Jediphile

How about gungan jedi? "The force is meesa ally!" :D

:D I know this particular problem rather well, but I don't think the problem is that norse languages cannot express the mood that you're looking for so much as that we have been "americanized" or at least "angloized" to the point where we just say a lot of things in english because that's what we hear in the news and in the movies. For those who don't know, I should hasten to point out that in the scandinavian countries the movies aren't shown in the native language of the country, but rather in the original with subtitles, even the Harry Potter movies. Well, they did release at least of the Harry Potter dvds in these languages, but I don't know if they're any good, because I really can't bring myself to listen to it, as I'll want to hear the english original even the tenth time over hearing the version in my own language for the first time... Same goes with the novels btw - Harry Potter is published in those languages, of course, but I read the english originals over those every time (they are released sooner and they're cheaper too...). The point to all this is that in scandinavians are used to hearing the english original and not a translation in their own language. You point out Star Wars, which is a good example - "Use the Force, Luke!" is far more recognizable than the alternative translation, especially since those translations aren't always consistent and so change from one incarnation to the next. It's true for other games as well. I played in a Trek RPG a few years ago, where the GM decided up front to keep all the classic terms in english because he felt they were inseparable to the point of being impossible to translate, since scandinavians watch any and all Trek in english and often without subtitles because they're frequently available only through imported video or similar. I really couldn't imagine Captain Picard introducing himself in swedish, and I honestly find the idea a little scary, if you'll forgive me... Add to that the joys of translating Trek's technobabble and you'll soon be pulling hairs out of your head in frustration. I mean, how would you translate "Warp Core", "Starboard Nacelle", or "Saucer Section" into swedish? And who would even know what you're talking about? Another thing is the fact that some many english words have found their way into other languages. Words like "computer", "keyboard", "weekend" and hosts of others have no translation and are accepted as such in many languages (with french as a notable exception). And I find that english is frequently "richer" in its vocabulary than a lot of other languages, so there are just no words to substitute the english original or else they become complex and cumbersome to the point of being rediculous. In role-playing this often means that gaming sessions becomes of mish-mash of the native language and english, both because only english has the exact word that describes what you're talking about and because all the rulebooks are in english, which therefore has the exact terminology. The most frequently used english words in my D&D sessions would be "spells" and "level", and that's probably true in many other campaigns.

Removing a certain organ would be the ultimate darkside act. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah - we need more Cthulhu-like dark side powers... like "Explode Heart" - no question what that does

Well... "

Another hilarious HK-47 moment... HK-47: "Recitation: Yes, as I said, I am an assassin droid. It is my primary function to burn holes through meatbags that you wish removed from the galaxy... master. Oh, how I hate that term." Exile: "What term? Meatbag?" HK-47: "Answer: No, Master. Ah, I said it again!" :D

Probably AD&D 2e or d20. I don't like 3e, but for a GM with all new players, it might be worth considering as a first step, especially if the GM is also new to RPGs. I'd go with 2e myself, though, because I simply know it better, and 3e really isn't that much of an improvement to warrant consideration for me. GURPS 4e looks pretty solid to me when it comes to character creation. It's limited in some areas, but you can make exactly the character you like (unless you're completely munchkin, of course). I think Twilight 2000 had some of the more complex weapons rules that I've seen, though. Not sure, but then who really cares? GURPS is probably a competitor here, because it's not engineered toward a specific and supernatural setting like most other systems (Storyteller, 3e, etc.). Besides, good rules should compromise between fluid rules and a compelling representation of reality. It may be close to reality to spend an hour working exactly what effect a bullit wound had, but it isn't much fun. On the other hand, it doesn't serve the suspension of disbelief much when high-leveled D&D warriors can take out armies of goblins because they have ludicrous numbers of hit points, meaning that the goblins can never hope to defeat them in a fight... The ideal lies somewhere in between those extremes. Not sure. GURPS and Rolemaster looked pretty advanced to me, but I'm sure there are far more complex systems out there - they just never took of, and so nobody knows them... or at least I don't. I liked some the ideas in LUG Star Trek. A very simple system that allowed lots of potential. Too bad it went under... GURPS 4e looks good, too. The Storyteller system is also pretty good, but I don't like the way dice-rolling works there. d20/3e is my candidate today. Oh, okay, the first original D&D system is worse, but then that's an antequated system. What's a can of worms, because it depends both on taste and campaign style. I liked LUG Star Trek's Icon system better than Decipher's, which seems much closer to d20 to me, but it's a matter of taste. And D&D would be difficult to imagine without a d20 die, hit points and Armor Classes.

