Knights of the Old Republic Appreciation Thread.

[WarLocke]

Yeah, I know, KoTOR isn't a "port" per se, but anyway.

I picked this up this afternoon, then promptly got lost and crossed over into West Virginia before I managed to get home. Man, West Virginia's scary. :blink:

Anyway, after installing the 3.53gb beast, I was treated to the iconic Star Wars scrolling plot marquee. Then the game opens with a blast as a Republic ship is bombarded by Sith fighters. Even before I've seen the actual game engine, KoTOR is more Star Wars than Episodes 1 & 2; ships in this game actually look good.

Then I got into the actual game. The assault wakes your character (incidentally, the faces on characters blow away pretty much everything else. If I could figure out how to take screenshots I'd show you. Wow.) and there's a very Star Wars-ish "run through the disintegrating ship to the escape pods" segment which works as a handy tutorial.

Here's the next good bit: combat (versus almost Cylon-ish Sith troopers) just feels like it came out of a Star Wars movie. It's obvious that everything is being handled by the dice, but it works well because everybody stood in the middle of corridors and exchanged blaster fire in the movies anyway. B)

And the melee combat is even better. Characters dodge, parry, and riposte similar to the way NWN shows melee combat, but it just looks better. I'm stuck in a duel against a dual-blade weilder right now, but I don't mind because the moves he pulls off are just amazing - and my character blocks him with a plain vibroblade just fine! There's even some of that Ep1 hopping-boot-to-the-head action going on if you look closely. :lol:

Oh man, and if you would have asked me before if a 3.5gb install was okay, I probably would have said no. But you just have to experience a game that's totally voice-acted to believe it. Every scrap of dialogue is voiced - human and alien! I have captions on so I can tell what all the Hutts and Twi'leks and the other races I don't recognize say (actually, those captions might stay even if you turn them off in the options, I haven't tried that yet). It's amazing how quickly you can get attached to a character when there's actual emotion conveyed in the dialogue.

I'm only about two hours into the game, and haven't even gained any Jedi abilities, but this is looking to be a Torment-quality game so far...

[Bolty]

This game is awesome. Wow.

Play it. It would have been another Planescape: Torment, but its console roots drag it down a bit. Also, it is great as a game that both die-hard dice-rollers and Diablo-style lovers can get into. If you want, you can have the game engine spec you out, or go custom. Naturally going custom will yield a more powerful character in the long run, but if you don't want to have to bother with that, the game is perfectly playable letting it make your character-building decisions for you.

Oh, and for any others who have, like me, beaten the game already: please, no plot spoilers here to wreck 'Locke's fun. And who can argue that the Dark Side is not WAY more fun than Light? I played through as a Dark Side character my first run - now I'm playing again as Light Side and the fun just isn't as high. If someone I meet in the wilderness gives me lip, what do you mean I can't just kill them for it? Bah! I should slice them down for their impudence! YES! Feel the power of the Dark Side...

-Bolty
Who, for *some* reason, hasn't been seen on the Diablo II servers lately...gee, I wonder why

[BellaStrega]

I've played it on the XBox - light side only.

I actually found many of the light side choices rather satisfying, in a Trickster/Raven/Coyote sort of way. Of course, those usually involved talking to certain people and convincing them to make certain choices, just to vague it up a bit.

I agree that it is not quite as good as Planescape: Torment, although I wouldn't blame that on it having ever been on a console. I just don't think the plot is quite as good. It's a great plot, of course, but matching Torment? That's hard.

There is a moment in the game in which a thing is revealed. I'd been spoiled about the reveal before seeing it, but it was still one of the strongest moments in a CRPG for me.

[WarLocke]

I'm going through as a Light character as well. What's surprising is that I know I haven't chosen all the "best" Light choices I could have, but my alignment meter thing is already halfway into the Light end!

