Dear Stressed,

Let us first go over the definition of "dating.” Dating is simply referred to as, "an engagement to go out socially with another person, perhaps a romantic interest.” That being said, there is nothing wrong with you dating these two women, even if they were to learn of each other. Asking one to the opera and one to the casino is not something that would be considered wrong or bad. Unless of course, you mix the two up or make dates for the same night.

Now, there is no "gently” when you intend to break someone’s heart. "Crush” will most likely take the news harder than "Mature,” as it seems that her affections are exclusively directed toward you. My advice here, to whichever one you let down, is to be as honest and as truthful as you possibly can be. Don’t burn bridges where you don’t have to. You may find in a few months that you made the wrong decision and would like to try again with the other. As long as you are respectful and honest, the one you left behind may be more receptive to you if you end up wanting to return to their arms.

In closing, my full advice to this situation, Stressed, is that you continue dating both of them for some time longer. Your mind won’t be made up in a standard day. Be sure to be honest with both women, and let them know that you’re not intending on being with someone exclusively, as of yet. As well, if I may, refrain from intimacy with both, other than the occasional stolen kisses. Females tend to become more attached to someone after they have been intimate with them. It may lead to more pain and anguish when you do finally make your decision. Take things with both women slowly, and let the relationships progress as they will. Over time, you will come to a clear decision on which woman to choose.

Best Wishes,
Elza

As many of you know, the Star Wars universe is unique in many ways, one of which being its wide array of advanced technology. With the highly intelligent robots, gigantic information repositories, and the incredibly powerful (and equally complex) vehicles, how could someone be expected to understand even a fraction of all the technology buzzing around them? Or can most get along just fine knowing only how to operate these things without the knowledge of how they truly work?

If you are reading this article, it most likely means you own a computer and know how to use it to gain access to the internet and the content therein. It is less likely that you have an intimate knowledge on how the a computer runs, or even how the internet works on varying levels. With that said, it could easily be assumed that characters in the Star Wars universe have similar depths of knowledge, being able to operate a wide variety of tools without needing an in-depth knowledge of how everything they use works. Have you put time and actual RP into learning more about the technology all around you, or  is your character's "tech" knowledge fluid, allowing them to be more or less knowledgeable depending on what can be beneficial to roleplay?

So how "tech savvy" is your character? Do they have trouble turning on a datapad, or can they hotwire a speeder in a minute flat while slicing your bank account and robbing you blind? Let us know in the comments below! 

In a showing of obvious inability to hold onto the world, several regiments of Republic soldiers have been diverted from the world to our lovely crown jewel of invasion: Balmorra. This truly shows how desperate the Republic is as they send ships of fresh recruits to worlds we have already conquered lacking a resistance front or any possible Republic foothold.

Darth Gravus' brilliant plan which was put into motion was to cut the head off of the Galactic Republic's infestation. Kom Orda—the leader of Republic forces on Taris—was the target of this offensive. Like any Republic worm, Kom's tactics were simply to arm militia and make them fight a war for them. Civilians, no different than our slaves, armed and armored with Republic guns much like the resistance fighters our glorious army crushed on Balmorra. This was a trend which was near its death rattle, and Darth Gravus sought to prove that Kom was a small fish in a large Imperial ocean.

To support this effort and claim, Gravus' apprentice moved out into the settled lands of Taris to disarm and destroy the foul, less-than-human beasts, the Cathar, who have been armed and trained by the fat, doddering old commander known as Kom Orda. Since their near eradication during the Mandalorian Wars, many Cathar communities have set their sights on infesting other planets with their weakness and filth.

Taris was the perfect and fitting end for these "settlers." With startling ease the bipedal animals were slaughtered and their donated weaponry and armor were destroyed in the following firefights. With his peons fleeing or dead, Commander Kom Orda's base was only a stone's throw away from the clenching fist of the Empire.

