I finished up the last class story: the Republic Smuggler. I played a somewhat Light Side female Scoundrel DPS.
The Smuggler story is pretty good. It is more of a comedy than the other stories, with lots of funny lines. The main NPCs are quite good, as are all your companions. Special mention goes to Bowdaar, the Wookie, who is just awesome. I used Bowdaar as my main companion pretty much as soon as I got him. It just nails the Han Solo and Chewbacca dynamic, and has some brilliant lines:
"Stealth? Why do I need stealth? I have a Wookie."Ability-wise, the Scoundrel was quite fun. Stealth and punching people, while pulling out a shotgun for special moves. Dirty Kick is the greatest stun in MMO history, and just so perfectly Smuggler. (You kick the enemy in the crotch, he keels over for a few seconds.)
The bad guys are all very well done. Skavak, Rogun, and the Voidwolf were good antagonists.
It does feel like this story was primarily written for a male character, though. There seemed to an above-average number of female NPCs, probably written as [Flirt] targets. I don't know if that is entirely true, though, or if I am just seeing a pattern where none exists.
There were a reasonable number of [Flirt] targets for the female smuggler. Special mention for the Voss romance. About 3/4 of the way through the planet, the NPC suddenly mentions he has a wife. Though you have the option of continuing to flirt, you can try to backtrack out. But it's too late, as the NPC has already fallen in love, and the rest of the planet is very awkward. (Bowdaar laughs at you a lot here.) It was pretty funny and well-written.
If there is a flaw in the Smuggler story, it's that it is not really memorable. There's no deeper level to the story. It's like a popcorn flick. You go to the theater and you enjoy yourself thoroughly. But the moment you step outside, the movie is gone from your mind.
I'd class it in the same tier as the Consular, Warrior, and Knight stories, though closer to the bottom. It doesn't have the flaws of the Inquisitor, or Trooper, even if it isn't as memorable.
I think the game generally favours male characters in terms of flirt options - after all only male smugglers, Sith warriors and agents have the option to choose between two companion romances.
ReplyDeleteThen again, there is something to be said for the option of seducing Skavak before you kill him and watching Corso's head explode...
Well, the Smuggler might be a Summer action movie, but it is also the most fun of the class stories. Having played it through twice now, I can now catch the subtle hints that led to the reveal at the end. The first time through I was just enjoying the ride, but the second time through I appreciated the effort that Bioware went to keep things moving with just enough "huh, that's just not quite right" in the background.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I liked the Smuggler story least of all class stories. Chapter One was decent enough, but the rest felt rather bland and uninspired.
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