Oh, agreed - 2e and 3e are both pretty crappy systems next to some of the games out there. And I do agree that 3e is better organized than 2e - I just don't think it's a decade of development better. 3e could and should have been an infinitely better game than it turned out to be. Rigid rules and fixed classes were okay in the late 80s when 2e came out. It's not an acceptable principle today.

This falls under the category of undead beholders that was briefly mentioned in my campaign once (I'm the GM). Player: "Are there undead beholders?!?" Me: "Hmmm... What a good idea - there are now!" All other players: [Groan!]

Oh yes. Having a rules system as a base that developers can then write campaigns for is not a bad idea per se. I'd never want that system to be the only out there, no matter how good it was, but a common ground is not a terrible idea. To me the problem is that if there was to be such as universally accepted system as a base, then d20 is about the last game system that should be used, as it is one of the most rigid and inflexible gaming systems I've seen in the last decade. Well, I still play 2e, so you know I won't agree there. And just to be fair - I did at least try 3e before I just stole the few good bits (few though they were) and then flushed the rest...

I think its a combination of what I said and what Battlewookiee said - if you've stopped the riot and consistently supported the queen during your stay in Iziz, then Tobin won't even ask you, and you'll automatically be assumed to support her. If there is any doubt, Tobin will ask you to join Vaklu, in which case you must turn him down if you want to side with the queen and Kavar. I usually have Tobin ask me, because I take a few dark side hits on Onderon, since I'm usually trying to build some influence with HK-47 at the time.

Okay, I'll just add this one now, since we all know it will come sooner or later anyway " HK-47: "Statement: Oh, yes. My master had quite the collection of tortured individuals that seemed unable to confront their basic personality conflicts. Let me cite some specific examples. Mockery: "Oh, master, I do not trust you! I cannot trust you or anyone ever again!" Mockery: "Oh, master, I love you but I hate all you stand for, but I think we should go press our slimy, mucus-covered lips together in the cargo hold!" Conclusion: Such pheromone-driven human responses never cease to decrease the charge in my capacitors and make me wish I could press a blaster pistol to my behavior core and pull the trigger." Definitely one of the high notes in KotOR2

