SamuraiGaijin

I'm a sucker for redheads ... Mira ... "a lot of leather and attitude" indeed.

At least the Star Forge was somewhat difficult ... you were in the biggest war machine factory ever conceived (in the SW universe, anyway - there's a few other SciFi creations that probably surpass it - but, heck, it had to be powered by a STAR), it made sense that Darth Malak would throw everything he had at you to stay in power, especially when he could just make more ... Malachor V was a cake walk by comparison - sure, there were a couple of moments that were a bit tense, but it was mostly mindless, maze-walking tedium. What I truly disliked about nearly all KOTOR (1 & 2) levels was the linearity of the map, and subsequently the plot, within the level/planet itself - for each map, there's nearly always only two entrances/exits - and when there are more, they're nearly always dead-ends (and more othen than not, there's only one central passageway/path/etc - and within each plot there's usually only one "right" way to do it (with a couple of alternatives in K2, to destroy stuff to open doors if you don't have the patience or skills to find the "right" way) - sometimes the "right" way has a light/dark side choice to it. I think the replay value would be improved if the solutions to the main quest could be found on numerous systems (say, nine), but only really required some (say, five) of the major quests to be completed ... and when they are done, they're done, and, while you're free to continue to explore the remaining systems, you're also free (even encouraged?) to go straight to the conclusion. I think the system quests should be similar - numerous "correct" solutions, but none of them really "complete".

Concur on all these points. - Developers definitely should examine the "challenge rating" feature built into the d20 system: about 40% of the encounters should be routine - where a smartly played PC is almost certainly won't die; 30% tough - ... is unlikely to die; 15% hard - ... might die; and 5% - ... has a pretty good chance to die. It shouldn't be too hard to scale the level of the encounter to the level of the PC (and, of course, the XP and loot). - A great villian makes the story - I was pretty confused throughout my first playthrough. Less so on my second, and I think I finally had the plot, the PC's real motivations, etc. figured out the third time through. Had I played only once, I probably wouldn't like the game nearly as much as I do. - T3 is much more useful, but still requires some tweaking - his shock arm rocks, give him the Droid Warfare (or, even better, Battle) Upgrade, a kickass rifle, and some useful armor, and he's a darn good little fighter. - The force tree and feat tree need expansion - upon completing the game the first time, I was about 30th level - and really had dig around to figure out which power/feat I wanted to get - and still didn't use most of them. The force power and attack feat animations could use a revamp, as well. - This is probably the biggest reason I didn't like the random loot generator - with seemingly equal chance to get a regular/short/double lightsaber in most encounters that result in one, it seems like you never got what you wanted - made character development difficult. How you equip your PC and your jedi NPC's is a major coice, IMO, and it was frustrating to get a double when you had been working on duelling feats with Atton, and were hoping for a regular, or never being able to find a shortie, etc. - I really liked that disarming/recovering mines was worth XP, but other than trying to figure out how to get them out of your way, they were pretty useless. All told, however, it is a good game ... it's both a Star Wars Game and a Role Playing Game before anything else, though, and won't appeal as strongly to those who are not fans of both.

Darth Maul - everything about him just screamed "badass"

Ender - I don't disagree with you at all. Big picture, with a few smart choices, the game's too easy to exploit the various advantages (one major one being having Kreia in your party whenever possible - force bond, influence tricks, and XP bonus). However, I have much more fun trying to actually role play - which usually means bringing along someone else - most (not all, by any means, but most) Exiles would get tired of her crap pretty quickly.

1 - Yes, Kreia's the ultimate manipulator, but I have a hard time believing that whatever hold she had over him made personally protecting the Exile more important than leading the Mandalorians. 2 - He could have still participated in the attack on the Ravager (his only real contribution to the story) and directed his troops through cutscene dialog vice being on the frontlines himself. I think seeking combat and glory would be better served by keeping tabs on the Exile (through his LT) and sending in troops at the appropriate moments. One possibility is assisting on one side or another in the Koonda battle - which is probably a little beneath the Mandalorians - but the complete dialog options in K1 imply that he might have something different from just being the utlimate agressor/conqueror in mind for the future of the Mandalorians. And a little glory from saving or destroying a planet's government might be just what the fledgling Mandalorian clan needs to rebuild their image (as either conquerors or just badass warriors). I've tried bringing along Mandalore (and Bao-Dur, HK-47, G0-T0, Mikal, Kreia, and Mira for that matter) when preparing for the Koonda battle, expecting an Influence opportunity, (these minefields need reinforcement, these droids could use some work, the medical droid seems to be malfunctioning, etc. ... maybe I could help?, or nice work fixing that, convincing him/her to join your side, etc.) but no ... disappointed again.