In another stroke of brilliance from Darth Gravus, the Sith Lord captured a Republic Commando underneath Commander Orda, torturing to retrieve vital information: Commander Orda had hidden walkers stationed around his quarters which were both invisible to sensors and powerful enough to fend off two Imperial regiments. With this grossly offensive play in motion, Darth Gravus sent a two man infiltration team to foil the entire Republic's garrison.

Soon the codes were in hand after the slaughter of the weak-willed operatives which Orda had deployed in the field and a field of Republic and militia forces rested at the feet of Darth Gravus' hand of death. The coordinates for the hidden walkers were given to the Imperial Major Nost—the head of Imperial Bomber Command.

At Darth Gravus' command, the IBC prepared for their surgical strikes at the walkers and a unified assault for the glory of the Emperor. The old purification facility where Orda made his base was to be torn down, his body desecrated and his troops red with their comrade's blood.



The assault began in the late hours of the night, Darth Gravus' apprentice leading the charge through Republic lines as Imperial bombers decimated the hidden walkers and took a hefty toll of collateral damage on weak-minded Imperial soldiers.


With Commander Orda dead and the facility collapsing from the inside, Darth Gravus bestowed his gifts upon those in the assault who were worthy and his conquest of Taris continued in full. With the proverbial beach head secured, the Empire's destruction of Taris is most certainly assured. Cathar and human militia across the planet slowly felt the pressure of the Emperor's finest as the Republic soldiers were engaged and lost. Soon we will oust the Republic from this world and destroy all whom oppose Imperial rule.

Glory to the Empire!

Ire'oth'reena
Kaas City Information Circuit (KCIC) Journalist

"Look, just because you can say anything, doesn't mean you should. I've heard plenty of well-intentioned idiots make a complete mockery of whatever subject they were trying to support just by opening their mouths. Everyone has talents, and for most of the galaxy, speaking coherently ain't one of them. Present company excluded, of course." - BrotherNumberOne

"This may seem like a millennium-old statement, but as a member of the Republic, I'll defend your right to speak freely but don't have to agree with what you have to say. However, the moment your speech becomes actions that threatens others, then said rights no longer protect you. I hope the galaxy will remember that for millennia to come." - Azhandra Rycar, Major

"It doesn't make much professional sense to speak your mind about whatever you think about, without hedging your bets in mind of your work. A lot of people think that freedom of speech affords them the ability to to say what they wish, but employers and clients think otherwise, and we have the right to do what we wish in regards to that. While governments may operate under certain rights and freedoms, your paychecks do not. Just something to think about before you go opening your mouth in public." - Statement from the Corporate desk of Mai Cash, Republic Parcel Service

"All this free "speech” and yet we rarely understand one another. Linguistic-diversity is dangerous. Society walks with a live grenade in its hand! Its detonator has been pressed. If we forget and lift our thumbs from the sensor for but a moment, we will be obliterated. That grenade is poly-lingualism!

You may ask how any sane citizen would forget they carry such an explosive, but they were blind enough to accept it in the first place. Perhaps they do not yet know what it is they carry, like an invalid in the throes of some unknown illness. But that is all irrelevant. Our task now is to deal with the greatest internal threat the Republic has ever faced. Only then will we ever truly have free speech.

Any planet that is genuinely our ally must make Basic its first form of communication. Save their native tongues for culture clubs. Mark my words: our museums may now be filled with artifacts and relics, but the future curators will soon display more dead languages than the trinkets of the deceased that spoke them!

I say we should mix species freely, but keep the language pure. Some sentient life-forms cannot physically speak Basic. If we mix with them we are infecting ourselves with misunderstanding, self-alienation...they are the needle that will sew our mouths shut! Where is our free speech now? Where can our voice truly be heard? One language, one voice, one Republic. True citizens, wake up! In your hands you carry the enemies greatest advantage over us. Now is the time to throw your volatile grenades. Throw them far, throw them hard, and throw them back at the Empire that placed them there to begin with!" - Nikol Turrelia, concerned housewife, Coruscant.

