Spoilers for TOR/Revan and ramble/rant.
I'm so sorry. I can do nothing but apologize for what you're about to see...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic?from=Main.StarWarsTheOldRepublic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Revan
Ran across this on TV Tropes. It sounds fascinating and everything, but...I'm still not sure. *Thoughtful* Seriously, I want to like STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC. I really do. I wanted to get optimistic about it from Angry Joe's interview and everything (I heard there's a video where he's actually playing some of the beta; I haven't watched it, but maybe I will sometime), but at the same time, I'm not quite happy with it. The new characters sound interesting, yes, but at the same time, I would like some degree of closure regarding Revan and the Exile. I want awkward party interactions/bickering/poignancy/whatever. I want to roam the Outer Rim looking for the True Sith. I want...some degree of a happy ending regarding Revan and the Exile, because honestly, after everything that they both went through, they deserve it. Unfortunately, let's say that's not what Karpyshyn had in mind, really.
To make a long story short, the second half of the book covers the Exile's journey long after KOTOR II -- and honestly, when I first heard about it, I was pretty psyched. Now granted, I'm mostly going off spoilers here, so you don't have to take my word for it, but...*sighs* Let's say...Scourge kills the Exile, then the Emperor (who, going by the descriptions I've read, sounds like a low budget Darth Nihilus combined with a low budget Palpatine) binds Exile (as a spirit) and Revan in stasis, and keeps them around just to basically mind rape them while they try to resist. And apparently, the Emperor's more powerful than Revan. All well and good, considering that in this canon, he's sort of Revan and Malak's master, really (which doesn't exactly make sense considering that KOTOR II basically cites Kreia as Revan's inspiration, of sorts -- I'm sorry, my memory's a little fuzzy; bear with me), and probably taught them a lot while they were out searching for the Star Forge, but even so... *Sighs* I think that's kind of the problem, really -- it contradicts a lot that was established in KOTOR II. To be fair, Kreia *is* kind of an Unreliable Narrator, but even so... *Sighs* Even putting that aside, let's say it kind of feels like Karpishyn was going through some sort of Creator Breakdown and took it out on the characters. Bastila's left behind to look after Revan's child, Revan and the Exile are kept around by the Emperor as mind-fuck toys, and even T3's disintegrated by the Emperor. I guess it does its job in terms of setting the Emperor up as a threat, but still...
*Sighs*
I think that's my main problem with what I've heard about The Old Republic and Revan -- it feels more like Bioware giving a middle finger to the fans (not helped by Karpyshyn bitching about his fanbase on his blog. Granted, he had some reason for it, especially the fanbase giving him hatemail, but still) than anything else, mostly in terms of the treatment of certain characters, etc. etc. It doesn't help that the EU's kind of going in freefall ever since NJO and LOTF -- I'll admit, I'm slightly worried about what direction it'll take. Perhaps these are just spoilers I'm going off of, so I can't judge, but even so...
And those are my thoughts. Apologies for not making sense -- I'm slightly stressed, tired, and baffled is all. And for the record, I'm not giving the final judgment on Revan/TOR -- if anything, I could be wrong. These are just...other sources. It could make more sense in the game/in the text. Anyone who's played the game or read Revan, feel free to correct me. In the meantime...I just hope that you don't hate me for this.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic?from=Main.StarWarsTheOldRepublic
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Revan
Ran across this on TV Tropes. It sounds fascinating and everything, but...I'm still not sure. *Thoughtful* Seriously, I want to like STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC. I really do. I wanted to get optimistic about it from Angry Joe's interview and everything (I heard there's a video where he's actually playing some of the beta; I haven't watched it, but maybe I will sometime), but at the same time, I'm not quite happy with it. The new characters sound interesting, yes, but at the same time, I would like some degree of closure regarding Revan and the Exile. I want awkward party interactions/bickering/poignancy/whatever. I want to roam the Outer Rim looking for the True Sith. I want...some degree of a happy ending regarding Revan and the Exile, because honestly, after everything that they both went through, they deserve it. Unfortunately, let's say that's not what Karpyshyn had in mind, really.
To make a long story short, the second half of the book covers the Exile's journey long after KOTOR II -- and honestly, when I first heard about it, I was pretty psyched. Now granted, I'm mostly going off spoilers here, so you don't have to take my word for it, but...*sighs* Let's say...Scourge kills the Exile, then the Emperor (who, going by the descriptions I've read, sounds like a low budget Darth Nihilus combined with a low budget Palpatine) binds Exile (as a spirit) and Revan in stasis, and keeps them around just to basically mind rape them while they try to resist. And apparently, the Emperor's more powerful than Revan. All well and good, considering that in this canon, he's sort of Revan and Malak's master, really (which doesn't exactly make sense considering that KOTOR II basically cites Kreia as Revan's inspiration, of sorts -- I'm sorry, my memory's a little fuzzy; bear with me), and probably taught them a lot while they were out searching for the Star Forge, but even so... *Sighs* I think that's kind of the problem, really -- it contradicts a lot that was established in KOTOR II. To be fair, Kreia *is* kind of an Unreliable Narrator, but even so... *Sighs* Even putting that aside, let's say it kind of feels like Karpishyn was going through some sort of Creator Breakdown and took it out on the characters. Bastila's left behind to look after Revan's child, Revan and the Exile are kept around by the Emperor as mind-fuck toys, and even T3's disintegrated by the Emperor. I guess it does its job in terms of setting the Emperor up as a threat, but still...
*Sighs*
I think that's my main problem with what I've heard about The Old Republic and Revan -- it feels more like Bioware giving a middle finger to the fans (not helped by Karpyshyn bitching about his fanbase on his blog. Granted, he had some reason for it, especially the fanbase giving him hatemail, but still) than anything else, mostly in terms of the treatment of certain characters, etc. etc. It doesn't help that the EU's kind of going in freefall ever since NJO and LOTF -- I'll admit, I'm slightly worried about what direction it'll take. Perhaps these are just spoilers I'm going off of, so I can't judge, but even so...
And those are my thoughts. Apologies for not making sense -- I'm slightly stressed, tired, and baffled is all. And for the record, I'm not giving the final judgment on Revan/TOR -- if anything, I could be wrong. These are just...other sources. It could make more sense in the game/in the text. Anyone who's played the game or read Revan, feel free to correct me. In the meantime...I just hope that you don't hate me for this.