Death of a Princess: How Star Wars can go on

With Episode 8 wrapped up and final impressions neatly being supplied by nearly everyone across the internet, we now get to enjoy the next year and some number of months speculating until the next saga film to carry on the story of Rey, Finn and Poe.

As far as I see it, there’s a small collection of big questions remaining when we talk about the future of Star Wars. Perhaps none as important as how J.J. Abrams will deal with the real life passing of Carrie Fisher. When we left off on The Last Jedi, presumably the entire Resistance movement (or the main fighting force at least) fits aboard the Millennium Falcon, including General Organa after having taken horrific loses over the course of Episode 8. 

But how J.J. Abrams deals with the death our favorite Princess is a question J.J. and by extension Disney is likely to not take lightly. The options before them, to put it simply are as follows: Either the film acknowledges her death sometime between Episode 8 and 9, in the days, weeks, months, or years between Last Jedi and Episode 9, or the ball is kicked down the road, and her character is not revealed to have died until further into the film. This option however raises its own risks, including the blowback if her character, even if in a minor scene- is CGI’d into the film, or various leftover footage is used to composite her into the new footage; and it doesn’t meet audiences expectations. It’s my personal belief Disney won’t take the risk, not after the blowback they’ve already received from Tarkin’s CGI inclusion in Rogue One and from The Last Jedi’s bold thematic decisions I’ve outlined in previous articles. This and in addition to Solo’s release, which many are already speculating to be a flop (which honestly is unwarranted speculation prior to any footage being released).

It seems, at this point that Disney likely won’t want to risk the blowback on the “final” saga film and makes sense they’d either push her death to the opening crawl of Episode 9, or the very opening scene of the film itself. But honestly, this could be the best thing for the film, next to Carrie Fisher being alive and well.

To put it simply, rather than leaning away from her death, Disney should lean into her loss. Using General Organa’s death as a form of catalyst for the events of Episode 9, may provide the proper backdrop for a strong thematic framework for our characters overcoming overwhelming loss and grief. By referencing the void left by Leia, the audience too is reminded of the loss of such a central character and the challenge of overcoming impossible odds despite it. By confronting the hard truth immediately, it quickly shapes the narrative around the problem- rather than shying away from the responsibility and weight of that loss. 

In addition to this, I would be all but shocked if the film didn’t take place at a minimum of weeks, if not months after The Last Jedi. With a proper amount of time left between the films to ensure our heroes are positioned to respond to the catalytic moment of Leia’s death.

How the series deals with the death of one of our favorite characters, not to mention just one of our favorite actresses is hard to say at this point. But I can hope they take the bold path to embrace the reality they face, then try to soften the topic. Carrie Fisher from my experience both in person listening to her speak, or the interviews I've witnessed over the years paints the picture of someone who has challenged life head on- and it would disrespectful to now treat her character as a delicate matter. 

Rogue One vs The Force Awakens - How we do Judge?

Recently, I had a discussion with a good friend of mine in which I made the bold statement that 'Rogue One was a better movie than The Force Awakens.' While I'm not sure I would stand behind that statement today after a bit of thought, it still sparked a rather engaging conversation in which I realized something I hadn't considered before.

Franchise's are on the eve of a New Era. We no longer can simply grade a franchise film by its own merit- not to grade it fairly. With so much mixed media content, from novels, TV series, films and beyond; how can we judge a film as an independent piece when it was never intended to be viewed as such?

To be fair, I do believe criticism of a film, novel, comic or whatever medium you choose is fair, but so too is looking at the greater puzzle this piece may fit into. This idea was only compounded as over the weekend I binge watched Star Wars Episodes IV-VI. From that I picked up on something else, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is pure eye candy.

What's a Sequel/Prequel in a Shared Universe?

I love Empire it's certainly one of my favorites. But if I look at this film as an independent film, far away from the surrounding franchise films- the film looses value quickly. We're left with an open-ended ending and the film itself seems to hang on the reveal that Vader is Luke's father. But this doesn't bring a ton of value to the film itself. It's a great reveal, but there's no conclusion to this news. Luke is simply defeated and narrowly escapes. In fact other than some eye candy in regards to a new Super Star Destroyer, TIE Bombers, interesting new locations, an improved lightsaber fight and Imperial Walkers, we're left with a pretty simple story about Luke visiting a hermit before confronting a bad dude and loosing.

Only when we view Empire as part of a trilogy, or saga can we begin to see the big picture and how fantastic it was to marvel and play in this 'play pen' of new material. The plot was pushed along just a little, but we were given new toys to 'awe' over and play with in our minds. Many of the best lines from the series are from Empire because the characters had plenty of time to simply exist without pressure of starting or ending the story. And there's nothing wrong with that. Empire is so great because it's a piece of candy stuck between two films that begin and end our journey. This is not so much a criticism as much as it is an observation (and before anyone starts to talk about storytelling principles, I'm way ahead of you, but it's important to remind ourselves of what Empire is)- and it leads me to an issue I have with criticism of Rogue One or The Force Awakens.

