epeeist

I had started a thread a while back entitled "NPC Information that is hard to discover". But you only asked about HK-47, so what I had written about that character was: "HK-47 -- he was used by Revan to assassinate Jedi; Revan also used humans (description of type of humans used and their mental technique of avoiding detection is, of course, a description of people like Atton who hide their thoughts). Gives insights into methods and techniques for killing jedi (this is both interesting from a story point of view, and gives your character +1 CON and WIS and force point bonus). Revan pitied the Exile because of the effect the death of those serving him would have, etc. All this needs good influence. Also, having already found out all this stuff about how to kill Jedi, after encountering a certain unkillable Sith Lord on Korriban, you can then ask HK for advice on how to kill unkillable Sith Lords."

I think a major problem that may arise as RPGs begin to strike closer to home is separating what we do in a game from what we do in real life. As we try to live in the game, it becomes difficult to make the game last only in the console. That's why I try to play both sides, to experience both sides of the coin. It keeps the game withdrawn and a separate life from my own. On a completely unrelated note, epeeist, are you a fencer? If so, long live the epee! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> On the unrelated note, yes I'm a fencer -- I assume you are also? I like epee the most, but also fence foil and saber. There's an article from years ago by Bob Anderson (who taught David Prowse and doubled for him in a scene or two) entitled "I coached, and was, Darth Vader" (or something like that). More info on www.imdb.com if interested. To reply to the first part of your reply, hopefully not too much difficulty separating the game from real life! I recall one spy game from years ago in which one could torture a prisoner for information -- was that something everyone would feel happy with doing even in a game? What about something more explicit like torturing screaming children? That would I hope be too much for almost anyone, but the threshold of what was too much would, I think, vary between people.

I wouldn't say it's a matter of conscience to me -- it's a game! -- but I don't particularly like playing DS. Just like when I read a novel, I tend to like a novel with a sympathetic protagonist more than a novel with an unsympathetic one. As a general rule, not an absolute one. Since the game is for fun, and I prefer playing LS (mostly), that's what I do. When I do DS stuff, it tends to be minor DS stuff (stealing, verbally encouraging HK47, etc.). But even then, it's more fun for me, as a roleplayer, to try to be consistent (e.g. the only cold-blooded killing my character does is blowing up the Mandalorian on Dxun, seems like a reasonable thing for the Exile to hate Mandalorians...).

Soloing no problem with a decent character (only real difficulty can be one or two fights on Telos if bad weapons). However, it can be a bit boring. That said, if totally soloing (i.e. no using other NPCs at workbenches or lab stations to create items) try an INT 18 sentinel and take demolition/repair as class skill feats. Want a bigger challenge? I've tried a game, no force powers used in combat (heal outside of combat okay to save time waiting to heal, force persuade in dialogue etc. okay) and not only solo when possible, but no NPCs leveled up (Kreia stays level 3, Atton likewise). All on "difficult" level. All fine through Nar Shadaa; Mira's ballistic jacket gives damage resistance enough to beat Hanharr without using up too many medpacs and means she can beat Hanharr and animals without leveling up on that solo bit on Nar Shadaa -- then have to run and escape without fighting the other guards. Earlier, Atton can hide behind the bar and shoot at the Twilek dancers without them fighting back except for T3 solo bit on Nar Shadaa. If I were patient and had gone to an earlier save to buy ion grenades or better level 1 armor the T3 fight against the HK droids might be doable. But I abandoned the game at that point, no idea whether rescuing the PC on GOTO's yacht with non-leveled up characters possible (reasonably possible, I mean without wearing out the quicksave and quickreload keys... " ). All that said, the biggest reason I dropped that particular character was boredom. Part of the fun of the game is developing a character with force powers and adding NPCs and interesting equipment.

I read -- either here or at www.gamefaqs.com that there's a problem with swoop racing (both PC and XBox, but differentproblems) which prevents doing better than second place? Or maybe it's only a problem if you do a practice run first, or something. You can check it out yourself there, I never like swoop racing so don't bother. Handmaiden, you have to be 18th level, and have fought (and won) against her three times (I think you can fight once when she joins, again at 14th level, 3rd time at 18th). Assuming you have enough influence with her/have gone through the right dialogs (maybe need to talk to Kreia about her also?) she'll express a desire to learn about the Jedi. I think the necessary conversation might only be possible on the Ebon Hawk? Even if not, you can only fight her aboard ship.

Granted, the character could be lying, but given that Kreia's statements seem true (just incomplete sometimes), she was Revan's teacher. In the conversation thread where you ask her about Revan, and then ask if she taught him, she says he was her Padawan (before being taught by others e.g. Zhar, can't recall other names). She specifically says he was her Padawan. She also says something about her having taught him first and last. Granted, this thread requires high influence with her (otherwise she refuses to answer). And separately, the Disciple character mentions how Revan it is believed returned to his first master when he left the Jedi order. Since Kreia says she taught Revan first and last, and he was her Padawan, Disciple's comment fits right into that. Maybe a female character (who got Disciple as an NPC) would learn more? That's all from memory, maybe there's other stuff. Now, feel free to disagree with my interpretation. But maybe if you actually could mention dialogue or reasons why you disagree it would be more persuasive. On an unrelated point, I liked part of your signature, indeed, I liked it enough I shall quote it again. '"No offense man, but I'm always right, and you're an idiot." -Some TV show my sibling was watching, I think...'

