Star Wars: the Old Republic previews the mechanics of Dark vs. Light

The light side and the dark side of the Force are kind of an entire thing in any Star Wars media, especially Star Wars: The Old Republic. But what does it matter if you choose to follow the Light when everyone else follows the Dark? Starting with the game’s next expansion, you’ll get to see the effects with the new Dark vs. Light system that brings in persistent changes to the galaxy as a whole depending on whether darkness or light is making a bigger impact.

Choosing your alignment appears to be as simple as, well, choosing your alignment; dark side characters won’t have to do extra work to “represent” the dark side. Subsequently, actions you undertake will influence an ongoing struggle while also awarding you with tokens to be used at cosmetic vendors. Once one side reaches victory, the war ends for a time, with both the victor and the loser getting a bonus to regroup and gear up for another struggle. It’s an ongoing system to influence the galaxy as a whole for cosmetic rewards; what more could you want? (Our own columnist has some thoughts on exactly that.)