Star Wars has a selection of 'saga' films that have convenient numbers that string them all together. In the past this has worked for Star Wars- it was the way it was intended on being told. But I doubt Lucas or much less anyone else back then had dreamed up the concept of a shared cinematic universe. Certainly no one could imagine the Marvel Universe being told from the perspective of 'Episode 1: Captain America...' Because Marvel and DC have changed the way we view these expanded universes. When we get a film like Ant Man, the superhero isn't a main hero like Captain America. So where does that fit into the greater story arch? If we looked to the Monomyth for clues on story structure, would Ant Man be near the beginning or middle of this grand story? The answer is none of the above. While Ant Man itself may follow the story structure of the Monomyth, the film itself only nudges the film universe forward and from that respect- is just candy for the Marvel Universe.

More to the point, Rogue One was 'candy' for the Star Wars Universe. It's story nudged the saga forward, but the film itself was a new cinematic path being forged. Our expectations for quality should be just as high as The Force Awakens, if not higher.  But what we expect in terms of content should be wildly different.

Criticizing Rogue One

Namely, a lot of the issues I've heard with Rogue One is that it was too much 'fandom' Too much of what fan's have been drooling over- Action! X-Wings! Stormtroopers! Battle! New Tech! To be fair, we should have expected this from the moment they said it would be a war film, but beyond that I find those who criticize the film for the new vehicles/weapons to be just as silly as those who criticize the film for having the classic Imperial Walkers 'just because it'll get people into theater seats.' Because frankly Star Wars is about the characters as much as it is about the universe they inhabit. It's a bad reason to dislike the film when a more reasonable reason could be the lack of character development. Which I would take as a reasonable excuse, especially considering some of the key characters don't survive and understanding their motivations more clearly in this one-off film becomes even  more important.

But to complain that the film was ruined because they added new vehicles in the same way Empire Strikes Back did, is just silly. To complain that cutting edge special effects didn't 100% convince you that Tarkin was living and breathing, probably just shows you're not a fool. But to suggest it ruined the film is a bit dramatic. The special effects are pretty amazing all things considered and perhaps one day Disney will update them as the technology improves. I guess my point with this one is simple- when Star Wars came out in the 70s, the technology that was presented to movie goers was new and revolutionary. But don't kid yourself into thinking that anyone thought it was real. It was just really amazing to see what they achieved on screen. Why audiences today can scoff and suggest they simply shouldn't have bothered, defeats the point. It's not about being photo accurate, it's about telling a story with all the tools you have at your disposal.

Future Films

Real complaints about Rogue One exist and I hope Disney listens to them and uses that as motivation to create something truly spectacular in the future. Personally I don't think they nailed The Force Awakens for different reasons than Rogue One, but TFA's story isn't complete and we're bound to have our opinions change once Episode VIII arrives. Though considering Episode VIII's position as the 'candy' episode in this new trilogy, we shouldn't be surprised if many of the same complaints start to show up after the credits roll. I could only hope much like Empire, the characters become richer, the universe deeper and the new tech cooler. 

Top 5 New Star Wars Stories!

The New Star Wars Hope

One of the aspects of Rogue One: A Star Wars story, that has interested me since I first heard about it's premise would be the potential for a new expansive universe within Star Wars. While many a deeply ingrained Star Wars fans who have read the comics, books or played the various forms of Star Wars media can tell you about the adventures of hundreds of characters outside the films. Those stories have yet to see the light of day on the cinematic theater screens across the world. Those days however, may be behind us if Rogue One has anything to say about it. 

Not only this, but with Bob Igor's push to expand the Star Wars property with the upcoming untitled Han Solo film, we're set to have a new and riveting Star Wars cinematic universe, on par with Marvel's theatrical ambitions, if not even more ambitious as all the lessons of building a cinematic universe will be pushed into Star Wars from the start.

Looking to the Future

We see a few new paths for Disney to take the Star Wars franchise based on the evidence we now have of Rogue One, Han Solo and the episodic films. Here's our list of potential spin offs, sequels and prequels and our reasoning behind them!

A New Sith Empire

Looking at evidence from Episode 7 and some of the canon tie in novels we are beginning to see the shadow like organization of the First Order take shape, but we're left unsure of exactly who runs this military organization. For one, we know the First Order was formed from remnants of the Galactic Empire run by the former Emperor fleeing into 'Unknown Space', the real wild west of the Star Wars galaxy. Then, with support from splinter political groups within the New Republic (formerly known as the Rebel Alliance) we see the First Order take shape. But there's a few red flags we're missing important elements of this process.

For one, every military organization requires supplies to feed, cloth and otherwise organize a massive military force. Not only this, but we see clear evidence of Imperial progression in weapons and technology, showing that not only have these fringe elements fled the known Galaxy, but they've profited greatly from doing so- driving the question, who or what has managed to feed into the military R&D department of the New Order?

One of these answers may come in the form of Disney XD's Star wars: Rebels tv series, which as of season 3 has introduced the character Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn, was not human but Chiss. Humoniod and considered to be extremely intelligent. Not only this, but as as old canon goes- the Chiss provided a number of technological advances for the Empire and resided in the 'Unknown Regions' of space. Choosing to not make official contact with the greater galaxy. Though no mention of this has been made yet, there's a lot of room for expanding this idea as you may imagine. Perhaps the First Order recognized this advantage and capitalized on it upon returning to the Unknown Regions?

