Jediphile

You do it very early in the game during your first conversation with Atton. He suggests that Revan invaded the galaxy, and you can either agree (which sets Revan to Dark Side), or you can correct him and say that you heard Revan actually saved the galaxy (which sets Revan to Light Side). In the same conversation he also mentions that Revan was a woman, and you can either agree or correct him by saying Revan was man, thereby setting the gender of Revan in a similar fashion.

I usually do that on my first playthrough... Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be - in my case it meant that I restarted four or five times simply because I didn't feel I got the optimal class/stat combination. It really doesn't matter so much, though, and given the time I spent starting over, I could probably have finished the game once My advice is, unless your compulsive about finding *everything* immediately, is to let the secrets be secrets until you've finished the game at least once. Then the story is all done, and you can read all the spoilers and guides you like without ruining everything, whereas I find myself drawn to walkthroughs and guides that reveal everything on my first playthrough... I guess the best and most complete guide for KotOR2 is this one.

It would, but I never do it during sessions. I usually like to plan three or four adventures/scenarios ahead, and if background becomes relevant, then I ask the player outside the game, preferably via email so that we can get into details without bugging the game with it. Also, I encourage detailed backgrounds during character creation. Most players already have an idea of what they want at that point, so I just ask them to write it down in a few words, which always becomes more than they planned

When you send your 'away team' on the mission to Freedon Nadd's tomb on Dxun while the Exile goes to Onderon, there are two Dark Side Energy pools in the tomb. You can try to resist it, but even playing LS I never do, because you just get some disappointing temporary bonus to your stats, while if you bask in the DS energies, you get a permanent DS force power. What I can't figure out is how it's determined which DS force power you get... The game seems to determine this at random, but does anyone now what the criteria for this is, or when it is set up? For example, if I don't like the power I get (assuming I don't have it already and so get nothing...), can I reload a game from before I entered that map and try again and chance across a new power? And how does the game decide which power is given? Is totally random, or is it based on something relevant to the character trying it?

Well, my favorite combination in K1 was always Scout/Guardian (5 levels as scout only). In K2, I tend toward the Sentinel-turned-JediMaster/SithLord combination after first playing the Sentinel/WeaponMaster combination - the WeaponMaster has some good feats, but I feel that you just don't need that at all... YMMV.

I wondering, does anyone else never level-up or use the potential jedi until they've been trained, or is it just me? Atton is always the odd man out early in the game when I play, because the Exile and Kreia keep advancing in levels while Atton is stuck with his blaster in the back of the group at level 3 and frequently biting the dust because his defense and vitality doesn't give him many chances. Poor Atton... :"> " I do use Bao-Dur, because he's higher level when he joins the group (and besides, I need him to open force fields in the old military base), but he's still stuck at his initial level 6 until he's "jedified"... This means that once I get Visas in the group, it's usually Exile, Kreia, and Visas in the group, while rest are stuck on the Ebon Hawk, unless I want to build influence for them in a specific situation (but then they go in the group, have the encounter, then get booted again immediately...). This usually means that Handmaiden or Disciple, T3, Atton and Bao-Dur are used very little for a long time. Mira can be switched to jedi almost on the spot when she joins the group, though the battle with Hanharr is indeed tough... HK-47 and GOTO I hardly ever use, nor Hanharr is I'm DS...

Very true. In fact, Duelist should have been redone in its basic forms and been supplemented with Weapon Master upgrades as well. There's simply next to no advantage to taking it compared to Two-Weapon Fighting and its progression. I think they should have add an extra attack for Duelist as well or, if they didn't mind something more complicated, have given it a parry function, where you got to block any attack against you based on your attack bonus and the number of attacks or some such... Dueling just isn't worth it, and I really got the feeling that Kreia's had was sacrificed just so you might choose if for at least one character...

I have played DS, though only once, and I definitely lean more toward the LS side of things. Even so, I like Vrook in the sort of love/hate kind of way. I mean, we're supposed to not like Vrook - he was created that way. He is a grumpy old fool who can do nothing besides complaining how the jedi students of today aren't up to his standards, how nobody ever listens to his advice, how the weather is not good enough, how the tv has gone to Hell, etc... Given that he is a jedi master, the disapporval of the yound is a particularly important element with him. He's all like Socrates saying, "the young are getting worse and worse" (and given when Socrates said that, it must be rather bad by now... ) Vrook is the spitting image of Walter Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men", because all he can ever do is complain about *everything* - nothing is good enough anymore, and it's all worse because nobody values his opinion... Not that he could really blame anybody giving his charming disposition " After all, the only thing Vrook ever really succeeds in communicating to other people is his own inflated opinion of himself... Yes, some would say the same is true of Kreia, but I don't think so. It's true that Kreia is very judgmental, but unlike Vrook, she certainly knows that she is herself flawed, and as others have said before, she has been know to voice approval of other people, even her students, on occasion... And, of course, it speaks volumes that Vrook voices less approval for anyone ever than the head of the Sith academy

Which limits some of the good offensive force powers. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No, not the miner's suit found on Peragus. It's crap, but he can wear it and it doesn't restrict his force powers. In fact, it's the only piece of protective clothing in the game that both gives him a bonus to AC and allows him full use of the force.