Reading another topic -- about an ingame Kreia movie that was a surprise to some and old news to others -- got me wondering, what is not generally "known" to all, because it requires characters with unusual stats or LS/DS alignment or actions to discover? I'll give a few examples which I don't think are novel, but someone who played a low-intelligence character or did Nar Shadaa last might not have picked up on; they're the kind of things I'm curious about with respect to other NPCs, which those who have discovered things about other characters might share (I like high-intelligence characters, 18 preferred, for skill and roleplaying reasons). Possible errors below of course, this is off the top of my head from memory. GO-TO droid -- this droid IS GOTO -- it was the droid that was supposed to be delivered to the Ithorians on Telos that disappeared. It received impossible contradictory instructions (to save the Republic without violating its laws) and "broke" by saving the Republic, but without the constraint of abiding by the law. It used a hologram and pretended to be relaying messages because, hey, who'd take droid seriously? Getting this needs a character with influence and who discovered things about various droids on Nar Shadaa (which itself requires a character with good repair/computer/awareness skills). Bith scientist, droid racer, droid pazaak player, some other stuff gives you enough "evidence" to explain to GOTO what you discovered about "him". HK-47 -- he was used by Revan to assassinate Jedi; Revan also used humans (description of type of humans used and their mental technique of avoiding detection is, of course, a description of people like Atton who hide their thoughts). Gives insights into methods and techniques for killing jedi (this is both interesting from a story point of view, and gives your character +1 CON and WIS and force point bonus). Revan pitied the Exile because of the effect the death of those serving him would have, etc. All this needs good influence. Also, having already found out all this stuff about how to kill Jedi, after encountering a certain unkillable Sith Lord on Korriban, you can then ask HK for advice on how to kill unkillable Sith Lords. Mira, Atton, Bao-Dur, Handmaid -- assuming you turn each of them into jedi I think you discover everything so I won't summarize it. Kreia -- she was Revan's master (when she and he were Jedi) and again, later, when they were Sith. She thinks he may have acted as he did, not out of attraction to evil, but because it was necessary for him to become Sith to save the galaxy against a greater threat, and he was willing to sacrifice himself to that purpose (so that the Revan "altered" by the Jedi in KOTOR 1, assuming LS, was not actually changed to LS by their interference, but was actually still acting in the interests of the galaxy both before and after they captured him, that was his basic nature which was unchanged). All this stuff needs good influence. T3-M4 -- "he" erased his own memory of where Revan had been (and locked navcomputer, unless it was Revan?) to avoid betraying where Ebon Hawk came from (i.e. where Revan was). He sought out the Exile because Revan had asked him to seek help if necessary and he needed someone capable of countering the threat posed by the Sith. This info comes up after seeing a secret message recorded in T3 from Bastila (probably different if prior dialogue set Revan as female etc.) and requires computer skill and high intelligence (boosted okay). You can also upgrade T3 with computer skill and repair skill, but that improves him rather than giving you additional story info.

Vrook has the power; he's a bit of a manipulator too. I tried to see if the two semi-sympathetic masters were stringing Exile along just to get him to Dantooine, and couldn't. I don't think that was the case, so that means Vrook did some heavy lobbying against Exile before the meeting. The other two masters were reasonable men--they listened. Vrook won out. I sometimes wonder if the reason he hated Exile so much was that he saw a younger version of himself, if he had some of the same abilities and perceived them instantly as a threat. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Agreed, thinking about it makes sense that they upon further study/discussion realized that the reason the exile felt odd to e.g. Vrook when first encountered was that the exile was a hole in the force and therefore needed to be cut off from it. I assumed that was part of the point of the game, that the exile was just like Darth Nihilus (in terms of the nature of their power, not behaviour if you're playing LS).

Thanks for the authoritative reply!

Yes, of course the items are random; it's just that at higher levels, they're generally BETTER random items. My question was whether anything OTHER than level -- such as the difficulty setting or character attributes -- affected the "quality" of the random items. One poster said no, but had no data to back up that opinion. Another suggested that similar results had been noticed. In any event, from my point of view there's no real reason not to play on "difficult". Either it will have no effect, or it will have some effect. A no-lose situation and I'll have to keep on wondering. Unless an "official" answer is forthcoming, of course "

Does anything other than character level affect "random" items found? For various reasons (mostly dissatisfaction with how a character type was working out) I've played through the first bit of the game (being vague since it's not the spoiler forum) about 8 times with different types of characters. Twice, I've played through on the "difficult" setting with characters with an intelligence of 18 (I was doing skill-heavy builds to create characters that once out of the beginning would be able to do almost everything, including upgrade creation, solo). On those two run-throughs, the items found in the opening parts of the game (up until about level 7- seemed to be MUCH better than otherwise. Items found were things like DEX+3 implants, droid oxider, ion carbine, disruptor pistols and rifles, etc. (many other examples of good stuff). Items which were much "better" than those received by lower-intelligence (and thus lower-skilled) characters playing on normal difficulty. Was this just chance which I am misinterpreting as a pattern? Or in addition to level, do any other aspects of a character and/or the difficulty setting affect what random items are found?

Actually, much earlier in the game you can find out why you're on the Ebon Hawk if you have a high intelligence (I had 18, lower might work especially if you use knight valor; I don't think any skill check was required only an intelligence check but you probably need a good reputation with T3?) and talk to T3, you can find out that he was sent by someone (doesn't say who, but as a player you know it was Revan) with the Ebon Hawk to find someone who could help and so found the exile. Dialogue options are to say you understand, or complain about being put in danger, whatever. There's additional dialogue about how T3 doesn't know where the ship came from because he (T3) deleted it! And of course the navcomp was encrypted for presumably similar reasons...