While the clear leadership of Supreme Leader Snoke is an obvious indicator that a Dark Side user has once again reclaimed leadership over the Empire, we have yet again a list of questions as to who Snoke is and where he came from. A powerful Sith would not simply exist undetected in a universe like Star Wars unless perhaps because he existed for a time in the unknown regions.

This really leads to our theory, that Episodes 8 and 9 may lead to the reveal that the New Order has been hijacked if you will- by the formerly hidden Sith Empire that has laid in wait for thousands of years

So while jumping into all this former lore may be a bit bulky for Episodes 8 and 9, introducing the idea that a slumbering Empire or failed state of Sith (or likely their offspring) energized and capitalized on their encounter with the also failed remnants of the Galactic Empire to combine their forces, power, supplies to produce the resurgence known as the First Order. Even the name itself, would hearken back in this sense, as a reclamation of the Galactic Empire back into the 'original sith' if you will.

And to be frank: It's not even that original of an idea. As fans of the series 'Knights of the Old Republic' can tell you, something very similar to this happened when Jedi Revan and his followers went searching for 'a dark force' in the unknown regions. When they returned they were Sith and had a Sith Armada with them. This wasn't even the full force of the Sith Empire either- rather an elaborate test of strength against the Republic, but the parallels between Revan's Sith Armada and the New Order's Navel Fleet is worth taking note to.

The Old Republic

Jumping off from Episodes 7, 8 and 9 this would be a great opportunity for Disney to jump into the Old Republic, in particular if they've introduced the idea of the former Sith Empire and are looking to create another profitable saga of films. While the Old Republic is a vast, sprawling time period with hundreds of former Legends stories already populating its past, now Disney would have the opportunity to selectively tell its own story.

The largest challenge with an Old Republic style film (much less series) would be the connective tissue to Star Wars as we know it today. Though they may have lightsabers, locations and mythology in common, much of what makes up the Old Republic as we see in Legends is still distinctly different in artistic approach. This could lead to issues of convincing your average movie goer that this is still Star Wars and not just a cheap trick to get people into theater seats by slapping a Star Wars logo on a sci fi adventure film. 

Worse yet, there would be the challenge of bringing in brand new characters and building this time period's lore from essentially scratch. Though I wouldn't call it impossible, considering a film like Guardian's of the Galaxy did just fine, despite average theater goers not having read any of the previous comics, or Guardian's having a direct relation to any of the former superhero films. The key to this you may note was Guardian's nemesis. By keeping Thanos the overarching bad guy in Guardian's as he is in the rest of the Marval universe this kept the film afloat with the understanding that these characters would later have a role in the larger MCU.

How Disney chooses to go about the Old Republic is still up for debate- if they choose to go down that path. But considering the amount of lore in this time period, it's hard to imagine they'd outright ignore it.

Boba Fett

Though not officially announced as a film lined up by Disney it has been hotly suggested from rumors swirling from within Disney itself. A Boba Fett film would likely fit into the classification of a character piece, as Boba Fett as far as we know, has not had a notable role in the Star Wars universe (such as stealing the death star plans). Not only this, but Boba Fett is arguably a villein which leads to the issues of making his character likable on screen. Though we may love to root for the bad guys in a film because of simply how freakin' cool they are. Putting them on the screen for two hours may prove too much. As we know, Fett isn't one to talk a lot on film and even the younger Fett we see in shows such as The Clone Wars provides evidence of an angry, lustful for revenge youth, who only is in it for himself (mostly).

One method that could be used to tell Boba Fett's story would be to have a sort of Suicide Squad type story. In which all the characters are on the same side, yet possibly pitted against one another. A Boba Fett film will be a difficult challenge for whomever pens this story, as the iconic character is at a great threat of becoming boring, dumbed down, or unappealing if not written into the story correctly. Not only this, but due to Boba Fett being a clone of a previously cast actor- this does limit Disney to having to use that actor unless they simply recast. Which by no means am I suggesting that Temuera Morrison did a poor job as Jango Fett- simply that this may deter Disney as their options for this character now become limited due to being previously cast some years ago.

The next challenge for Boba Fett would be time period. An early Boba Fett during the height of the Empire might be appealing to some, but personally I would love to see Boba Fett crawl from the jaws of the sarlacc that was intended to kill him- and essentially be forced to start over in a galaxy that was also about to change with the destruction of the second death star- and death of the Emperor.

On the flip side, Star Wars Rebels mid season 3 trailer has suggested that the Mandalorians may fight with the Rebel Alliance, now Boba Fett himself is no Mandalorian, but wears the armor none the less. Providing an interesting story regarding Boba Fett defending himself and the people he chooses to be apart of.

Rogue Squadron

If you haven't seen Rogue One you should But regardless you can expect this: The Rebels go on to fight another day. So what's this say about a sequel to Rogue One? Outside of the laughs that have been made that 'A New Hope' is a sequel to Rogue One we have another thought. I wouldn't call it a direct sequel, but a film that focus' on the infamous Rogue Squadron may be a proper spiritual sequel to Rogue One. With a recent marathon of Star War's films, it became very clear to us one thing in particular: the in universe 'Rogue Squadron' certainly must have been created in honor of the in universe 'Rogue One' crew who's daring mission stole the death star plans.