On Malachor after the final battle: Atton: "So, is it over?" Exile: "Yes, it's over - we've defeated the Sith threat and save the galaxy as we know it!" Atton: "... and the good news is that the authorities on Manaan aren't going to prosecute us for it..."

Er, no. Sorry. Total GOTO Spoiler - see only if you don't mind having his secrets completely spoiled:

:D Yes, we all love to hate Vrook... Go on, share the love

The problem with tough single opponents toward the end of a DS game is Force Crush... There is just no challenge

I've had the "problem" too. The best way to fix it is to set the AI options for you companions to Jedi Support, Ranged, or Stationary depending on relevance. It doesn't solve the problem, but it does help some. Unfortunately Obsidian never got the AI working to their own satisfaction, and that has hurt the game here

Sorry, but no. Never a chance, so don't lose any sleep over it. Total Spoiler:

Agreed. Even if the Exile were wrong, he'd surely remember if he had been her padawan... Hmm, I think that that's a bit much to conclude from that somehow... Not that I disagree with the conclusion itself, mind you. I didn't get the impression that he ever made Jedi Knight rank either. Agreed, but then I was similarly disappointed with Obi-Wan in Ep. III. Vader says to Luke in Ep. VI when Luke tries to persuade him to embrace the LS that Obi-Wan once thought the same way, but we didn't see that in Ep. III, and I was actually looking forward to seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan fight like crazy while Obi-Wan tried to persuade him to leave the DS True. I guess Kavar being more of a warior and strategist than a diplomat shows a bit there...

Whether Atris lived or died, possibly killing herself, is probably one of those things that will be left for the indvidual player to decide for him or herself, I think. The simple reason for that is similar to that of Vandar's fate - at the end of the game you may or may not have killed Atris, so the easiest way to deal with her is probably to write her out of the story and just assume that she is dead, since that will upset the fans the least. Sad, though, since I'd like to see Atris again... Personally I didn't get the feeling that she killed herself after I left her alive on Telos in the LS ending. You basically convince her that she can resist the DS only by giving up the force itself, and so she vows to leave all her jedi teachings behind. I like to think that she settled down and gave up the force pursuing less dangerous lore... But then I may just be a old softie

Yes, I thought so too after someone mentioned the "chosen one" clich

No need to apologize. I didn't post that to slash you down, but more to correct wrong information. After all, I like Vandar too, and wouldn't have minded if he had been the Exile's master. The only problem is that he wasn't...

The thing with Bao-Dur is that he only responds to your actions - not your talk. You can talk to him all you like - it won't build any influence. He is generally good, which means you have to do LS things with him in the group to gain influence. Though it's full of spoilers, I suggest getting the Influence Guide to see where you can get influence with him, because those times are indeed limited... Also remember that you can usually gain access with only one character during a specific encounter, so if three would possibly gain from one result in a certain situation, you'll have to choose which one you want to gain influence with and throw the rest out of the group, or the game will determine (randomly?) who influence is gained with...

One thing about that navicomputer (and yes, the others are right - you can't unlock it) is just who voice-locked it. I've seen a lot of people say that it was Kreia, but I don't think it's ever actually revealed - she just says on Peragus that she has the only means to unlock the navicomputer, not that she can unlock it herself. I always got the impression that the only one who can "unlock" the navicomputer (in the sense that he can override the lockout) is T3-M4, and HK-47's comments even suggest that at one point, I think. My conclusion is that it was actually Revan who voicelocked the computer. Therefore only T3 can navigate the Ebon Hawk, and nobody can uncover where the ship went unless T3 allows it, which he never does (except perhaps after the game ends...). If Revan locked the navicomputer, it might also tell us why he apparently deactivated HK-47 and wiped his memory core - he knew he couldn't trust HK-47 to follow his order to not reveal anything, and so he wiped his core to prevent him from mimicing his voice.

No, no... If only it were so, but the conversation you refer to does not support that idea. Since you obviously didn't look at page 4 of this topic where I quoted the conversation, let me just repeat it: Now, note that Vrook says "his master refuses to properly discipline..." right to Vander's face. That more than suggests that whoever the Exile's master was, it was not Vandar - it would be pretty weird to talk to someone in the third person in a conversation with only too participants, even for Vrook...

