Browder was started very early on, to satisfy my curiosity about how the non-Jedi classes played. It was fun for a little while, but then the player I was teaming him with left the game and he languished on Taris for about a year before I finally decided to spend some time building the guy up.

As a smuggler Browder strives to be profit-mindedly pragmatic but often lets himself be drawn into other people's problems on the pretense of doing good. He prefers his autonomy, but with the Empire gunning for him, he's smart enough to accept the Republic's offer of amnesty in return for acting as their free agent in the outer rim territories.

At the same time, he's perfectly happy running guns or spice as long as the pay is good. Moving sentients -- for slavers or kidnappers or even just for the local police -- is the one line will not cross, however.

I've played Browder casually, knocking out a mission here and a heroic there, in bewteen plays on my "serious" characters. It was a shock to me to look up and discover he's already to level 43 and I hadn't even made a gallery for him yet!

As a result, there aren't many screenshots of him from his earlier levels.

His name, of course, is a reference to something. And I will not, of course, say to what.

Last Updated 2014-01-09: Seven new entries spanning the character's entire career to this point, for a whopping 76 new images!

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STREET VEST

The basic Ord Mantell outfit, offering a paltry defense boost from the default starter outfit. Usually I bristle at the thought of having to wear these visually-challenging starter outfits, but this time I think it actually suited Browder pretty well.

The getup has a workmanlike look to it that fits well with an intersteller hauler who likely spends a lot of time with axel grease on his hands. Space-overalls, if you will.

And Browder obtains his first weapon upgrade, in the form of a "Burnished Blaster Pistol." Browder, man, I think the vendor gyped us. Villains quake in fear of the intergalactic scoundrel's trusty super-soaker!

CEREAN LEATHERIS JACKET

To my relief, though, the Street Vest and the Burnished Blaster both didn't last long. Smuggler's luck holding true, Browder got a lucky drop off a target and wound up with a new shirt. Of all the basic "pre-10" chest pieces, I think this is my favorite. It definitely works as the no-nonsense shirt and vest of a smuggler.

A modifiable version of this simple vest would actually go over well, I think. It looks nice and comfy and kind of suggests that same freedom you feel wearing a t-shirt one size to big on a warm, breezy day.

Oh, whatever, I think it's cool!

Browder also obtains a better firearm from the disreputable Ord Mantell street vendors, to hold him over until he can get off-world and find a real arms vendor somewhere. The Duros L-14 Blaster Pistol has a neat look to it and, as will soon become apparent, there are other, more advanced variants of the same basic stock and barrel floating around out there...

As much as I like the outfit for its comfy, free look, I have to admit it'd be difficult for Browder to get a potential client to take him seriously enough to hire in this getup. Smuggers are supposed to be all about style!

HUTTESE SYNTHLEATHER JACKET

Browder scores again with a new Huttese Synthleather Jacket dropped from a random goon during his time tracking down his stolen ship on Coruscant. This is much more like it!

Green wouldn't have been my first choice (this was back before the color dye kits were rolled out...), but the overall look of the vest really nailed the whole "smuggler" thing for me.

Also obtained after leaving Ord Mantell is "Flashy," a specially-modified Sorosuub SSK heavy blaster, courtesy of gunsmith Corso Riggs. Pleased with the artist's craftmanship evident in the new firearm, Browder hires Riggs on immediately.

RD-07A SPIDER BODY ARMOR

Browder received this outfit as a quest reward while running errands for the Republic on Coruscant. It's a nice outfit, obviously evocative of Han Solo's wardrobe, but I was cool to it. The previous vest, granted, was a little too techy, with all sorts of extra, superfluous scifi bits apended to it, but this "Spider" outfit just didn't have anything exciting going on it in. Browder didn't wear it long.

It certainly is a practical, working outfit, though, isn't it? The breast-pocket holster under the vest was a nice touch; too bad Browder prefers to keep his sidearm at his hip for ease-of-access in all those scenariors where a Rodian accosts him at a cantina table.

One certainly can't deny that Browder's already starting to look less like an Ord Mantell refuge and more like the cunning smuggler he's working to be again. This outfit just looked a little too dignified to me. Too subtle.

