The Force is confusing

[Panda Hermit 98]

Now, this might just be because I'm hilariously tired, but as a semi casual kind hardcore star wars fan, within the context of this site, or even within star wars itself...The Force is confusing. Does anyone else agree with me? I mean, to me, if you were to go on an alignment scale, it seems like if you want to be a force sensitive, you're essentially condemning yourself to either a life of Lawful Good, or Chaotic/Lawful Evil, with no real room for going somewhere inbetween. I don't mean in a Grey Jedi sense, I just mean in general, what defines the aspects of the force a person can use, what decides whether or not you can use force lightning or force crush, I mean, The Dark Side has all the cool abilities, but I need to be an asshole to use them, and for that matter, why are all sith lords evil.

I mean, the Dark Side draws on emotion and passion doesn't it, why do those emotions and passions have to be from anger and hatred and malice, why not sadness? happiness? love? joy? fear? Is it just a sith job requirement that you need to be an evil a-hole? I'm not the kinda guy that likes to fry people till they scream for mama, all I'm asking is, if Mace Windu can use force crush and employ a fighting style that puts him on the Dark Side's doorstep without becoming a sith, can we not do that too.

EDIT: I don't know what the hell I was smoking when I wrote that, but either way, I'm quite interested now, what is the word of God when it comes to the ability to wield certain force powers and abilities, can you be a Jedi capable of using one or two Dark Side abilities? a Sith capable of using Light Side abilities? or is it a hard line that we cannot use any abilities but the ones on our side of the fog of power?

 

[Kaane]

There are plenty of exotic Force Sects, but generally most are either light or dark in character. Honestly if you REALLY REALLY fleshed it out you could probably submit an unorthodox way of using the Force. But generally I dont' believe it's possible.

In regards to Jedi using Dark Side powers, it's plausible to assume that certain actions can be done with a clear mind. If Plo Koon can use Force Lightning to incapacitate someone, I imagine stuff like that can work. But killing and torture with the Force is pretty much a no-no...I imagine Mace was probably pretty heavily scarred by the Dark Side when he nearly crushed Grievous' heart. If he killed him outright through such a brutal execution it would've been even worse on him.

For a Sith to be capable of using lightside stuff is pretty much impossible though. You need to connect and surrender yourself to the Force and empty your mind when you're accessing it, a la buddhism. Sith are so full of uncontrolled rage and fear that it'd probably be impossible for them to clear their mind, not to mention I imagine bodies steeped in the Dark Side would physically get sick at trying to use it even if they could.

Boli's Dark Side Corruption and You Article is probably the best thing we have on site that explains this better.

Edit: A Quote from the Force Powers Guide that's also relevant:

Exotic Sects
There are many sects of study beyond the traditional Jedi and Sith orders, each with their own unique interpretation of the Force and of the powers granted, from dedicated monastic orders through to spiritual shamans and primitive covens of witches. While the interpretations of these groups may differ from the traditional views of the Force, they too are in one form or another, bound by the same rules the Force imposes upon all Force users. Some studies of the Force may not require a specific sensitivity to it, and so only the most gifted and dedicated of students may learn to harness its power - for these individuals, however, the power of the Force must come from an external source, and the effects on the practitioner remain consistent with the above descriptions. Such sects may use seemingly wild or exotic powers, but they are inevitably merely variants on the fields described above, and as such are bound by the same rules that govern the Force. Though philosophies may differ, the governing laws that rule all those who dabble in the power of the Force remain consistent.

 

[Valen Pelora]

I write this every time it comes up. One day, I will go more than two weeks without having to address this issue.

There are "neutral" powers. A force push, a force pull, jump, and others. Using the Force to crush a droid is not an inherently evil act because (sad as it is) droids are not living creatures. That is much different than using the Force to crush someones chest, that would be an undeniable use of the Darkside. It is important to understand that a Jedi Knight may be able to use a "Darkside" power. However, it would be very difficult to do so and the more they use that power the more profound affect it has on them. The corruption starts from the very first use.

The stronger a Force user becomes in the Lightside or Darkside, the harder it is to use the counter part. A Sith could use a "Lightside" power but the same rules apply. It would be very difficult for a Sith Lord to use a "Lightside" power. The Order's official stance is any use of a "Darkside" power is a perversion of the Force and a total break from the Order.

It is important to note that emotion does not equal evil or the Darkside. This topic has been written on extensively elsewhere on the site, I can provide the links if further questions remain.

