Mako - the orphaned slicer from Nar Shaddaa

When do you get her? She is your FIRST companion as a Bounty Hunter. She starts as a "Guest" companion then becomes permanent when you finish the Bounty Hunter Class questline on Hutta. As a quick note, i noticed that during her "guest" time, the +affection that i was getting for conversation did NOT carry over to her when i got her as a Permanent companion.

Primary Stat - Cunning
Secondary Stat - Endurance

Primary Weapon - Blaster Pistol
Secondary Weapon - Vibroknife
Armor Type - Medium
To equip her, press "C" for character - there is a Tab on the bottom for Character (YOU), another for Ship (if you have it), and lastly Companion (Mako)

Roles
-Med Watch - turns her into a healer, my hunter happened to be a powertech so this worked out well for me. +5% healing, 25% reduction of threat, and 25% decreased healing cooldowns (faster healing)
-Blaster Stance - turns her into a dps (fairly weak as mentioned previously) 5% increased dmg, 25% threat reduction, and 25% cooldown reduction on blaster abilities.

Primary Gift - Technology - Amount of affection is dependent on how much affection she has for you. I've seen +106, +48, +19. The amount you recieve depends on how much affection she currently has. For instance, the Holoviewer is a Lv1 Technology Gift that costs 200credits and with less than 2000 affection it gives you +96, but after about 2000 total affection it only gives you +46, then drops down to +19 after about 4000 total affection. The amount of total affection can be viewed in your character screen ("C" key by default) on the companion tab. It's just to the left of the LightSide-DarkSide meter.

Crew Efficiency - Takes LESS TIME for her to complete a task if you have her do a job in her expertise.
-Slicing Efficiency +15
-Cybertech Efficiency +5
Recommendations? *EDIT* Now that the Live version is out, I've decided to go with Cybertech, Slicing, and Scavenging for the following reasons:
-Slicing- This is like sending your compantions out to go farm credits. I was never hurting for money (double the fun when you get a 2nd companion). Also you can get crafting missions and schematics for other crew skills like....
-Cybertech- The ability to create Mods and Armoring for your gear. Also can create Mods and Armoring for weapons/armor as well as Earrings. Later you can also craft Custom-Built Speeders (mounts) A quick note, if you get armor that is ORANGE in color, these can level with you if you just swap out your low level mods for your current level ones. If you have SOCIAL lv2, you can buy a set from the social vendor (in the cantina) on Balmorra. Also there is a Slave Dancer outfit for females only (sorry to you cross-dressers) to make your own Princess Leia. This is sold on Nar Shaddaa in the cantina (notice a trend?) which you will visit frequently for your class quest on that planet.
-Scavenging- There are lots of components from Cybertech that needs this. So this is my gathering skill.

Mako Customizations - Change her appearance. You get the choice of 3 when you first get her as a permanent companion. Press Shift + Left Click to preview (just make sure in the viewer you select the tab to Companion as the default is YOU). I saw a vendor in the Balmorra cantina that sold LOTS of customizations (don't know if it will stay in the Live version or not). Cost was $12,500 per customization.
-Customization 1 turned her into black woman (some guy was saying in general chat that he'd beat the game cause he could turn a white chick to a fine black woman)
-Customization 2 had her hair dark and angles from the back of the head towards the front about chin level
-Customization 3 had shoulder length redish hair and happens to be what i choose.

What Mako LIKES (Gains Affection)
-Professionalism- If the client wants something done discretely, that's what they get.
-Bounty Hunters- Kinda given considering she hooked up with you. Exception being your "Nemesis" (no spoilers) feel free to threaten to kill him/her/it lots for +affection
-Making Money- She's all about the credits. Do the job the way the client asks (with few exceptions).
-Freedom- She doesn't like being under anybody's yoke. I've gotten a LOT of affection for "I don't work for the Empire" or "I work for myself"
-Kindness- (Very Tricky) Help the helpless for +affection. There are plenty of +LightSide options for this and if the job requires you to kill someone i've seen options for "I'll make it quick so you don't suffer for some +affection. Especially if the character is FEMALE. She doesn't seem to much care if you're mean to aliens.
-Information Gathering- Not in the Codex, but there are lots of options when you ask for more information that gives +affection
-Confidence- Again, not in Codex, but plenty of them too. it's hard to tell where Confidence ends and Arrogance (see Snob) begins...

