I enjoy getting to know the characters as well, and it was the chracters in the first game that truly made KOTOR enjoyable, imho
Here's hoping you enjoy KOTOR2 as much as I am.....you'll find that influence plays a large role, so getting to know the other characters isn't as simple as talking to them everytime you level-up, but how much they like you and what path you have chosen.....and BEWARE OF SPOILERS here!
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I haven't been able to restrain myself from looking at these boards, the spoiler forum included so not much will suprise me. I'm really looking forward to the character interaction, despite some comments that have been made. I agree that the interaction among NPC's in Kotor was what made the game so great. For me, its the depth of storyline and the personalities/uniqueness of each party member that grabs me. And I don't see open ended stories being a problem, so long as the journey getting there was fascinating and fulfilling.
See, I'm an optimist at heart.