A few comments on the top of my head... " On planning: Plan a lot! Now, this may sound strange coming from me, since I hardly ever plan my games - usually I just have a loose idea for a plot and nothing else. I hardly ever prepare stats or maps or anything like that. However, there are a few reasons for this. For one, I don't play dungeon crawls. Period. Even though we play AD&D, our spelunking days are few and far between, because dungeon crawls usually have little or no plot - it usually comes down to "hole in the ground with treasure and monsters", which is boring and unimaginative to me plotwise. But it's not a bad place for beginning players to start.. Second, I've been a GM for well over a decade, and my current campaign has lasted over a decade now as well, so naturally I know the campaign, the rules, and the characters rather well by now. That's a luxury a new DM just won't have. This is also the reason why I can get away with not preparing stuff - I can modify or make up stats pretty much on the spot by now, so what's the point of preparing it all? For a beginning GM this will not be much of an option, but he should still try to be flexible in both plots and options for the players. On splitting parties: I cannot say that this is a bad thing per se. Yes, if it's for the purpose of dissent and confrontations within the group, then it's very bad. Role-playing is a social activity, after all, and letting the PCs fight each other is anti-social and so destroys the game. My solution is usually to let the PCs face such stiff opposition and sly manipulators that they'll have to cooperate to survive in the long run. If they don't, then they're certainly doomed if not dead - it doesn't help to be alive if the king is convinced you're guilty of a crime and puts you in prison for 10+ years... That said, splitting the party CAN be fun if handled right. No, it's no fun if one character spends two hours playing solo with the GM while the others do nothing but wait, but it can work if let every character do something and then take the cinematic approach and switch between them rapidly. Play a few minutes with character, then switch to someone else. This is especially effective if the character is getting into trouble and is left hanging when you switch. Cliffhangers are fun, after all. I mean, how often have you watched a show, where some of the heroes are in a major fight and then the scene cuts to something more peaceful elsewhere with some of the other heroes? It happens all the time, and it works because it builds suspense. Dramatic pacing is important, even in roleplaying. But it does require that you have the plot set up beforehand, so you know where the story is going. I never did the doppelganger bit myself, but I did recently do something similar to my group. They were all captured by an old enemy, but managed to escape. They didn't know, however, that one of them had been charmed (actually geas'ed) to assassinate the king and that the group would be set up as scapegoats. I talked to the affected player about this and let him play his enchanted character. It was pretty fun once the other players began to catch on... If you do something like that, I suggest you have a 'backdoor' to get out of it, though, because players are a wonderful source of constant amazement to GMs, as it can be incredibly difficult to predict what they will and - especially - will not find to be obvious... In my plot the 'backdoor' was an NPC who could give the PCs clues to what was going on if things were getting out of hand. Never hesitate to let an NPC tag along with the PCs to serve as the GM's voice. Just be sure to switch the NPC and be prepared to let him die immediately if it serves a dramatic purpose. On fudging dice: This I have no problem with. I'm the Game Master - the dice are not! If I need to fudge dice to give the PCs a fighting chance, then I will. If I need to fudge dice for a dramatic or plot-based purpose or just to let the PCs at least know that they were in a fight, then I will. Besides, you should roll dice all the time to create suspense. Something you should roll dice both to determine what happens in the game as well as to create suspense... If the players are worried when you suddenly begin rolling dice, then be sure to do so now and then just to keep them on their toes On being descriptive: I usually don't go into a lot of detail, but then it depends on the situation and the players. After all, if the players aren't interested in the "background graphics", then why should I be? They can always ask for more detail if they want it, so I generally advice starting there - describe people present and objects that could have significance (a table could be an obstacle, a chair could be a weapon, etc.), but don't worry about describing the image on the painting or the tapestries - if the PCs are interested, then they should ask for the details themselves. Unless the image is particularly striking, of course. On rules-lawyering: The GM is a referee, not a lawyer. He's a judge, not the police. That means he is there to consider when the rules apply. He is not there to make certain they are always followed and then enforce them when they're not. Know the rules, certainly. But also be sure to know when to throw them out the window. On PC backgrounds and stats: Whether this is important depends a great deal on campaign style. In pure dungeon crawls, it probably doesn't matter so much. My own campaign is heavily plot-based, however, and so background is essential and has been key to most the adventures we've played. I enjoy planning by plots so that they are triggered by the PCs' backgrounds and friends. Make sure you use continuity in the campaign to your advantages. There is no reason why the wizard who helped the group out three adventures ago can't suddenly be missing and so in need for the PCs to look for him. Also, let enemies escape if they get the chance. That way they can return for revenge later and cause new trouble for the PCs, especially if the make an alliance with other enemies. Or the evil wizard the PCs defeated could have been part of a secret cult, which is now less than happy with the PCs and so sends assassins after them every few weeks... Whether to play on romantic interests is a matter of taste. I tend to stay clear in most cases, since it's so clich

I do believe the original AD&D system came out before TSR went to war with Dave Arneson. It's true for later editions of the game, though. Save TSR? Yes. A step in the right direction? I couldn't possibly disagree more - WOTC tried to corner the market and kill diversity in RPGs (read this if you don't believe me). Thankfully they didn't quite succeed, and there are still good RPG systems out there. Yep, that's exactly where it all began to go downhill...

True, but that doesn't mean the WOTC is the company it used to be. It was actually interested in gaming when Peter Adkinson (sp?) was still there, but after he was bought out and Hasbro took over, the company turned into the very suits they had claimed so hard for years that they were not. WotC saved D&D, yes, but nobody saved WotC... Oh please... Let's just recap - Gamma World had long since been dead and buried, and despite talk and talk, it never came back. WOTC didn't change anything on that. D&D was saved - as mentioned - but then that was the cash-cow that made investing in TSR interesting. Alternity was already dead and stayed so. Shame though, that was a decent game that never got much of a chance... Not that I blame TSR or WOTC - it just never found its audience. Forgotten Realms is the chief D&D world and there are far too many munchkin fanboys out there who wants to play just to meet Elminster or Drizzt to ever let it die. Money can be made that way even with crappy material (as it indeed has been), and it still sold, even when TSR dissed the author who created Drizzt, so saving FR is a no-brainer. As for Ravenloft, Planescape, and Dark Sun, how much of that material has WOTC published? Oh yes, they published the stuff that TSR already had in development, but they did not support the creation of new material, and they were all promptly killed off when 3e appeared on the horizon. Ravenloft has made it back from limbo, but only because an outside company was willing to pay for the priviledge - not because WOTC developed it in any way. And needless to say, Planescape and Dark Sun are still dead. Credit where credit is due, yes, but also when its negative. You cannot claim that WOTC saved those settings. It's just not quite what happened. If a setting doesn't sell, then it goes under. Period. That's what happened to my favorite D&D setting (Mystara), because TSR royally screwed up the transition to AD&D rules... :angry: That's a matter of opinion. 3e sold, but I don't agree that it's D&D. It's not bad, but it is a different game in my book. I even hear people who play and like 3e saying so. Personally I just want d20 to die and fade to the winds - there are much better and far more flexible systems out there.