Aiden Dral (Star Wars name generator = B) ), my Scout, is level 5 now and exploring the Undercity Sewers. I actually just rescued Big Z but I'll have to reload from a bit back because I think I hit a bug - I used Mission to open a locked footlocker, but I didn't realize it would open automatically. So I got a quick look at the loot before me extra click closed it, and upon reopening it there was nothing in there. :(

I'm finding the party interaction to be really well done. Although, I haven't been able to get a "side quest" from Mission or Z yet. But Carth's is cool; the poor guy basically had paranoia drilled into him. :angry: Then there's the random chattering - hearing Mission call Carth an old geezer was priceless. :D

My main problem right now is that I'm not a Soldier. I chose Scout because I wanted to be well-rounded, but Bendak Starkiller absolutely thrashes me when I try to kill him for the quests he's involved in. I have gotten some equipment upgrades since the last time I tried him, but what I really need is a lightsabre. <_<

Speaking of lightsabres, how are Jedi Consulars? I just like the idea of throwing out Force Pushes left and right, rather than being your stereotypical Darth Maul combat machine. Besides, that's what Big Z is for. :lol:

[SwissMercenary]

From the sound of it, there is still hope for Console -> PC ports. Now, I will HAVE to get this game.

[WarLocke]

From the sound of it, there is still hope for Console -> PC ports. Now, I will HAVE to get this game.

Oh yeah. I've finally seen a Jedi in action; this is something you need to see. :ph34r:

In one fight against a couple Sith troopers, a Sith lieutenant, and a sentry droid, I qeued up Burst of Speed/Flurry/Sabre Throw on Bastila. She very nearly cleaned out the room by herself. Whoosh - she's right next to the troopers. *Woo-Whaum* troopers get diced. *Waw-Whaum* thrown sabre cuts officer in two.

Holy crud. :blink: :blink: :ph34r:

And also: T3-M4 totally rocks. "Beep-boop-weep!"

Okay, serious question now: Is there a point to Pazaak? Or is it just their for those who like it and/or need more credits? I'm not really interested in devoting time to it if it's only supposed to be a mindless minigame, but I might if there are benefits acrued through it. I've done basically everything on Taris (about to talk to Canderous about his little scheme), but I haven't played the Gelrood guy at all.

Also, the voice actor for Bastila (Jennifer Hale?) = Sexxay++. ;)

[NuurAbSaal]

I totally agree that this game rocks. Unfortunately, the German (console) version suffers from UNBELIEVEABLE translation errors and while the German voice acting is quite good, hearing ridiculous translations can seriously degrade a gaming eyperience for me. An example for fellow native speakers of German:

Darth Malak:"Wipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy!" (Dark Side Cool Stuff™, from the intro)

translated to:

"Mach diesen Planeten frei von der Galaxis!"
{free this planet from the galaxy}

:blink: :( :angry:

that's just sad...

The only other thing to complain about is that as soon as you got two Jedi beside you, you almost don't need any other characters anymore. Jedi rule, others don't, it's as simple as that (IMHO, of course). I don't think it counts as a spoiler to warn Warlocke of the levelcap of 20, which sucks (ack, got a second thing to complain about), I hit it long before the end (doing everything there was to do, much as everyone else will play this game, methinks).

On the bright side -> hitting "Y" on the xbox gamepad makes your character show of his melee weapon proficiency (if you got one equipped, d'uh) and the Lightsabre sound kicks rear! Just hit “y“ repeatedly and you got yourself some very angry hornets in a wine bottle :)

Greetings
Nuur

[WarLocke]

The only other thing to complain about is that as soon as you got two Jedi beside you, you almost don't need any other characters anymore.

I'm not so sure. Bastila only seems to get 2 skill points per level, so if all Jedi get similar amounts then they're gimped when dealing with slicing computers or defusing mines and such. ;)

T3-M4 and Mission can hold their own in battle, and do just about everything else. Heck, Zaalbar has a decent Demolitions score, and he's a freaking tank.

So yeah, my party will probably end up as Me+Bastila+NPC-of-the-Moment, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that Jedi make other characters obsolete.

[[wcip]Angel]

I'm about 18-20 hours into the game and am approaching the final planet. This is my first time playing the game so I chose the light side. I'll finish the game once more in 'dark mode' afterwards.

