Karma313th

Small quibble, but it's My Martini Wine and Bistro. It's in N. Arlington, next door to Piranha's Killer Sushi. Fantastic sushi, fantastic martinis, very expensive. But anyway, yes, it kinda surprised me to see a matchbook on the site from the place. A little creepy, actually. since Piranha's/My Martini (owned by same people) is one of my favorite weekend places. Just too bad I can't afford to go too often ($10 martinis really add up.)

Aurora: I wouldn't say they're far more screwed up than the characters in KOTOR, necessarily. I'd say it's more the fact that they come with their own backgrounds and secrets that adds to their character. But more than that, like I said in my earlier post, the characters in KOTOR 2 grow during the course of the game. Some of them are able to resolve issues in their pasts (Bao-Dur). Others simply grow beyond the naivete they begin with (such as Handmaiden), still others have to learn to come to terms with what they've been through (such as Visas). And of course there's Atris. So many conflicts and look at how she ends up.... KoT: Yes, the influence system was part of it...But it goes beyond the mechanic. As above, it's the fact that the NPCs or "supporting cast" all have developed histories that affect their outlook and direction. It's something that I'd felt was missing from KOTOR. Sure, there was the brief quest with Bastilla's mother on Tatooine, but you didn't really have the opportunity to get to know the NPCs you travelled with to the extent you do in KOTOR 2. Particularly noticeable is the plot. Sure, at first glance it does look a lot like a retread of KOTOR's, but it's the depth and continuity that really set it apart. In KOTOR, it never really felt like your actions had a major impact on much apart from whether you went dark or light. Each of the worlds was pretty much self-contained and isolated from the next. This is where I thought KOTOR 2 really excelled in their writing. One great example: Your actions carry over with a greater impact than KOTOR allowed. There's also a great example of the continuity once you reach Dantooine. You're shown that even inconsequential actions can have larger consequences. The themes were also significantly more pronounced than KOTOR. Altogether, I thought KOTOR 2 was a considerably more "literary" experience than KOTOR and that certainly reflects well on Obsidian's writers.

KoT: You've obviously lost me somewhere. Like I mentioned in my earlier reply, I think the Obsidian's writers far surpassed with Bioware managed to do with KOTOR. KOTOR, the storyline was decent, but...It never really seemed that the PC's actions had much of an impact on the world outside of himself. In addition to which, character development and progression of the NPCs was pretty much non-existant. For instance, the redemption of Juhani in KOTOR took place over what, three or four lines of dialogue in the middle of the duel on Dantooine? Even the outcome of the murder trial mid-game was disconnected from any lasting effect on the plot.. But the worst offenders in KOTOR were the NPCs. Each was pretty flat and lifeless. You had the mandatory scoundrel/smuggler/Han Solo (Carth), the wise-cracking droid, the tormented Jedi, etc. None of them really were developed beyond their archetypes. In contrast, KOTOR 2's NPCs were extremely fleshed-out. They all had their own stories to tell and their own rounded personalities which were developed and explored over the course of the game. They were believable as people with that bit of "larger than life" quality that made them interesting. They existed as separate individuals, rather than simply as combat support. A great example is travelling around Nar Shadda with the Handmaiden. Rather than simply trailing along, she's involved in what's going on. Her character develops through her questioning the player's motives in doing what they do and wanting to understand. You can see her grow from the sheltered innocent she is when you pick her up from Telos to a more mature and world-wise character by late game. Sure, it's a subtle thing, but it's subtle touches that make good stories great stories, and interesting characters believable characters. If only Obsidian's programmers had done half as well as their writers did, KOTOR 2 would've been a lock for Game of the Year for 2005.

Here, I'd have to strongly disagree. Sure, KOTOR had a decent plot, but...It didn't really have any degree of great depth. In that aspect, it was pretty faithful to the Star Wars license; everything was clear-cut black & white. The voice acting was good in KOTOR, but I've always felt that the characters were fairly one-dimensional -- like cardboard cutouts. Obsidian might not have done very well on the technical side of the game, but I honestly think they've managed to out-do Bioware in terms of story and character depth. As a matter of fact, this very thread shows how well they did in creating their characters. If Kreia wasn't as well developed as she was, noone would care enough about the character to dislike it or love it. And of course, things aren't always black or white. Just look at some of the examples on Onderon, for instance. Or Nar Shadda....Or Dantooine. Everything has more of an interlinked feel to it. What you do for better or worse actually has an impact on the plot outside of your character.

Shoddy writing? I don't know that I'd agree. After having played through TSL and it's incredibly bugginess, I'd have to say that the writers were one of the few groups that did a fantastic job with KOTOR 2. Had it not been for the strength of themes, great plotting and incredible depth of character, I'd likely have given up after the third crash in an hour. Of course, it also helps that the roles were very well cast in terms of voice actors. It would've been criminal to have such developed characters ruined by poor performances from voice actors unsuited to the role.

Well, I picked up my copy (PC) yesterday, 20050209, at Best Buy (gotta love the $39.99 deal). After playing for several hours straight, I have to agree that the plotting and dialogue so far are very well done. However, the rough edges are very apparent, unfortunately. Most noticeably, the scripted in-game cinematics have already shown a few bugs, and you have to be wary of a game that comes with a readme file warning that the game will freeze or crash to desktop if you play in one area for more than 40-50 minutes without loading a new area. Also, I have a growing suspicion that KOTOR2 has reintroduced the -5 penalty to awareness that plagued the pre-patch KOTOR, unless someone just accidentally left the penalty for running in the PC manual. Otherwise, so far the game's been good. After all, a good plot and deep characters like the ones I've encountered so far can make-up for a lot.

I'd have to agree that Bloodlines was well worth the purchase. Quite frankly, the whole "full of bugs" was overly hype rather than reality. I never once encountered a bug during several playthroughs. That aside, I also think Troika's involvement answering concerns and their responsiveness on various boards helped a lot in handling the few major bugs that did exist. That's why I'm more than a little disappointed to hear that Obsidian's reportedly done very little (if anything) with the PC version since December and apparently aren't accessible at all, which does give the impression that the PC version is little more than tablescraps. If there's going to be a KOTR 3, I say give it to a team that cares about what they produce and their audience. Either give it back to Bioware, or maybe to Troika. Both have proven their ability to develop immersive RPGs and their commitment to the gaming community.