Magister Lajciak

No reason to give up hope yet - voting is still open so let's make use of it!

I like RPG campaigns that feature some philosophical dilemnas and epiphanies. In any case, I think a game (possibly the next NWN2 expansion) tied to the 4E FR changes could be pretty deep in this aspect.

I think an interesting ranger class to make would be one without spellcasting. Perhaps it could cannibalize some aspects of the scout. I like the scout class conceptually, but it proved rather... weak/ineffective... in play.

Let's keep on voting! The results will be announced on 20 December 2007.

Same here! I think most people do it that way.

Yes, and I hate registrations too, but for the sake of MotB I think it is worth registering. Registration is free and it also enables you to download stuff from fileplanet, which often gets things like game demos first.

Mea culpa! Yes, I do mean GameSpy.

You can vote for the Mask of the Betrayer as Gamespot's RPG PC game of the year here: http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/841/841078p1.html Also, don't forget to vote for the MotB as Gamespot's overall PC game of the year: http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/840/840091p1.html The Mask of the Betrayer deserves both titles!

I hope you guys are right, but I fear that the MMORPG bug is too virulent these days to bypass the KOTOR franchise. Let's hope a single player KOTOR 3 is already immunised by being deep into development.

I like FR, but most of the PnP games are run are set in my homebrews. For what it's worth, I don't think my homebrews at all fairy-tale-like beyond the general similarity of all fantasy to fairy tales in terms of the existence of imaginary creatures.

We clearly share an opinion on the Mask of the Betrayer - I think it was one of the best CRPGs I have ever played - perhaps even the very best. Why, though, do you think BG2 was not deep? Admittedly, I played BG2 a many years ago, when I was much younger than now, so my memory is failing on the details, but it certainly seemed deep to me then. (Note: I don't replay CRPGs, no matter how good they are - the story I craft when I go through the game for the first time is THE story for me.) I also enjoyed the Rashemen setting and would welcome an expansion in Chult, but I don't think the Realms are stupid overall. It may be cliched somewhat, but to some extent this is a strength from my point of view, since it gives a baseline of familiarity and the cliches that don't fit can always be destroyed in the story in some way. Indeed, doing that often makes for a good story, probably better than if the cliches did not exist in the first place. BTW: Dark Sun is my probably favorite D&D setting. Eberron, however, I don't like at all.

Yes, I just hope they will not turn KOTOR 3 into an MMORPG too.

Well, the axing of many NPCs seems rather idiotic from my point of view, since I like having a living breathing world, where things are happening in the background even in the absence of the PCs. I did find the huge number of deities in the Realms confusing and unnecessary, so their culling is a positive change for me, but perhaps they should have gone about it in another way, one that would be more believable and more palatable to the fans.

It would not surprise me if it were delayed... for the umpteenth time now.

To what?

I thought you liked games such as BG2 and Motb, no? Personally, I like fantasy CRPGs and Sci-Fi CRPGs. I have more or less no interest in playing CRPGs set in the real world or in the present era.

Actually this brings up the question of what ruleset will most likely be used for KOTOR 3. I hope they stick with the semi-real-time semi-turn-based implementation of d20 Star Wars RPG rules that has been the hallmark of the previous installments in the series, but upgrading to the Star Wars: Saga Edition rules would be nice (but not necessary for me)!

Glad to help!

I did not realise that the graphics were maligned. Indeed, my computer at the time had huge problems running the game due to the fact that my notebook only had an integrated graphics card. That is true, but Force Unleashed promises to be more of an action-oriented game. I would expect KOTOR 3 to use a quasi-turn-based system like its predecessors.

Here is a link for you: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=starw...ticle/rpgsagaed

I am a fan of Dark Sun too, but I like Forgotten Realms as well.

I hope for a new NWN 2 expansion in 2008 and perhaps also StarCraft 2, KOTOR 3 and Dragon Age, but none of these are anywhere near certain.

Well, they have used an even older engine for NWN 2 and the Mask of the Betrayer, though with substantial upgrades. I don't see why something similar would not be feasible with KOTOR, except for the next generation console issue.

I think the original KOTOR engine is certainly good enough for today's standard especially with improvements they would likely incorporate, but as has been pointed out, it might not run on XBOX 360, which seems to rule it out. Unless, of course, it is possible to upgrade it to run on the new console.

Than we would have a problem. It is difficult to say whether that is the case, though, since we don't know what the ruleset is like yet. From the hints we have been given thus far there appear to be both some good and some bad things...