Yes, I'd agree that there are hardly any good RPGs left, though I do remain more confident that we'll see it turn the other way in the future. I think it will be a few years before that, though. Besides, there is still the question of what exactly makes an RPG? To me playing a character that can interact with an impact his/her world is not enough, because that is true in almost any game. Is Far Cry an RPG? Is Jedi Academy? How about the Monkey Island games? Don't get me wrong, I like those games, but I don't think they're RPGs, because to be an RPG you need to have genuine choice and the solution to the game's problems must be non-linear or at least have enough possible solutions to appear so. The Ultima and Fallout games are among the better RPGs we've seen, but that said, there was still some way to go even there, before they got anywhere close to the potential of tabletop PnP RPGs. Not that I'd demand that, but I would set it as a standard for what a CRPG has to aim for, and today the so-called RPGs don't get very close. Even decent CRPGs like KotOR or Gothic aren't really all that close the RPG concept, as they follow woefully fixed and linear plotlines with few or often no real choice for the player. To me they're closer to glorified adventure games with role-playing elements thrown in than to actual RPGs. And again, I love Monkey Island, but that doesn't mean it's an RPG. Now, I do accept that it is impossible to create a program that allows me to do or try ANYTHING I can think of, but even so, I still find the given choices in CRPGs today to be rather limited. Take KotOR where your only real choice is wether you want to be evil or good in the various situations. But no matter which you choose, it won't affect how the plot unfolds at all, except to allow an ending for either side. You can't make an alliance with Sion or Nihilus, nor can you choose to kill members in your group (which probably annoys lots of people...). Heck, you can't even choose NOT to have them follow you around... You might think from this that I'd prefer the big MMORPGs out there, since they offer lots of choice and freedom in interaction. Well, no... Because while MMORPGs indeed have lots of potential, they are generally so generic that they have next to no plot or character development. They're still in their infancy, and it shows too - it's far too much munchkin-hackfest for my taste. I played Diablo II a few years back, and while it was some fun to play through the first time, it definitely wasn't an RPG in my book. Sure, there have been lots of better MMORPGs since then, but they still seem to be to offer nothing better, except flasher graphics and sound, better buffs and powerups, and high munchkin-factors - none of which is ultimately compelling to me. I do think it'll change, though. In a few years, the technology will have advanced to a point where far more options will be available to the developers. Once that happens, we'll see (MMO)RPGs that allow amazing things, at least on the pc.

Simple solution? Run. Might not sound so heroic, but then you always argue that you can get the loot hidden in the alcoves only if you go there during the final battle, which is even true... Don't fight Kreia, just run off and let the sabers chase you. Give them the miss, if you can, then approach one carefully, so that only it will notice you and give chase. That way you can take them down one at a time. Once they're all gone, activate all your buff-powers and shields, then attack Kreia with your lightsaber - Force Resistance/Immunity is a must here. But though she does have a ton of vitality, she's not much of a warrior and will soon go down. If the battle goes against you, simply retreat and power up again - Kreia seems to never leave her spot, so use that against her, if you need to catch a breath.

Yeah, I know it sucks... Sorry.

Whether you support the queen or general Vaklu is decided solely by what you tell Tobin when he interrupts your meeting with Kavar in the cantina, no matter what you've done up to that point - you can even do all the dirty deeds for Vaklu's side, mainly by getting rid of the captains, and still support the queen in the end (I've done that myself). If you find the game forces you to side with Vaklu, then you must have told Tobin that you would support their side in the coup when he and his men interrupted your meeting with Kavar.