GUNSLINGER'S JACKET

Browder runs a stint of jobs on Taris, and decides to invest his profits into new gear for himself and his crew. After outfitting Corso with a whole new set of surplus military armor, Browder treats himself to a new jacket and blaster!

Obviously this is a retexture of the previous Huttese number that Browder was wearing. But I like the colors much better, and the fact that it's mod'able severely raises its value.

You'll also note he's picked up a bad Deathstick habit by this point. It's hard to blame him; the space-camel commercials make it look so cool...

Browder practices a coin trick.

The nitpick about the previous Huttese outfit holds true here too: this chestpiece is almost too high-tech-looking. Han Solo's vest and gloves and boots didn't have any glowpoints or electronics on it, you'll note. Why all the effort to tech-up the smuggers' clothing in this game..?

It's a minor quibble in this case, though. Of much more importance is Browder's new blaster pistol, a heavy-duty E-20 Sonic Saboteur. Modifiable, and clearly a derivative of the simpler Duros L-14 Blaster, but with a reinforced frame and extended ammo magazine.

I really loved the look of this blaster. It just looks dangerous. The huge size of that barrel makes it pretty clear that this isn't some little pea-shooter pistol here. Perfect for Browder's bombastic personality.

Dynamic Vandal Duster

Browder continues to enjoy his new blaster, so much that he eventually springs for a new film-noir jacket in order to strike cooler poses with it!

Okay, actually at this point last year I'd discovered the Collections system in the game, that lets you unlock an outfit for all your characters once you've collected all the pieces. How could I not throw it on my gritty streetwise smuggler..?

The Vandal Duster is a nice outfit for a smugger looking to stay inconspicuous (and also keep his sidearm out of casual view without interfering with his quick-draw). I find myself wishing the white undershirt was dye-able, though. There's an Imperial-only duster that looks very similar, but has a black leather undershirt I find myself wishing Browder could wear...

Browder tests his quick-draw through the duster's long tails.

I find myself regretting that there's no simple "cowboy" hat in the game, because one such hat with this jacket and gun would equal one awesome-looking space-desperado.

Now I know what you're thinking, punk. Did I fire sixteen million depleted ion particles, or only fifteen million nine-hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine?

The back detailing on the coat is interesting, because those green glowpoints are animated. Lighted green trails run up and down the glowpoints. Not sure what purpose that could possibly serve (outside of maybe saying it's a shield generator built into the coat... which would actually explain how a leather jacket could provide so much damage protection, hmmmmm...).

The "shield generator" idea's growing on me. Especially looking at the full back view of the contraption, it makes sense. In any case, it was a fun outfit for Browder, but as it turns out he didn't wear it long...

CALO NORD'S JACKET

By the time Alderaan rolled around for our smuggler, Browder was feeling the need to strike out in a new direction, fashion-wise.

Luckily, the cartel pack with the new Calo Nord outfit had just been released, and the jacket from that set was exactly what Browder needed!

I was thrilled with how this jacket looked on Browder. It's the perfect combination of practical usability, street styling, and glorious tasteless extravagance. "Pimpin," one might say. It's definitely the kind of thing a smuggler could wear with dignity.

And that no one else could.

Browder also availed himself of the Commendation Vendors who've set up camp outside the Organa palace, and purchased himself a new M-300 Elite Stealth Interceptor blaster pistol. While not as overtly intimidating as his previous firearm, this one has a sense of class that compliments his new attire well, I felt.

I also liked how the new blaster bears a close resemblance to Han Solo's trusty DL-44. I've taken Browder in a comfortably different direction visually, but sometimes a fan just needs his idols to fan over.

This is one of my favorite shots of Browder with his current weapon. This image is a picture-perfect example of a prototypical smuggler.

A fun shot of Browder practicing with his lucky coin.

I looked into dying the jacket a different color, but really this faded blue is more appropriate than any of the garish neon colors you can find in the dye kits.

Browder contemplates the ship's financial situation, struggling to remember if he's already carried the three or not.

Browder and shiphand Corso oversee a systems check of Browder's Corellian XS Light Freighter, making sure that ship thief Skavik didn't leave them any surprises.

