7 hours ago, JinFaram said:

Forgive me if this has been mentioned elsewhere but what is the developer's stance on using dark side pips? Are players expected to use them occasionally?

It's pretty much assumed that PCs will on average be using dark side pips to fuel their Force powers roughly half of the time, especially at Force Rating 1 where you're more likely to wind up with a dark side pip. After all, the PC can certainly feel the Force, but they cannot yet control it.

Once you get to Force Rating 2, it becomes less of an occurrence, while at Force Rating 3 it leans more towards the uncommon.

This is part of the assumption by the writers that most PCs are going earn at least a few points of Conflict each session.

Naturally this all depends on your luck with the dice. I've got a PC with Force Rating 3 in my campaign that frequently makes use of dark side pips because that's mostly what she rolls, but the player makes up for it by generally avoiding undertaking actions that would generate Conflict (PC is a Jedi initiate that survived Order 66, and in my games I don't warn the PCs ahead of time if they're going to earn Conflict from an action, a fact of which I've informed them at the start of the campaign). On the flip side, I've played a PC that frequently rolled double light side pips on his single Force die, making him seem more powerful than he really is. Both of these characters buck the expected trend with regards to the usage of dark side pips.

And like EliasWindrider said, using a dark side pip doesn't automatically mean you're falling to the dark side or doing evil. It just means that you're letting your emotions get the better of you in that moment. How you as the player choose to narrate it is up to you, but usually the emotions in question aren't of the beneficial variety.

Prime example is using Move to save an ally in immediate peril of falling to their death and is currently at short range from you. You need 2 Force pips (one for the base power, one for the Strength upgrade), but with Force Rating 2 you happen to roll a total of 2 dark side pips (1 on each die). The Force user taps into both the fear of loosing their friend and their fondness for that friend to quickly yank them to safety, which in game terms is reflected by suffering strain/Conflict and converting those 2 dark side pips into Force points.

4 hours ago, EliasWindrider said:

Using a darkside force pip doesn't necessarily mean using hate/anger/evilness or doing an evil thing, it can be as simple as not be calm/at peace, i.e. in a state of emotional turmoil when using the force, and if you only use 1 darks idea pip per session when you really need it, and take no other "evil" aka conflict worthy actions, you are still guaranteed to not have your morality decrease.

Honestly, even actions motivated by otherwise positive emotions can be a path to the dark side. The dark side is instinctively tapping into the raw essence of the Force through emotions. You don't need to have those emotions be hate, or anger. Worried for the life of a friend, you use a touch of the dark side to succeed on a Move to stop their fall. Everything about it is positive, but you let your emotions dictate your actions and this creates temptation. Wracked by grief, a Jedi might take the Conflict to spend 4 pips to Heal someone from death. A dancer for a festival who uses the Force to create a more spectacular show might tap into the ecstasy they feel to succeed on their show-stopping move. Out of love for a dying ally, an illusionist might give their friend the chance to "mend" a last regret before they pass though Misdirection, and tap into their desire to make the friend comfortable to keep the illusion.

Hate and anger just have a reputation with the Dark Side because those emotions can be sustained despite changing conditions. Happiness and sadness come and go, but a Sith trains to be able to tap into anger and rage at all times. It would be rather entertaining to play a "dark Force-user" who is insufferably happy because that is how they learned to tap into the Force. It may seem weird, but think of a Force-user that goes wading into battle with a giant grin on their face, relishing performing impossible feats while cutting down enemies. They aren't angry or hateful, but they love fighting and they just don't care about the trail of bodies they leave in their wake. They don't even look back. The redemption arc might start when they stop and notice the sadness that is the result of the carnage. Someone who lives in a permanent state of ecstasy and has never known loss might never even realize how doing what they love might cause so much misery for others. It would not be a standard Morality conflict, but I think it could work.

Guys, thx for this dicussion it was realy intrresting to read, and shortened my subway rides today by a big deal.

Another question to this topic: how do you interpret the gain of force dice? Do you get more Medichlorians or do u just learn to communicate better with them or...?

If you just see it from this game mechanics you increase ur available force points in some curveshape... I will check this shape tomorrow, no I am to tired. Gn8

Using the Force seems to be a mix of natural predisposition, skill, and attitude in the movies and the shows. Force Dice can come.from any of those sources.

18 hours ago, Seguleh said:

Do you get more Medichlorians or do u just learn to communicate better with them or...?

I interpret it as better communication with the Force. It's just another skill, with a different game mechanic.

20 hours ago, Seguleh said:

Guys, thx for this dicussion it was realy intrresting to read, and shortened my subway rides today by a big deal.

Another question to this topic: how do you interpret the gain of force dice? Do you get more Medichlorians or do u just learn to communicate better with them or...?

If you just see it from this game mechanics you increase ur available force points in some curveshape... I will check this shape tomorrow, no I am to tired. Gn8

2 hours ago, whafrog said:

I interpret it as better communication with the Force. It's just another skill, with a different game mechanic.

PRety much this. I see the increase in Force Rating smiply being greater mastery with the Force.