So, I’m not a roleplayer, and it’s really hard for me to develop “consistency” within a specific character because I often act the way the mood strikes me. My characters definitely do not have much of their own personalities. Having said that, here’s how I’ve been playing. In no particular order.

The Asshole Rule

“Thou Shalt Not Suffer An Asshole To Live.”

-Me

If you try to kill me, if you kill or try to kill my friends, or maybe just kidnap them, or betray me or mah friends, I will exterminate you IN THE FACE. I could get a gazillion dark points and the -100 of SHAME and I’d still do it.

If I go really far to the dark side, that just means there are way too many assholes in the galaxy. Well, fewer now that I’m done with them.

Jedi Code, Schmedi Code

Man, it is really easy to rack up the dark side points by doing normal things that normal people do but that violate the Jedi Code. Look, we’re all adults here. If two padawan want to make out in the bushes, that’s their business.

Leave Those Kids Alone

I just do NOT have the stomach to go full dark side if it means beating up orphans and stuff. Sure it’s just pixels, but no. The killing innocent people thing I just CANNOT do, which is why I will never have a really really dark character.

Torture is Gross

Ok, maybe it’s been in the news too much, but I can’t stomach torture. Well, unless the person is an asshole, in which case the Asshole Rule applies and we’re stuck in an infinite loop.

Being Smart Is Important

Now, why would I take on 5 dudes by myself if I can force persuade 4 of them to leave? I wouldn’t. Sure, they may deserve it (see asshole rule, above) but the thing I really hate is getting my ass handed to me following a conversation. It’s just embarrassing. In this case I have to weigh the smart path against the asshole rule and see which one wins.

Companion Affection

OK, I have a soft spot for Corso. He’s staring at me with those puppy farm-boy eyes and if I make him unhappy, it’s so sad. It doesn’t matter that I can buy back his affection with presents, it’s just too hard to disappoint that boy. So sometimes I’ll do the right thing just to not get the -1 of Shame. This means that we occasionally let assholes live because Corso doesn’t like beating up girls. Sigh. At least he’s a fan of killing imperials.

I’m having far more luck being a jerk on my jedi knight because the robot is too damn cute but not as… disapproving? I’m ok with disappointing him every now and then. I’ll, uh, wipe his memory later.

Right now, I hate Risha and she’s not even my companion yet. I will do everything in my power to piss her off. In my dreams there is a dialogue option that says “Goodbye, Risha [Toss Out Airlock]”

Money

This is one of the things that is character-specific. Obviously, smugglers are out for the money. I always ask about the money. This earns me the -1 of SHAME often enough. But then one of the things that Corso says when I click on him is something like “Do you have a plan to make us even richer?” Um, stupid Corso, where do you think money comes from?

As a smuggler, I will also take bribes. Well, never if it’s a bribe for something like torture, killing kids, etc. But if it is taking a bribe versus killing an asshole in the FACE, it’s a difficult decision.

The Greater Good

This is a tough one, and again it varies by character. Should corruption be exposed at all costs? Should I let an asshole live for the greater good? These are the ones I struggle with. Don’t we all?

How do you make morality choices in the game?

As a smuggler, have you noticed that you’re beyond screwed if you end a conversation and get thrown into combat?

Yeah, it definitely can be tricky >.< I had problems with that in the final stages of my storyline on Coruscant, when you're supposed to go beat up the guy Skavak hired to pimp out your ship. Kinda humiliating to go all "WHERE'S MY SHIP?" with a blaster pistol to the guy's head and then get your ass handed to you.

Of course most of the time I'm lucky, in that I have my own pocket tank. No, not Corso, but my husband's trooper/vanguard. A much better tank than Corso 🙂 Although, he claims the only thing worse than Corso tanking is having compete with Corso. ("If only my harpoon shot were on a 15 second cooldown!" he grumbles as I write this)

Disappearing Act also helps with those types of situations – now that I have it.

