Plano Skywalker

I don't really mind going to some of the same worlds again. But they need to be creative about it: if I go to Telos, I want to go to the part that is contaminated (maybe have to wear an environment suit). if I go to Taris, I want to wade through rubble (and/or go subterrainian to the so-called Promised Land). and Dantooine, well, I see Dantooine as an Earth clone, really...surely, it has to have mountains, rivers, polar regions, etc....just not the same stuff we've already seen (at least not exclusively). Tatooine -- NEVER again should this be an essential world in a game like this....however, I think it makes a good easter egg that just happens to be on your astro charts. Onderon -- give me an explorable Iziz that is about 5 times what we saw last time and you'll have no complaints from me.

yes, but I think you know what I'm getting at...what I described should be much more scalable for a large number of sprites while still providing a completely different experience every playthrough.

torture aside, I think party management should be more than just being able to hire and fire. I think the PC (this would work especially well in a ship-based game or a game that has a base of operations) should be able to threaten an NPC with "real consequences" such as making the person sleep in the Engine Room or to be grounded to the ship (for the next 3 planet stops) or to take mess duty for the next 3 weeks, etc. Of course, if you offer up such threats, you have to be willing to act on them, otherwise, the joinables will know that you are bluffing (and even rib you about it in conversation). Ultimately, of course, the ability to fire the joinable is the ultimate power you have over them...and I do want to occasionally see a joinable leave of their own volition (especially for alignment/behavior reasons).

all I know is, the next version of KOTOR needs to have a "multiplayer" version of Pazaak (by Multiplayer, I mean, you aren't the only one playing against the dealer at the same time....side betting on someone else would be cool too) and being able to look at the table isometrically (you can see the other sprites and, possibly, yourself) just like you would expect in a casino game. you can just sit there and keep playing until you break the bank or run out of money.

really good AI is computationally expensive so that may be one reason they toned it down. I really don't care if it is AI that is doing the job, I just want a different experience everytime I play a game like Oblivion and I think there are ways to do that other than AI. my point is, you can have "illusionary AI". I remember someone talking about how the game FEAR had really good AI...how a soldier that was after him was lobbing grenades under truck at him and then hiding. Now that was probably based on the AI believing that was the best approach. Now, imagine an entire city of NPCs thinking that far ahead....hard to do. Now, consider the possibility that the guy lobbing grenades was doing it not because the AI told him that it was the best course of action, but because the programmers set up a random "dice roll"....25% chance he will run at the PC, 25% chance he will shoot, 25% chance he will call for help, 25% he will lob grenades.....it still looks like AI, still gives you a different experience everytime you play, but is much less expensive computationally and easier to have multiple sprites involved.

I generally like ripping my own mp3's based on cds that I have (used cd stores help out in this). Maybe it is just psychological but I do like being able to play music in cd form.

yeah, it seems LFL is not as keen on such things. Dejarik is, obviously, an allusion to Chess and Pazaak is just a modified Blackjack.

If I get an iPod, it will be because of the intuitive interface, not the prospect of buying music from Apple. I agree that, if buying individual songs is what you are interested in, Apple is not the thinking man's solution. However, I like that iTunes is both a player and a ripper.

well, there is precedent for it....companies sell (or at least used to) officially-licensed Star Trek 3D Chess, for instance. I don't know if Dejarik or Pazaak has ever been sold like that but it probably would sell quite well.

I could probably handle it if they build it over the NWN2 engine. But the navigation system in ME looks really cool....maybe they can just use that aspect of ME....oh, well, as long as they tweak what needs to be tweaked (i.e. gaffi sticks don't parry lightsabers), then I think the NWN2 approach might be fine....don't want too much of a departure for a game that will effectively have the same storyline as the other two.

the worst ones are the overused ones: violet (and probably silver)....not because it looks bad but because there are too accessible in the games. I think that any color outside what is common in the movies should be limited to one per color (and not with all appearing during the span of an entire game). There should only be about 3 exotic colors accessible in the entire game (randomly determined), each one with a fully fleshed-out sidequest. Exotic colors should be rare and should draw comments from joinables and those you meet.

well, let's just say that torture of joinables is not very high in my list of what it means to have good "party management".