Insanity's ok - it's basically Stasis, and seems much more evil to slice up someone while they're going nuts with bad dreams (or whatever insanity does) than Force Storm them to death. Death Field makes sense, too - to hurt another to make yourself stronger. Force Confuse (or whatever the advanced Mind Trick is called) is pretty evil too - forcing an enemy to kill his friends for you, only to come to his senses a few seconds later, and get slaughtered by you - I'm not sure it should be universal, in the way its applied in the game.

That's too bad - reinforces my opinion that he's a wasted character. I'd rather have him assign one of his Lieutenants with a good story than Candy/Mandy with virtually no story. It just doesn't make sense that Mandalore would leave the rebuilding of the clans to a subordinate and go galavanting around the galaxy again ... maybe he doesn't deserve to be Mandalore if he gets sidetracked by little things like saving the galaxy.

^ The reason I kept feats & dual wield (except for the extra bonus you can receive from having more LSaber crystals) out of the equation. Whether or not you go two-hand or duel, crit strike/flurry/power attack, single/dual/double LSaber, etc., ad nausem has been debated many times before. Also why I left class choice out of the equation. I mostly left DS/LS out - I find it interesting that the game actually favors LS powers (especially force enlightenment - speed, armor, and buffs in one simple cast - wow) for Jedi that primarily use LSaber (or other weapons) against enemies, and DS powers (storm for many, crush for one) for Jedi that primarily use force powers.

That, and his battle cry: "For Clan Ordo" (which you only hear after his conversation with Kreia). Does anyone know if there are influece/conversation options where he tells some of the history? I haven't been able to get them, if there are.

www.comics.org has an extensive (they claim "complete") list of all comic books ... There are several online shops: www.milehighcomics.com (for example, I recommend doing a search - google, etc. for "Shop Comic Book" to find some options) lists all of these series, but as they are back issues, and Star Wars is a relatively hot commodity right now, they may be over-priced or out of stock, and as all sellers of back-issue comics cater to collectors, the price will be based on the condition of the comic - if you're just looking for the story, go with the lower price. I stopped collecting comics about 15 years ago - and have no experience with shopping for comics online - and therefore cannot recommend or endorse any particular shop or database - these are the ones I found with a quick search.