NEXT WEEK'S TOPIC:

Hometown Cultural Heroes!

Shyracks are not the magnificent creatures they are seen to be by the scientific community because of their minor territorial issues and their penchant for gnawing on an overeager Sith. Instead, the Shyrack is known for the mysterious and fascinating event which they participate in once in every sixty-three years: The Purpling of Korriban.

The Purpling of Korriban was a widely recognized event where Shyracks would come forth from all their caves, tunnels, and tombs and blot out the entirety of the sky for every day of each sixty-third GBS year. In their swarming mass of bodies going about their relations and their odd ritual which is genetically ingrained, their blueish droppings literally rain from the sky every day, creating the facade of complete darkness for the entire summer as well as constant, blue rain.

Since the last Purpling of Korriban was before the Great Galactic War, the next one was widely looked forward to by all forms of xenobiologists. Hopefully by the next Purpling of Korriban Sith officials will allow footage of the grandiose spectacle.

Norredi Anlon Dekk
RHN Columnist
Republic HoloNet News Biolife Report
[Shyrack]

Republic RP is suffering a disadvantage of numbers recently. Every server has seen shrinking populations as the newness of The Old Republic has worn off, and other big MMO titles are launching. The Republic has always been the victim of a faction imbalance, so we've been trying to highlight them recently to help turn that around. If you are interested in a Guild Spotlight of your own, you can contact myself of Ganden to officially request one. For now though, read on to see what Ringo has to say about the Hydian Expedition Outfit!

Ringo: Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about the HEO. The Hydian Expeditionary Outfit is essentially a heavy roleplaying guild here on the Lord Adraas server with mixed elements of PvP and End Game content. The emphasis, however, is always on roleplaying and good story writing. Let me explain a little bit about the backstory of our guild.

The HEO is a semi-independent organization with backing from the Republic's SIS as well as anonymous patrons—or benefactors. It began as a response to the Treaty of Coruscant in that all of its founding members were dissatisfied with what they believed to be a surrender to the Empire. The HEO runs along a dual structure. What I mean by that is that we try to include every class into our guild's over-arching story without drowning out our more unique members. To accomplish this task, we've been using the Gav Daragon to represent our organization's capital ship, The Feldspar II. You can consider our guild to be broken up into three cores, with room between each core for unique character concepts. For example, we house our own Grey Order (usually exiles), a company of Marines (played by our troopers), and last but not least we employ Operatives (Smugglers) to work for us.

We do our best not to limit people's abilities to expand their character because of their class, and so we allow people to play technicians, medics, doctors, naval officers, and all sorts of other unique roles that can be filled on the Feldspar or planet side wherever the ship happens to be orbiting. In general, we have anywhere from 1-3 roleplay events a week, we have one night dedicated to hardmodes, and we try to squeeze in time for PvP and other activities. Currently, the guild is running along a larger story arc which encompasses all of our members, but it includes secondary arcs made by the members themselves. At HEO we try to emphasize that while Officers and myself can work as GM's, the members can also craft and guide the story as well.

We felt early on that we wanted to provide a guild to the TOR RP community that offered a unified approach to the class divisions in the game. The guild's independent nature allows us the freedom to mold the classes to our particular needs. Having a guild that dedicates itself to one class, we felt, would be bland and simply another clone of multiple guilds already established. We wanted to offer something different. The diversity of classes has actually helped us; we can tackle multiple roleplay events from different angles. Our events don't necessarily follow the same structure which keeps the RP scene fresh and interesting for all involved.

Certainly. As I said before we've done at least one to three events on a weekly basis, and over the next month and a half we'll be planning a Corellian Campaign which will encompass multiple events across a three or four week period. During these events there will be a mix of text-based RP and in-game objective hunting. We've been known to march into an area and clear it of NPC's as part of whatever operation the HEO is undertaking. Fairly soon we'll be concluding the first leg of our guild's main story arc which stretches all the way back to January. It's very exciting and I can't wait to see it get underway.

