Plano Skywalker

I know. But I took your comments to mean you were playing "devil's advocate" if not actually advancing a view of your own.

I don't know if it's "proof" per se but I think the most *logical* argument is to simply state the tautology that every atheist must, by definition, embrace: "matter and energy cannot be created but the universe created itself." all you can do is change the subject, or make an assertion that cannot be proven (such as the ever-looping universe)...you cannot wiggle out that tautology if you leave a higher power out of the picture without falling into the same "trap" that creatists do, which is to rely on that which cannot be empirically quantified.

I know this is something of a flamebait topic (don't let GL make another one, please!, kind of stuff) but it is not really meant to be. Even if GL does not want to do another one himself, I don't think he has done what Charles Schultz did with Peanuts and emphatically stated that no one else can ever move on with the franchise. Anyway, some have hoped for a KOTOR movie, others like a New Republic or New Jedi Order idea. And, of course, there is talk of a TV show. But I think the best potential for more SW on the silver screen would be a trilogy based on the events between Ep III and Ep IV. There is already a hit novel on that time period that is said to be some of the best SW writing to date. Let's face it, Darth Vader is the star of this franchise, even more than Luke or Voda or Han or anyone else. And Darth Vader would be even more in focus during that time period. We could see Vader participate in more missions, see him go to the Outer Rim and hunt down Jedi that he missed in Ep III, and even see the personal side with all his inner conflicts, etc. That time period is ripe for adventure...ripe for an entire trilogy of movies.

a few days ago, I picked up issue #2 of the new KOTOR comic. today, I picked up issue #0. that's right, the "premier" issue is out this month for $.25. it also shares a flipbook with issue #0 of a new movie-era SW comic called "Rebellion". anyway, even though the content is about half of what you would normally get (since it is a flipbook), I thought it laid down some good backstory to what is already going on. it also has some news articles from "The Taris Holofeed". here is one: TARNITH STATION -- Mandalorian and Republic forces have retired from the Outer Rim system of Suurja with neither gaining an advantage, according to embedded journalists with the Republic Fleet. An agrarian world with a colonist population of 16 million, Suurja is the latest battlezone on the line of Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith. It has been just over a year since the Mandalorians conquered their last populated system in the Outer Rim, not counting the Flashpoint stellar research station taken four months ago. "This shows that the cordon that Captain [saul] Karath has thrown up is holding," said Republic defense official Catronus Steffans. "It's only a matter of time before we begin pushing in the other direction." Steffans chose not to respond to the recent controversy in the Jedi order over participation in the war. "Our relationship with the order is the most important the Republic has. We value their cooperation in any and all endeavors with us they choose to join." Despite the official optimism, reports continue to surface of provisioning problems, despite the recent levy to keep the troops better supplied....

I agree. There is nothing wrong per se with playing the same protagonist over an entire trilogy of games but the games have to be paced for it. Without resorting to some really cheap trick, Revan and the Exile are absolutely unplayable under d20. (I do, however, think it is possible for K3 to "wrap up" this story arch as though it had been planned as a proper trilogy...it would just take some really good writing)

continuity is not as much of a problem as you might think...just think of all those DS Revanites....their "Revan" is not official and never will be. The DS path in a SW game is but a doggie treat. I really like the idea of playing someone other than the munchkin Force god....I don't need to play Exar Kun, I would be happy playing one of his apprentices...same thing with Nomi Sunrider...I don't want to play as she, I want to play as her redheaded stepchild apprentice. Basically, the PC plays some sort of role that "saves the day" but is otherwise under the radar screen and never really gets reported.

depending on how "epic" the story is, there is really no reason the PC has to be a formal member of the Jedi Order. I like the idea of having a backstory option in which I say I was trained as a Youngling and am now on some sort of sabbatical. That is the only backstory that allows me to formally join the Jedi Order. Other backstories allow for other methods of Force training (including Sith and other factions).

nothing really wrong with a Fable-like prologue but I would prefer just having a number of backstories to choose from via in-game dialogue. "rapid aging" is better suited to open-ended RPGs, IMO.

ah, thanks for that clarification....anyway, starting off as one of the exiled Jedi on Korriban and building your own faction of Sith followers and having rivals....that would be cool.

what? a medievalish game in which people ride around and fight on horseback? of all the things!

an RPG (trilogy) based on the Great Hyperspace War (which is when ancient Sith and humans first meet) would be lots of fun, IMO. you could also do one based around the life and exploits of Freedon Nadd. but, if they do go back in the timeline, I think I would like to see the Mandalorian Wars fleshed out more (heck, maybe I could even play as a Mandalorian!). Other than the Mandalorian Wars, I would like to see a trilogy based on the Sith War (which is Exar Kun/Nomi Sunrider's time).

maybe he is trying to illustrate that SPAM is BAD.