This is one of the reasons that 20th level should be the max with the existing d20 structure. Character development ends up focusing more on your stuff than Feats and Class. For example - the +3 bonus to AC and BAB for master duelling is relatively insignificant at 30+ level with some of the crazy equipment you find, where it still makes a pretty big difference at 15 with more moderate equipment. For the defensive PC - max DEX (and WIS for male with Handmiaden's help), and use LSaber Finesse - you lose damage bonuses, but a well-upgraded LSaber will do ~20-60 damage anyway - with all the best possible items you end up with +24 to DEX - improving your BAB and AC. (For for the Male PC with Battle Precognition, +21 to WIS & +18 to DEX - for a whopping +40 to AC (including the Ossus Keeper Robe's +1), +21 to hit (including LS Name Crystal, but not upgrades), and +21 to FPower saves and difficulty. <Max DEX: Quickness D-Package (requires 18 CON) +4, or Reaction System/Physical Boost System (requires 16 CON) +3 ... my choice would be to improve CON to 16, and go with the PBS (+2 STR, +3 DEX, +2 CON); Visor: Target Assessor/Combat Sensor: +2; Gloves: Improved Automation Gloves: +5; Belt: Aratech Echo Belt: +4; Robes: Sylvar's Robe/Makutai Adept Robe: +2, LS Crystals (Requires dual-use, as only the best crystal improves abilities in a LSaber): LS Name: +6 (DS Name: +5), Velmorite/Stygium/Ankarres: +1> <Max DEX+WIS: Several CON 16 Implants can give +3 to DEX or WIS, Quickness and Universal D-Packages (CON 18) can give +4 - Universal is the way to go here (+2 to all abilities); Visor: Circlet of Saresh (LS): +5W/Force Focusing Visor: +4W, Gloves: IAG: +5D, Belt: AEB: +4D, Robes: Ossus Keeper Robe: +4W, LS Crystal: (LS: LS Name: +6D, +7W, Kaiburr: +3W, V/S/A: +1D)/(DS: DS Name: +5D, 2x Kaiburr: +3W (x2); V/S/A: +1D)> For the offensive PC - max STR & heavy armor is the way to go - with all the best possible items you end up with +28 to STR (BAB and Damage), and +16 to AC. <Max STR: Implant: Bakavar STR System (16 CON) +3 or Physical Boost D-Package (18 CON, but +3 to STR, DEX, and CON); Enhanced Shielding Visor: +3 to AC, Gloves: Dominator Gauntlets: +5; Ludo Kressh's Armband: +1 (DS Only); Belt: GNS STR Enhancer: +4, Armor: Corellian Powersuit: +2 STR, +10 AC, STR Underlay Mk V: +3, Heavy Bonded Plates Mk III: +3 AC, LS Crystal: (DS: DS Name: +7, Ankarres Sapphire: +2)/(LS: LS Name: +5, Ankarres: +2)> However, while I love tinkering with stuff and min/max'ing - it turns the game into "how can I build the best character?" instead of - "what would my character do?" - granted some characters could be obsessed with being the best possible warrior, it's unlikely that a Jedi would do so.

Jedis do hide / deceive / disguise their intentions ... when it's tactically sound: - Ep2: Anakin was tasked with protecting Padme, and they travelled incognito to Naboo; Obi-wan used tactical deception to evade Jango Fett in the asteroid field and then follow him to the planet's surface, and spy on the separatist meeting - Ep3: Obi-Wan on Utapao - arrived with a flourish, then hid and remained behind as his ship returned in order to sneak up on General Greivous (granted, he dropped in on Greivous in just about the most "unsubtle" way since the "hostile negotiations" on the droid ship at the beginning of Ep1); the Jedi Council asked Anakin to spy on Chancellor Palpatine - Ep4: Obi-Wan suggested hiding once the Millenium Falcon was being tractored into the Death Star - even Han Solo complained about all the "sneaking around", and then made his way from the hangar to the tractor beam power deal and back without being detected by anyone but Vader (who probably still had some of the "force bond" left over with his old master) I see LS Jedi Sentinels and Watchmen as investigators, and as such stealth and deception have their place. I just wish stealth worked a bit better, or the adversaries and PC's had three modes of awareness - in the d20 system, a "take 0" mode for running/fighting, a "take 10" mode for casual observation (while walking), and a "take 20" mode for active searching (standing still). The default mode for anything but a stationary droid/turret on guard duty should be "take 10" until a stealthed PC/NPC is initially detected, then switch to "take 20" with a visible change of stance (giving an alert Jedi PC a chance to "mind trick" them back to "take 10"). As far as disguising your lightsaber as something else (a hydrospanner, etc.) - I think that's probably going a bit too far - just keep it up your sleeve (like Palpatine).

In a nutshell: - Weapon Master/Marauder gets access to more combat feats, and will easily beat the final levels without using hardly any force powers. - Watchman/Assassin gets more skill points - but is an average warrior (as far as a 30+ level character is "average") - Jedi Master/Sith Lord gets more Force Powers, and has the ability to make force powers more effective (longer duration, more damage, harder to save against) - but is a below average (compared to other 30+ level characters) warrior The dialogs do not change based on your class (most are different based on LS/DS alignment). As the game is about role playing, and not combat (combat just allows you to get from one situation/dialog to the next) - and is pretty easy to beat with any PC class/align combo - play the way you want to - or the way you think your character would. For example, right now I'm trying to play through as a conniving, manipulative bitch DS female - while I've known a few in my life, it is hard for me to relate to, and a true role-playing challenge - I'm a lightsider at heart, and it pains sometimes me to choose some of the dialog options that the PC I'm trying to play would actually say ... and somewhat curiously, sometimes the most manipulative path is the light side path (with a little dark thrown in). The game's not about the "right way" to build a character ... it's about playing the character.

