kenelis

I was having a conversation with Ellie in the ship's kitchen once. In the background, I saw Parvati doing her climbing animation on an invisible ladder. A few seconds later, her quest failed. I was still engaged in conversation at the time, so I assume she somehow climbed through the hull and ejected into space... Anyway, might be something to look into, Obsidian team.

Hello - is there a guide explaining how item degradation works? For me this is becoming a real QOL problem with the game (admittedly I dislike gameplay chores in any fashion). Search for degradation seems to be mainly performance issues, so I'm surprised if I'm the only one who's bothered by it. Examples: plasma carbine (unmodified) - loses 0.13% per shot. You'd likely replace/repair after ~300 shots (~60% quality), which is not that many shots. But let's say that's reasonable. hunting rifle ultra (suppressor, large mag, extended sight) - loses 1.5% per shot. This can't be reasonable, right? Edit: tested with unmodified ultra version and got the same result, approximately 1.5% loss per shot

Hm, the status effect says charmed, not dominated, that's a difference, right? Technically yes, they are different status effects. But Mental Fortress is supposed to protect against both.

My PC has Mental Fortress. The combat log shows I resisted domination. But I STILL got dominated.

For those who have completed the game, is ship combat a requirement, i.e. there will be story elements that require you to win a ship battle? Basically I want to know if it's necessary to level up the crew / upgrade the ship / improve my ship battle knowledge, or if I can just skip this altogether and finish the game in the Defiant. I only care about the on-foot part of the game.

No, but Revan has Force Speed. ----- Exile: Kreia, I have a simple question. Kreia: Ask, and I shall answer. Exile: It's very simple. All I want to know is this: what is your favorite color? Kreia: The color I prefer is the same as that which flows through one's veins and beats through one's heart. But it is not the color of blood, for does the Force not also flow through all things? Yet you are a hole in the Force, and thus the Force does not flow through you, so perhaps the color I prefer is not a tangible thing, just as the sound of a tree falling in Kashyyyk makes no sound unless one is there to hear it, unless it lands on a Wookiee, in which case it most certainly makes a squish, or does it? And that is the only answer I can give you. Exile:

Maybe, but I'm slow and I have a cold so I don't see the signifance. The original owner of the ship was the dude on Nar Shadaa, and it was stolen from him. Who knows where it went before Davik got a hold of it (or maybe it was Davik who stole it).

I enjoyed K1 more, but I'll give credit where it's due. I enjoyed K2, and I've enjoyed it more each time I play it. I think it's because it takes that many plays to appreciate the story and depth. I also enjoy the combat, although no more so than K1. What's missing are dark force users that actually use the Force against you, rather than just bum rush you with a lightsabre. I hope not. The most boring character in the game, IMO. There's only so many times you can say "never mind" to someone before you give up. Ah... now that's interesting. See, my biggest gripe with K2 is the fact that it leaves you feeling empty, but for me the problems were in the storytelling rather than the story, and in the characters. The storytelling, IMO, failed to engage player. There were all these themes thrown out... HK assassin droids, some ugly Sith dude, regaining the Force, the Force bond with Kreia... that's great and all, but the player wasn't given any clue as to what the central goal is. What is the Exile's main purpose? I didn't think the game had one until the betrayal, so the player was left with nothing substantial to grasp onto, plotwise. Other RPGs I've enjoyed had a central goal (PST, BG1/2, K1 for example). In addition, the plot was presented rather vaguely. Kreia and the Jedi Master's descriptions of the Exile's condition, of the Sith Lords, etc. were vague in typical Jedi fashion. They got too philosophical. Somebody shouting "we have to stop Sion now!" may be campy, but a few lines like that might put a little spirit into a game that is otherwise full of lines like "a mynock beating its wings may cause a sandstorm in the desert, and figuratively speaking, Jedi have large wings". The characters were the other problem, and I griped about this on another thread. The villains were introduced early (at least Sion was), but none of them made the player want to stop them. Malak was campy, but he pushed the player's buttons. The party members, for the most part, failed to gain the player's sympathy or respect. They might've been interesting if they had more to say beyond the first dialogue. And of course, the lack of finished plotlines didn't help.