Only once did I add to a character's background. I did it after talking to the player and getting his acceptance for it. But then I guess I prompt it up front by encouraging my players to tell me of their backgrounds, such as what family they have, old friends and enemies, former love interests and allies met on other adventures, etc. I've used that information as a basis for plots in my campaig numerous times, and I've yet to hear a player complain about how I characterized someone from their past, though they haven't always like how that character fared... especially not if he or she died, but then that's to be expected - if they didn't mind seeing their old comrades die, then there really would be no point, would there? True enough, but while as a player I may do this myself, I find that it's usually just a matter of time before I begin filling in the blanks of my character's history, especially if it's a character I really like (and they usually are, since otherwise I stop playing them...). Besides, even ten lines of backstory can be a goldmine for the GM, and that's not much to ask for. Indeed, I find it helps define the character, since it helps you understand who he or she is, and this makes it easier for you to role-play the character. And even if a plyaer really couldn't be bothered to establish a background, I can usually shed some light on it as a GM by asking a little about it. This is especially true if you suggest something for the character's background that the player doesn't like - they you'll hear it immediately

Suddenly the Disciple too is hit by stasis: Kreia: "No, I think not..." Exile: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Because the jedi were complacent and just sat around doing nothing - the masters wanted them all to be pacifists and let the Mandalorians kill billions. It's said several times that the Republic would have fallen if Revan had not gone to war, so where does that leave the jed warriors protecting the Republic? Even Zez-Kai Ell admits that Revan and Malak and those who followed them were not entirely to blame for the situation, since masters were just too strict and arrogant in their decisions. Revan wasn't content to just sith around with the jedi masters sipping tea while the Republic died, so he decided to go out there and save the Republic instead of sitting around waiting for "some greater danger"... Revan may have turned into a monster from that decision, but at least he left a Republic for the jedi order to defend later, which is one Republic more than there would have been if he had done nothing... And when the time came, it made the jedi get out of their comfortable chairs and do something. Again, you're looking at the game, reaching a conclusion and then assigned that as a fact. Just because you think it's logical does not make it so. The fact remains that we just don't know what sort of regime that Revan would have left, because he never got the change to create it. And just where did Revan destroy worlds? He didn't. Malak and Saul decided to destroy Taris and Telos. And where did I say that Revan would have set up another democratic regime? You misrepresent me by inferring that, since I didn't. I only said that we do not know what Revan would have done. Judging by GOTO's analysis, I'd speculate that Revan would have created a society focused on powerful military build-up in preparation for the next conflict with the true Sith. No, not a regime I would have liked to live under, but you cannot deny that the worlds of the Republic most likely would have survived the war with the true Sith better under those circumstances. Instead things now look pretty bleak for the Republic at the end of KotOR2... Well, I have them all on DVD, except RotS, but then I've seen that thrice... And your point was that Sidious did not destroy worlds to conquer the Republic. He only assumed the position of Emperor in RotS, but note that he does not remove the senate until Episode IV... Tarkin: "The imperial senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently - the last rudiments of the old republic have been swept away..." Officer: "That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?" Tarkin: "Regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line - fear of this battle station!" Thereafter Tarkin and Vader promptly use the Death Star to destroy Alderaan as a demonstration of their power... If you don't believe me, the scene is about 35-36 minutes into the film... Still think I haven't seen the films? Maybe you should see them... Maybe I should - persuasive argumentation like that is not quite in my league, I'll admit... While we're on the topic of reading what other people say in their post, I might suggest you do the same... Those historians you refer also did not know the historic figures they speculate about... But now I'm just repeating myself... My bad :"> He has access to the knowledge and power of the exchange, and I dare say an advanced interstellar civilization like the Republic has historic records and theses at least as good as those we can produce in the real world today. Add to this that GOTO was a droid built by the Republic to save the Republic and that he has been studying jedi for that sake, since he realises the important function they serve as figureheads in the Republic, and you have an exceedinly good basis for thinking GOTO may indeed know an awful lot about the subject. They may have become Sith, but it would be a pretty big oversight not to look at the reasons why they left the order it the first place. Those jedi weren't just "corrupted" by some Deux-ex-machina outside force. Their defiance and split from the jedi order is still at the core of the conflict even if they are not strictly jedi five years later. Also, look at the commoner perspective - the jedi masters decided to sit at home and do nothing while the innocents died, while Revan and the other defiant jedi joined the army and saved the Republic - they were heroes to the common people, the jedi who had responded to their plight and saved them. Who does that make the real jedi in the eyes of the common man? The jedi who defied the order to save the innocent or the jedi who decided to sit in their temples because of some mysterious jedi reason? Revan and Malak were the hero jedi during the Mandalorian Wars. A few years later they were suddenly the enemy, and the mysterious jedi who wouldn't fight before are now the hero jedi? It's really no wonder that the common people think this is some odd, internal jedi conflict... Well, that much is certainly true - the masters we see seemed to do preciously little, after all... " That's my impression from her comments about Revan understanding the difference between a fall and a sacrifice and the comment about Revan knowing that the true war was not against the Republic... Doesn't mean that I'm right, but it isn't any better or worse than your speculation either, since we really don't know either way...