When the check inevitibly comes up negative, Browder grumbles this just means that whatever he hid, he hid too well...

CORELLIAN XS LIGHT FREIGHTER

It's nice to have a ship again. Skavik hoisted Browder's freighter in Chapter 1, but wound up losing it back to Browder's superior cunning in the end.

She may not look like much, abut she's got it where it counts.

Embarking from Carrack Station on a shakedown cruise. Browder is adamant that all systems be field-tested after liberating the ship from Skavik.

Gorgeous scene of Browder's freighter returning to station, amidst Republic vessels of various sizes and classes.

This "return to port" scene was recently updated in the game, and it looks much better now.

TATOOINE

The pretty little Sith continues her rant to Browder. It becomes clear very quickly that her opinion of herself is much higher than Browder's is.

By the time Vaverone has finished her diatribe with a magnanimous offer to let Browder help her in exchange for the "pleasure of her company," Browder's called for reinforcements. Wookies can pull a Sith's arms out of their sockets too, as it turns out.

Vaverone suddenly recalls she has somewhere else she needs to be. The rest of the Tatooine caper goes off mostly without a hitch.

BALMORA

Browder prefers to spend as little time on Imperial-occupied planets as possible, so his initial plan on Balmora was to get in, get the goods, and get out as quickly as possible. The refugees and local resistance cells manage to talk him into staying around to lend a hand... for a fee.

Browder and business partner Risha scout one of the many subterrainian construction facilities that litter the Balmoran landscape. Risha's made her disapproval of her Captain's heroics solidly known at this point, though, she continues on with him as she grumbles.

Captain Browder sabotages a master console in an Imperial-held droid factory. Balmora is apparently a major exporter of both droids and military armament, making it doubly critical to the Republic's continued war effort.

Browder and Risha continue contract negotiations with the Balmoran locals. Apparently some of their top scientists have been kidnapped by the Empire and are being forced to design weapons for the Republic's enemy.

Moral quandaries aside, it's a pretty sad situation when the best the planet's resistance can do is to grab a random smuggler and beg him to pull double-duty as their mercenary.

Browder confronts the scientists' captor, one Darth Minax. She talks a good game but doesn't have much to offer when it comes time to pony up. She goes down still insisting that she can't possibly be beaten by some lowly little smuggler. Browder records her dying words and adds the recording to his gym mix.

As things progress, the Captain and his crew link up with Major Garik, and run a few jobs for the Republic behind enemy lines. A major Imperial weapon capable of sabotaging the function of standard-issue blaster weapons must be located and destroyed.

Browder and Corso team up with Sergeant Jojames and the Sergeant's squad to secure the weapon. But Browder's had enough of this dirtball. It's time to burn sky.

Back aboard his ship, Browder checks in with his contact on Coruscant, Darmas Pollaran. Darmas manages to come off twice as sleazy as any freelancer or Senator, but always seems to have a good lead to offer on a big job or heist.

The fact that these leads always seem to run Browder straight into one of the Imperial "Voidwolf's" operations has not escaped Browder's notice...

Browder also takes the time to check in with the newest member of his crew, the Mandelorian Akaavi Spar. It's hard not to be heavily tasked by her stereotypical two-dimensional "proud warrior" speil. Browder seems to agree.

I usually try to cut the text on the screenshots I put on these galleries, but sometimes the exchanges are just too funny to justify cropping. Especially when compared to the stodgy Jedi I typically play, the Smuggler has some refreshingly snarky lines. Click the image to see if you agree.

Risha is found hard at work chasing down new leads, but is willing to stop long enough to reminisce about recent events with her Captain. The fact that he recently helped her reunite with her despotic-but-royal father and then helped her claim her family title comes up.

Browder makes an uncharacteristic verbal stumble while attempting a creepy and inappropriate come-on line to a member of his crew.

This is another place where the dialogue was too good to crop from the full images. Browder's one-liner is awful to the point of making me feel uncomfortable (almost all the game's "flirt" options are), but Risha's deadpan comeback is a thing of beauty.