 

[Gamov]

It is important to understand that a Jedi Knight may be able to use a "Darkside" power. However, it would be very difficult to do so and the more they use that power the more profound affect it has on them. The corruption starts from the very first use.

Just like to jump in here with a quick thought re: Dark Side = Insta Corruption.

This has been one of my sticking points with how the Force has been handled since the beginning of the timeline, and subsequently part of the reason I don't like writing Force sensitives anymore. It has always struck me as somewhat "meta" of the site to impose this stricture upon Force sensitives that if, for any reason, you tap in to the Dark Side, your character must suffer corruption or somehow be warped by its influence. Personally, I don't necessarily believe implicit use of the Dark Side in any facet but the most extreme should be treated as an automatic precursor to tainting one's character. And canon would seem to agree with me given how many times we have seen Jedi tread the line, or outright cross it, with little ill effect.

To put this thought in a little more context:

One could argue that much of Anakin's behavior throughout Ep. II and III was decidedly ambiguous and tread very close to Dark Side territory (i.e. - massacring the Tusken camp out of hate/anger). And yet none of his actions alone were able to pull him down the path to the Dark Side. Not even executing Dooku in cold blood was enough to give him the yellow eyes, a maniacal cackle and a love for planet destroying super weapons. In the end, it was the influence of a man, rather than a particular way of viewing a cosmic energy field, which propelled him to become evil. And I firmly believe his eventual fall was meant to be shown that way to illustrate the point that free will still plays a very big role in the dichotomy between Light and Dark in the Force. In the end, Anakin chose to become Darth Vader. The Dark Side did not compel him into that role.

So in a sense, the way the site handles the Force and its definitions of Light vs. Dark is not only somewhat contrary to the overarching canon, which itself is something of a lesson in understanding why arguably the darkest and most sinister character in the franchise (Darth Vader) became who he was, but it has the effect of diluting one's ability to exert their creative freedom (e.g. free will) over their character. Oh sure, my Jedi might be able to make a morally ambiguous choice, but if he so much as glances at the Sith for inspiration he's doomed before he even makes his choice.

Just my two cents.

Carry on.

 

[Ulysses]

A second, though not unrelated, thought I've been having that I think the site's treatment may be missing is taking character into account. By which I mean that a Sith just is the sort of person to let themselves go with hate and anger - and hate and anger are the fuel for the dark side - as well as being the sort of person to have a penchant for death rays.

Now even without the force, it's not quite as simple as that - experience and actions have an effect on character, just as much as character drives experience and actions: finding out your mum's dead drives hate & anger and once you've killed one tribe of tuskens, the next becomes easier and so on. Throw in the direct influence of the dark side and it's a potent cocktail, but the way I read it, it's the persons character which is the missing link between force lightning and the connected evil actions.

 

[Valen Pelora]

To clarify, morally ambiguous decisions (at least in my mind) do not make one necessarily Light or Dark. I'm going to address this from the Jedi viewpoint. There are plenty of Jedi who have done questionably moral things (see: @Phoenix and @Relent). That is different than using the Darkside. It might make it easier for them to use a Darkside power, but it is not the same as corruption. The Jedi are at war. They will forgive "grey" choices but the moratorium on the Darkside still applies.

 

[Gamov]

To clarify, morally ambiguous decisions (at least in my mind) do not make one necessarily Light or Dark. I'm going to address this from the Jedi viewpoint. There are plenty of Jedi who have done questionably moral things (see: @Phoenix and @Relent). That is different than using the Darkside. It might make it easier for them to use a Darkside power, but it is not the same as corruption. The Jedi are at war. They will forgive "grey" choices but the moratorium on the Darkside still applies.

Honestly, that only muddies the waters even further as it has been implicitly stated within canon that certain emotional states are gateways to the Dark Side (i.e. precursors to corruption). Yoda said as much multiple times throughout the films, both to Luke and Anakin in attempts to train them to ward themselves against certain thoughts and feelings. It seems to me, then, with the way the Force is handled in this timeline that a Jedi Order so wholly devoted to squelching the Dark Side at every corner wouldn't tolerate morally ambiguous behavior from its members as such actions would (theoretically anyway) leave them more open to being influenced by the Dark Side.

Of course, I know little about the way the Jedi operate in this timeline because they are (frankly) so wholly divergent from anything we have seen in canon that I am beginning to believe their "holy crusade" against the Sith was set up as more of a gimmick to drive the overarching war story, as opposed something that would actually help the faction flourish from an ideological and philosophical point of view.