Pazaak is a great way to earn money. You'll need it as some equipment made available to you later will run in the tens of thousands. (armor in particular)

I was skeptical to a StarWars-RPG, but it's really quite fantastic. I noticed a few friendly voices in there. The guy doing Liquid Snake in the MGS-series as well as the guy playing Ethan Rayne on Buffy the vampire slayer.

[NuurAbSaal]

Just trust me on this one ;)
(ok, if I were you, I'd say "Yeah, right!" :lol: )

Skill points per level for Jedi depend on their class btw, should be in the manual.


Greetings
Nuur

EDIT: Warlocke, you're right, other chars are not made "obsolete" by Jedi but for me the following was true: Time played with 3 Jedi 95%. Time played with something other than 3 Jedi:...hmmm, lemme do the math...well...err...4,5%.

And please post when you have finished the game, I'd love to discuss some things I can't talk about yet (to avoid spoilers).

[WarLocke]

I noticed a few friendly voices in there.

A couple more I know of:

Jennifer Hale (Bastila) was Mazzy Fentan's voice in BG2.

The voice actor for Jolee (can't remember his name, dangit) did Sarevok's voice in BG2 (I assume in BG1 as well).

Pazaak is a great way to earn money.

Not on Taris it isn't. The maximum bet is 40 credits. :(

Normally I wouldn't worry, but I'm getting a definite "once you leave Taris, you're not coming back" vibe. So I want to get everything done before I leave. Sometimes I think I'm a candidate for OCD. <_<

[[wcip]Angel]

First planet you should visit once you're airborne is the one to the left-hand part of your galaxy-map. Not much to do there except get some great gear and play the card game with a 750 limit pr round.

Remember to save before you start ;)

[Bolty]

My main problem right now is that I'm not a Soldier.&nbsp; I chose Scout because I wanted to be well-rounded, but Bendak Starkiller absolutely thrashes me when I try to kill him for the quests he's involved in.&nbsp; I have gotten some equipment upgrades since the last time I tried him, but what I really need is a lightsabre.&nbsp; <_<

'Locke, a pointer on Bendak: use grenades. Your adventures on Taris have probably yielded you some Plasma Grenades. These are the ultimate Bendak-killers. Before accepting the Duel and going into the ring, charge up with a Battle Stimulant. If you have one (there IS one on Taris), use the one Hyper Battle-Stimulant you have. This makes you pretty buff, almost to the tune of "invincible." Also, charge up an Energy Shield. If you have a Sith Energy Shield, use that - they're tougher.

So before the fight even starts, you're buffed up and blocking blaster attacks. Then dance around to avoid his grenades while lobbing Plasma Grenades at him. You won't even need swords or blasters to take him down. There are around 5 to 7 Plasma Grenades to be found on Taris, and that will do the job. Victory will be yours!

As for Pazaak, yes, it's a fantastic way to make a lot of cash on other words (highest bet is over 700 credits on one location). You need to gather as many +/- cards as you can. Other than that, there is no plot point to playing Pazaak.

-Bolty

[[wcip]Angel]

Also, another way of earning some cash is swoop racing. But unlike Pazaak, there is a limited amount of races that pay.

Bolty: The smugglers on the platform; will I ever run into them again? I met them once as they tried to beat up the solitary alien (don't remember his name). I managed to scare them off, but they said they'd be back.

Can't wait for my last exam to be finished so I can start playing evil.

[Bolty]

Angel,Dec 7 2003, 10:41 AM] Bolty: The smugglers on the platform; will I ever run into them again? I met them once as they tried to beat up the solitary alien (don't remember his name). I managed to scare them off, but they said they'd be back.

You'll have to be more specific; I'm not sure what smugglers you're referring to. If you can't be more specific without giving away a plot spoiler, send me a private message.

And you'll enjoy playing evil. It's just a lot of fun to kill anyone who either A) gets in your way or B) pisses you off, and if you play evil you can do it. Plus, the endgame as an evil character is a TON of fun, and extrememly exciting. I wish I could say more, but there are so many things you get to do as an evil character that you don't as a good. It's worth playing through twice for it.