The romances were never forced upon the player, you can just say no. Better to have optional ones to satisfy lonely fanboys (like me :ph34r: ) than not at all. This is OT, but what makes a romance cliche? They certainly don't have the depth of, say, Viconia in BG2, but in-depth character development is tough to do in a 40 hour game, and that's a long game by today's standards. I'd prefer they cut the cast of party members down and have fewer, more meaningful characters myself, but... I thought she was the most likeable character in K2 . And I guess devs are thinking since they can't create characters that every player likes, it's better to make lots of them in hopes that every player likes at least somebody. Or dislike, in the case of G0T0. Edit: Er... to be OT so this thread doesn't get locked, I liked K1 characters better.

Yep, that's how I feel about K1 vs. K2, even in regards to the story. K1 was almost childishly simple beyond the plot twist. I mean "evil guy has big weapon and you have to find it" has been done before. But it was engaging, for what it was. K2 had a story with gobs of potential, but it was presented in such a way that loses most players, at least until you've played it 3 or 4 times. Or viewed these forums. I'd rather have a Coke than a bad margarita, but that's just me. I know, this is all subjective... Carth ~ For a war hero, I thought he was a bit too touchy-feely at first, but that's what made his character compelling IMO. He's strong enough to deal with the loss of his family, lost his trust of people, downright argumentative if you call him on it, but given time he grows to trust you. But the fact that he isn't afraid to speak about his feelings is the best part, a change of pace for lead males in games. They portrayed him as an effective leader: willing to put Bastila in her place, yet caring about his troops like when he expresses concern over Mission after Taris is carpet bombed. I like the fact that he's fighting for the Republic, but through it all he eventually admits that vengeance comes first. I never managed to trigger the Dustil quest though. Bastila ~ She comes off as this idealistic holier-than-thou Jedi at first, but as the game progresses and you presumably gain her trust (presumed because there's no influence), she starts to admit her reliance on you, her doubts about the Jedi masters' sending the two of you off on a seemingly impossible quest, and that she actually has strong feelings about her mother and father. Archetypal "strong outside weak inside" character, but I thought it was effective for K1 because she personifies what's wrong with the Jedi order in that there's too much Vulcan suppression of emotion, and beneath the barrier is a real person. For male Revans, the fact that mutual feelings can save her casts even more doubt about Jedi preachings. My main gripe is how they didn't give adequate reason for her to fall. What I would've liked to see is Bastila blame the Jedi council for sending her on this foolish quest that got her captured and tortured, blame them for being too weak to face Malak themselves. So in the end, she snaps because of the adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Mission ~ One of my favorite characters, believe it or not. She's spunky, as she demonstrates in the initial cantina cutscene, and remember it was her who tried to save Zaalbar when they first met. Whereas the Carth's and Juhani's whine all day about their misery, Mission comes off as the strongest character mentally, hurt by the Taris bombing but refusing to let it bother her for the quest. Through it all, she's still just a kid growing up, as evidenced by her idealistic portrayal of Griff until she finally sees him again. Whether it's because she's a kid, or because she's so sure of herself, she isn't at all phased by the revelation that you're Revan. The only flaw is she doesn't have much to say after the Griff thing. I would love to see a grown-up mission in K3. Zaalbar ~ Among the worst characters in both games. If he's to become the future leader of the Wookies, they seriously needed to give him some dialogue. On the upside, he actually has some interjections if you take him off the ship. Unfortunately, he never gives you a reason to. T3 ~ Pretty much a mindless droid. HK-47 ~ Loved him, a psychopathic droid with mysteries even he can't unlock, and it's these mysteries that make him compelling, if not out of curiosity than for self-preservation, because HK really had me wondering whether he would snap and turn on me (a la Ignus in PST). Among the most unique characters I've seen in a game. Jolee ~ I really grew fond of him as the game progressed, because he's this grumpy old man who is admitting and unapologetic about it. I like how his stories about himself doubled as foreshadowing for your character. He always gives you the sense that he's not a loony old bat coming for the ride, and that he knows more than he lets on, and that gets confirmed when he admits he knew you were Revan all along. He was at one point training to be a Jedi, so when it comes right down to it and the galaxy is on the line, he loses the neutrality to fight for what's right. Not sure if the writers really feel this way, but Jolee and Kreia seem to show that there is no true neutral, at least in Star Wars. Juhani ~ An interesting character, a redeemed dark jedi who still struggles with her past, and is still in danger of falling. I never managed to trigger the last part of her slaver quest, so I wonder, does she actually go back to the DS if you let her unleash her rage? If so, she's a great character. My main gripe is that she's just too whiny. Every dialogue with her she's whining about her past. She needs a lesson from Mission in inner strength. Canderous ~ He's a hired gun in the game, but that's pretty much what he was supposed to be. His main contributions are his stories, giving a lot of insight about the Mandalorian Wars. Come to think of it, he was a bit too articulate for a warrior, wasn't he? The reason I scored Handmaiden higher than Kreia is because her character is most well-developed for her role. Kind of like how Sith battle armor isn't the best armor, but it's great for what it is and when you get it. Kreia was exceedlingly "deep", but could've been done better IMO. But I'm giving up the scoring now, it's probably not fair. Before this thread derails, the main reason for my post, besides hoping to help OE understand one player's POV, is to discuss K2 characters and questions like these: did Kreia have a proper master-apprentice relationship with the Exile, or did the Exile just keep her around because of the bond? Was the purpose for Atton's Jedi training redemption, and if so was he redeemed? How did G0T0 amass so much power in so short a time, was he truly part of the Exchange, and if so why would such a powerful organization let a droid run the show in that sector? Oh, and also to get some insight from the esteemed posters of this forum to help me understand these characters better.