For those who don't know, Rogue Squadron was promoted to near stardom within Star Wars thanks to writers such as Michael A. Stackpole who wrote half of the Rogue Squadron book series. Made up of elite pilots taking on daring top secret missions for the Rebel Alliance, Rogue Squadron was as much about ace combat pilots as it was these soldiers pulled into entanglements on the ground. So essentially, as Rogue One is about Rebel spies on the ground, this is akin to the same but in space. It's hard to really pinpoint what story a Rogue Squadron centered story could take, but seeings as they provided a backdrop to many of the larger operations in the original trilogy, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Rogue Squadron setting up the events of Return of the Jedi or aiding in the recovery of the plans to the Second Death Star- in which many Bothans died as a result of.

Obiwan's Lost Years

This theory has gained some traction since the popular Rey is Obiwan's granddaughter theory started to spread online. For the record, there is no concrete proof Rey is Obiwan's granddaughter until we learn something new in Episode 8. But, assuming this is true for even a moment, there's an opportunity to bring back Ewan Mcgregor as Obiwan sometime between the events of Episode 3 and 4. 

As many will remember, Obiwan devoted his life to watching over Luke Skywalker in this time and while many assumed this was a pretty boring job in the desert, new canon comics however show that wasn't entirely true and Obiwan found himself on a number of mini adventures even while keeping an eye on Luke. While this isn't any kind of proof that Obiwan found love on the desert, this isn't to say it couldn't be true either.

This is certainly an interesting idea, even if Obiwan and Rey aren't related, it still would be a fascinating character piece to understand Obiwan's role over Luke, his struggle to cope with a changing galaxy, learning new aspects of the force and possibly additional motives to his character removing himself from such a central position as member of the Jedi council. One would imagine that if Yoda's last words were to go separate ways until the time was right- after a few years Obiwan might start to get an itch to find a way to help the Rebellion. Especially with Bale Organa knowing where he was and was available for use (remember it was Bale who sought out Obiwan to bring the death star plans to Alderaan)

But at this rate, we may learn new evidence of Obiwan's early involvement within the Rebel Alliance from the likes of Rogue One.

Star Wars Rebels meets The Force Unleashed?

If you're avoiding spoilers, turn back now. However, if you've managed to watch the entire first season of Star Wars: Rebels come with me to bask in it's twist and turns. To really appreciate SW:R you have to rewind the clocks to the days of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In my opinion Dave Filoni can be credited to reviving the SW prequels as actually entertaining. While many have expressed their opinions over the movies, there's really no denying that Filoni took a shamble of storytelling and made sense of it all. Of course he had help, but Filoni pioneered The Clone Wars in a way that mended broken Star Wars fans and brought them back to the prequel table. I was one of them.

Then the day came- Disney took over and suddenly the expanded universe was shattered, it was like as if a thousand voices screamed out at once... Needless to say I was pretty nervous, but I was happy to hear that The Clone Wars series along with the films would be be canon moving forward. While many of the story arcs remained unfinished, such as Asajj Ventress, Darth Maul, Ahsoka Tano and numerous others. We're now starting to see a ray of sunshine in what many fans considered a disservice by canceling the show. There's already reports of novels being written that will close the arcs on characters such as Asajj Ventress and season one of Star Wars: Rebels started a new arc for one very important character: Ahsoka.

As fans of The Clone Wars will tell you, Ahsoka started as the young, whiny kid nobody wanted following Anakin around. But as time went by and her character developed into a young woman fans started to grow fond of her character. In a sense, she complemented Anakin. She grounded him like most kids ground and mature normal people here on Earth. Suddenly Anakin had someone to take care of, to show what was right and wrong- and why. Things weren't always easy and Anakin learned a lot about himself along the way. But their relationship came to a sudden end when Ahsoka, disillusioned by the politics of the Jedi Order, left to follow her own path. It was a heavy blow to Anakin, but honestly I don't think anyone could blame her for leaving. Doing so however, saved her from the Jedi Purge and Order 66.


By the finale of Rebels (14 years later for those who are counting), we learn that Ahsoka is back and a member of the still fragile Rebellion. What position and if people even know she's a former Jedi is unclear. But we know that the spark has been lit. It's important to note that Bail Organa was there too and seemingly in a leader position. This is important, as Bail previously in the old canon- was a founding member of The Rebellion. It's also rather interesting to see that they decided to bring back Ahsoka at all, rather than simply finish her storyline in a novel or comic. Not to say that any of those sources have less merit, but simply because Rebels has a much larger audience at the end of the day. Bringing her back was certainly not an oversight, it's a very calculated move.

What's even more exciting is to see Darth Vader's arrival on the scene. With the Inquisitors exit from the show (or at least we're led to believe), it means bringing Darth Vader into a much more prominent role for the show and much grander scope to the Rebellion movement. Truthfully, I don't see the Inquisitor returning. While it's possible he may return as a supporting character of some sort, perhaps rebuilt like Darth Maul- his death marked a transition in the show. The Ghost Crew wasn't a real rebellion force, nor was the Inquisitor a real Sith. But the finale changed all that- suddenly what wasn't, now is. Which brings me to the future of the series.

