kefka

ATi's drivers got progressively worse for Kotor. IMO, 4.2 was the best but all revisions after that were terrible. Repeated crashing during load screens, lag, poor framerates, etc. Dantooine was a slide show. I went from about 38fps with 4.2 to 14fps with 4.5. The best solution was to use 4.2 OpenGL drivers for Kotor even with the latest catalysts. <_< Shoddy ATi drivers was the main reason I switched back to nVidia. The 9700PRO is a great card but I got tired of new drivers creating more problems than they solve. So I bought a 6800GT instead.

heh, those same idiots thought KOTOR was the best game of 2003. Kotor2 doesn't seem to have the instant appeal of the original. It takes more effort to get the best out of. Some people will like that, others will not. I wouldn't call them idiots though.

If he enjoyed the first game but finds the sequel lacking then he's certainly in a position to know that.

Well... for them to fix something, they would have to admit it was broken. And unless a major programming glitch has occured the system must be working as intended. Which is unfortunate. Influence has replaced "so and so wants to talk..." as a means of getting to know NPCs. Other than that, it doesn't seem to do a whole lot. I'm amazed that a LS character turned DS would still act like a lightsider. At least in Kotor the NPCs were true to their alignment, even Bastila when she turns dark.

If influence was designed to work this way it was a poor decision to say the least. It seems to have no tangible effect on alignment at all. Maybe the devs realized this would mean alot more work? There would need to be extra dialog for each NPC and triggers for a light or dark shift. That could also cause problems too. NPCs might alternate between good and evil with a single choice. One minute good, the next evil, then back to good. however, if most NPCs are immune to dramatic alignment shifts the problem is negated somewhat. It's certainly a missed opportunity tho. I was looking forward to turning a goody two-shoes into the epitome of evil.

Can someone clarify this please? I keep hearing that influence is flawed and then others reply saying it's fine. It can't be both. But what's the point of influence if the NPCs don't change to reflect their new alignment? If a character acts the same even though they've gone from light to dark, doesn't that mean the system is broken? For example, if you could turn Carth to the darkside would you be happy if he still whines at every evil act you do? I agree. I thought the whole point of influence was so you could corrupt them to the darkside or guide them back to the light. It sounds like each NPC has a predetermined alignment and it's simply your job to help them reach that by saying/doing what they want. Very disappointing if true.

There's a good chance Kotor2 will have a DVD release, at least in Europe. The number of PC DVD games is growing rapidly. I've just bought The Chronicles of Riddick on PC and that comes on a single DVD here, while in the US it uses 5 CDs! It's actually a pleasure to install games now.

I play most games on normal, but if Kotor2 really is easy in the final stages then the HARD setting is a must. having said that, the final level of Half-Life 2 had no boss fights, only cannon fodder. The weapon you received meant a leisurely tour through the citadel. It was a rather strange ending but somehow it worked. The end 'boss' is a cliche. It's how you reach the end not simply the fight itself.

Why can't CRPGs have the same quality graphics? In fact, an RPG deserves better than a FPS because you interact up close with NPCs, while in a FPS you kill from a distance. The popularity of Counterstrike shows that graphics aren't all-important in a FPS.

No, I didn't miss your point. I agree with you. Gameplay always comes first. But these days you simply can't release a game with poor graphics. If you do, the reviewer points out all the technical flaws instead.

Try releasing a game with graphics like that today. It would get 1 out of 10, no matter how good the gameplay is.

MSG

IGN talks about KOTOR like it's the holy grail of story-telling. Take away the Revan twist and what's left is average at best. In Kotor, you are herded from one location to the next with no real control over what you do. Other people set the agenda and further the plot, you are just dragged along for the ride. Kotor's sum total is: find star maps --> go to star forge --> kill Malak. That constitutes a great story??? IMO, Kotor2 sounds far more interesting and isn't reliant on a single event to make it memorable. IGN were probably wowed by the twist and can't see beyond that.

True. This exacerbation of graphical inconsequence is further illustrated with the magnificence of PS:T and FO 1&2. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Can't we have the best of both worlds? Fantastic story and amazing graphics? RPGs always seem to be sold short in the graphics department. They aren't mutually exclusive. PS:T and the Fallouts are indeed great games but they'd be even better with a modern engine. The Star Wars universe, more-so than other RPG settings, really does benefit from great visuals. The stories are very cinematic and would be ruined by poor graphics. I'm not saying that K1/K2 are poor - they are in fact quite good, but against the new crop of pixel-shaded games are slightly dated. Kotor3, if it's made, simply must have a brand new engine.

Does that mean lightsabers or any melee weapon? Is the risk of damaging contents the same for any attempt to bash them open? It would have to be to prevent all that bashing in Kotor.

Every time I play Kotor I avoid the 'petty thug' dialog options. I am still fully dark by the game's end. To demand credits or make stupid remarks would demean my character. And since you aren't being a bully from the start it's a gradual descent into darkness. IMO, the only time Kotor really nailed the DS was on Korriban. The 2 Sith masters were great and made you feel welcome. Most other DS situations seem forced. Sure, you can kill Mission and dispose of Juhani and Jolee in the temple, but up until that point you could be light personified and still become dark by a single decision. That is wrong. Even Anakin made dark choices before his ultimate fateful choice. I hope that Kotor2 can do better.

Yeah, it is obvious, but they have gone out of their way to say Kreia is your 'mentor'. The one that guides you. The one that teaches you dark from light. I think she's a bit too enigmatic to be a plain ol' Jedi. Who knows. I'm not saying she is a Sith but it's certainly a possibility, however remote.

I thought Kreia was a Sith from the first moment I saw her. She seems really mysterious and sinister. But I won't be shocked if she isn't. It could be a deception to make us think she's 'evil'.

So once you have a lightsaber security becomes useless? Well, at least you need a saber this time and not just a 'sword' like in Kotor.

Can lightsabers bash open containers without damage to the contents? The first reply from CA would seem to indicate that. Or is he referring to Kotor and not K2? For security to be useful there must be some containers that can resist 'bashing'.

Revan's Robes. But you get them too late to be of any real use. Also, they're not quite so attractive without the mask. They go together. Trust Bioware to include several masks but not the one you wanted. I wore the Dark Jedi Knight robe for most of the game. Then the Dark Jedi Master robe (which looks exactly the same, btw).

The devs will try I'm sure, but the burden rests on ATI and their OpenGL drivers, which quite frankly, suck.

hey, that was a damn good review, done in Something Awful's own unique style, of course. I'd buy the game on their recommendation!

Telos looks good. I prefer it to any of the planets in Kotor. Most of those were bright and cheerful despite the ongoing war. Even Korriban. And we crash land on a sun drenched beach too! hmm, Kotor2 has more 'atmosphere' by far.