I have a hard time playing DS in K2 ... I can't relate that personality to the Exile, but I'm trying to play a manipulative bitch of a DSF Exile Sentinal/Assassin now ... the whole reason for playing through again this time was to investigate G0-T0 and Hanharr more thoroughly, and hopefully unlock some interesting Mandalore & HK-47 dialog I haven't seen yet.

What intrigued me most about KOTOR, and enticed me to buy KOTOR2 at the first possible opportunity, was character development ... so most of my opinions are based on this ... KOTOR1: - Disliked: = T3-M4: although the "droid support" script, which forced use of the tools and made him somewhat useful in lower-level combat - but his massive skill capability was not necessary in K1 - much more interesting to have two sentient NPC's in the party = Zaalbar: gave up his life debt too easily - I mean really, what were those Gamorreans doing to him that made him swear away his freedom - then again, don't answer that ... - he could have been the "big furry conscience" or comic relief that Chewbacca was for Han Solo, but other than a part of the Kashyykk quest, not necessary (Mission's desire to give him a make-over was pretty funny, though) - Really Liked: = Bastila: I thought she was a pretty well-developed character - preachy and arrogant, but flawed - a heroine of the republic, obviously not ready for the responsibility she's taken on - since she still falls to the DS, and turning her back (LS) or ruling the Sith with her at your side (DS) was a great plot piece (also, when she force-trips Mission is priceless) = HK-47: His backstory was a highlight of the game - Liked: = Carth: I especially liked the Dustil sub-quest dialog and story = Jolee: Entertaining at first, but gets annoying = Mission: Her backstory is a sub-quest, but once the sub-quest is complete, there's no further development (her telling Revan (F) and Carth to "get a room" was classic) = Canderous: He's an interesting character, and a gruff badass, but could have been better developed - I would have appreciated more depth to his story KOTOR2: - Disliked: = HK-47: One of the biggest disappointments in the game - the HK-50 on Peragus Station was more interesting (if a bit gullible) = Mandalore: Another huge disappointment - sure, he's a gruff badass, and in "ranged" script he's an awesome fighter, but aside from discovering that he's Canderous (and not even from him, except for the "For Clan Ordo" battle-cry) and that he's trying to rebuild/reshape the Mandalorians, the Duxn sub-quests were more interesting and no influence gained for introducing him to two more Mando clans ... WTF ?? = Disciple/Mikal: Sure, he's a good fighter, but worthless back story (only exists as a competing love interest for a female PC, and a catalyst for one of Mira's great lines ... "Meditation Envy?") - Liked: = Kreia: her influece +/- options always had me guessing, and while I knew from almost the beginning (her encounter with Sion on the Harbinger, to be precise) that she would end up being a major villian, I actually cared when I gained or lost influence with her - the Rebuilt Jedi Enclave dialog was a highlight. = HK-47 (Passive Upgrade): The only reason to rebuild HK-47 in the first place - the funniest moment in the entire game = Handmaiden/Brianna: I enjoyed her backstory (although the lineage of the other Handmaidens, and exactly why she was the "last", was frustratingly unclear), was thoroughly pissed off when she told my DS PC to not talk to her anymore, and the dialog where the LS PC learns her name is a highlight - the closest thing to romance in the game (including the "charge up her loading ramp" inferences and "Let us look upon each other" ... more on that later), I also appreciated that there was a tangible benefit from training with her (WIS bonus applies to defense ... very cool idea) = Mira: A hottie (I'm a sucker for red heads), with a great attitude about how to "get a man", not interested in being a romance interest (but she still claims that you're "hers"), an interesting back story, and actually thanks you in follow-on dialog for making her a Jedi - her transformation was one of the best moments in the game - I especially like that beneath the tough "don't mess with me" exterior, there's lots of conflict in her personality - pride in being the "best bounty hunter on Nar Shadda, but unsatisfied in her work - I get the feeling that she subconsciously knew that she had potential to be something more - and better - great potential for a future Jedi character (hopefully a non-party NPC - I hated knowing that Canderous was 20th level in K1, and having to start mid-level in K2) - Neutral: = Visas: did not like the submissive, literally self-sacrificial behavior - but I thought the "Let us look upon each other" moment was exceptionally well done - the dialog helped explain the tension between her and Brianna - also, why would someone with average (10) intelligence become a Jedi Sentinel? = Atton: Once you get past the back story (which I liked), it's all about Pazaak = Bao-Dur+Remote: too weak in combat (even with full toughness upgrades, badass armor, and force powers) to use for more than building weapon/armor upgrades outside of the Ebon Hawk - the back story is interesting, but doesn't have enough depth - the remote/G0-T0 cut scenes were interesting - the remote sub-quest on Malachor V was a waste (unless the Exile didn't kill all the storm beasts, then it's frustrating) and should have been done with cut-scenes - Undecided: = G0-T0: while my first impression is not good, I haven't explored all the dialog options ... I already have Kreia and one more galactic manipulator is unwelcome ... = Hanharr: oh goody ... an insane wookie ... I haven't tried any of the dialog, though, so I haven't made up my mind ...

