With TOR shaping up as something like:
Republic: Jedi, Trooper, Smuggler
Sith: Sith, Bounty Hunter, Spy
It’s obvious that the Republic could do with bounty hunters and spies at end game… and the Sith could do with soldiers and smugglers at end game. Yet, it seems that BioWare doesn’t want to craft Republic and Sith versions of the same storyline. Why? Because it would be bog down their efforts to make unique class based stories.
So… BioWare… if you are planning for people to play through their storyline and, at some stage, have the choice of changing faction, your concept is full of win, as the kids like to say.
If, however, you aren’t allowing faction swapping via the storyline (and I don’t mean something that can be swapped back and forth – just a genuine, once-only, change), there’ll be a riot.
People will want to play Republic spies and Sith troopers… to deny that is missing a major player need.
My belief is that you WILL allow people to change faction through their initial storyline, so rest assured, I have faith. I think in the wake of bounty hunters being announced as a Sith-specific class, some reassurance that classes will be able to change factions would go a long way to quietening the community down.