I don't have the wookiee yet – I'm level 25 and just got to Nar Shaddaa, opting to do ALL THE QUESTS on Taris.

I have another question for you – and maybe you've covered it elsewhere, but I haven't explored your blog in full yet – which is: One of the settings the game REFUSES to remember is that, goddammit, I don't want cover bar enabled.

Maybe if I were a Gunslinger and had more cover abilities than Charged Shot and Sabotage Charge, I would, but as is I just stick them at the end of my bar and use them rarely. When – on the rare occasions I do go into cover – I find that suddenly my Charged Shot is where something else used to be, it drives me MAD. And every time I change zones it re-enables the damn thing!

Or maybe you like the cover bar…

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Comments

Questionable Morality — 14 Comments

Vrykerion on December 29, 2011 at 1:43 pm said:

My morality on my Bounty Hunter is pretty simple. Don’t kill unless that’s what you’re paid to do, but I’ll still beat the heck out of someone who is being a jerk (People of Alderaan… I’m looking at you.) Be respectful to a potential employer, be honorable in the hunt.

My jedi, on the other hand, is a complete paladin. Lawful good, etc. Only kills when he is forced to, helps everyone he can, etc. etc. He’s only real weakness? Kira. You do not hurt Kira. She is his own personal berserk button.

My trooper follows orders. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. There is doing what you’re told. She IS half robot after all.

Also, the ESC key is your friend. I routinely hit a response going, “Yea. That’s close.” only to find the ‘Yes. I agree.’ response becomes “Glory to the Empire!” Wait… WHAT? No no no. I’m neutral! Esc! Let’s try that again.

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- Njessi on December 30, 2011 at 9:37 am said:
  
  Oh yeah, I did use the esc key just last night to avoid the -30 of SHAME. I didn’t know I could get that much shame. OMG SHAME.
  
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Shintar on December 29, 2011 at 3:17 pm said:

My trooper generally follows orders, while trying to be merciful. She’ll sometimes snark at and defy her superiors though if they try to sacrifice too many small people on the altar of the Greater Good.

I also made an Imperial Agent, and so far I’ve been playing her as kind of… fickle really. She’s loyal to the Empire and respects the Sith, but as far as random encounters go she’ll be nice if she likes the person and rude if she finds them annoying, regardless of the overall morality of their requests. In terms of light/dark side this has worked out as very neutral so far, which sounds about right.

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- Njessi on December 30, 2011 at 9:38 am said:
  
  I find it funny that if you are morally neutral, it means you do some amazingly good acts and some really atrocious acts and they somehow balance. I feel like being morally neutral should involve you doing some half-assed act with which nobody is really happy.
  
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Peal on December 29, 2011 at 4:24 pm said:

My inquisitor started out fair and even submissive, but constant shame from companions toughened her up. Though when push comes to shove *cough cough getting dark/light side points* I’ll take the light side option. @_@

My agent, low level as she is, has always sold to the highest bidder and inspired chaos. And I love it.

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- Njessi on December 30, 2011 at 9:42 am said:
  
  I feel like backstory has a lot to do with how comfortable you are defying your companions and interacting with NPCs. If you are in a position by choice (like you WANTED to join the jedi academy) it doesn’t even make SENSE to then turn around and be a jerk to the people you chose to be with.
  
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Pingback:link to Hawtness: Questionable Morality « peal's heals – a swtor blog
Gunsandmissles on December 29, 2011 at 11:27 pm said:

As a BH,Mako makes decision-making easy,she’s a credit-junkie.I bet she gives good lappers:)

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- Njessi on December 30, 2011 at 9:42 am said:
  
  I bet you want to Mako out with her. (/facepalm)
  
  Reply ↓
Lise on January 4, 2012 at 4:11 pm said:

Just discovered your blog – my main’s a smuggler, too, and I feel very similarly. He’ll do anything for the credits, and I always ask about that when I can, much to my husband-the-shiny-good-trooper’s dismay. Victimless crimes are all okay, in my smuggler’s book.

