Delerius_Jedi

Meh, I'll just get the harddrive seperately when MS finally get around to launching Video Marketplace internationally. Because it's only the absolute tech-obsessed who download a ton off of that, and *want* that HDMI port who really are gonna be interested in this system.

Wow, these figures really do show that Intel has finally come around. One question, though; I'm building a Conroe system, but I'm on a budget and don't plan on overclocking, so I don't think I need the insanely highspeed Corsair memory. What is the "normal" RAM to use with Conroe? DDR2-533?

I'm glad NWN2's been delayed. I'd rather they delay it and actually finish the game, than have another KotOR2 fiasco on my hands.

GAME in Denmark, and I assume other countries offer the Collector's Edition of Neverwinter Nights 2 in both a Lawful Good and a Chaotic Evil editon. Lawful Good is bright, beige/yellow, while Chaotic Evil is the dark red seen in the screenshot the OP put up. I'm getting Chaotic Evil (w00t)

Hmm, yes they do look a bit like the ones they used on the old 60's show, don't they?

Bastila, for obvious reasons

PC, for the reasons already stated.

Yep, but it will be a while before i start investing in an HDTV. I would never buy one for a console though, i might reconsider when all broadcasts are in HDTV(a 27" costs a whopping 1099

Well to each their own definition, I guess. Personally I judge what an RPG is by the first KotOR; since that was the first game in the genre to really appeal to me. KotOR is pretty much the standard I go by when I judge a game these days; to me it was near the epitome of gaming. I played Planescape: Torment when I found out Obsidian had been given the gig of KotOR2 and PST was right up there with KotOR, I think. Some aspects were better in PST, some were better in KotOR. KotOR2 made me sad because I wasn't able to really find the best of both those worlds in the game, I guess; it was just...unfulfilling to play. Anyway; yeah JE offers lots of choices for interaction but so did alot of the old adventure games. The reason I don't personally count JE as an RPG is that it seems like "KotOR-lite" to me when I play it. I think Bioware aimed to broadly with it; they tried to make a game that would appeal to everyone who liked RPG's, to everyone who liked fighting games, and to everyone who loved just lounging in their sofa with the Xbox. With the end result being that while it's a good game it's not really anything genre-defining. Of course this is just my personal opinion.

DAMN U AMERICANS... <_< Uhm, I live in Europe and I picked up both Bloodlines and Half-Life 2 on...November 20th 2004, if memory serves. The first Monday following the release date, at any rate. We got both those games pretty darn close to the US; a week or two at the most. Uhm, back on topic; Congrats, Obsidian. And yes, for all it's flaws TSL was the better candidate; IMHO Jade Empire is a decent action/adventure game but it's not really an RPG. I would have liked it though, if TSL been completed according to the original premise and then won the GOTY awards based on it being an awesome, fulfilling gaming experience rather than just by default <_<

The Xbox version has the exact same bugs as the PC version does, but the PC version is being patched, and the Xbox version never will be. I'd say trade the Xbox version for the PC one.

With all due respect, John: TSL was rushed out for Xbox for the Christmas sales. The RPGVault article states: "In the end, we moved the Xbox ship date by about a month from early November to early December, and we decided to ship all the other versions (PC and international versions) in February 2005. We needed that time to polish and finish up some of the more arduous portions of the game." That argument would have had merit, if the PC and International Xbox versions hadn't been revealed to have exactly the same bugs/issues as the US Xbox version. And in the case of the PC version; more bugs. I do not mean to flame, but I am left seriously wondering exactly what you at Obsidian were doing those two months for this to happen. Because it was not polish the game; in fact: In many sections the PC textures are inconsistant in terms of quality. An example would be the Mandalorian shuttle you use to get from Dxun to Onderon: When the shuttle is docked on Dxun, it will show up as high-res textures with the engine grill clearly visable in the front of the ship. However: when you see the same shuttle in the hangar on Onderon, the same part of the ship will just be a black low-res chunk. I played through this section multiple times, using various nVidia driver versions, and I had all the game settings on highest quality, this issue was reproducable in every playthrough. The issue itself isn't a big one, but it is symptomatic of the lack of polish TSL recieved: And as a PC gamer I am seriously left to wonder if anything at all was done to the PC version in the two months, since it looked and ran near identically to the NTSC Xbox version I aquired in December. PC gamers were made to wait two months extra; for what, I ask? The PC version featured no additional content, nor bugfixes.

I should point out that in this case the console version of the same game has the exact same bugs and glitches as the PC version. Stop by the Xbox forum, you'll find that the Xbox version runs with a poor framerate and is littered with bugs as well. While I too would prefer my games to work out of the box, at least a PC game *can* be patched, and despite it all; I do believe it will be, with time. Plus: In the case of KotOR2, having the PC version allows you to install alot of cool mods, that can help improve the gaming experience, and restore huge portions of cut material. Material that would make this game shine.

