This weeks Friday Update features a Developer Blog by writer Joanna Berry as she brings to light some thoughts behind making the Jedi Consular.
My favorite Star Wars™ film has always been The Empire Strikes Back™. But while the battle of Hoth will keep me glued to the screen for that second when the AT-ATs appear out of the snow, the film’s defining moments are on Dagobah, while Luke struggles and trains with Master Yoda.
Before that, the Force was just a word that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader used, for a power whose glory days were long over. But on Dagobah, with Luke, we saw the Force differently; not as some simple trick that made Imperial Stormtroopers look the other way, but something greater. The Force™ is a living energy binding the galaxy as a whole. It is something that, in the hands of a master, could raise a lost X-Wing from the depths of a swamp. And after the cave where Luke faced his greatest fears, we understood the most important lesson for a Jedi: you can’t solve every problem with one stroke of your Lightsaber.
The Jedi Consular knows that lesson better than anyone. Trained in the arts of the Force, driven by curiosity and the search for knowledge, the Jedi Consular sees that through the Force, all things are connected.
As a Jedi Consular, your journey begins among the ruins and forests of Tython, still full of dangers and secrets after so many centuries. But the business of the Jedi Order is never confined to one world. You may find yourself inching through ancient ruins seeking proof of lost cultures, discovering and mastering forgotten Force techniques, planning an assault on an enemy base with Republic armies waiting on your unique insights, or even representing your order to a strange alien culture, whose first question is: “What’s a Jedi?”
And as your knowledge and experience grows, so does your reputation. The Jedi Council will entrust you with its most dangerous and delicate missions. Among the Sith, there will be whispers in the highest circles of a powerful new enemy. Maybe you’ll even get the chance to teach a new generation of Jedi, just as your master taught you.
But the Jedi Consular, more than any other Jedi, constantly walks a fine line. The Force has two sides; truly mastering it requires an understanding of both darkness and light. And a Jedi Consular’s natural curiosity can often lead him or her into trouble. Walking the balance between light and dark can give a Consular incredible power… but that’s when the treacherous thoughts begin creeping in. Don’t worry about falling to the dark side. You’re so smart and powerful, you can resist petty temptations. And even if you discovered some ancient secret that could make you stronger… surely you, with your superior intellect and understanding of the Force, know what’s best?
When developing the story for the Jedi Consular, these were themes we wanted to address – power and wisdom, how Jedi face the dark side, and how they work toward the ideals of the Republic. But the key element of the Consular’s story is mystery, using intelligence and courage to seek the truth. We wanted to capture the journey of Obi-Wan Kenobi – someone who begins with unusual insight and talent, but who is still growing into those powers, learning about the galaxy, and choosing what path to take in life.
This weeks Friday Update features a Developer Blog by writer Joanna Berry as she brings to light some thoughts behind making the Jedi Consular.
My favorite Star Wars™ film has always been The Empire Strikes Back™. But while the battle of Hoth will keep me glued to the screen for that second when the AT-ATs appear out of the snow, the film’s defining moments are on Dagobah, while Luke struggles and trains with Master Yoda.
Before that, the Force was just a word that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader used, for a power whose glory days were long over. But on Dagobah, with Luke, we saw the Force differently; not as some simple trick that made Imperial Stormtroopers look the other way, but something greater. The Force™ is a living energy binding the galaxy as a whole. It is something that, in the hands of a master, could raise a lost X-Wing from the depths of a swamp. And after the cave where Luke faced his greatest fears, we understood the most important lesson for a Jedi: you can’t solve every problem with one stroke of your Lightsaber.
The Jedi Consular knows that lesson better than anyone. Trained in the arts of the Force, driven by curiosity and the search for knowledge, the Jedi Consular sees that through the Force, all things are connected.
As a Jedi Consular, your journey begins among the ruins and forests of Tython, still full of dangers and secrets after so many centuries. But the business of the Jedi Order is never confined to one world. You may find yourself inching through ancient ruins seeking proof of lost cultures, discovering and mastering forgotten Force techniques, planning an assault on an enemy base with Republic armies waiting on your unique insights, or even representing your order to a strange alien culture, whose first question is: “What’s a Jedi?”
And as your knowledge and experience grows, so does your reputation. The Jedi Council will entrust you with its most dangerous and delicate missions. Among the Sith, there will be whispers in the highest circles of a powerful new enemy. Maybe you’ll even get the chance to teach a new generation of Jedi, just as your master taught you.
But the Jedi Consular, more than any other Jedi, constantly walks a fine line. The Force has two sides; truly mastering it requires an understanding of both darkness and light. And a Jedi Consular’s natural curiosity can often lead him or her into trouble. Walking the balance between light and dark can give a Consular incredible power… but that’s when the treacherous thoughts begin creeping in. Don’t worry about falling to the dark side. You’re so smart and powerful, you can resist petty temptations. And even if you discovered some ancient secret that could make you stronger… surely you, with your superior intellect and understanding of the Force, know what’s best?
When developing the story for the Jedi Consular, these were themes we wanted to address – power and wisdom, how Jedi face the dark side, and how they work toward the ideals of the Republic. But the key element of the Consular’s story is mystery, using intelligence and courage to seek the truth. We wanted to capture the journey of Obi-Wan Kenobi – someone who begins with unusual insight and talent, but who is still growing into those powers, learning about the galaxy, and choosing what path to take in life.
For me, the challenge – and the fun – of writing the Jedi Consular is keeping a sense of balance between intelligence and arrogance, between what’s right and what could win the war against the Empire. A Jedi Consular must sometimes accept the grayer path, the less perfect choice. He or she must make the decisions the Republic can’t, in order to save it.
Will you delve into the greatest mysteries of the Force, to master abilities few Jedi ever dream of? Maybe you’ll be driven by a hunger for the past, to explore new horizons and reclaim long-forgotten lore for the Jedi Order. Or you could look to the future, rubbing shoulders with ambassadors and heads of state, and fighting alongside the Republic’s boldest generals.
Then again, perhaps you’ll seek power for yourself, use your wisdom to bend others to your will, and mercilessly destroy all threats to the Republic… even knowing what the cost of victory might be someday.
The choice is yours, Jedi Consular.