QUESH

Fleeing Balmora so fast your Grandmother can't handle it, the Captain and crew receive a distress call from a fellow freelancer. A Captain Ozzik is grounded on Quesh thanks to an Imperial occupation.

Quesh is a fringe planet currently being industrialized by a trio of Hutts. Risha is justifiably skeptical, but Browder ultimately agrees to help.

Browder and Risha dock at Quesh's orbital commerce station and see about getting transport to the planet's surface. It's here they learn a very important piece of information about Quesh.

The whole planet is severely poisonous. Toxic gas called "Quesh Venom" is bubbling out of the planet's newly-erupting volcanoes. Breathing the air unprotected can kill you in seconds.

Seems like this is the kind of thing that Ozzik prolly should'a mentioned when he called for help, wouldn't you think?

A flimsy solution to the poison air problem is offered in the form of an antivenom injection, which will supposedly protect Browder and his crew from the full effects of breathing in the venom. The crew heads to the surface.

Browder decides to check in with the local Republic troop as a courtesy. Surprise, surprise: they need his help. Turns out Republic soldiers are crap at negotiating with Hutts.

Everyone in Browder's crew more or less immediately agrees that this "antivenom injection" bullcrap isn't worth trusting further than you can spit a bowling ball, and so everyone finds a mask of some sort to wear while they're on the planet.

It takes some sneaking and a deft aim, but Browder and Corso eventually clear a path through the Imperial invaders to Captain Ozzik's ship. His crew is effusive, but there's only more bad news: they still can't launch because the Voidwolf is shooting down any ship trying to leave the planet.

Browder can hear Risha muttering "Told you so" under her breath, all the way back at the Republic encampment.

It's not all bad news, though, as Browder is reunited with Beryl Thorne, whom he ran a few jobs for on Taris. Her luck's only gotten worse since then, it seems. But Browder's determined to change that.

Along the way Browder and Corso agree to help out an SIS agent by checking on one of her informants that's gone silent. The pair locate Agent Meldo easily enough, but are stupified when he refuses to retreat to Republic lines with them. Browder doesn't waste time trying to reason with an unreasonable man, he just takes Meldo's report files to return with, instead.

And so Browder returns to SIS Agent Suria, to give her the news: her agent is alive but can't withdraw safely. Suria is genuinely relieved to learn her contact is still alive; apparently not all SIS agents treat their contacts like pawns.

But this isn't helping Ozzik get his crew off this stinkbomb planet any faster. Browder decides to cut the problem off at the source, and infiltrates the base where the Empire is apparently coordinating its strikes on fleeing ships. Instead of the Voidwolf himself, the Captain finds himself confronting one Commander Flayn. The Commander does not survive the encounter.

Alternate text: "Hello folks, I'm Browder and this is my puppet! He's a woozel and his name is Peanut! Say hello, Peanut!"

Browder returns to Ozzik to deliver the good news; thanks are abundant.

Beryl's thanks are more effusive than the others', it turns out.

Detouring to a nearby Republic base, Browder is accosted by another hippie Jedi moaning about the balance of something or the other. The Captain is immediately weary of strange Jedi making strange requests of his time.

Also, the freakish appearance of an Ithorian is enough to make Browder go for his blaster instinctively. The apologies a few minutes later are heartfelt but awkward.

The main event, though, is a meeting with the Republic's main ally on Quesh, a renegade Hutt who's helping the Republic mine the Quesh Venom, and refine it into powerful military-grade adrenals.

An experienced smuggler, Browder knows full well how far he can trust a Hutt. But their alliance seems to be genuine at this point; they have an enemy in common. The Imperial presence on this planet has become untenable, and the Republic officers decide it's time to push them off the planet.

Guess who's elected to lead the charge.

To Browder's unending surprise (and mine as well), the reinforcements actually arive before the big fight is over! Browder leads a team of Republic forces through the Imperial stronghold to confront the loud-mouthed base commander. The outcome is never in doubt.

The Imperial base commander is captured and the Empire's operation is dismantled. Job well done, and pay well-earned. Browder accepts the thanks of General Korvan, and gets the heck off this toilet-scented planet as fast as he can.