I just watched the Mass Effect in-game footage for the first time and, let me just say, that is awesome. I think it reasonable to assume that, if Obsidian gets the nod to develop K3, they will be using that engine under license (they certainly can't come out with a space console RPG that is inferior to that). While they could port that engine to d20 (I suppose), it is not a d20 engine. Anyway, I don't think they will have any legal troubles leaving d20 since WOTC has replaced SW d20 in favor of SW Miniatures. That means (I think) that LA is not contractuarly bound to use d20 in SW RPGs.

IMO, they need to find a way to let lightsabers be lightsabers (i.e. one hit and you are out of commission) and still provide weights for the PC (and to allow duels to go on for more than 10 seconds). I just don't think d20 is the best candidate for that.

they could, but it would be best if they don't.

I suspect K3 will use d20. After that, I'd be in favor of something else....something more balanced at the higher levels.

while Congress does, in fact, have the power to pull the funding on any military operation, I don't think it has ever been done and would be a highly risky political move for the Dems. generally speaking, the President (any U.S. President) is basically the dictator-in-chief when it comes to troop deployments.

K3 will be light years ahead of its predecessors in terms of engine, graphics, gameplay, etc (and who knows if it will even use d20?) but it needs to retain the overall feel and storyline of the first 2 games. After that, I agree, they could do anything. If you think about it, there is something to be said for these games being independently-contained crime solvers. That is, ultimately, what the Jedi are: a Federal police. No need for an epic trilogy each time. K3, however, needs to stay the course with the present story.

K1 had a scenario where you could administer drugs to a prisoner to try to get information. But that was not the only option available. IIRC, it was really hard to that right. Something like: the more truth serum, the sleepier he gets. Then there is the "wake up" serum, but the more awake he is, the more evasive, etc. I don't know if that is "torture" per se. That is basically just a hardball interrogation technique. Anyway, if they ever have a game in which the PC can administer torture to joinables, then they damn sure better have a mass exodus of NPCs if that ever happens. That is the only way it would have a modicum of believability.

early U2 is some of the best recorded music ever made, IMO. the later stuff is alright but generally not in the same league.

That would seriously suck. <_< Either games are very short or very easy and boring <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ok, perhaps a better example of what I am talking about (since we really don't know Mass Effect yet) is how you could only achieve up to Level 7 in Baldur's Gate 1 and yet that is considered one of the most satisfying and challenging cRPGs to date. And, because you could not become an uber-munchkin in BG1, BG2 allowed you to import your BG1 character. That is the kind of thing I'm talking about...except that the games would be really tight storywise. ideally, the games thus far who have had more controlled leveling and we could realistically be looking forward to playing as Revan in K3.

the reason it is barely acceptable is because it introduces a new protagonist each time. with a properly-planned trilogy, you have the same protagonist (and you may only level about 4 times during the course of one game). anyway, I'm just hopefully that they do the next batch of games using the Mass Effect model (whether the story has anything to do with Revan or not).

well, if they are going to show us the True Sith, they better do it right. one game is just not enough real estate to do justice to the Sith race, IMO. thing is, this is going to be one of the most significant wars in SW timeline...they have to go all out. and, if they did 4,5, and 6 based on one tight story arc (kind of like Mass Effect trilogy), that would be awesome, especially if the 2nd and 3rd games could check your system to see what you've already done (LS/DS, who has been killed, etc). a properly-planned trilogy would avoid the kind of hell we are seeing unfold now.

you know, if you think about it, these games have always been about the PC cleaning up the mess left over from some other war. wouldn't it be neat to play an RPG while the war is going on? having K3 just tie up the loose ends of Revan's journey and to then have K4, 5, and 6 take place in the MIDDLE OF AN ACTUAL WAR could be real interesting.