We're moving into pretty touchy old canon territory. The formation of the Rebellion has already been covered through numerous sources, most prominently in The Force Unleashed. While many fans disdain the overpowered abilities of the central character: Starkiller- I still loved the narrative. While an overpowered character such as Starkiller does seem a bit much for today's new narrative, that doesn't mean there couldn't be a restructured telling of the old canon and this is why I think we're about to.

For those who don't know, Starkiller was Darth Vader's secret apprentice. Promised to rule the galaxy with Vader once they overthrew the Emperor, things went terribly wrong and Vader was forced to turn on Starkiller, using him as bait to bring the enemies of the Emperor together to be exterminated.

First, there's this rumor that has emerged, in which actor Sam Witwer (Starkiller) is interested in playing a role in season two. The article points to him voicing the Emperor. A good choice, considering his experience voicing the Emperor in The Force Unleashed, but I think it's a little odd he's been overlooked as reprising his role as Starkiller. There's really two reasons beyond the rumor that could make sense. For one, the return of Ahsoka is too good of an opportunity for her to reunite with Anakin- now as Darth Vader. As his former apprentice, this just begs for a very uneasy confrontation between the two. Something I'm sure the writers will drag out for a while.

More importantly, Starkiller was Darth Vader's secret apprentice. It's important to note that this notion of a secret apprentice was created before Ahsoka's character was ever conceived. But from a story telling perspective, it would make for a really amazing narrative to see Darth Vader, now evil- with a new apprentice, one in which he tortures physically and mentally as a dark reflection of his relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka.

The best reason to bring back Starkiller is because the writers killed off his character at the end of The Force Unleashed. While his character returned for the sequel, I'd be just as satisfied if they left that story to 'legends'. But it means no loose ends to worry about down the road.

So is any of this possible? Discuss in the comments!

Open World to Open Thought - Future of Gaming?

I figured I ought to show off my character if I'm going to bitch so much about his experience. So, introducing Yogota; Jedi Guardian and all around asshole. I like to think he's seen some heavy shit in his upbringing, hence all the facial scars- possibly a run-in with street gangs on whatever backwater planet he comes from. The addition of the mechanical eye only is meant to supplement this notion and in my own way, it's a small nod to Metal Gear Solid's- Big Boss, a hero turned villain. Much in the same way I see my own character turning to the dark side given enough time. While you can't see it here, Yogota is bald as well. Though to be fair I saw some killer chops and mohawk combo I've been digging for a while now- perhaps next go around I'll play as an Imperial Agent with some serious Irish influences haha. There's a certain character from Prometheus I've really wanted to emulate... maybe when I grow up one day I'll be that cool.

I've been reminded more than anything from this game, how much I love choice. But how difficult it can be to offer the player true freedom of expression. For example, the game offers three responses to choose from  with numerous points in which I can respond throughout the conversation. The problem is, three responses often aren't enough- or worse yet, my characters possible reactions don't fit within my personal reactions as a player. While the characters response may be simply 'I don't have time for this.' in reality my thinking may often be much more complicated and rational. That's hard to emulate in a game- and in a world with strict light side/dark side values, this would probably prove impossible. Though that's not to say I couldn't think of a few creative ways to judge a person's light/dark balance.
But all this talk of 'free will' in gaming got me to thinking, and the truth is free will doesn't mean the same thing in gaming as it does in real life. There are always limitations, whether it be the edge of the map, or context of the story. But in this case when we're talking about conversations, they're ideas- and ideas don't need to be visually displayed to be real. They're as real as you thinking them into existence (or typing them in this case). There's a positive- and negative side to this however.

This line of thought lead me to wonder if the next evolution in open world gaming, was an open thought AI. Much like how CleverBot adapts to your conversation and draws upon a database of information to fill in the gaps of conversation with various elements that make CleverBot feel real. I imagine open world games, or MMOs like The Old Republic would benefit from a system where you can stand toe to toe with a NPC and argue your point. Better yet, what if the NPC could avoid giving your a quest based on your responses? It would offer the player an even deeper level of emersion into the world.
Now, an obvious catch would be how difficult it would be to craft a response to the player. Text to text conversations are simple. But in today's world where the NPCs are expected to speak to the character directly using Voice Actors- it would be difficult, if not feasibly impossible to hire hundreds of Voice Actors and record the number of responses required for a full AI system across an open world game such as this. But, who knows- the future leads to a lot of surprises.

But if I could dream a bit: I would be really encouraged to play any game where part of the drama isn't just the action of gunfire and chaos- but the human element. Where people aren't nearly as predictable and your character is forced to deal with not just the situations, but the NPCs emotional state, intelligence level and even factors such as racism, sexism, or personal beliefs.

From Galactic Space to Roman Empire

I've had a busy past few days and my weekend was plesently consumed with my girlfriend and the one day Florida provided us with upper 70s weather. It was a tantalizing cruel taste of the summer we all long for. That goes double for me- who rides a motorcycle 99% of the year.

But my bud gave me a call yesterday and we talked a bit about the new Total War game, Attila that recently launched. Now, I'm usually not the type of gamer that will buy a recently released game- because I'm cheap, but in the case of PC games, due to the all to often buggy problems that are attached I usually wait even longer. In the case of Total War, who's previous title Rome II was a hot mess for months before they supplied enough patches to almost build a new game: that hasn't inspired me to run out and buy Attila. In fact, I'm not even sure I'm going to buy it at this point.