Lando's Ship from the post-ROTJ Novels, the "Lady Luck"

KOTOR 1: (1) Discovering that you're actually Revan - the first time it took me completely by surprise - and it significantly added to the replay value - going back and finding all the hints along the way, that were cryptic the first time, and made perfect sense the second time through. (2) Yavin IV Station - a great place to sell extra junk and spend the tons of credits accumulated for the coolest items in the game (not including Star Forge/Revan's Robes). (3) Genoharadan Quests - very interesting backstory - if I were still GM'ing a SW:RPG campaign, I would definitely introduce them. (4) HK-47 Memories - the best reason in the game to improve your PC's repair skill, and some darn funny dialogs KOTOR 2: (1) HK-47 Pacifist Upgrade - I laugh myself out of my chair every time. (2) Duxn/Iziz Split-Party Quest - I would have liked the outcome of one to have a real effect on the other, though. (3) Improved flexibility of upgrading items at the work bench - in KOTOR1 upgradable items were special, but I like tinkering with stuff, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out which upgrades were the best - and I cared about improving my skills.

I didn't realize that LA had specified - I do remember reading that the light path was "Canon", though.

I like these ideas - but, like you said - everyone is talking about them. I think lightsaber hilts should be different - especially the lightsaber you build, but these ideas are purely for looks (OK - you might be able to relate to your characters better if they look different) and don't really impact gameplay. Three other gameplay features I liked from KOTOR2: - a character with a melee weapon in combat with a character with a ranged weapon had an advantage. - Switch Weapons - Added "Scripts" (Ranged was definitely my favorite for non-Jedi, and even Atton and Mira most of the time)