For example, it would seem to me that a Jedi Order so thoroughly embroiled in conflict against the Sith - to the point of absorbing the military power of the Republic after its fall to help bolster their cause - would be less tolerable of members of their order placing value on personal relationships over their duties to the Order and the war effort. Wouldn't it make more sense for the Order to want to staunch any dissident behavior among their ranks to further their goals in the war against the Sith? Without placing blame on any particular person(s), the Jedi in this timeline have been very confused and disjointed to the point where multiple FLs have had to define and redefine the difference between the Army and the Order. Which has no doubt been a major source of confusion among new members, I'm sure. And I believe this confusion is made doubly so by the murky definitions by which the Force is approached.

Using the Dark Side itself = corruption. But using emotions and feeling which are (according to every canon source) related to the Dark Side seemingly have no bearing on this subject. It's all rather uncertain.

 

[Valen Pelora]

Honestly, that only muddies the waters even further as it has been implicitly stated within canon that certain emotional states are gateways to the Dark Side (i.e. precursors to corruption). Yoda said as much multiple times throughout the films, both to Luke and Anakin in attempts to train them to ward themselves against certain thoughts and feelings. It seems to me, then, with the way the Force is handled in this timeline that a Jedi Order so wholly devoted to squelching the Dark Side at every corner wouldn't tolerate morally ambiguous behavior from its members as such actions would (theoretically anyway) leave them more open to being influenced by the Dark Side.

Of course, I know little about the way the Jedi operate in this timeline because they are (frankly) so wholly divergent from anything we have seen in canon that I am beginning to believe their "holy crusade" against the Sith was set up as more of a gimmick to drive the overarching war story, as opposed something that would actually help the faction flourish from an ideological and philosophical point of view.

For example, it would seem to me that a Jedi Order so thoroughly embroiled in conflict against the Sith - to the point of absorbing the military power of the Republic after its fall to help bolster their cause - would be less tolerable of members of their order placing value on personal relationships over their duties to the Order and the war effort. Wouldn't it make more sense for the Order to want to staunch any dissident behavior among their ranks to further their goals in the war against the Sith? Without placing blame on any particular person(s), the Jedi in this timeline have been very confused and disjointed to the point where multiple FLs have had to define and redefine the difference between the Army and the Order. Which has no doubt been a major source of confusion among new members, I'm sure. And I believe this confusion is made doubly so by the murky definitions by which the Force is approached.

Using the Dark Side itself = corruption. But using emotions and feeling which are (according to every canon source) related to the Dark Side seemingly have no bearing on this subject. It's all rather uncertain.

 

[Gamov]

I hate to sound confrontational, but "you do you" is a mantra I have oft seen repeated since the inception of this timeline. The only problem with the "you do you" philosophy is that whenever a person does want to strike outside the box and be adventurous (especially with Force sensitive characters), others are very quick to throw the rule book at them to tell them exactly why they can't do that. People can't practice the the Force in shades of grey because "that's not how it works in canon." Yet on the flip side, you can make morally reprehensible choices as a Jedi and suffer no ill effects even though canon shows us such things do indeed have an impact.

Oh yes, "you do you" - but - "you do you... within these boundaries."

Again, it's nothing against you personally, and I don't mean to sound confrontational. But the idea of freeform RP has been clashing with a strict adherence to rules drawn up to support a new canon which is itself still developing. I know this site prides itself on paralleling canon as much as possible, but when it comes to ideas such as the Force and it's spectrum between Dark and Light, it seems much has been sacrificed in the way of affording writer's creative freedom in order to conform to a canon which is itself still very uncertain on "grey" aspects of the Force. I believe people have made reference, and had debates, over the validity of a certain character from the Clone Wars (or maybe it was Rebels?) series and whether or not they were a "grey" Force sensitive. Forgive my lack of knowledge with this, I don't watch either series, but I know I have seen this argument brought up before regarding "grey" Force users as the Rebels and Clone Wars series are considered canon.

At any rate, this whole "no grey Force users" idea feels very cherry picked and imposed simply because some weren't satisfied with how it was expressed in the last timeline. And personally, I have yet to see the benefit of denying writers the ability to follow that path. As I have said before, just because this site conforms to new canon does not mean the influence of "old canon" just vanishes. People are familiar with the Expanded Universe, and effectively ripping some of the pages on the Force out and throwing them in the furnace because Mickey Mouse doesn't agree feels... unwise.

