Agreed. I'm actually expecting stuff like that in the fad splatbooks.

I could see the addition of a specialization or two that generally has a darker theme by default than the other specs, much as the Aggressor spec for Warrior does (reliance upon fear and intimidation to win fights just as much if not more so than combat skill).

I agree that there doesn't need to be an official "Dark Side" universal spec that one needs to take to become a dark side Force user. That being said, I am revisiting my Dark Side Acolyte universal spec from my Ways of the Force fan supplement with an eye towards making it something akin to the Aggressor, only favoring manipulation over brute force. But it still wouldn't be any sort of requirement to be a dark side Force user. And depending on the career and specs the PC has already, may really not contribute a whole lot to what the PC can do.

This is exactly what I was getting at. I was never suggesting that a specialization be necessary to be dark side. I was simply suggesting a universal spec as a way to keep the darker themed abilities out of the basic careers.

There's no reason why it would need to lock you on a path. If you buy abilities that give you conflict, simply don't use them if you decide to start behaving yourself. You might've "wasted" some experience but you can always go out and earn more. I realize that won't work if the abilities give you conflict for simply having them rather than for when you use them, which I would like to see changed.

Another reason I brought this up was, what about abilities like Sith Alchemy? There's not really a neutral way to use that and as far as I know, there's not really a "light side" opposite to it for a dual application. But it would be silly to keep it out of the game on the basis that everything needs to be neutral and have a dual application. It's also not something I would want to see in one of the careers because I think the careers should stay neutral.

except you said dark side universal specialization....

sith alchemy I think would not be a talent or talent tree I think it would be a force power. And I am sure there are lightside thinks you can do. Like Holocrons. If you look at the dawn of the Jedi books there are non darkside type things they do with alchemy like stuff. like they made a flying rancor.

Why on Tatooine would someone make a flying Rancor? Thats just sick..

If anything, Darksiders and Jedi need signature abilities, not an entire tree dedicated to each school of thought.

Why on Tatooine would someone make a flying Rancor? Thats just sick..

Rancor-dragons are only a legend.