Perhaps I've had my head in the sand, but I didn't even know about Attila until it launched. Which is strange because I'm a pretty big fan of the Total War franchise. So perhaps they didn't PR the shit out of this title, or maybe I really did just miss everything. Either way, from what my bud has explained to me: it seems like a giant apology for Rome II. The era is roughly the same as Rome II and much of the features missing from Rome II have been added in Attila. Best yet, the game seems to be launching rather smoothly from what I hear. So perhaps I'll purchase it eventually, but either way I booted up Rome II recently to give it another go.

My biggest complaint (as I bought the game long after the patches were applied) was how long Rome II was. In my previous campaign, I played as Greece who at the time was occupying Egypt- after dozens of hours of campaigning I had taken most of North Africa and parts of the Middle East. A decent feat in Rome II, but Europe was still immense and terrifying frankly. This go around I did things a little differently and decided to begin as a humble British tribe and as of last night conquered all opposing British tribes- uniting the British Isles under my rule. Problem is where to go from here! Europe is a big place and landing on the shoreline means a massive invasion force in order to take a city and begin my conquest. 200 BC is a long ways off from the 1940s.

So lets switch things up a bit and run back to Star Wars: The Old Republic. I've run into a problem and it's called Alderaan. The 'perfect' utopia of a planet that's split in Civil War. The problem lies in a conflict of interests, where various ruling families are fighting over control of the planets Monarchy. Because nothing says peace, love and equality like a monarchy. Really, what grinds my gears about Alderaan is how upper class most of the characters you encounter are. In my time I spent living in Fort Lauderdale, I recall a similar experience that aggravated the shit out of me. Which is part of why I'm a little sensitive to being bossed around like a simpleton to these rich bastards. Needless to say, I see the value in a Pro-Republic family taking control of the Monarchy, but at the same time I hate everyone I've had to work with on the planet. I doubt the devs planned on encoring the wrath of their players through character experiences, but I feel very strongly behind the decisions I make on this planet.

While nobody has outright said it, I also find it a little suspicious that there is no lower class- even the middle class looks pretty rich. I've seen a few farms or estates- but even they seem to  be doing pretty well for themselves and seem to be more a novelty than actual farming. For all we know they're growing grapes for wine. Which really makes me wonder about this planets economy. There hasn't been an empire on Earth that hasn't been built on the lower class. So when I see these towering buildings and grand gates, all I can think is 'cool, so where is the slave labor?' That being said however, it's curious to note this planet has native inhabitants, a very organic bug like creature that the Alderaan people regard as lesser beings and leave you to exterminate throughout your time there. A rather rash thing to do in my mind, considering the creatures: Killik are part of a hive mind and show enough intelligence to use blaster rifles and other crafted tools. Showing that they aren't just mindless beasts, but together a rather intelligent and powerful force. But the important distinction is this: Alderaan views the Killik as different and like any society that is different and unwilling to conform to society's rules, they are hunted down and exterminated.

Yet once again, as a Jedi I've been tasked to save the people from these creatures by going on various slaughter-fests. While I know what I'm doing is wrong, this is yet again another example of how I see my character falling to the dark side. The Killik have certainly been motivated to swarm and kill the people of Alderaan and honestly I could see this happening even without Imperial influences (which at the moment I'm not sure are even involved.). From what I've read about the Species the majority of their kind left the system some time ago and those who remain often lay dormant underground. Those who do awaken are a mixture of territorial and docile. So does that mean I should be exterminating these creatures? Going as far as to destroy their eggs and plant mines to catch them off guard? It should be no ones surprise that my character would choose to murder an opponent when the opportunity arrives then let them live, when so much of the characters experiences are shaped to enjoy bloodshed and encourages the death and murder of not just the enemy soldiers, but the young and defenseless as well. Worse yet, I feel it says something that the Jedi as a whole haven't stepped up to question the Killik's motives or to even recognize them as a society that deserves its equal respect in a Civil War between monarchies. All this being said however, it does remind me of why I enjoy this time period. The Jedi have a very particular set of rules in mind when it comes to right and wrong. The universe is a very black and white place, but people like me are showing up and asking 'why?' and bending the rules despite the ruling council. You can argue that Reven and I have a lot in common in this sense.

But who knows, maybe we're the outsiders because we see the Universe as a unified being, rather than simply warring factions. In my opinion, to be a true Jedi is to renounce all bloodshed, anger and conflict and pursue a life of knowledge and wisdom. You can pretend you're all that shit while you're lopping off heads and arms- but we both know you're lying. Nobody walks into battle with the emotion of serenity and peace unless you plan on walking out of that battle emotionally scarred with the eyes of the fallen forever burned into your mind. And after a thousand have fallen as with my character, what is death anymore- and are you its instrument?

The Sith, Inquisitors & Force Awakens

As of today, there's been a number of bread crumbs being left by Disney/Lucas in regards to the direction of the Star Wars Saga. But recent news has spurred my imagination and who knows- I might be on to something. Follow me along for this magical ride...