 

[Panda Hermit 98]

I suddenly imagine a bunch of Sith Lords about to kill a Jedi, and suddenly their lightsabers all shut off. When they check them, they find the crystals missing and wonder what the hell. Then Valen appears and explains that new Canon establishes Sith lightsabers as using real Kyber crystals (It was established in the Comic series set immediately after revenge of the Sith), therefore they never used synthetic crystals, therefore the Sith never filled their lightsabers with crystals. Then all the people they killed with their sabers come back to life and the Sith implode whilst colonel Campbell complains that the whole situation created a massive TIME PARADOX

 

[Valen Pelora]

I hate to sound confrontational, but "you do you" is a mantra I have oft seen repeated since the inception of this timeline. The only problem with the "you do you" philosophy is that whenever a person does want to strike outside the box and be adventurous (especially with Force sensitive characters), others are very quick to throw the rule book at them to tell them exactly why they can't do that. People can't practice the the Force in shades of grey because "that's not how it works in canon." Yet on the flip side, you can make morally reprehensible choices as a Jedi and suffer no ill effects even though canon shows us such things do indeed have an impact.

Oh yes, "you do you" - but - "you do you... within these boundaries."

Again, it's nothing against you personally, and I don't mean to sound confrontational. But the idea of freeform RP has been clashing with a strict adherence to rules drawn up to support a new canon which is itself still developing. I know this site prides itself on paralleling canon as much as possible, but when it comes to ideas such as the Force and it's spectrum between Dark and Light, it seems much has been sacrificed in the way of affording writer's creative freedom in order to conform to a canon which is itself still very uncertain on "grey" aspects of the Force. I believe people have made reference, and had debates, over the validity of a certain character from the Clone Wars (or maybe it was Rebels?) series and whether or not they were a "grey" Force sensitive. Forgive my lack of knowledge with this, I don't watch either series, but I know I have seen this argument brought up before regarding "grey" Force users as the Rebels and Clone Wars series are considered canon.

At any rate, this whole "no grey Force users" idea feels very cherry picked and imposed simply because some weren't satisfied with how it was expressed in the last timeline. And personally, I have yet to see the benefit of denying writers the ability to follow that path. As I have said before, just because this site conforms to new canon does not mean the influence of "old canon" just vanishes. People are familiar with the Expanded Universe, and effectively ripping some of the pages on the Force out and throwing them in the furnace because Mickey Mouse doesn't agree feels... unwise.

If you feel this strongly about the topic you should address that with the staff. I have outlined my understanding of the rules and how they have been enforced by the staff, and other faction leaders. I will continue to handle this topic in line with that understanding.

 

[Loco]

If you feel this strongly about the topic you should address that with the staff. I have outlined my understanding of the rules and how they have been enforced by the staff, and other faction leaders. I will continue to handle this topic in line with that understanding.

This isn't the first time I've seen "take it up with the staff" thrown out as a discussion ender, and I think its incredibly unproductive. Personally, I've always found community discussion to be the best starting point when it comes to addressing an issue here. It allows people to discuss a problem or potential problem from multiple sides and talk about possible implications before something is pushed to the staff as an official "problem". It's good for everyone to see different sides of an argument. "Dems da rules, suck it" isn't helpful if you can't offer an explanation of why dems da rules.

Personally, I don't have a dog in this fight because I don't typically play Jedi or Sith either one, but I do kinda think TBBM and Gamov have a point- when you think about it, the way the rules for the Force and characters emotions are applied is sort of incongruous with canon.

I dunno how much of it is potential balance or RP issue though.

 

[Valen Pelora]

This isn't the first time I've seen "take it up with the staff" thrown out as a discussion ender, and I think its incredibly unproductive. Personally, I've always found community discussion to be the best starting point when it comes to addressing an issue here. It allows people to discuss a problem or potential problem from multiple sides and talk about possible implications before something is pushed to the staff as an official "problem". It's good for everyone to see different sides of an argument. "Dems da rules, suck it" isn't helpful if you can't offer an explanation of why dems da rules.

Personally, I don't have a dog in this fight because I don't typically play Jedi or Sith either one, but I do kinda think Bas and Gamov have a point- when you think about it, the way the rules for the Force and characters emotions are applied is sort of incongruous with canon.

I dunno how much of it is potential balance or RP issue though.