He is usually the first to go. Not my choice but he does have weak HPs and AC.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> You evil person! How could you let him die? :'( Poor Dogmeat. I've managed to keep him alive throughout the whole game everytime I've had him with me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I actually finished the game with all of my NPCs still around (though I did drop them off before the final confrontation...)

10mm JHP's <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In your back! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah, but that's nowhere as annoying as Marcus with a minigun in FO2 " :D

I suggest an all jedi group with two heavy fighters in melee (one of them Exile) and a third as ranged attacker casting buffs (enhancing force powers like battle meditation, valor, etc.), ranged attack powers (esp. force storm) and a lot of healing!

If you can say that, then you really make me wonder if you ever played the DS version of events and discovered Hanharr's motives. I found they were actually pretty well thought out. Sure, Hanharr is a pretty complex character for a wookiee, but I support it when writers do something unexpected and then can explain why it is so. I find that to be true for Hanharr, but you have to play DS and build high influence with him to get there. After all, Mira knows very little about him. The LS end confrontation between Hanharr and Mira was pretty useless, though, since it was just tossed in there without putting the whole thing in context. I really got the feeling that - given all the stuff that was cut - it was left in there only because we had already seen Kreia revive Hanharr and send him off to kill Mira later. But since so much was cut from the game that the context of the final confrontation becomes lost, it would have actually hurt the story less if they had just cut the sequence where Kreia revives Hanharr as well, thereby leaving Hanharr dead as early as Nar Shaddaa.

How do you connect the "true Sith" with the Rakatan empire? The Founders had long since gone under by the time the Sith created their empire, and there seems to be no connection between them. Even if there were, all we know of the "true Sith" is heard toward the end of K2, and the Rakatans are never mentioned... And your info on Ludo Kressh is rather flawed to say the least. While I'm not sure when Tulak Hord lived, Freedon Nadd lived about 400 years before the beastwars on Onderon (about 460 years before KotOR1), and besides, Ludo Kressh was killed in the Hyperspace Wars during a final confrontation with Naga Sadow. Yes, Sadow was forced into exile, but he did manage to kill Kressh first. Check the final issues of the "Fall of the Sith Empire" comic for details. Personally I wouldn't call the true Sith "weaklings", but I would say they're not as powerful as the Sith empire was. K2 seems to establish that they staged the Mandalorian Wars, the situation that led to the Jedi Civil War, and all the troubles that followed so that the Republic would be weakened and ripe for conquest. Whether you want to call the "weak" or "crafty" is up to you...

On the contrary - respect to you for actually going through it all before joining the conversation. You'd be surprised how many just jump in there unwittingly and asking all the same questions that have been answered a gazillion times before. While I'm not associated with the restoration team in any way, I do believe the plan is to do something for the Xbox once the PC mod is done, but I don't think the team is even sure themselves. Check the team's FAQ for answers and bookmark their site, so you can check back again later. No news about KotOR3 yet. There a thread dedicated exclusively to discussing the potential of the game, but all of the official voices (be it LA, Obsidian, Bioware, or whomever) have been very silent on the subject, and all it still speculation for now. Feel free to join the thread, but don't count on any official news.

Legends, folklore, and similar background history of a campaign world is a remarkably underused device in most RPG stories. You'd think those were a big help, as they beg exploring, but they're very rarely used. I mean, when was the last time you heard background history trivia in a game that turned out to be just that rather than something central to the emerging plot? Almost never happens... CRPGs are in sore need of red herrings Let me give an example - in my own AD&D campaign, players frequently want to get their dirty little hands on some sort of magical item they've read about. So how to do that? Well, in typical modern society fashion, they figure that they can find someone who will sell if they go to a large enough city, because the demand willl be high enough there, and so they can buy it in a magic shop. However, they can't. Magical items are supposed to be sold like consumer goods. I have magic shops, but they don't sell any of the really powerful stuff. No, if the paladin wants to find a holy avenger sword, then it's a quest in several steps, frequently beginning with a trip to the sage to learn about such an item. You don't walk into a magic shop and say, "I'd like to look at your selection of holy avenger swords, longsword size". No, you seek out the legends until you hear about the sword "Darkbane" once wielded by the paladin hero Saint Michael against the evil Legion of Faith. Then you begin exploring that. But, alas, it is used only so rarely... And in Star Wars it would be even more relevant, since history is far more accessible. In the post K2-age, for example, the jedi halls now lie empty, so there should be excellent opportunity to seek out information in the jedi libraries, and with all the jedi lost, there should be a lot of lost legends...