In the past, we've done Jedi training events (for Grey characters, of course), drills, reconnaissance, spy missions, and a whole bunch of other fun and exciting activities. We even did a Star Wars-themed April Fools/ Easter Egg hunt. From time to time we also do datacron runs and world boss runs as well.

I haven't much thought to the next stage of our guild's journey. However, a conceptual framework is in the making. I plan to continue the guild such as it has been running since the game's launch, with recruitment drives and more overtures to the larger RP community on the server. For the moment, we're still very interested in developing alliances, as well as rivalries with other guilds on LA. Interested parties can contact me here on the boards. My goal and the goal of the officers of HEO is to provide an engaging format for expansive character roleplaying, and I'm confident that we have a bright future ahead of us.

Actually at the moment we've closed down our doors except for exceptional applications. We're doing this because we've grown exponentially in the past few months and we need some time to absorb the members that we do have. We do plan to open up the application process in the near future, perhaps in a couple of weeks, so please don't hesitate to throw your application up on our website. I just want folks to understand that it might be a little while.

What we look for in recruits are people that have some semblance about what they're doing and who are easy going out of character. We don't like drama in our guild. Other than that, our credentials are listed in our application form!

Without running the risk of bragging, I'd like to think that HEO is one of the large guilds in the SWTOR RP Community and that we have a lot to offer the larger community. In all candor, this is an area I would like to see my guild (and the rest of the guilds for that matter) improve upon. Unless we have strong channels of communication we will never be an effective and close-knit community. For right now we're doing the only things we can do: run events, roleplay in public places, and help those who need it with end-game and PvP content. In short, I would like to see more of an effort from everyone in this community. Lord Adraas needs to remain a strong hub of Star Wars RP.

I imagine it wouldn't differ from any other person playing TOR. They sign on, they're immediately greeted by over a dozen fellow guildies, and then they commence with the act of playing the game. There might be an event going on, or people might be asking for help with heroics or class quests. Usual stuff, mostly.

We do. However, those aspects of the game are not our main focus. I consider them to be supplemental activities to our main focus: roleplaying. We sometimes organize pre-mades, and we dedicate one night a week to hard modes and other end-game content.

I think I'm good. Ah...I just want to say that we're a friendly guild and we're always eager to work with folks even if they're not affiliated with us. Thank you for your time and for the opportunity.

Congratulations! You've received your ship either through hard-won efforts in the Dark Temple, stealing it from someone, reclaiming it from a thief or earning it from your superiors on Coruscant. Now your roleplay can actually begin, right?

Right?

How many of us wait to RP until we get a ship? I'll admit, the ship is pretty convenient (and sometimes necessary) for RP with friends or within your guild. But is it really essential for RP? Certainly we can RP without it, right? For example, a cadre of apprentices on Korriban break tradition and work together to fulfill their masters' designs. Perhaps a couple of Smugglers realize a split profit is better than none at all and work to clear out Ord Mantell of problems.

The point is, the ship may be necessary for RP in certain ways, but one can always find way to do without it. Do you RP without your ship? If so, what sorts of things do you normally do? Post below and tell us all!

Dear Rakgirl,
 
Quite the situation you have gotten yourself into, hmm?  First, let’s discuss the vague way you speak of how you love your "dualist.” You say that you love him but differently than your first boyfriend. Yet you say nothing more on this. Why? Do you love the Dualist less than the first boyfriend? Is it a relationship of convenience? A mutual understanding so neither of you are alone? If this is the case, the relationship will not last in the long run as you will both eventually look for something more emotional and strengthening.

As with everything in the galaxy, there is balance. Life and death, light and dark; the Force itself maintains its own balance. I may get a lot of backlash for what I am about to say, but for the purpose of this submission I am going to say it anyway. The studies that have been done thus far on the Force, it is said that there is no distinguishing properties to separate the Light side from the Dark side. The moral compass of the sensitive beings is the only reason there is a difference. While the Light side embraces peace, justice, benevolence and the like, the Dark side embraces passion, fear, anger and hatred.

