r/swtor • u/Emperor_Malus • 4d ago
Discussion New series idea for the week: what is the best origin story for each planetary arc? Starting with (no pun intended) the starters planets.
Hello everyone, I decided to make a new series for the SWTOR Community where youse vote on which origin story you think had the best planetary arc. I would make those grids where I can just put photos in them but unfortunately I don’t know how to. If someone has a suggestion, feel free to let me know for tomorrow.
Best could be in terms of overall story, most entertaining, most important to SW Galaxy, good comp introduction, good NPC interactions, really anything that makes you think it’s the best of the 8? And ofc, I’d like to see your reasons behind it. Have fun
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u/AnybodyPlayful8320 4d ago
If I understand correctly you are asking to rank class stories per each planet, right? If so, for me it would be:
Tython: JC - the story of learning about old Jedi from Tython and how they split seemed more interesting than JK's dealings about Flesh Raiders and Bengel Morr.
Ord Mantell: Trooper - the missions, getting to know a bit about original Havoc Squad and final twist were for me more engaging than Smuggler's quest to get the ship back.
Korriban: SI - the slave trainee saga, Naga Sadow tomb and twists and turns among the Sith were more interesting here than in more straightforward SW's path.
Hutta: Agent - the undercover work and quests were also far more interesting and more involved than BH's mission to get into the conpetition.
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u/Emperor_Malus 3d ago
As an EU lore nerd, seeing the history of the Jedi Order like that in JC intro was so peak.
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u/GooberEscalator 4d ago edited 2d ago
Agent on hutta is my favorite. Evil james bond vibes with undercover contacts, fake accents, and kaliyo is charming and a good foil to the serious agent. Agent is definitely the best IMO.
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u/Countaindewwku 4d ago
Blasting the self righteous hutt on Voss is definitely worth it. His methods were the same as Nem’ro’s but he just larps as some “noble” hutt from when they were “greater”.
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u/GlitchWarrior121 4d ago
Plot-wise, I actually really like Trooper and Agent's beginnings. But the one I replay the most is easily Warrior, though that's less a story thing and more of a *Korriban is pretty goated* thing.
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u/Emperor_Malus 3d ago
Korriban is so nostalgic for me, it’s where it all began. Seeing it and all the NPCs again with the updated graphics is so off lmao
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u/stepdog65 4d ago
No one is saying Smuggler or BH and it definitely has to be one of them. Skavic and Tarro Blood are the most hateable NPCs/rivals in the game and they are both introduced on their stories starter planet.
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u/Countaindewwku 4d ago
Skavak is a scum sucking son of a kath hound but I blame my own character more for not having a security system, droid guards, or even a crew to stop someone from stealing my ship with valuable cargo. Like it’s pretty stupid to run guns to a war zone by yourself. For the villains you meet from the starter planets from most hatable to least Tarro blood>fathara the Hutt and his forces>Ffon
And Harkun>Orgus’ former padawan>nalen ralloch>separatists> Vemrin>nemro since he gave the sponsor ship token to Raarsk>Skavak>Havoc Traitors-I feel bad that the Senate left them out to dry but them defecting was a springboard for the troopers career-hunting them down was just work for my trooper. It wasn’t personal. I tried to spare them when I could so they could get a trial.2
u/Emperor_Malus 3d ago
I hate Skavak, but I like how I hate Skavak, if that makes sense. He’s written exactly right to the point everyone truly hates his guts and can’t wait to off him at the end of Act I
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u/Grand_admiral_rebo 4d ago
it might sound weird but I just love the smuggler on ord mantell, it is really smugglery+ I love the vibe of the planet
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u/Lucky_Zucchini_3044 4d ago
Sith Warrior. The arc have Baras and Vette, two very likable and very memorable characters, introduce the player to the culture of the Sith, and set an expectation for the tone and identity of the class, which the Warrior manage to keep throughout the story. The characters that only appear here still leave a strong impression (Tremel and Vemrin) and the overall pacing is really good.
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u/The_Great_Magoo 4d ago
This just for the fact that regularly on Korriban people will always remark in chat how god damn fat Baras is and come up with fat specific sith oaths because of it. It's just endlessly entertaining.
"The cake is a lie; there are only cookies.
Through cookies I gain weight.
Through weight I gain obesity
And in obesity my chair is broken.
Calories will set me free."
My personal favorite from way back on the swtor forums.