What Mako HATES (Loses Affection)
-Bullying- Threatening or Offering to kill people generally loses affection with her
-Cruelty- Excess Violence and Bloodshed is not for her. if she's being paid to kill somebody that's fine, just don't raze a whole village and expect her to like you.
-Snob- Being an all around arrogant slimeball is something that she does not like. kinda tricky.

Ending Thoughts - Mako is a little easier to get along with if you're a LightSide character (as some of the other posters have mentioned). If you're rich (or an Alt) it is recommended that you buy lots of gifts when you get the chance so that the +affection from conversation adds to the already substantial base of afffection you already have. If she wants to have a Conversation with you take her to a "Rest Area" like the Cantina or your Ship. She CAN be Romanced if Male (not sure about Female, need some confirmation on that) but not until you FINISH ACT 1. Currently i have about 6000 Affection and am on Tatooine (lv27) and i haven't really got any romance options yet so it takes a WHILE.

*Edit* Extra Tip - I've found that Black Talon Flashpoint is GREAT to do. If you're in a group of 4 people, it can net you Lots of Social points, about 200 per run which makes Social lv2 very easy to get. Also, if you solo it, which i did about lv18 possibly you can do it sooner, there are a lot of +affection for Mako (LightSide Route) which you can REPEAT as much as you want. A great way to farm LightSide and Mako Affection.

It's nice to see so many people interested in helping other players understand our little Mako!

Good Hunting, and remember: If at first you don't succeed, reload.

For anyone interested in getting fast, cheap affection with Mako, simply re-run Black Talon in your down time. You will have to take the Light Side options to achieve the optimum results, however. Simply follow this numbered conversation guide to earn a maximum of 455 affection with Mako!

Responses numbered 1-3 represent numerical response. # represents a choice that has no impact on Mako.

Conversation 1, Responses: 2, #
Conversation 2, Responses: 1, 1, #, 1
Conversation 3, Responses: 2, 3
Conversation 4, Responses: 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1
Conversation 5, Responses: 2, #, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1
Conversation 6, Responses: 3, 1
Conversation 7, Responses: 2, 2
Conversation 8, Responses: 2, 2, 1, 1
Conversation 9, Response: 2
Conversation 10, Responses: 1, 2, 3, 2
Conversation 11, Response: #

Aside from the 455 Affection Gain with Mako, you will also earn yourself 200 Light Side Points.

Keep in mind, any responses made by other players could alter the progression of conversations and make this guide inaccurate.

Fun Fact: Mako brags about knowing several champions, and she names one as "The Defenestrator", which literally means "someone who throws people/things out of windows". It made me laugh.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestration

If you want a quick, cheap way to farm affection with Mako in Black Talon here are the responses to all conversations. The * will represent a response in the conversation that gives no affection regardless of what answer you choose. This will net you 455 affection and 200 light side points.

Convo 1, Responses: 2, *
Convo 2, Responses: 1, 1, *, 1
Convo 3, Responses: 2, 3
Convo 4, Responses: 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1
Convo 5, Responses: 2, *, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1
Convo 6, Responses: 3, 1
Convo 7, Responses: 2, 1
Convo 8, Responses: *, 2, *, 1
Convo 9, Response: *
Convo 10, Responses: *, 2,2,2
Convo 11, Response: *

List of all gift types gain value

+96
Technology

+54
Underworld Good

+24
Weapon
Trophy
Luxury
Cultural Artifact

+0
Courting
Military Gear
Imperial Memorabilia
Republic Memorabilia

You still NEED to equip a vibroknife on her - if you don't you're missing out on a crapload of cunning/endurance. She may never actually use the knife but she'll definately benefit from the increased stats she gets from equipping one. It's like saying my Sorcerer never uses his lightsaber so I'll just unequip it...