Yet more irony... " Edit: My problem isn't with Kotor, it's my PC. Now, please stay on topic.

Howdy. My PC is freezing while gaming (with heat being a possible and ironic cause), so I thought I'd give it a break and merely discuss gaming instead. In this case, K2's party members. What makes a character likeable is a subjective thing, I realize, but for some reason K2's characters were never as likeable as K1's were. I'd like to discuss why I think that is (I added a score to quantify my feelings about how well-developed I thought each character was). I don't mean this as a bashing on K2, because I like it. But it has potential to be so much more. I want OE to succeed and become as big as Bioware, because there's not enough CRPGs of this ilk anymore. So I offer this insight in hopes it might help. Kreia ~ 4/5 ~ Right from the start, the writers wanted her and the Exile to have a master-apprentice relationship. But it's obvious that she's hiding something, so most players no doubt harbored some sort of distrust for her. It's for that very reason that I never took her off the ship unless required (after Telos), which really shot the master-apprentice thing down. I thought her character would've been more compelling if she was more integral to the Exile's progress. She saved the Exile in the Jekk Jekk Tar and Korriban. A few more moments like that would've gone a long way in forcing the player to trust her and push the player towards a true master-apprentice relationship. This would make the player begin to question whether all that distrust is warranted, and that would've made her betrayal more impactful. Atton ~ 3/5 ~ I admit, I didn't like him much at first because of his grating personality. And when I discovered that he used to kill Jedi, I hated him. Yet I trained him as a Jedi anyway, because I thought that's what the last Jedi he killed would've wanted. Eventually, I grew to like his character when I realized that's exactly what the developers wanted: a character you don't want to forgive, but you do want to give a chance at redemption. Unfortunately, there's no resolution. Was my decision to train him right? Did he become a force for good? Kreia's dialogue at the end seems to suggest he didn't. Either that's the resolution the writer's wanted, or they just didn't finish it. Neither is satisfying, IMO. Bao-Dur ~ 2/5 ~ The tortured soul thing has been done before and better. He's too mild. If he truly regrets the destruction he wrought at Malachor V, make him show it. He could be self-destructive, he could hate himself, he could have righteous fury whenever he sees war being forced upon people (like Onderon). But as it is, we just get some dialogue here and there about how he still sees the ships, or somesuch. Desperately needs fleshing out. Handmaiden ~ 5/5 ~ The only character I truly liked. She has her own personal conflicts due to curiosity about the Jedi, the death of her parents, the disgrace of her mother, and her oath to Atris. The player has to work (or fight) to gain her trust. She didn't withhold plot-specific information from the player just because you lack influence. I also found her naivety rather endearing (like on Nar Shadaa, when she didn't understand Atton's sarcasm about Visquis' trap). The only thing I didn't like was her reason for boarding the Ebon Hawk. She claims she was under orders from Atris, but every cutscene claims