The first clue was the Episode 7 trailer itself. It's hard to miss the declaration that the force itself has 'Awakened.' Despite the jokes and memes, I don't believe this title is as black and white as it appears- and rather then suggesting the force has somehow become stagnant, I believe this is to say there are new kids on the block- new players in this galactic saga. This could be an obvious nod to the new characters that are intended to move the franchise forward after the Original trilogy characters pass off the torch- and possibly to the idea of a formation of a new Jedi Order by Luke Skywalker. But I believe the line 'Light and Dark' from the trailer also insinuates an introduction to something new from the dark side of the spectrum- something we also haven't seen before in the saga. (This is of course assuming the New Jedi Order is a drastic departure from the Yoda order.)

The second clue comes from this article- the devs of the Old Republic Game explained that Lucas' story group gave a glimmer of hope for Old Republic fans that the game may be canon- or perhaps one day it could be, by stating that because of it's unique time period set 3,000 years prior to the movie saga- it doesn't interfere with the timeline. In a world where all Expanded Universe content has been deemed 'Legends' until brought into the fold, like bits of content that has infiltrated the animated series Star Wars: Rebels- this makes news of Old Republic content possibly canon rather interesting.

Speaking of Star Wars: Rebels, it's been noted before that content from the series may make an apperance later in the film saga. While it's wild speculation from me, the introduction of the Inquisitor as such a central character of the Rebel series only fuels my larger theory. For those who don't know, the Inquisitor's are essentially force sensitive Dark Sided agents of the Empire who's sole job is to hunt down and exterminate the remaining Jedi. But it also serves another purpose- the Inquisitors are pretty much the only dark sided characters that quite possibly are still around by Episode 7 to cause problems.

Now, why The Old Republic canon possibility is important is because of the content. The Old Republic era's main antagonist is the Sith Empire. To put this in perspective, imagine an entire culture and society that centers around force sensitive individuals that clamor for power against one another. It's like a really evil version of Ancient Rome, where the upper class is held up by a massively submissive and subjected slave driven lower class. Complete with families struggling for control over each other. Problem is, as far as I know- the Old Republic era never really clarifies what happens to the Sith. The expanded universe suggests they were all wiped out and only their teachings remained. But that's all 'legends' at this point.

So this is where it all comes together and I'm freely speculating at this point. We catch up with Luke and the gang 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the Empire must be hurting a bit at this point as their two most prominent Dark Sided leaders are dead (The Emperor and Darth Vader). Imperial Leadership is made up of regular folks at this point, but the the Inquisitors still exist and see Luke Skywalker forming a New Jedi Order. The Inquisitors may not have a lot of pull, but they are quick to realize the threat that is involved in the return of the Jedi. In their desperation, they turn to something they don't fully understand and awaken a force long thought to be dead. The Ancient Sith. Who knows, maybe the Emperor knew of the Sith- but even he didn't want to poke that wasp nest. Considering there's little info on where the Sith vanished to- and this is serious speculation: But imagine how cool it would be to see the awakening of a single Sith Lord, who ventures deep into the wild unexplored regions of space to re-establish contact with surviving Sith Colonies. In the Old Republic era, the Republic knew the Sith existed in the unexplored region of the galaxy, but how vast or where exactly the Sith lived remained a mystery. So it's not outside the realm of possibility.

The reason I find this so engaging is because it means wrapping up the saga in a very poetic way. 30 years after Return of the Jedi I can imagine uneasy lines drawn in a galaxy still divided between the Rebel Alliance and Imperial forces. Suddenly a powerful 3rd party shows up and betrays the Imperials and thrusts the galaxy in all out war. The Rebels and Imperials are forced to align together and set apart their differences to end the threat of the Sith once and for all. It would also make for a final end to the Light side / Dark side fighting if Luke's Jedi order and the Inquisitor Sith teachings could find a middle ground where there's this understanding that taking things to either extreme only bloodies the galaxy in their differences of opinion. In order to 'end' Star Wars- there has to be a unification of the force and both sides need to become one. I'd also love to see them become a reclusive monk like order, but maybe that's asking a lot. It would be an order of Batman's basically- only showing up in times of extreme need.

So there it is, my speculation for the Saga. It's vague, but it's supported by a lot of possible scenarios. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Peace is a Lie: Fuck the Jedi

Guess I'm writing another SWTOR blog after all. I've only been playing 4 days now and I'm still pretty early in the game for my Jedi Knight. The problem I've been facing has been plaguing me since the beginning. Are the Jedi really for peace and are they really in the right? This is about to get nerdy- so hold onto your butts.

The Old Republic game is set during one of my favorite periods in Star Wars lore. Set some 3,600 years before the film, the Jedi are a different kind of organization at this point and the ethical line becomes blurry as many blame the Jedi and Sith for many atrocities across the galaxy when the eventual invasion of the Sith Empire burns across the galaxy. But it's important to remember how the Jedi got here and for that- we have to rewind the clocks to the years leading up the war.

Prior to the war, two Jedi- Reven and Malik become aware of the looming insurgence of the Sith Empire. A fact that was denied and ignored by the Jedi as a whole. This marked the first step towards what would become the core fundamental conflict in the Jedi Civil War. Growing increasingly concerned, Reven and Malik urged numerous Jedi to their cause and dived deep into the unknown to seek out and destroy the Sith presence. Unfortunately they found the Sith Empire- but were consumed by it and returned unknowingly as agents of the Sith.