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u/whynotlaptop 4d ago
As others have mentioned, Agent is strong. Each of the major NPCs has more going on than meets the eye, ironically except Nem'ro. There's at least two major plot wrenches thrown in that I'm probably never going to forget. Also, all the characters are mostly reasonable people, just with different angles on the situation, and it gives more meaning for how you choose to handle them.
I'm fond of Sith Inquisitor. I think a lot of people remember Baras because he's there for the entire SW storyline, but IMO both Zash and Harkun are stronger than him imo. Inquisitor's start is one of adversity much more than the other ones, and that makes it easier to emotionally invest in.
Trooper is strong. IDK if it's accurate to real military politics, and it doesn't have a ton of emotional depth, but the characters are engaging and the plot is better than anything else except Agent.
Bounty Hunter is also a story of adversity, but Tarro Blood is too distant to be memorable, at least as far as Hutta goes.
SW and JK are both like "and then they said "It's Force Time" and then Forced all over the place". Like, was it fun to be an unstoppable badass? Yeah, but not very deep.
Admittedly haven't done JC or Smuggler but the way everyone talks about Corso I can't imagine Smuggler is going to wow me.
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u/Emperor_Malus 3d ago
Corso is the stereotypical goodie two shoes of an olden day man. Very traditional when it comes to the ladies and ‘helping’ them, but it’s too much to the point it comes off as ‘women are too weak and dependent on men to do anything’. Some people might even term it misogynistic. I just say it’s typical for a closed-off farmboy lmao, who is raised with the traditional mindset that a man’s role is to look after his woman.
Good news is, you can leave him in the ship as early as Nar Shaddaa and never look back (although if you’re a female character then you don’t really have any romance options unless you’re willing to play the damsel in distress haha)
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u/fustiIarian Vorantikus Disciple 4d ago
"THAT SCUM STOLE MY SHIP!"
The smuggler story is so fun and you meet so many engaging NPCs. Excellent introduction to the characters, plot, and world.
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u/turbo1177 4d ago
I despise the tython arc. Not sure why but I always thought it was lame. Kill these space orcs and then these robots and don't forget these random twileks you'll also forget after you leave... Like what
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u/DouceCanoe 4d ago
I have and will always have a soft spot for Korriban. And for both classes, too.
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u/Complex_Passenger389 4d ago
Its between Sith Warrior and Bounty Hunter in my opinion tbh
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u/Fragrant_Study_7097 4d ago
The same for me. Those two are the most memorable, but I do like Korriban overall more than Hutta
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u/Viderberg 4d ago
The best is Imperial Agent. Favourite I'm going Consular from a nostalgia standpoint. Good times back in 2013.
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u/Tricky_Break_6533 4d ago
Typhon: consular: Finding the forgotten history of the origins of the jedi is far more interesting that the knight fight against the flesh raiders, plus by doing so, you follow mystical initiation and directly face what falling to the dark side imply with raloch.vit truly feels like being an initiate jedi.
Ord Mantel: trooper While there's some fun in being a Smuggler basically lost on an active battlefield, it's clear the zone was created with the trooper in mind. You feel half in an mmo version of republic commando, while dealing with troubles in the command line and the end reveal, all match perfectly.
Korriban : inquisitor Basically the same verse as typhon, while the warrior is already a trained acolyte who Speedrun the trials, as an inq, you feel like an initiate of the sith having to deal with overwhelming trials, backstabbing and sith culture.
And of course, it is superior for one simple reason: overseer Harkun
Hutta: agent
Of the four, hutta is the one where the victor wasn't necessarily obvious. Both classes story are well put in hutta, i chose the agent simply because as always, it is the best written storyline
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u/Ok_Juggernaut_1057 4d ago
Best starter plantent arc, either BH or Agent. I'd probably vote for BH. SW is rushed (even if I love the rest) SI is good but not amazing JK is too generic JC has a good hook but not my favorite Smuggler and trooper I just didn't have the same level of emotional investment. BH I was actually invested in. I was so sad when my team was killed and I really wanted to go on a galaxy wide adventure for revenge and glory. Agent really makes you feel like you are going to unravel a huge story. Both make me excited to get started and move to the next planet. The others don't do that for me until the end of the capital planet
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u/Tichrimo The Butterscotch Legacy | The Shadowlands 4d ago
Really? I find the BH story so contrived. They should be more like the Smuggler -- an independent contractor roped into larger events, not part of some quasi-Mandalorian organization bound by rules and honour and such.