The Light side of the Force takes time and patience to master. I have been told that it is always a tedious and trying process to maintain. If patience is a key to the use of the Light side, the use of the Dark side would represent the opposite. Passion, fear, hatred, anger are all instant emotions. These emotions form quickly and can be used instantly. Doing my best to step back and look at both in a neutral way, the Dark side of the Force seems to be the more gratifying of the two. I could see how someone trained in the uses of the Light side would find the Dark side entrancing, addicting to a point.  

There have been very few in history which have been able to conquer both the Light side and the Dark side of the Force. In the very least, be able to use both sides in a manner fit for daily living. The Dualist's goals of trying to take down the Sith from the inside may be a bit…grand. More or less, I believe he has fallen into a need for instant gratification and would become fully enveloped in the powerful emotions of the Dark side if given the chance.

Your choices here are minimal. If you tell him you would rather he not become any more involved with this Darth, you risk the chance of losing this "different” love. If you tell him to go, you still run the heavy risk of losing him anyway. Dark side training is ruthless, and he may die in the process. My advice is to take the route of the lesser of the two evils, whichever one it may be. You need to figure out which way would hurt you less, and move in that direction.

Best Wishes,
Elza

In movies, comics, books, and plays, it is usually very easy to tell who the "bad guy" is from the get go. Some are plain old evil, while others or more ambiguously evil. No matter the particular flavor of evil though, we can usually identify said evil very quickly. But does your character know or think he or she is evil? How do you roleplay a character who is truly "evil" versus a character whose evilness could be debated?

When a Star Wars fan needs to adequately describe a quintessentially evil character, Darth Maul is a perfect fit for the bill. He looks evil, he talks evil, and he acts evil. He's one dimensional in that sense. The moment he appears on screen, you think, "That is one evil Zabrak" (or horn guy if the word Zabrak escaped you). Even so, did he think he was a bad guy? Or did he think he was doing what needed to be done for the "good" of the galaxy? Palpatine wanted to control the galaxy, but he acted as if it was the best thing for it. He must have felt as the most powerful being, he was doing right by the galaxy, right? Has any evil being, real or fake, ever actually thought of themselves as evil?

Right and wrong and good and evil are not always as easy to identify as we would like. But there are beings that do evil things and could be defined by those actions as being evil. But as a group of (hopefully) non-evil people, how do we roleplay evil characters? Are they classically evil, or do they live in a perpetually grey sector of morals? Do they know what they do is wrong and simply not care, or do they think they are doing good in a unconventional manner? Well, let us know in the comments below!

"The name's Boomer. I usually run spice, but I decided this week to take on something a little less...deadly." Hank responds to Boomer with his own name, and in turn, Jack and Bow introduce themselves to Boomer. Not every introduction will go this easily or in this manner. But, it is an example of walk-up RP.

2. Story-line Based RP

Boomer's "handler's" name is Joe. Joe is friends with Nikki in real life, and she has just decided to get involved with RP. So, Joe and Nikki set down a basic storyline for their two characters to play out. Nikki tells Joe out of character (OOC) that she would like to start a relationship with Joe's character Boomer. Joe agrees and they set about discussing how Nikki's character—named Sela—and Boomer will meet and where they want to take the storyline. When everything is set to basics, the RP begins. Sela and Boomer meet on a vacation to Alderaan, and they spend a few days together.

This is a simple example of storyline based RP. Now, I'm going to get more in depth.

Boomer's clan, "The Dogs," discuss OOC over their chat server that they want to get together and do some large RP that includes all thirty members of their clan being involved. So, after an hour of discussion, they decide to set up an event on their calendar to take down the world boss on Voss, but they will do it in character. The details of the event, times, etc are all set on the clan's website and they wait for the designated time and day. When it comes, all thirty members join up in a group/party/ops and head to Voss, conversing in character about what they want to do, how, etc. Boomer's clan leader lays down the rules to the fight and things go on from there.

