Diogo Ribeiro

You know, playing a premade character isn't always bad. Its not so much the problem with playing a premade character per se; rather, the problem happens when the premade we're given isn't interesting. The Nameless One was an interesting character to play, placed in a situation which was also interesting; and you could not play that character otherwise. Playing a Jedi however, is usually something we've all done one way or the other (and the character type is something that, even if people haven't played it, they're largely acquainted with it), but if the story as well as the character are worth it, i'm willing to give it a go.

Like a sexual harassment lawsuit and a restraining order. Overal, i haven't had any complains about Mistress' Lair. Until now, of course. Just another forum for discussion.

Given "open-mindness" is categorized as "being receptive to arguments or ideas", your attitude on this very thread is quite the antithesis of it; specially because you're claiming others can't take a little open-mindedness when you're actually not accepting it yourself, and the others you're accusing of not accepting it are the ones fostering it, after all.

There's a room?

Will exactly all characters be liable to be influenced by the PC? I hope this isn't the case with all of them. I believe some characters should have a mind of their own and resist some, or most, of the PC's influence. I don't think all NPCs should be portrayed as easilly influenced, or gullible.

I don't care much for more Force Powers; what I'd like to see were more opportunities to use them, wheter in combat or outside of it. And specifically, i'd prefer the removal of situations where i'm told i can't use my force powers to logically bypass obstacles, like being unable to jump over gaps because i have to solve another puzzle. This is bad design. Instead of telling the player he has an ability but he can't use it, create instead a situation where the player can choose to use the ability or not.

Definetely. While i can understand someone not liking the overal gameplay of Torment, wheter in itself or when compared to other IE games, this was one of the elements which really elevated it from the others. The ability to have several interaction elements used like this (an interaction possiblity inside an interaction itself) was what made the experience great on that particular level. Unfortunately it wasn't used more often, but what was there rocked the casbah.

The ability to play back movies is always a nice feature, but cutscenes usually can't be replicated (cutscenes using an ingame engine, not video). Having a playback option for combat sounds iffy. I'd much rather have a special slow motion sequence depicting a critical hit or the death of a powerful enemy (possibly from a random angle), than having the option to replay a repetitive combat animation.

Let's hope that means a simultaneous release on PC and Xbox. More importantly, let's hope that the PC version actually feels like its a PC version, not a barely disguised port.

Well in a good CRPG, like Arcanum, the race would have drastic effects on the game. For instance, just about everyone will treat you differently and quest can be solved differently. Er, despite having Arcanum high on my favourites list, the racial differences weren't that drastic in the game. If you played a socially unacceptable race (such as a Half-Orc or Half-Ogre), you still had the chance to beg, grovel or otherwise convince people to look differently at you, sometimes without stats determining their acceptace of you, and to have NPCs give you quests. Remember, if you were socially unacceptable and ugly, but intelligent, you could still get quests.

Unfortunately i don't think KoTOR2 will allow for that. Those would be interesting elements, though, much more in tune with the whole universe instead of just one part of it.

I think the point was that things like casual, "just-for-the-hell-of-it" minigames are often an element which do not have an impact on a game, and including them tends to be useless. Time spent with it is usually time one could spent fine tuning other aspects of the game, from graphics to actual gameplay elements. In the end, a minigame - the kind which doesn't have any purpose or justification - is the kind of element a videogame does not need, hence a non-critical element.

I liked Triple Triad at the time, but can't remember any other minigame which i liked to be honest. Most feel detached and pointless, placed there just for the hell of it.

It's going to be released on consoles. 'Nuff said, i believe. Most console games i hear about nowadays have some form of minigame as a gimmick.

I can't see how this is a staple, given NPCs do react on various ocasions (in several CRPGs, for that matter).

I wouldnt mind seeing a setting similar to that of Planescape, but not necessarily a game using it. A hub-like city which allows for exotic methods of planar travel can be created without resorting to re-using the same license.

One of them has to be dealing with people in message boards. "Hear me, i've got just the right suggestion for you! See, i've been thinking about Drizzt and +12 Hackmasters, and..." "RTWP SUCKS U WILL ALL DIE FOR USING IT!" "Now, if we're talking of gameplay elements which surpass clearly defined strategies i suggest a riveting axis-propelling sidewinder mechanism for the astute racial stereotype which will inevitably achieve its own modicum of success in the environmental space and time continuum with flabbergasting results..." "It just ain't an a Star Wars game if it doesn't have hair, clothing and lightsaber color customization." "I tell ya, D&D is NOT stale!" "Will you please include a brothel? I love roleplaying, and to me, a brothel is synonymous with excellent roleplaying, as it gives my character earth-shattering choices. Adding STD's would be excellent roleplaying material, too." "D00d liek, gimme dual weapons!" "What do you mean? Of course its an RPG, its got an inventory." "Don't be silly, of course it's consistant. Sure, there were no other lizards in the gameworld. Sure, there were no reasons as to why the lizards were there, or how they even got there. You might get technical and point out their mimesis of a society didn't explained how they evolved like that, or how they managed to survive. Your kind does like to nitpick, so i'm sure you'll throw in the game's background as a strong element as to why lizards shouldn't be there in the first place. But i'm the one who knows what's what, so don't tell me the lizards aren't canon, or that they don't make sense!" "Don't be dense, of course my character can use dual sniper rifles and kill everyone for the sake of roleplaying." "What's this technical impossibility you speak of? I want cool particle effects, damn you. Just cut down on some hundreds of dialogue options and multiple endings, and you'll be fine." "Without romances, your game will flop." And so on >_>

Overexposure and overexploitation.

Storage space can be handled more or less well, as it was in Baldur's Gate 2. Many NPCs had voice-overs for what were considered to be the more important lines in a dialogue tree, but the rest was presented only in text. O'course, i don't imagine this being done in KoTOR2, but a form of balance between both could be achieved, regardless.

I think some people's point was that given MCA was working on KoTOR2, then it would make sense to expect a similar level of story-telling and roleplaying quality.

Hopefully this one will feel more like a proper CRPG instead of a console adventure game.

What Fallout news? Heh, good one But I believe NMA usually has the lead on those (when they surface, that is).

Good grief.

Why not combine both ideas, though? Instead of making it radial in the sense of sprouting options in every direction, why not pick up on the basic premise of a free-floating, drag'n'drop menu, but instead of being fully radial, make it cascading into 4 directions, all easilly visible and accessible by the player? Suppose you're looking at ToEE's circular menu. Instead of the options branching out like this, that they branch out like this (actual working explained here). Yes, i know its a terrible idea, but it would provide more or less the same functionality of a radial menu, while having the options more clearly visible.

Herve just won't quit.