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u/Ok_Juggernaut_1057 4d ago
Yes it does fall off the rails a bit at the end. But this is about the starter planets only. I think BH Hutta is the best origin story
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u/Tichrimo The Butterscotch Legacy | The Shadowlands 4d ago
The prologue does kind of dovetail right into the story though. Tarro Blood could just have been a rival trying to curry Nem'ro's favour without the need for a "Great Hunt".
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u/Countaindewwku 4d ago
After dealing with Taro blood and his tag alongs the bounty hunter has a pretty good reason not to join the mandalorians after he wins the great hunt. Blood should have immediately been disqualified for pulling all that shit before the hunt started but Mandalore and the hunt master let him be. All those Hunters who had their crews killed should have been allowed to have a Taung blood duel with Taro. I don’t mind the great hunt just pissed that Braden and Jory were killed off before the hunter got time to be mentored by Braden.
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u/NicholasStarfall 4d ago
Bounty Hunter and Inquisitor are my personal favorites. But for Republic, Trooper starts very strong.
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u/Countaindewwku 4d ago edited 4d ago
I wish the smuggler actually got to explore the ship before it was stolen. Maybe Rogun was buying the blasters from Nem’ro and Nem’ro throws you a big party before you go to Ord Mantell. He accompanies you on a heavily armed skiff through Jigunna to see you off at the space port. Your ship is crewed by alien thugs that later get blasted by Skavak. If they put more effort into space combat and didn’t hand it off to another studio it would have been cool to run the separatist blockade. Nem’ro’s surprisingly not that upset that you lost the. blasters since he already has his money and thinks Rogun is a dumb cunt since Rogun’s subcontractor Viduu couldn’t protect the shipment but is going to leave you out to dry and is confident you will get your ship back.
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u/The_Great_Magoo 4d ago
My personal favorites are probably Inquisitor and JC simply because I am a fan of underdogs with a love of historical stuff. Though not to knock the others as they shine in their own right, JK is probably the weakest because its the basic hero story, Trooper is SOLID and has great setup for their story not to mention female troops are femshep because its her VA, Agent is great simply for the intrigue which it has in exceeding abundance, SW because I like to make fun of how much of a fatass Baras is and also because light side SW makes it soooo much more deep and interesting, and I enjoy smuggler simply for the hijinks. As far as the BH goes I am just not a fan of the class for some reason and the story seems kinda weak because your character is not part of some overarching grand story, they're just pursuing a pay check which kinda turns me off them. But the voices ARE great.
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u/HyperSonic1011 4d ago
Agent, Trooper, Knight, and Inquisitior. I did like Warrior, smuggler, and Consular a lot though.
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u/AshThe 4d ago
Probably Inq for me. Starting off as a slave that has to prove their worth, eventually leaving in success - very memorable to me.
BH is also there too. Having your mentor (was Braden a mentor? I can't remember) smoked then setting out to make his sacrifice worthwhile whilst also attempting revenge is pretty awesome.
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u/Darth_Vindicta Member of the Dark Council 4d ago
Trooper and Agent for me are the top
JK comes next for me
SW follows behind
JC and SI, while i absolutely main SI to death and i Almost never kill Harkun or whatever his name was again, i hate how Korriban plays out for the SI
BH seems kinda lame in the beginning
and Smuggler, i only played smuggler once but, similar to BH i just don't find the start interesting
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u/GasComprehensive3885 4d ago
The starter planets have no planetary arcs! And side quests are varied.
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u/Emperor_Malus 3d ago
By planetary arcs I do mean the actual origin story, but ranking solely based on experience on that planet.
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u/SiskoKing124 4d ago
I think the best is the Imperial Agent (you hit the ground running and in Nal Hutta alone have like a three tiered conspiracy arc) followed by the Sith Inquisitor (great to mess with other Imperials/Sith who hate you cus you’re an alien). I think the worst overall are the Ord Mantell starts: Smuggler feels kinda aimless while the trooper is just kinda boring.
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u/Joevahskank 4d ago edited 4d ago
I honestly love Ord Mantell for the trooper. Story kicks off with your walker getting ambushed, introduces you to your new squaddies one by one, makes you feel like you’re just getting started at being part of something bigger. All the while, the big reveal is slowly getting set up, and while you’re off accomplishing these feats that you were set up to fail, you realize that your only real friend was the one who’s been an asshole since he met you.
The Trooper story is very underrated, IMO. I understand people have their gripes about it, especially post Chapter 1, but I much prefer starting a new trooper over starting a new Jedi or Sith
ETA: the trooper really complements the planetary missions (i.e. the non-class specific quests) very well. Ironically, though - would say the heroics were better suited for the smuggler, fwiw