HOTH

No rest for the wicked, though. The Captain and crew receive a call from Senator Dodonna, their main contact in the Republic Senate. The Republic needs a specialist on Hoth, and Browder's elected. The "White Maw" pirates operating on Hoth seem to have some sort of 100% undefeatable cloaking system for their ships, and the Republic wants it.

The Senator's lucky she's so good looking; Browder accepts the assignment, with a due sense of apprehension and dread.

Browder's first order of business (after getting some sort of miraculous thermal harness to put under his jacket to keep him alive in the cold, presumably) is to take a quick job for the Republic military and track down some lost scouts. Easy enough, mission accomplished. Back to base.

Which was only like ten yards away from where the lost scouts were found!! *headdesk*

Browder encounters "Master" Guss Tuno, and quickly cottons to the fact that this Mon Cal is no Jedi. Tuno becomes ever more wormy as Browder's anger grows, but does admit to having ties to the White Maw group Browder is keen to infiltrate. Turns out they have a rogue member looking to work a deal with an unknown party to take over the whole pirate crew.

And guess who's elected to stop it? *headdesk*

Annnnnnnd as the meeting begins, to everyone's "surprise," this other party is the Empire! It's a good thing no one was around to see this branch of the White Maw selling out their fellows.

Oh, wait-!

Browder manages to set the Imperials and the ringleader of the White Maw traitors against each other, sparing the rest of the Maw troops. It doesn't take much to parley this kind of good will into an invitation to join the group. Senator Dodonna's plan to have Browder infiltrate the group sees its first step to completion.

Browder meets with Alilia, the member of the White Maw who arranged all this and is working with him against her boss. Her motives remain unknown but she seems trustworthy.

At this point, Browder's come-on lines were getting so disturbingly creepy I couldn't bring myself to click the "Flirt" option with Alilia. Probably for the best, considering how things panned out...

But Browder's got more than one iron in the fire. He's taken another job for the Repulic tracking down a group of crazy survivalist sociopaths who think that running around shirtless on Tatooine proves how evolved they are.

I'll just stop here to let that sink in for a minute.

[WARNING: Absolutely huge image!]

Browder meets with the unbalanced leader of the survivalist idiots whose name I don't remember. Said leader makes a big speech about how superior he is for being too stupid to put on a damn shirt in the freezing cold before Browder takes him down. This is one of those occasions where I was truly stumped at the stupidity of a character in a video game. This was the whackjob the Republic had their Hanes in a bunch about..?

Browder's had enough of planet Utah; it's time to get out of here. Another Republic officer's gentle intonation of further work being available is met by a vicious glare from the captain.

Back aboard a nice environment-controled ship, Browder barely has time to chip the ice off his underwear before Darmas calls. There's another big job afoot, one with a hefty payday.

I note that the game gives lots of lip service to these big scores and huge payouts the smuggler goes through... and yet the only tangible reward Browder ever receives is a paltry sum of one or two thousand credits (which isn't enough to buy a sturdy pair of pants, much less a retirement fund). It makes it hard to take this window dressing about a fortune's ransom seriously knowing that the dillweeds making the job offer apparently think you're rich if you can afford a pack of bubblegum.

Captain Browder checks in with his newest crew member, Guss Tuno. Suitably appreciative of liberating him from both the White Maw and the planet Hoth, Guss is remanded to a dark, cold corner of the cargo hold and promptly forgotten about.

MODEST PROPOSAL

But Darmas's business proposal awaits, and so the crew return to the smuggler's haven of Port Nowhere. Browder and obligatory smuggler's Wookiee Bowdaar take in the gloriously tasteless decor of the underworld station.

Port Nowhere is as expansive in its own way as Carrack Station, but with much, much less class. It was interesting to see this little slice of the smuggler's world, and it makes sense to me that a place like this would exist to cater to the needs of these borderline criminals.

I just think it's kind of weird that the station is in central galactic space, very close to Coruscant. Shouldn't such a vital and secretive black market hub be located some place where there's less of a chance of folks accidentally blundering into it?

In a badly-lit cutscene, Browder finds Darmas and is introduced to Vaz Traniff. Vaz, apparently, has a line on the location of the King's Ransom, a treasury ship used by the Empire as a kind of mobile bank and repository for the wealth and goods of some of its most powerful officers and Lords.