These types of events are a lot of fun to be involved in and I highly recommend getting involved with them when you see them happen. SWTOR-RP has a great listing of server events. It is a good way to see what is going on and to get involved. Large scale RP events are also a great way to learn how to multi task conversations as well as a great way to meet new people to RP with!

3. Private RP

This speaks for itself on most levels. It usually happens between two characters that are close friends or partners. These RP conversations generally take place in /whisper chat or /party chat. There isn't much explaining to do here. If the two parties are friendly, they are less likely to be drastically strict on their RP etiquette. The designated speaking zones are usually established thereafter. Party chat may be designated as in-character discussion, while whisper may be set as OOC discussion. This leaves less confusion and allows for two conversations to be going on at once.

I'm going to state now, I do not plan on discussing ERP as that is a personal thing some choose to do and others choose to not do. But always remember to make the first kiss memorable!

Seemingly pessimistic at first, Captain Aureav's words are nonetheless true. While our government is doing all that it can, there will always be spies and corrupt officials which slither their way through the system to tap into the tree of bureaucratic credit flow, but this comes with all governments including the Sith Empire and, especially, the Hutt Cartel.


The power of voting is the most powerful element in the Galactic Republic. While many take it for granted and even more neglect the ability to do it, any corrupt official or entity can be taken down with the proper application of voting prowess. The events on Coruscant in the Old Galactic Market recently proved this as almost the entirety of the immigrant population registered to vote and dethroned over 5 sector representatives, voting in replacements which have proven to be both more fair and efficient with their credits. New housing for recent citizens has proven this, as once the Old Galactic Market was secured by Coruscant Security Force personnel construction began. The power to control our government lies in our hands and no one else's.


Standing as an admittance that the Sith and the Republic are equally as corruptible, it is amazing to see that even in spite of summary execution that those within the Sith Empire still attempt to gain the advantage either financially or through their hierarchy. While many would think that their harsh methods and brutal operations would dissuade many, apparently it does not. Even many Imperial defectors are drawn to the Hutts and Republic through offers of credits and a better, less lethal life. While many cannot deny the efficiency of the Imperial Moffs, anyone who has been under their rule can attest to their flippant attitude towards any planetary issue other then themselves making money.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what part of space you're from, there will be corruption and a bad taste in someone's mouth no matter whose in charge. We can only hope that over time we as a galactic community will be more at ease being honest than we are at having secret or greedy ambitions.


Be sure to discuss this week's topic on the RHN Voices of the Republic HoloNet forum or submit a brief topic in response to this article. Conversations are encouraged, yet are not moderated!

For every voice, let there be an ear to listen.

Republic Holonet News
Voices of the Republic Edition

Once upon a time, there was a Stormtrooper who could not make clearance on a blast door. Years later, his predecessor Jango Fett seems to have had the same problem. Simple decisions can create storyline alterations.

Members of SWTOR-RP come in many shapes and sizes, and no, I'm not making reference to physicality. Our members comprise of casual users who log in from time to time; forum-dwellers whose main activity is lurking about and posting on the forums; creative-critters who create wiki articles and journal and story entries; and finally we have the lurker. The latter group can be compared to a night owl: they browse the forums and articles on the front page, though they hardly ever make themselves known. 

One such individual who falls into the "lurker" category is Sorrik. As a Bounty Hunter on the roleplaying server Lord Ieldis and a member of SWTOR-RP, Sorrik is looking to learn the ways of RP by finding like-minded players and possibly a guild to join. However, if your vocabulary consists only of words such as GTFO, LMFAO, and n00b, look no further. Your kind is not wanted here. You're either too young to understand the concepts of RP and probably don't know what I mean when I say, "You are what you eat," or you just never hit puberty and still think that the Easter Bunny actually lays its eggs. For the rest of you (and I hope by that I mean all of you), continue reading as we get to know Sorrik in this Member Spotlight.