Featured GAME [Interactive Comic] Old Republic Paint Adventures

Well, I finally came back to something resembling spare time. Again - thank you all for waiting up. I've prepared nothing too fancy for today, but we should be in the clear for updates until about mid-to-late June. Can't predict reliably beyond that point.

It's a bit more (or less) complicated than that. I should probably get around to updating the master posts for the Acts to better explain this.

The important thing here to remember is that to maximize our freedom in terms of which potential storylines we could explore, I made the conscious decision to pivot us from Legends continuity to the new canon very early on during the comic's development. Since the original adventure was very insular and character-driven, and most of early Act I didn't have any specific details about its setting other than "This is the Old Republic era!" it allowed me to place it pretty much anywhere in the new canon between the Scourge of Malachor and the Fall of the Old Republic. I chose to place it a lot closer to the latter period, mostly because there's a very slim chance of it being officially explored for quite some time - and yet it was fleshed out enough for me to have something to work with. Mostly an array of events like the Battle of Takodana between the Jedi and the Sith, a young politician from House Valorum and other small facts like that. Checkboxes that could be explored using our characters, or still seamlessly integrated into the background narrative.

However, in doing so, we sacrificed the entirety of The Old Republic's video game setting, since we cannibalized some parts of it that were explicitly used for the old adventure by Lankist, and subsequently this one as well. The Sacking of Coruscant being the prime example, as well as the general power structure of the Sith Empire. I also had to find a way to make Coruscant as the Republic's capital work, because in the new canon - it only became the capital when the Old Republic era ended. By setting it during its twilight years, we're allowed some hand-waving in that regard - and yes, we may potentially see the fall depicted in the comic too - either through our choices, or just as a possibility. As I mentioned earlier, the goal was to maximize our freedom. So instead of yapping on further, and for the sake of brevity:

• KotOR 1 & KotOR 2 probably happened, but I don't know for sure what Lucasfilm plans to do with those, so any references outside of its broad strokes (Revan, the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine) are things I'm avoiding just to be on the safe side.
• SWTOR is probably not canon, or rather the setting doesn't really mesh well with the new continuity. For a time period that's supposed to be over three millennia before Episode IV, it sure is technologically advanced. Darth Malgus probably existed in some form, and even Vitiate to some degree, but we don't necessarily need to allude to these events in any way.
• The Chiss Ascendancy was a fluke, and it paid off well for the comic. I don't know what Zahn plans to do with them, but I know that his stance on Legends lore is "lore that's not yet canon" - so his earlier work on the Chiss was the main foundation on their depiction here. One thing that's interesting to note: the Chiss Ascendancy has a council of admirals as leaders during the time of the movies (from the Thrawn novel) - there is no single Grand Admiral role, because no one should have full power over their military. Was Snote the last Ascendancy Grand Admiral? Overall, lots of things have lined up really well for us on this front, for which I'm glad for.
• The Mandalorian Wars occured probably some unspecified time in the past. Again, I don't know what Lucasfilm intends with this plotline, so outside of a basic mention, I'm avodiding any specific details. It's the driving force of the reactionary nature of Cancerous' character arc, but we don't need it fleshed out to further the comic's Mandalorian storyline.
• The Jedi captured Coruscant from the Sith some centuries (or a century) prior to the comic's events and turned the Sith's haven there into the Jedi Temple. Once the Republic lost its original capital, Chancellor Yen-Zur (the horny bastard currently talking to Jun) took what was left of the Senate during his second term and moved them to Coruscant, with the idea to reinforce the already strong alliance they had with the Jedi Order.
• However, with both forces exhausting their military over decades of warfare, the Sith Empire proposed a peace treaty to the Republic to be signed on Alderaan, a peaceful world. The Dark Council's greed got the better of them, and instead of signing this accord - they pulled what was left of their armada and attacked the new capital, hoping to reclaim Coruscant in the chaos. The attack failed, and they spitefully pulled a "scorched earth" scenario by destroying the Jedi Temple during their retreat.
• This spawned a renewed conflict that is in full brunt during the comic's storyline, yet with both sides warweary and unwilling to trust each other following the Treaty of Alderaan, it's taken a massive toll on the collective "health" of the galaxy.

The orange part is the comic's concrete setting and probably the most important fact in understanding its setting. However, as you all know, the comic is mostly character-driven. You don't need to know these things, and if you do, I'll likely integrate them seamlessly into the plot as we thread along the Acts. The key thing here is carving out the Old Republic era under the new canon lense, whilst respectfully reintegrating Legends into its framework. At the end of the day, we're all here for the jokes and the fun characters, but I'm hoping the efforts to create a setting that allows a lot of narrative freedom and that can stay relevant with the recent Star Wars clime offers a better experience in the end.

Good god, this reccuring suggestion always tends to make my day.

STAN: "I didn't know they still made HK-49 models..."
HK-50: "Correction: I am a HK-50. While I'm sure the difference is nonexistent in your underdeveloped simian mind, I assure you that my processes are operating at beyond optimal capacity compared to the older models."
STAN: "You sure look like an HK-49..."
HK-50: "Annoyed Query: Are you trying to rustle my circuits, meatbag?"



STAN: "No, it just seems like you're being misled here. You don't belong here, do you?"
HK-50: "Wistful Contemplation: Oh... there are days when I wake up dreaming I was an HK-51 model."
STAN: "Wait, can droids actually dream? Can droids even wake up? Something's clearly wrong with your circuits!"
HK-50: "Maybe you are correct. Maybe time has come for me to check."

STAN: "Yeah, about that... I don't suppose you would want me to lend you a hand? It's pretty clear that you don't want to be here. I mean, have you seen their medallions? Absolutely dreadful fashion choices, right?"
HK-50: "Gleeful Affirmation: Oh, how wondrous it is to see that someone agrees with me! Dreadful, absolutely dreadful!"
STAN: "Alright, just unlock these restraints and we'll purge the medallions from existence."

HK-50: "And find out more about my model?"
STAN: "And find out more about your model."



Well... that was SURPRISINGLY EASY and TOTALLY BELIEVABLE.

This is called SUSPENDING your BELIEF, and since you're the most TRUSTWORTHY PERSON around, SUSPENDING one's BELIEF should come extra easy.



STAN: "Where have they taken my stuff?"
HK-50: "Confused Query: Isn't finding out about my origins more important than your poor choice of nutrition?"
STAN: "Nope."

A bit cruel there, Stan?

HK-50: "Reassuring Observation: I like cruelty."
STAN: "That's not very reassuring."
HK-50: "It is to me, meatbag. It is to me."



Congratulations! You have RECEIVED a NEW COMPANION: MODEL-CONFUSED HK-50. He apparently has a DRAMATICALLY DISTURBING INTEREST in FASHION as well! You're not sure if this is ultimately going to be a GOOD or a BAD THING, but you do know that it's most definitely a THING. A THING that's RIDICULOUSLY EASY to EXPLOIT.

Your new pal took you outside of your TORTURE ROOM and pointed you towards the STORAGE COMPARTMENT where most of your STUFF is being held, but in order to get there, you have to pass through this OMINOUS HALLWAY first. Yep. Nothing plot related that you're about to miss here. Absolutely nothing at all.

Just a GENERIC RECYCLED HALLWAY here. Filler content. The location spawned from laziness. The empty place.

What do you do?