a brief conversation at PAX, Daniel Erickson, Lead Writer for Star Wars; The Old Republic, told me that BioWare is exploring a more "gray side" to its storytelling. Those who have played Knights of the Old Republic or either Mass Effect game know that this is new ground for BioWare. If your character walked the line between paragon and renegade in the Mass Effect games, your choice made it quite difficult to get a good ending. I believe Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, a reviewer for the Escapist, explained it most succinctly in his review of Mass Effect 2: "When you're choosing to free a race of slaves or force them to dance about while you take pictures of them, you're not thinking 'What would I do in this situation?' You're thinking, 'Which option gives me the best $%^&head points because I need them to persuade Crewman A to take her top off?'" Will SWTOR change this perception of BioWare moralism? Continue reading after the break as we explore this anti-heroic stance and the controversy regarding the Gray Jedi.