**Romance**SPOILER ALERT** Please be advised before reading! *I wanted to keep this separate from my original post*

You must undertake two quests if you want to win Mako's heart. The first is called "Double Trouble" which involves you going to Dromund Kaas and getting ambushed by two Mako-Look-Alikes. They are kinda strong so don't do this quest too early. I got this quest after finishing the planet Alderaan. I DID NOT wed the Baroness (or Baron in some cases) so I am unsure if doing so affects the final questline. I know she did not take to kindly to me flirting with the Lady.

After a bunch of affection, conversation, and a little bit of flirting (not the rude kind like "let's go to the cargo hold together") you get your second quest called "Last One Standing". Now this one is odd. The mission log showed this quest at lv48, and yet when i went to do it at that level, Coral was only a lv38 boss with 18,710 hp. Talk about knocking her ass out, that fight went fast. I got this quest after Hoth. *Edit* this has been fixed and updated so Coral is a lv48 Boss with 29,680 HP.

After that, it's all about affection, conversations, and KISSING! Leading up to the Mako marriage quest "Make it Official". Overnight, i recieved an in game mail from Mako: You get three in game mails with attached gifts over a few days. I especially liked the first one.

**MORE SPOILERS Stop reading if you want to experience it all for yourself**

From: Mako
Subject: In case you forgot how awesome I am

So you know how we "made it official"? Well I made it official official. I slipped our names into Imperial and Republic marriage databases last night. Quit making that face, there's nothing that can be traced back to us and it makes me happy.

I may have also vandalized the ten highest traffic sites on the Holonet. Hearts were involved. Kind of a lot of them. Don't Judge.

**You receive item** Unlimited Access Security Breaker - Technology Gift Rank 1

Just a note on the above... I believe total Affection gain from conversations over the course of a questline are tallied up and only awarded as a lump sum at the very last step of the questline turn-in... whereupon you'll notice the +Affection total listed in the quest completion summary.

I too thought I was missing the +Affection gains from dialogue until I noticed this.

Someone mentioned giving Mako hand-me-downs, though that doesn't work out as well as they make it seem due to the fact that she wears medium armor and as a Bounty Hunter of any variety you wear heavy armor. Not to mention she uses cunning and you use Aim.

She can be swayed to be affectionate towards with via gifting of Technology items, or Culture items. Underworld items give her a much smaller amount, but it's still something if you're swimming in them.

Like Arthug said tech gifts give the most affection:
Holoviewer which is a tech rank one item gives 96(costs 200)
Hutta data lib which is tech rank 2 gives 106(costs 600)

Other rank 1 items that give rep:
Underworld rumor sheet:54
Ammunition belt:24
Vrblther Skull:24
Small Gemstone: 24
Polished Meteorite:24

does no one on here remember the first tank (as in, the vehicle) in that other famous Bioware game series, Mass Effect? what was it called again?

oh yeah, it was called the M35 Mako.

come on guys, we are all nerds and geeks here, why did no one else notice this?

...now i feel old, for some reason. lol.

• Mako Customization 1
• Mako Customization 2
• Mako Customization 3
• Mako Customization 4
• Mako Customization 5
• Mako Customization 6
• Mako Customization 7
• Mako Customization 8
• Infected Mako Customization (Available during the Rakghoul Plague event)

to expand on frogger to help people a bit more, You will want to use rank 1 tech gifts until 2k affection, then use rank 2 till 4k.

If you go Lightside as a Bounty hunter you can max out Mako pretty easily through just the story and save your tech gifts for Blizz which is seldom used unless your leveling as a healer and then hes only really useable till you get skadge which is a much better tank.

Hutta
- Gauntlet - Level 3
- Tools of the Trade - Level 2
- The Last Flight - Level 4
- Big Chief - Level 6
- Settling Accounts - Level 7
- House Cleaning - Level 8
- My Sponsorship - Level 9 [Mako]
- Escaping Hutta - Level 11

Dromund Kaas
- The Hunt on Dromund Kaas - Level 9
- The Huntmaster - Level 9
- A Musty Trail - Level 9
- Family Cleansing - Level 14
- The Spy Game - Level 15
- The Melee - Level 16
- Joy Ride - Level 17 [Spaceship & Start Chapter 1]

Balmorra
- The Balmorran Target - Level 15
- Pirrell's Ambitions - Level 15
- Chaos at the Droid Factory - Level 17
- Down with the Queen - Level 18
- Bait and Switch - Level 19
- Meeting the Admiral - Level 19