I think that is right. It is, essentially, a well-placed Easter Egg that could be used in future games/comics. But, right now, it is nothing.

well, good point. I have said before that it seems to follow the pattern of the Eastern Orthodox Church...you can be a priest and marry. However, if you marry, you will never be a bishop or anything like that. I think that is how the Jedi Order operates....only those who give themselves totally to the study of the Force can ever advance and sit on the High Council. And for a Padawan to marry, well, that pretty much ends the padawan's formal training.

the bottom line is that we need this fleshed out more.....we need a concrete date in the EU timeline when it became established by the Order that Jedi could not be married. obviously, by the movie era, this had been fully established.

well, I think KOTOR 3 will be next-gen so any expansion pack for K2 would need to be using the Odyssey engine (i.e. that used in K1 and K2). Whether it is an "expansion pack" or "platinum edition"---doesn't matter. But probably would be best to have a platinum edition that also included the game. Expansion pack by itself would have to be cheaper than the platinum edition. I really doubt Odyssey will be used for K3.

I thought that character creation was handled pretty well, including even asking you what astrological sign you were born under and how that had some bearing on gameplay. But my favorite aspect of the game was *joinable factions*. It wasn't a perfect implementation of it, to be sure, but it set an exceptation for it in the CRPG, I believe.

IMO, LA should just allow an expansion pack to be made (it would have to be more than just the cut content, but still). that way, they could make an end run around the amateur content-restoration project.

right on...Morrowind emphasizes *realism* and *immersion* above all else. being able to buy farm implements and silverware and such items from merchants that you absolutely cannot use illustrates the point. for me, advancing in the Mage's Guild was more fun than trying to complete the main quest. Morrowind only has one point: do whatever you want. HINT: read some walkthroughs that tell you how to use the Creeper and the Mudcrab to unload your loaded Soul Gems (there is a merchant in Tel Branora or something like that that sells Common Soul Gems).....money is the hidden engine in this game...you find a way to make a lot of money, you can afford training and spells.

I think one way to do the multiple starting point thing is like this: after your 3rd playthrough, your subsequent playthroughs have an easter egg dialogue option that, essentially, allows you to skip a certain section of the game. for instance, let us say that, instead of Peragus, we were at some sort of Academy....you could skip that part, but only after the 3rd playthrough. that is not exactly the same as "multiple starting points" but I think the general idea is the same. the Academy thing is especially doable since this could contain little to no main story clues and, hence, could be bypassed without sacrificing story.

I agree, that would be an awful lot to swallow as a loss leader.

I agree that bounty hunting is an excellent idea...it is the quintessential filler sidequest. But I want REAL bounty hunting, not the contract killings of K1. There should be bounties on every heavily-populated world you go to. And, if you pay to have a brig installed on your ship, you can do transworld bounty hunting as well . Bounty hunting would require non-lethal resolutions to combat....something we need to see from Jedi anyway.

the workbench does need some streamlining: * make it so where you don't have to step away from it to do another task with it. * I agree about the inventory thing....IMO, there should be individual inventory...that way, you can only work on what you have on you or what is not otherwise equiped. * make it so where ANY character can go to the workbench....I want my Bao-Dur character on the workbench, not my PC (into which I sink all those Persuade skill points). * I really don't think having the ability to make uber Pazaak cards adds anything to the Pazaak experience....I would prefer to not be able to manufacture them. (Well, I don't really like the idea of carrying around a side deck anyway...they should explore the whole "he's cheating with unsanctioned cards" angle with regard to premium cards....that would be interesting and realistic)

true....in theory, there should be one on Coruscant. K1 established that the Dantooine one was specifically for training and that the main one was on Coruscant. of course, given where the story is now, they could play it any number of ways.

I believe Dark Lords of the Sith is a Tales of the Jedi story...that is one of the trade paperbacks in that series. Generally speaking, you will not find this already on the shelf at the comic shop. I now own Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith TB and I got by special order at my comic shop. Anyway, I agree that the comic story is shaping up nicely. [slight spoiler ahead] there was a cameo in the first one...that cameo has returned and there is a second cameo as well (hint, he is small, green guy).