otherwise. Maybe I missed something there. Er... I suppose she looks good in a dancer's outfit too. Disciple ~ Haven't used him yet. I think there's something here given the fact that he's tied to Carth, and I hear he used to be a padawan or something. But there is a lot of Disciple hating here. Visas ~ 2/5 ~ One dialogue and suddenly your influence is maxed with her. Then she has nothing to say for the rest of the game until she forces herself on your party aboard the Ravager. I didn't romance her, so maybe she has more to say then? As it is, she comes off as a follower blinded (no pun intended) by the Exile's ability to draw Force sensitives, but IMO that's a plot device that can't replace real motivations. She obviously wants Nihilus destroyed, and so she wants to help the Exile. Is she angry? Vengeful? Anything? She was Sith at one point, but a LS Exile can make her turn good. How does she feel about that? What about her Sith teachings? Mandalore ~ 2/5 ~ He has a purpose in the game's Dxun and Ravager quests, and he has a background that ties in with K1, but otherwise he's got nothing to say. He's a hired gun. Why did he think himself worthy of being the new Mandalore? He follows the Exile because he thinks the Exile will lead him to other Mandalorians he can use to strengthen his cause, but is it fitting for Mandalore to follow anyone? T3 ~ 5/5 ~ Not sure if the writers meant to do this, but considering how he wasn't developed at all in K1, he (it?) comes off as having grown in AI in K2 from his experiences. He's this innocent little droid, yet he makes decisions that saved the Exile twice, and he's also withholding information about Revan. T3 is more lifelike than most of the other sentients. HK-47 ~ 1/5 ~ Besides having some insight about Revan, HK didn't serve much of a purpose here. The cut HK factory and Malachor V confrontation with G0T0 really hurt. I wouldn't mind the meatbag joke so much if he didn't emphasize it as a punchline so much. G0T0 ~ 1/5 ~ He's (it?) somewhat redeemed by his background (a haywire droid posing as an Exchange sentient), but there's nothing else of worth here. Why did he capture the Exile to save the galaxy, then claim that he can't let the Exile free? How did a droid amass so much power anyway? He had no purpose on the Ebon Hawk, no contributions to the grand scheme. His character would've been more convincing if he was more sinister, if he was rallying baddies without the Exile's knowledge (like Kreia did with Hanharr and Tobin). Mira ~ 2/5 ~ If she's the best bounty hunter on Nar Shadaa, how did she so easily walk into Visquis' trap? I know, it was meant for the Exile, but you're telling me she didn't think her double-cross would get her in trouble? What purpose did she have following the Exile, beyond being drawn by the Exile's power? When you turn her into a Jedi, she says she's tired of running and being afraid. Since when did elite bounty hunters feel that way? She tells the Exile that he/she's her "bounty"... is she joking, or is she daft? Since when did "I'd like to talk for a moment" become a pickup line? She also talks too fast, but maybe that's too subjective. Hanharr ~ 1/5 ~ What is he beside's a psycho Wookie? At least Mira can become a Jedi. If it was possible to talk to the fellow about his past, understand his rage, and either harness it or calm it, he'd be an interesting character. As it is, he's a hired gun.