But naturally... there's a catch.

Darmas explains that Vaz's plan to break into the station and empty its vaults hinges on the expertise of a safe-cracker named Combo... who's apparently the prisoner of a gangster at the moment.

That's right, rather than a heist, this was really just a complicated ploy to get Browder to mount a rescue mission. Against his better judgement, he agrees.

The thugs defending Combo aren't exactly of the highest standard. Browder and Bowdaar make short work of the mooks and return Combo to his partner unharmed. The four of them beat a hasty retreat back to Port Nowhere.

Browder is surprised by a visiting Senator Dodonna, who reveals herself as the mastermind of the planned heist and came by to personally assure everything was prepared properly.

The Senator explains that while the Treaty of Coruscant prevents the Republic from striking at the King's Ransom, Browder and his privateers have no such restrictions imposed on them. Browder is weary of slimy used-car-saleman-type Darmas, but trusts the Senator. The plan is a go.

Browder and Bowdaar meet the other half of the boarding party, Vaz and his newly-freed buddy Combo the safe-cracker. Everything seems above board so far. Browder has a good feeling about the caper and the group sets off in a forged Imperial supply shuttle.

The initial entry onto the ship/station goes down flawlessly, and with Vaz and Combo's help, Browder manages to clean out four vaults on the King's Ransom... before the Voidwolf shows up with a few Star Destroyers and tries to blow the whole place away. Browder and his team make their escape without casualties, regardless.

Again, it's hard to feel enthusiastic about this victory, since it's not like I, the gamer, will ever see any benefit from successfully obtaining these priceless treasures. They don't appear in my inventory so I can't sell them for the fortune they're purportedly worth, and I'm certainly not compensated proportionally from the end-of-mission rewards window.

Browder, though, is in high spirits as he returns to Senator Dodonna, but the mood doesn't last long as a pack of large, powerful cybernetic beasts of some sort burst through the corridor and attack the Senator. Browder and his wookiemonster save their benefactor, but the new questions left in the wake of this failed assasination weight heavily on them.

The Senator's pretty sure of the source: the ever-present and ever-bothersom Voidwolf. And now with a personal stake in the Imperial's vendetta against Browder, she's all too happy to approve more drastic action against the thuggish Imperial.

Another good example of some of the better dialogue the smuggler gets, as Browder shows his enthusiasm for both the Senator's plan, and the Senator's... attitude.

Let this be a lesson to you, Browder: a good-natured joke is a much better way to reach out to a woman than a painful one-liner. The results here certainly speak for themselves.

And wookiemonster Bowdaar has the good grace to retire to the ship while the captain and the senator decide to step out for a nice quiet meal, and then a nice quiet evening of each other's company...

I actually enjoyed the game's chosen portrayal of this little scoundrel's fling. It felt a lot more natural than some of the previous opportunities. The Senator has a powerful charm of her own, and I didn't see her falling for Browder's earnest come-on to be out of character or out of perspective. It was a neat scene.

RETURN TO ALDERAAN

But Browder knows his crew's been through enough lately, and decides to take a nice, simple job running information back on Alderaan. The whole group, sans Guss, has been here before, but this time the stress isn't as high since it's not a matter of the entire planet's fate hanging in the balance.

And then they meet with Colonel Malcom and learn that the entire planet's fate hangs in the balance. *headdesk*

And so, a nice simple courier run becomes a series of missions sneaking behind enemy lines for the Organa household. Browder and Corso meet up with a local Organa militia officer and get their bearings.

The captain makes the acquaintance of Agent Essor, yet another female Twi'lek working for the SIS. You have to wonder if there's not some underlying conspiracy at play here...

And finally, after recovering and delivering a lost holocron to Jedi Master Dolso, the crew is done with their work on Alderaan. Maybe Darmas has something more lucrative for them, now...

Browder meets with Darmas back on Port Nowhere, and learns the origins of the enhanced monsters that attacked Senator Dodonna: they were monsters created by the Gormak, a warlike race from the planet Voss. Browder knows where his next mission run will be to...

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