-Bolty

[Haider]

I played it through in 30 hours (I think I covered about 80-90 % of all quests) with my "chaotic-good" character - what a great game. Good story, interesting quests and good graphic. And it is Star Wars. Not Prequel Star Wars, but the original with the EU added, which means it has a wonderful atmosphere. Great stuff, nearly as good as Planescape: Torment was (not not at par with the story and the character interaction).

I have only small gripes about it: a camera with a view like Diablo would have made it better to orientate in the game (I hated Manaan, where I always got lost) and less hassle with hanging on things, bumping into people etc., and the graphics (while my system is up-to-date) lead to quite some slowdowns on some parts (regardless of the resolution). A DVD instead of four! CDs would also have been nice. Oh, and the "normal" fights got very easy on the last couple of locations (except the



<Spoiler, well not really that big ;)>




................................ Star Forge, where it really, really was overwhelming at times (Deck2, Control Deck .................................


</Spoiler>)).


Enough of the bitching. :D
It is the best game of the year for me - and now I will play with my "chaotic evil" character - maybe I get the few quests I missed.
If you like RPGs (KotoR can be played nearly without any number-crunching if you want) and don't hate Star Wars, check this game out, it is well worth it (I would even buy a XBox for it, if it wouldn't have been ported to the PC).
Oh and please do not use the Auto-Level-feature. I ended up with a Jedi very proficient in shooting blasters until I discovered I could distribute the points myself...

[Haider]

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Although, I haven't been able to get a "side quest" from Mission or Z yet.

Wait 'till you get to Kashyyyk, there you'll get enough ;)

Speaking of lightsabres, how are Jedi Consulars? I just like the idea of throwing out Force Pushes left and right, rather than being your stereotypical Darth Maul combat machine. Besides, that's what Big Z is for.
Post Settings

Against normal opponents Force is great, Force Whirlwind/Wave, Stun and Throwing Lightsaber Mastery and Healing are godsend (you'll wipe out complete armies with it! - even Sith apprentices are only dead meat), but the problem you'll hit are strong single enemies who are Force-users too. They are very resistant or even immune to this powers (and you often have to face them alone), and you have to resolve in your good old Lightsabre(s) - and for this you are better off as a Jedi Guardian - especially since you get a good Consular later in the game.
I find that double Lightsabres with Master Flurry, Force Push up to Wave, the Stun up to lvl 3, Healing and Destroy Droid worked very well for the light side. The dark side has some nice additional choices (which I mostly know through being used on me...)

[Haider]

Okay, serious question now: Is there a point to Pazaak? Or is it just their for those who like it and/or need more credits? I'm not really interested in devoting time to it if it's only supposed to be a mindless minigame, but I might if there are benefits acrued through it. I've done basically everything on Taris (about to talk to Canderous about his little scheme), but I haven't played the Gelrood guy at all.

Nah, not really. I only run into a money problem twice, when I run out of healing and had no money and lacked the force power and once when I had to use quite some money for a quest. Later on you get good stuff in normal loot, and with some quests you get enough money (even when you refuse some rewards).

[[wcip]Angel]

You'll have to be more specific; I'm not sure what smugglers you're referring to.&nbsp; If you can't be more specific without giving away a plot spoiler, send me a private message.

And you'll enjoy playing evil.&nbsp; It's just a lot of fun to kill anyone who either A) gets in your way or B) pisses you off, and if you play evil you can do it.&nbsp; Plus, the endgame as an evil character is a TON of fun, and extrememly exciting.&nbsp; I wish I could say more, but there are so many things you get to do as an evil character that you don't as a good.&nbsp; It's worth playing through twice for it.

-Bolty

On one of your optional visits to the space station (the one with the guy selling lots of nice weapons and armor and plays pazaak with a 750 maximum wager), you'll run into a band of smugglers who are no longer with the Exchange who will threaten the resident of the space station. You can persuade them to leave, force persuade them, or threaten them. On their way out they mention in passing that they'll be back.

[Dozer]

Visit again, you'll see ;)