I did not write this particular set of rules, or form the current interpretation of the rules. The community is free to discuss their issues but ultimately the staff has the final call on the rules. This topic actually has been extensively discussed in a number of threads with the general consensus being the current state of the rules is an accurate portrayal of the Force.

I have input in how the Jedi operate, not how the rules are regarded a whole. I have made the Jedi's position clear (as I always try to do). So far, that position has worked pretty well for us.

 

[Loco]

I did not write this particular set of rules, or form the current interpretation of the rules. The community is free to discuss their issues but ultimately the staff has the final call on the rules. This topic actually has been extensively discussed in a number of threads with the general consensus being the current state of the rules is an accurate portrayal of the Force.

I have input in how the Jedi operate, not how the rules are regarded a whole. I have made the Jedi's position clear (as I always try to do). So far, that position has worked pretty well for us.

I think it's the things outside the written letter of the rules that are more in question- namely the regular Jedi tolerance of things that, in canon, are explicitly stated as being courses of action that either lead to or open an individual to darkside corruption.

 

[Kaane]

If I can somewhat add to this conversation, I believe the current site rules on the Force are there not just to attempt to emulate canon but also to make it fair in regards to RP and collaborative storytelling. When it comes to PvP, someone who can use both Light and Dark Side powers naturally has a doubled advantage over people who can only use one side of the Force. And when it comes to storytelling, it's very easy to morph a Grey Jedi into a Mary Sue. Tends to be what they go towards. Ultimate enlightenment. "I can totally understand both sides of the Force, i'm not trapped by the dogma of the Jedi but i've got a heart unlike the Sith, i'm obviously smart and wise enough to walk the thin line between them, and powerful enough to use both sides effectively in combat." Honestly doesn't sound like a fun character to RP or RP with. There's no growth potential, he's already reached full center. That's what the Force is always trying to do, like a pendulum swinging back and forth; it wants balance. If you are already balanced, there's nothing left for you to do in the Force's eyes but just kind of exist.

At least, I hope that clears up some of the Grey Jedi stuff. Idk about the rest I can't philosophize this hard ._.

 

[Sakie]

As some of you probably realised, I'm usually on the side of the Grey Jedi when this conversation comes about - which it does. A lot.

So.

@Kaane. I totally agree with most of what you're saying. But ideally, or at least in my opinion, it should be up to the writers not to write a Mary Sue. We have some absolutely fantastic writers here (and one of the best is @Gamov); so if you can't avoid writing a Mary Sue Grey Jedi then just don't write a Grey Jedi; it's fairly simple. I know that many of us could write Grey Jedi without making them Mary Sues; ideally, the concept of using a Grey Jedi would be more about the philosophy of being Grey, and less about Oh yeah! I can have light side and dark side powers too? Awesome. If the admins/mods (specifically @Zenya being the character mod) see a Grey Jedi that is (or is becoming) a Mary Sue, then they could easily let the writer know that they need to change some things up...

But eh. That's just my two cents.

 

[Outlander]

Honestly, I just think everyone should wait until Episode 7 comes out later this year. From the teaser, it already looks like the balance between the dark side and the light side is going to be a major part of the movie, and changing anything before then seems premature when there's such an ideal point of reference in the near future.

 

[Sakie]

Honestly, I just think everyone should wait until Episode 7 comes out later this year. From the teaser, it already looks like the balance between the dark side and the light side is going to be a major part of the movie, and changing anything before then seems premature when there's such an ideal point of reference in the near future.

Agreed. I was actually going to mention that in my previous post just forgot to~

 

[Gamov]

I did not write this particular set of rules, or form the current interpretation of the rules. The community is free to discuss their issues but ultimately the staff has the final call on the rules. This topic actually has been extensively discussed in a number of threads with the general consensus being the current state of the rules is an accurate portrayal of the Force.

I have input in how the Jedi operate, not how the rules are regarded a whole. I have made the Jedi's position clear (as I always try to do). So far, that position has worked pretty well for us.

As @Loco said, my issues here have been taken with how the Jedi operate with regards to what we are familiar with in canon. So it isn't so much the Force I find confusing, but the way in which the Jedi have operated with regards to it thus far. I suppose I do find it a little confusing that we have eliminated shades of grey in the Force, especially considering morally grey choices seem to be allowed; if not the status quo among the Jedi. Almost like a... "be a Grey Jedi without breaking the Force rules" card (except without it being implicitly stated, but rather inferred). But that argument is somewhat disconnected from the point I am trying to make at the moment.

