FYI: at the end of 5.9 you can switch sides

[Nuba]

Alright so just finished Nathema Flashpoint, and at the end of the flashpoint you have a talk with Lana and decide which side you'll ally yourself with.
I believe that Bioware just gave the players what they have asked for years: a choice between empire and republic for their main characters.
As mentioned in other thread, 6.0 is the comeback of Republic vs Empire.

/discuss

[Golden]

I can only hope more people will play republic because it's like a graveyard over there.

[Edge-]

That's actually super neat, really wondering how it's going to tie into the next bit of the story given that we're abandoning this current line of nonsense.

Almost makes me want to sub up and finally finish all this content just to see how it all shakes out. Turned my sage from light side into full dark side a while back so it would be amusing to actually go to the Empire side of things.

[Golden]

I have to ask: if you switch sides, do you retain your class or does it switch you to the other side's mirror class?

[quras]

I have to ask: if you switch sides, do you retain your class or does it switch you to the other side's mirror class?

You don't switch sides at all.

Alright so just finished Nathema Flashpoint, and at the end of the flashpoint you have a talk with Lana and decide which side you'll ally yourself with.
I believe that Bioware just gave the players what they have asked for years: a choice between empire and republic for their main characters.
As mentioned in other thread, 6.0 is the comeback of Republic vs Empire.

/discuss

Sadly, it's not as good as you describe it.

It's barely different than the choice you made when Reps and Emps invaded iokath and you had to choose a side then. Overall, it meant nothing and no real sides changed. All it did was decide where your LS or DS points went when doing content. You still couldn't communicate really. No visitation to the opposite side even if you chose them. It's was a gimmick.

This time it's even less. There are no points to contribute to anything and it's just another "imagined choice" so far. While 6.0 (whenever that actually gets here given it took them 14 months to make 5 bosses in one OPS/raid it wont be soon), I don't think bioware has the resources to pull off what players have been asking for when it comes to changing sides.

It will likely be nothing more than a point system or a slider you get to contribute to depending on what side you choose.

[Nuba]

You don't switch sides at all.



Sadly, it's not as good as you describe it.

It's barely different than the choice you made when Reps and Emps invaded iokath and you had to choose a side then. Overall, it meant nothing and no real sides changed. All it did was decide where your LS or DS points went when doing content. You still couldn't communicate really. No visitation to the opposite side even if you chose them. It's was a gimmick.

This time it's even less. There are no points to contribute to anything and it's just another "imagined choice" so far. While 6.0 (whenever that actually gets here given it took them 14 months to make 5 bosses in one OPS/raid it wont be soon), I don't think bioware has the resources to pull off what players have been asking for when it comes to changing sides.

It will likely be nothing more than a point system or a slider you get to contribute to depending on what side you choose.

you receive a letter from whichever side you choose to side with's leader (depending on the story) welcoming you to their side (empire or republic)
I can only understand from all of this that coming 6.0, you'll be an actual part of the side you opted to be in.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

This will be Sooo interesting if you're a LS Sith or DS JK

[quras]

you receive a letter from whichever side you choose to side with's leader (depending on the story) welcoming you to their side (empire or republic)
I can only understand from all of this that coming 6.0, you'll be an actual part of the side you opted to be in.

To me nothing points to that. Like I said above, we have already had a similar forced "choose a side" and it ultimately had nothing to do with actually changing sides or doing anything on the opposite side you choose if it was the opposite side your character is. It was just for some points to push a meter one way or another.

This new "choose a side" appears no different than the same kind of fluff but no real side change. I wouldn't say it can't happen come the next expansion but it's not something I think bioware is capable of doing. Maybe they make a token you can buy to switch side so your knight becomes a warrior but that's about all I see them doing.

I have a feeling it will be no more than the first "choose a side" we were hit with. Does nothing but decide where your points go for doing content that day or week in some pooled pile of point for the side you choose.

[Deleted]

Where do people get these ideas from? You don't become an Imperial Jedi or a Republic Sith. You will still play as your original faction everywhere else except in the upcoming story scenarios.

[quras]

It's too bad there is no gameplay changes, but I guess that's to be expected. There would be so much unvoiced content, it'd be a pain for legacy content, and have HUGE development costs for a game that likely doesn't have many years left.

Sadly, I'm not entirely sure bioware has the resources to make any interesting game play changes. At this point I get the feeling swtor is kinda stuck with what we have combined with how the engine swtor uses has even since launch not been the greatest and I have no doubt it limits bioware a fair amount.

So switching sides is just not something I see happening. The goofy, pretend to get resources for missions completed to the opposite side as a meter gets pushed back and forth will likely be what happens again.

[Rainbow Sun]

Would be really nice if they let us do this, alas.

[Zaktar]

This will be Sooo interesting if you're a LS Sith or DS JK

Psh, why not be a LS Jedi who joins the Sith Empire to transform it from within, or a DS Sith who joins the republic because there is just so much more opportunity and so many more rubes??

[notanmmmonewbie]

I tried to come back to the game recently but rage-uninstalled cause i saw that some of my characters were flagged for a rename. Maybe after i've calmed down i might try again. I had some questions about the switching sides though:

1) is if a quest or a paid service with a quest attached?

2) what happens to your original companions? i think i saw a few content patches ago they let some pub comps be available for imp and vice versa. Did 5.9 mess with your comp team too?

3) iirc some pieces of gear had different appearances when worn by pub vs imp. Will the gear change appearances when an imp goes to pub side? or will they retain their original appearance?

4) does this option only become available at level cap? or is it something that can be started at any time during the game regardless of your level?

5) this one is unrelated to switching sides but i hear you can kill your companions now? Does this have a purpose other than story or is did they just add it so i can finally get rid of Malavai Quinn?