Lol, indeed aurora. This came up on the old Bioware boards a long time ago. And I think the point was made that Bioware gave Bastila's Jennifer's eyes. Seems to fit, as far as I can see. And she really is a terrific voice-actor. The characters she does just scream of life. Part of the reason I adore KotOR so much is because of her voicing.

Mr Urquhart: While I do understand that you as CEO cannot simply dennounce your publisher or the way they do buisiness, this statement does seem like an attempt to defuse a potential volatile situation before it gets to far out of hand. Your previous replies to quiries regarding the cut content made to gamers via emails that were sent to you regarding this issue and which clearly brought up where the storyline leaves everyone hanging seems to contradict what you are saying in your above statement. Furthermore: The sudden disappearence of the thread started by Obsidian co-founder and KotOR2 Lead Designer Chris Avellone about Obsidian requesting LucasArts' permission to release a content patch for KotOR2 seems to add credence to the fact that this is simply an attempt by LucasArts to make people stop focusing on this issue. As has been stated previously in this thread: These aren't gripes we're talking about; it's major plot points that, when added up just doesn't come together to form a cohesive ending to an otherwise good game. I am fully aware that cuts have to be made during game development, but those cuts should not be major plot-points that end up compromising the story-telling. And I do believe that you and the rest of your team are aware of this. And that is why people here are still talking about it; because KotOR2 ended up comprimising its storytelling to make Christmas 2004.

Personally I think we should frame Feargus's reply to Torrentus in the other thread: It took alot of guts for him to say that, and the fact that he's being honest about it and in his own way is admitting that they made mistakes with KotOR2 gives him a bonus in my book. Unlike Mike Gallo at LA, Feargus is really showing integrity and sincerity here when he replies: I mean he apologizes for the disappointments over the game. Something I doubt we'll ever see Gallo do. This has earned Obsidian some more respect in my book: I'll still wait a bit before buying their next products, but I won't intentionally avoid them after reading this as I had previously made up my mind to do. KotOR2 is in the hands of the modders now, so we should focus on supporting them however we can. Just my 0.02 credits.

I prefer KotOR to KotOR II. Liked the characters, the story and the whole experience better. Oh that, and KotOR was actually finished, content-wise when it shipped.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Heh, ah if only they'd taken this approach to the release of the game itself, alot of things could've been avoided. Still: Nice to see they're admitting that there are things that needs to be fixed.

Maybe not judge, but everyone's entitled to form and express their opinion. That's what I've seen people do.

they did. atleast chris avellone did in one of his designer ramblings. he commented specifically that the "romance" wouldnt be anything like kotor1 and it would be more about interaction and "friendship" than blatant romance between characters. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, he should've let out the L-word, then. And no offense to Mr. Avelleone: But in hindsight all his "Designer ramblings" just seem like vain attempts to pass off all the stuff that was cut/not done as something they had planned all along. But anyways: This isn't a bashing of designer choices, this was just an expression that KotOR2 has indeed left me skeptical of Obsidian products.

Well it's more the half-hearted approach than anything else, personally. I mean: If they're gonna do a romance plot they should take the time to do it right(I know that definition is very individual). I think I'd have taken it better if they'd just been honest and said that they didn't want to do romances from the get-go.

maybe that was the reason for the decision to make some employee changes at lucasarts. perhaps the "new boss" didnt like the rushed, haphazzard way the franchise was being run and is now implementing changes to see that fiascos like the kotor2 one doesnt happen again. *shrugs* <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, I hope that includes a pink-slip for Mike Gallo, then. As for KotOR2. I have to be honest and say that I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much as KotOR. It feels too rushed, too incomplete...unfinished. And the lack of stuff like deeply involving romance plots and more NPC interaction were really a huge disappointment. The ending was directly tragic and my overall judgment of Obsidian and KotOR2 has to be a poor one. Yes: they made Planescape Torment, but to me that just worsens the KotOR2 situation...knowing that the team has talent, but squandered it. Some of the cut material on the disc is really golden and surpasses what they actually put in the game by miles.

I'd like to second Feza's statement here: What really cuts back on my own personal enjoyment of KotOR II is the knowledge of what it could have been, and perhaps should have been. It makes me sad to see all the material that was cut, as a quick search through the audio files of the game as well as the dialog.tlk file reveal some utterly stunning bits of plot. But they are wasted, squandered in favour of pushing the game out the door quickly. I would have gladly waited six months to a full year for this game if the material in those audiofiles would have been included.

Yes, KotOR is most definately in my Top-10. I'd even include it in my Top-5

Well, I don't recall Visas saying this in any of the games I've played through. But I think it's safe to say that I just found my new favorite line in either Kotor game. That's just awesome. PS. Now that I think of it, she may have said that But I don't recall the verbage being like that. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The version in the voice trailer is if the PC(and by extention, Visas) is DS at that point in the game.