The Jedi Order of this timeline was explicitly crafted to be more militaristic and aggressive than previous iterations of the Order. So much so in fact that the Jedi Order as most know it didn't even exist ICly at the beginning of the timeline: the Jedi Army was the law of the land. It has only been since the time skip that we have seen a reemergence of the Order proper. As I said before, the idea of a Jedi faction that was designed to have an almost zealot-like mindset against the Dark Side is incongruent with many of the softer tones we see allowed (personal romances, marriages, even relationships across faction lines). The fact that such activities are not looked upon with with equal suspicion by the same Order who wants to actively engage in military conflict with the Sith is a contradiction.

You can't really say "Burn the Sith! The Dark Side is heresy!". But then turn right around and allow your members a pass on morally ambiguous behavior. At that point, the Jedi Order is really establishing an IC moral equivalency with the Sith, but with the unfortunate hypocrisy of being their choices being "right" because the Light side of the Force is the "good" side.

If I can somewhat add to this conversation, I believe the current site rules on the Force are there not just to attempt to emulate canon but also to make it fair in regards to RP and collaborative storytelling. When it comes to PvP, someone who can use both Light and Dark Side powers naturally has a doubled advantage over people who can only use one side of the Force. And when it comes to storytelling, it's very easy to morph a Grey Jedi into a Mary Sue. Tends to be what they go towards. Ultimate enlightenment. "I can totally understand both sides of the Force, i'm not trapped by the dogma of the Jedi but i've got a heart unlike the Sith, i'm obviously smart and wise enough to walk the thin line between them, and powerful enough to use both sides effectively in combat." Honestly doesn't sound like a fun character to RP or RP with. There's no growth potential, he's already reached full center. That's what the Force is always trying to do, like a pendulum swinging back and forth; it wants balance. If you are already balanced, there's nothing left for you to do in the Force's eyes but just kind of exist.

At least, I hope that clears up some of the Grey Jedi stuff. Idk about the rest I can't philosophize this hard ._.

I would have to agree with @Jacob Eden on this. A Mary Sue doesn't come from treading grey lines or having a fluid morality. Becoming a Mary Sue comes from being the jack-of-all trades who can instantly master any skill and has no conceivable faults. Think Rey in Ep. VII.

Oh yes, I know. I have insulted lady-Luke. Bad Gamov, you're such a bigot! But it's true. Rey is the quintessential example of a Mary Sue who can master any skill, fly any ship, escape any heavily guarded military base AND duel the bad guy on an exploding planet with a lightsaber. All before lunch! She's a one woman army. The Resistance need not apply. Rey's got this!

By the by, I didn't mean to imply you specifically think I'm awful for having a negative opinion about Rey. But I've been blasted before for decrying Star Wars' newest diversity hire. So it's a bit of a preemptive response by now.

Honestly, I just think everyone should wait until Episode 7 comes out later this year. From the teaser, it already looks like the balance between the dark side and the light side is going to be a major part of the movie, and changing anything before then seems premature when there's such an ideal point of reference in the near future.

I highly doubt we will see anything new with regards to any notions or concepts involving the balance of the Force in Ep. VIII. Then again, who knows. The same guy who wrote Cloverfield is in charge of the story for the new trilogy, and his first crack at it was basically Ep. IV v2.0. I personally don't see Abrams as an inventive or creative writer. He tells his stories in reverse, throwing us into the middle of events without much pretense or lead-in, then attempts to build back to the beginning with bread crumbs. And in the end, there are never any concise answers.

Overall I expect him to continue playing the safety game with the franchise.

 

[Outlander]

I highly doubt we will see anything new with regards to any notions or concepts involving the balance of the Force in Ep. VIII. Then again, who knows. The same guy who wrote Cloverfield is in charge of the story for the new trilogy, and his first crack at it was basically Ep. IV v2.0. I personally don't see Abrams as an inventive or creative writer. He tells his stories in reverse, throwing us into the middle of events without much pretense or lead-in, then attempts to build back to the beginning with bread crumbs. And in the end, there are never any concise answers.

Overall I expect him to continue playing the safety game with the franchise.

Abrams is not directing anymore. He was only in charge of the first sequel. Ryan Johnston, who directed Brick, Looper, and several episodes of Breaking Bad, is directing the Last Jedi.

I disagree with you. We see pretty clearly, from the teaser, mentions of 'The Balance' between the light and the dark, and Luke alludes to it. Other Star Wars media, like Rebels has also been bringing in aspects like that. So I think its likely, or at the least plausible.