There are a few things I think would be appropriate for KOTOR 3: Player Character: Must start neutral (in order to maintain the "choose your own path" flavor of 1&2), should begin as a non-jedi (as in 1), should be able to choose to initially train with either Jedi or Sith, should have the choice to get advanced training as either Jedi or Sith Prestige Class (and maybe a Gray choice - no prestige class) and should have the "final choice" to be able to choose to go Light, Gray, or Dark - I know none of these are new ideas, but I wanted to let you know where I stand. Prequel Plot Assumptions: Revan was female (makes Carth a more interesting character), Exile was male (makes Brianna more interesting and gets rid of Mikal), both chose LS path, and completed all major and minor quests appropriately (including the Exile training all available NPC's) - these are all just for simplicity's sake, more than anything else - plus, the SW universe is about heroes and the redemption of fallen heroes. Also, give the Exile a name. Plot Requirements: - Plots/quests available should be based on the major choices throughout the game (where did you train, prestige class, and final L/G/D choice). Game Play Features to Keep from KOTOR2: - Influence - definitely added to the flavor of the game, but I would have liked to have some way (other than a saved gamed editor) to know how much influence I had with various characters. - Most Armor and Weapons are upgradable - very cool. - Most items found can be broken down into components/chemicals - better use of extra junk. - Massively Upgadable Lightsabers - I especially liked the personal crystal's stat bonuses - this made lightsabers the weapon of choice beyond even the best-upgraded vibroswords - Weapon Finesse Feats - Level-based difficulty and loot - while I walked through most of all levels on both games with little difficulty, I appreciated that foes were tougher and worth more XP at higher levels - XP bonus for unlocking doors and disarming/recovering mines - makes security and demolitions skill worthwhile - Using "destroy droid" to detonate mines Game Play Features to Toss from KOTOR2: - Auto-Heal (or at least slow it down) - Dark Side "psoriasis" - CON-based Implant use (or perhaps, bring back the Implant feats, and allow them to over-ride minimum CON requirements) - Mines were too easy to detect - Swoop Racing was too difficult Game Play Features to Bring Back from KOTOR1: - Balanced Weapons - wielding a heavy blaster pistol/vibrosword/standard lightsaber off-handed did not incur the additional penalty in KOTOR2 (so why have short lightsabers?) Game Features to Improve on: - If level progression beyond 20 is allowed, the feat tree should have more then three levels - Duelist Feats became almost irrelavent at level 30 (about where I was the first time I completed KOTOR2), for example - the d20 system is based on a cap at 20th level - Dark Side Mastery should include the yellow/red eyes, and no other physical changes - Force Forms should be more useful and distinct - different "ready" stances, attack styles for visual flair - ability to focus your training on them (improve them on the feat or force power tree) - Split Party Quests - I really enjoyed the Duxn/Iziz quest, and think this requires you to flesh out characters you normally wouldn't focus on - Training Party Members as Jedi - the first time I played, I only trained Bao Dur, which just seemed weird - the next time I played, I trained everyone possible - which was cool but unnecessary, you should be able to train one or two and no more - Random Loot Generator - should be customized based on the location, type of enemy killed, and level Game Features to Add: - Party Members can gain Prestige Classes - Add cover and stance rules - shooting from behind stuff or while prone increases defense - Personal Lightsaber should look distinct from other sabers, should be the only lightsaber where the personal crystal functions. Returning Major Characters: - T3-M4 - LS party member (after Jedi Academy choice) - HK-47 - DS party member (after Sith Academy choice) - Bastila - NPC Jedi Master/Council Member - Carth - NPC - possibly a plot catalyst, but cameos (a la KOTOR2) are probably enough - Zaalbar - NPC - include the wookies as a major plot focus - and how you choose to complete the quest (LS/Gray/DS) determines which young wookie (good/none/bad) you get as a party member - Jolee Bindo - NPC - possibly as the catalyst for the "final choice" - Canderous/Mandalore - NPC - have the Mandalorians as a plot element for one of the major quests - Mira - NPC - either hunting the DS PC or as a non-party member ally for LS/Gray - Brianna - NPC Jedi Master/Historian - Atton - NPC - plot catalyst for LS PC, if the plot involves trying to follow Revan/Exile to the unknown regions - possibly found as a down-on-his-luck pazaak player who ran out of credits trying to track down the Exile - Visas - NPC - plot catalyst for Gray PC, if the plot involves trying to follow Revan/Exile to the unknown regions Returning Minor Characters: - Yuthura Ban - Sith Master trying to rebuild the Academy (somewhere other than Korriban) - Dustil Onassi - Party Member who joins somewhere after the academy choice, LS agent of the Jedi/Republic either to observe and report back on a LS/Gray PC or spy on a DS PC - the "final choice" could involve a one-on-one duel with Dustil, resulting in either convincing him that your intentions are pure (LS), killing him (DS), or wounding and abandoning him (Gray) - Atris (now Darth Traya) - plot catalyst for DS PC, if the plot involves trying to follow Revan/Exile to the unknown regions - Darth Nihilus - a wasted character in KOTOR2 - lots of speculation flying around these forums about his origins and ultimate fate - The Rodian tech on the station near Yavin IV - I enjoyed this part of KOTOR1 so much that I truly missed it in KOTOR2 I'm not going to speculate on the major plot line beyond "trying to follow Revan/Exile to the unknown regions" - but I think it would help resolve the major issue with KOTOR2, which was an unfulfilling ending.