When Reven and Malik returned they attempted to use their accumulated power to overtake the Republic and produce a force strong enough to combat the true Sith. While many can argue that while distorted by the dark side- the intent to save the Republic from itself was still pure at heart. Unfortunately, many in the political realm believed Revin and Malik were the Sith Empire they had warned about and disregarded any further belief in the Sith after the conflict ended.

At a time when the Jedi were still licking their own wounds, the true Sith Empire emerged and wrought devastation upon the galaxy. Which is pretty much where The Old Republic games begins. During a lull in the war, both sides temporarily form a peace treaty. But it's only a pause before the looming storm. It's a really interesting dynamic for the Jedi, they're weaker then ever before and searching out new recruits as quickly as they can train them. But the fundamental question that spurred the The Jedi Civil War is still there. That war- at its core was a question of ethics. Was it ethical to break the law to save a life? How far should someone go when no one listens? The game casts the player in many of the same situations and so far- I'm loosing the light side fight.

As I've mentioned previously, I'm playing as a Jedi Knight and truthfully I understand how Revin fell into that darkness. While my character remains a 'Gray Jedi' cast neither in light or darkness. Many of the decisions that thrust my character towards the dark side are merely because I'm willing to make the difficult decisions. Is it worth sacrificing the lives of a the few for the many? Absolutely. Is it fair- no. I wouldn't argue that it is. But the game itself takes the perspective of the Jedi council of this day and age. Short term victories over the Sith are more important than thinking about the long term future of the galaxy. I would tend to disagree- like Revin the future of the galaxy is at stake, hypothetical trillions upon trillions of people are at risk and while it may not be the popular answer- the lives of a few matter little.

I've never beaten this game and in previous attempts I know only a little more storyline than where I'm currently at. But this is the first time I've jotted down my thoughts on the ethics of this game's message. It will be a lot more interesting of a play for that reason alone.

Return to the Republic

It's been easily over a year since I've sat down to let The Old Republic absorb hours of my life. Needless to say there's been a lot of updates and expansions to SWTOR since I've last played it. Truthfully, I enjoyed the game previously- but the game was out of wack. There were elements that were still being tweaked and changed and ultimately I became discouraged and stopped prescribing.

Now, I love Star Wars- but what I've always loved most is the Old Republic era, set thousands of years prior to the iconic movies, it tells the story of galactic conquest in a much more uncivilized era. You can think of the Old Republic like the height of Ancient Rome. It's big and impressive, with classic enemies like Hannibal and the Roman Emperors. But it's no modern Rome by any extent. That's basically the Old Republic in a nutshell. It's Star Wars- just historically different and the writers and creators have produced a wonderfully fleshed out universe for this era.

After Star Wars was bought by Disney and much of the canon vanished overnight, it seemed like the final nail in the coffin for the Old Republic era. Which made me pretty sad to see it wouldn't be included. Fast forward to today and I recently read this article. The summary being that Disney hasn't said yes- or no. In reality, The Old Republic is no threat to the Disney franchise because it's chronologically so far away from the film saga, which has left SWTOR in a very gray murky area.

“Let me answer it the way they answered it to us,” he said. “Because we asked when this first came up, we were like, ‘What does this mean for us?’ And they were like, ‘Guys, this doesn’t change anything. You tell great Star Wars stories set in this time frame; you continue to do that, and we’ll continue to support you.’

So there you have it. But the article got me thinking back to playing SWTOR and truthfully I had missed playing the game, even if it did have a few shortcomings. So last night I powered up my computer and dropped the $15 for a month subscription and gave it a whirl. A lots changed since I last played and while my biggest fear was that the community might have become very gimmicky in an attempt to keep users attached to the game, in reality that doesn't seem to be the case. There are a few cosmetic additions to the game, such as strongholds you can purchase- which at the moment as far as I can tell are just normal homes you can choose to decorate. But it's all pretty optional.

I'm not sure how much I'll write about SWTOR in the future. It may fizzle on me yet, but for now it's been a refreshing game to return to. For those curious, I've been playing as a Jedi Guardian- but I've turned off the light/dark side indications and let my own personal opinions control the fate of the character. No surprise, but I'm already leaning dark side. The damn Jedi just don't have the stomach to do what's necessary. They'd rather see a clearly evil and twisted man live (to eventually escape or cause further chaos) then end the cycle and stomp out the Sith. It's the whole reason the Sith keep emerging from the shadows! It's ironic that the Jedi are so against killing as it is anyways- there code speaks of peace and only action in a defensive manor, but then send me on missions to root out attacking tribal forces or slaughter entire underworld mob organizations. Sure- you can argue the bad guys attacked first- but after enough blood is on your hands. It just seems like you're trying to justify your blood lust? If you're going to offer me a mission to protect the people- don't make my side mission to kill 20 additional bad guys. Worse yet, don't get pissy when I come to finish my objective and I decide to finish things rather then show restraint and let the bad guys go. Anyways- as usual I'm walking a thin line with the Jedi.