Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

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Karha of Honor
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Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by Karha of Honor »

The old EU just threw a population willing to submit at any Sith that showed up or an evil megacorp/dynasty willing to side with them. The only time we looked at why people followed Sith was KOTOR and Knight Errant.


How should Disney handle this long term? (Let's not discuss the current state of the franchise that much in this thread).
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

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IIRC KOTOR 2 went into more detail on why someone would follow someone clearly mad. Atton put more of a face on those who most people would condemn, the soldier following "orders" that they'd think are clearly illegal orders he must disobey on a moral level.

How should they handle this long-term? That requires a level of intelligence they just don't have. It's not past their very black and white views or simplistic imaginations to try and put a positive spin on someone who most mainstream audiences will look at as "bad." If these people got their hands on Garak, you know, the guy who tortured Odo for information and was conflicted about it, and was presented as still being likable, they'd exaggerate him up to more ridiculously cartoonish evil levels, or have this be a line he crosses that he can't undo, or not go through with it after all. That's going against the ethos of Star Wars, which is very clearly defined black and white morality. And true, sometimes there is such a thing as black and white morality. But not ALWAYS. Not for most people. That's what I loved so much about KOTOR 2. Why I miss it. Why I want Legends back. And not a KOTOR remake, damn those corporate hacks.
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by clearspira »

''The only time we looked at why people followed Sith was KOTOR and Knight Errant.''

People follow the Sith because they can choke you over a viewscreen, can impale you with a lightsaber, can control your mind, and/or can intoxicate you with their power. That's it. There is nothing more complicated to it than that. Human beings are ultimately self-serving and always have been. That's why we love superheroes, because men and women who put their lives on the line just because its the right thing to do is such a rare thing to behold.
And that is why, like the Borg, the Sith should be used sparingly. Because ultimately they are actually quite boring as a concept. They are like every other evil for its own sake Ming the Merciless style enemy. We only find them interesting because Vader and Palpatine are cool as hell. Otherwise you can move that 'h' in Sith two letters to the left (credit for that joke to RLM).
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by Karha of Honor »

clearspira wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:05 pm ''The only time we looked at why people followed Sith was KOTOR and Knight Errant.''

People follow the Sith because they can choke you over a viewscreen, can impale you with a lightsaber, can control your mind, and/or can intoxicate you with their power. That's it. There is nothing more complicated to it than that. Human beings are ultimately self-serving and always have been. That's why we love superheroes, because men and women who put their lives on the line just because its the right thing to do is such a rare thing to behold.
And that is why, like the Borg, the Sith should be used sparingly. Because ultimately they are actually quite boring as a concept. They are like every other evil for its own sake Ming the Merciless style enemy. We only find them interesting because Vader and Palpatine are cool as hell. Otherwise you can move that 'h' in Sith two letters to the left (credit for that joke to RLM).
I would not trust those caped fucking weirdos IRL.

They are interesting enough that they got 2 classes out of the 8 for SWTOR. I partially agree with the sparringly part but not fully.
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by clearspira »

Slash Gallagher wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:55 pm
clearspira wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:05 pm ''The only time we looked at why people followed Sith was KOTOR and Knight Errant.''

People follow the Sith because they can choke you over a viewscreen, can impale you with a lightsaber, can control your mind, and/or can intoxicate you with their power. That's it. There is nothing more complicated to it than that. Human beings are ultimately self-serving and always have been. That's why we love superheroes, because men and women who put their lives on the line just because its the right thing to do is such a rare thing to behold.
And that is why, like the Borg, the Sith should be used sparingly. Because ultimately they are actually quite boring as a concept. They are like every other evil for its own sake Ming the Merciless style enemy. We only find them interesting because Vader and Palpatine are cool as hell. Otherwise you can move that 'h' in Sith two letters to the left (credit for that joke to RLM).
I would not trust those caped fucking weirdos IRL.

They are interesting enough that they got 2 classes out of the 8 for SWTOR. I partially agree with the sparringly part but not fully.
In regards to their capes, everyone in the Star Wars universe seems to have worn a cape or a robe so that wouldn't put you off in-universe. And y'know, its only slightly out of living memory back when the most respected men and women in our society wore massive stovepipe hats and corsets that broke ribcages. Respectable clothes are relative.

And as for SWTOR, there is a big difference between a film that is two hours long and a videogame that can span hundreds of hours. Its easy to flesh someone out when time isn't an issue, but when it is, and you probably also have many other characters to also expand in the exact same time frame, THEN you have a challenge. And generally speaking, characters with ''I is evil'' as a motivation don't have staying power.
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by Karha of Honor »

clearspira wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 8:22 pm
Slash Gallagher wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:55 pm
clearspira wrote: Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:05 pm ''The only time we looked at why people followed Sith was KOTOR and Knight Errant.''

People follow the Sith because they can choke you over a viewscreen, can impale you with a lightsaber, can control your mind, and/or can intoxicate you with their power. That's it. There is nothing more complicated to it than that. Human beings are ultimately self-serving and always have been. That's why we love superheroes, because men and women who put their lives on the line just because its the right thing to do is such a rare thing to behold.
And that is why, like the Borg, the Sith should be used sparingly. Because ultimately they are actually quite boring as a concept. They are like every other evil for its own sake Ming the Merciless style enemy. We only find them interesting because Vader and Palpatine are cool as hell. Otherwise you can move that 'h' in Sith two letters to the left (credit for that joke to RLM).
I would not trust those caped fucking weirdos IRL.

They are interesting enough that they got 2 classes out of the 8 for SWTOR. I partially agree with the sparringly part but not fully.
In regards to their capes, everyone in the Star Wars universe seems to have worn a cape or a robe so that wouldn't put you off in-universe. And y'know, its only slightly out of living memory back when the most respected men and women in our society wore massive stovepipe hats and corsets that broke ribcages. Respectable clothes are relative.

And as for SWTOR, there is a big difference between a film that is two hours long and a videogame that can span hundreds of hours. Its easy to flesh someone out when time isn't an issue, but when it is, and you probably also have many other characters to also expand in the exact same time frame, THEN you have a challenge. And generally speaking, characters with ''I is evil'' as a motivation don't have staying power.
My concern would be with their powers. Also the OP.

Not a different challenge from making any other bad guy.
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Re: Minimal explanation of social dynamics or magical plot induced regime changes?

Post by Yukaphile »

Bane was cool. Nihilus is cool. Kreia is cool. If you count her as a "Sith."
"A culture's teachings - and more importantly, the nature of its people - achieve definition in conflict. They find themselves, or find themselves lacking."
— Kreia, Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
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