Nar Shaddaa
- The Enemy of My Enemy - Level 20
- Economic Boom - Level 21
- The Underdogs - Level 21
- Catching Zees - Level 22
- Industrial Espionage - Level 22
- Professional Courtesy - Level 23
- A Dangerous Auction - Level 24

Tatoonie
- The Tatooine Target - Level 24
- Tracking the Smuggler - Level 24
- Confronting Veeboo - Level 25
- A Barter With The Lady of Pain - Level 26
- Catching A Slippery Eel - Level 28 [Gault]

Alderaan
- The Alderaan Target - Level 28
- Spiking the Punch - Level 28
- Like A Rancor In A Pottery Shop - Level 29
- Silver Tongues - Level 30
- Kingmaker for a Day - Level 31
- Honor Regained - Level 32
- The Mandalorian Killer - Level 32
- Hail the Conquering Hero - Level 32
- Fortune and Glory - Level 32 [End Chapter 1]
- The Heart of Darkness - Level 32

Taris
- A Friendly Wager - Level 32
- A Family Matter - Level 32
- Imperial Bounty - Level 33
- To Walk in Dark Places - Level 33
- Geroya be Haran - Level 34
- Honor or Glory - Level 35 [Torian Cadera]

Quesh
- Endorsement - Level 36

Hoth
- A Dish Served Cold - Level 38
- Cool Reception - Level 38
- Digging His Own Grave - Level 38
- Fire and Ice - Level 39
- In Cold Blood - Level 40 [Blizz]
- Notorious - Level 41
- A Failure to Communicate - Level 41
- Laying Low - Level 41 [End Chapter 2]

Belsavis
- The Ferryman - Level 40
- A Flicker of Hope - Level 41
- Juxtaposition - Level 42
- Mnemonia - Level 43
- Where Few Follow - Level 43
- A Thousand Pardons - Level 43
- No Strings Attached - Level 44 [Skadge]

Voss
- At Arms Length - Level 44
- Nihilistic Mystics - Level 45
- Captive Audience - Level 46
- To Still a Bleeding Heart - Level 47
- Thus, Always, to Tyrants - Level 47

Correlia
- Hostile Takeover - Level 47
- A Queen's Ransom - Level 48
- The Thin Blue Line - Level 49
- Reckoning - Level 50
- Number One with a Bullet - Level 50
- Some People Just Need Killing - Level 50

The main thing it hurt was that if you went to Korriban before you got your own ship, say to get the datacrons, you were stuck there had no way at all to get back off, since you needed a mission item as a sith to use the shuttle that's there, and you're not given the emergency fleet pass until you finish your starter planet class quest and get to the fleet properly.

for the TRUE, ultimate list of companion gifts, look at:

http://www.oldrepublic.net/261-swtor-companion-gifts-guide-how-buy-your-love.html

Underworld Trading is the Mission Skill that Cybertech uses for certain components. Since Slicing is such a cash cow, it doesn't make sense to have it on a character than you will want to craft with. I'd highly suggest taking Slicing only on a character, especially now that the payouts have been nerfed into the ground.

You'll save credits in the long run running the missions rather than buying the materials over the GTN.

Mako is a Healer/range DPS companion. Her main focus is healing she can dps, but is not as affective as the other dps companions

Her favorite style of gift is Technology, Courting she will begin to like at 4k+affection

Her main stat is Cunning, uses a blaster pistol, and wheres medium armor

List of all gift types gain value (Modified, please note!)

+96
Technology
Courting (only if your are male!)

+54
Underworld Good

+24
Weapon
Trophy
Luxury
Cultural Artifact

+0
Courting (only if your are female!)
Military Gear
Imperial Memorabilia
Republic Memorabilia

Note the change I've made in courting, it only affects you adversely if you are female.
Please "uplist" this comment to the top!

This list is correct - unlike the current one in the database, which states that males get 3 stars for courting gifts.

Males do NOT get affection points for courting gifts, no matter how much affection they have built up or how light-sided they are. So best stop wasting those gifts on her and buy her a new battery for her holonet implant or some other tech thing. ;)