But I very much play him as a playboy, too, who flirts with everyone he can. But really, there’s only one woman for him, and that’s Risha.

… okay, there was that one-night thing with Beryl Thorne. If that even counts.

… and he does still keep the email Syreena sent him when he left Ord Mantell.

And the flirting with Governor Saresh? That meant nothing! She was just a fine piece of Twi’lek… lady….

Oh, how the tag “Corso the Boy Scout” made me laugh. He’s a little too ingenuous for me… I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more than the -1 of shame, though. My biggest frustration with him is the harpoon shot overeagerness, combined with the fact that my husband’s trooper ALSO has a harpoon shot now. They like to play tug-of-war with it.

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- Njessi on January 4, 2012 at 4:21 pm said:
  
  Ok, you lost me at Risha. I HATE HER SO MUCH. It’s so irrational, I know. The worst part is that every time I snark off to Risha, both the boys (Corso & Wookiee now) give me the parallel popup -1 of Shame. Even if they’re off on missions. It blows my mind.
  
  Thankfully, Bowdaar approves of my actions, more or less. If it looks like I have to smack a woman in the face, he’s my backup. Although if I end up saving her, I’m sad that Corso wasn’t there to give me extra points for being nice to the ladies.
  
  As a smuggler, have you noticed that you’re beyond screwed if you end a conversation and get thrown into combat? Ugh. If I can SET UP my combat with stealth and crowd control and all that other crap that the game gives me then I have a good chance of success. If I’m tossed into combat by surprise, I can’t stealth. And if I crowd control, it’s broken by Corso’s abilities that either I did not turn off (not knowing combat was about to occur) or magically turned themselves back on because they hate me. ARGH. Just don’t even bother to turn off Corso’s hated harpoon shot. He’ll turn it back on again. Cry.
  
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  - Lise on January 4, 2012 at 5:49 pm said:
    
    As a smuggler, have you noticed that you’re beyond screwed if you end a conversation and get thrown into combat?
    
    Yeah, it definitely can be tricky >.< I had problems with that in the final stages of my storyline on Coruscant, when you're supposed to go beat up the guy Skavak hired to pimp out your ship. Kinda humiliating to go all "WHERE'S MY SHIP?" with a blaster pistol to the guy's head and then get your ass handed to you.
    
    Of course most of the time I'm lucky, in that I have my own pocket tank. No, not Corso, but my husband's trooper/vanguard. A much better tank than Corso 🙂 Although, he claims the only thing worse than Corso tanking is having compete with Corso. ("If only my harpoon shot were on a 15 second cooldown!" he grumbles as I write this)
    
    Disappearing Act also helps with those types of situations – now that I have it.
    
    I don't have the wookiee yet – I'm level 25 and just got to Nar Shaddaa, opting to do ALL THE QUESTS on Taris.
    
    I have another question for you – and maybe you've covered it elsewhere, but I haven't explored your blog in full yet – which is: One of the settings the game REFUSES to remember is that, goddammit, I don't want cover bar enabled.
    
    Maybe if I were a Gunslinger and had more cover abilities than Charged Shot and Sabotage Charge, I would, but as is I just stick them at the end of my bar and use them rarely. When – on the rare occasions I do go into cover – I find that suddenly my Charged Shot is where something else used to be, it drives me MAD. And every time I change zones it re-enables the damn thing!
    
    Or maybe you like the cover bar…
    
    Reply ↓
    - Njessi on January 4, 2012 at 9:08 pm said:
      
      Ah. For my cover bar, I put everything exactly where it is on my normal bar, except I put charged shot etc (cover-only abilities) in the same place as kick/pistolwhip etc figuring that I’m not going to be kicking and pistolwhipping from cover. Every time I get a new ability, I go into cover to make sure that everything is where it’s supposed to be.
      
      Reply ↓
      - Lise on January 5, 2012 at 11:45 am said:
        
        Makes sense – I might have to try that!

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Questionable Morality