grphiw

Also in the future, you may want to check out www.gamebanshee.com, they have a very nice walkthrough if you can find yourself willing to sink to that level... :ph34r:

Again, the problem with conventionally traveling at even just the speed of light (say, rocket thrusters, gravity slingshots and even distant gravity sources), what type of energy could move faster than the fastest form of energy known in this universe? One could argue that communcation by string theory is faster, because it is, as far as we know, instantaneous. But that delves back into quantam mechanics, and once more alters the shape of the universe that we imagine it to be.

Well, here's the optimistic, anything's possible view from a basic physics standpoint: Conventional travel through space at a speed faster than light is impossible; it is a fundamental idea of Relativity, which, for the most part, has turned out to be very true. Very simply nothing can travel faster than pure energy in a vacuum; to even match its speed, matter needs to be converted to energy (a stream of photons, in this instance). HOWEVER, there is increasing evidence from quantam mechanics that space-time (yes, it is a real term that describes the fact that an object can occupy the same space twice, but never at the same time or at two different places at the same time; think of a function on an X-Y plane to get a rough idea) is not as solid as we think. Relativity backs this up, telling us time is a very relative idea (no pun intended). Thus it stands to reason that space as we know it in three dimensions, is not so out of reach. And we find this true in large gravity sources, such as red giant stars or black holes. The potential energy created by gravity alters time, and also space. Using a pseudo-image, imagine a flat surface, and call it space. A huge, dense gravity source such as a black hole would create a dent in that flat surface, drawing objects towards it. Thus space is altered, effected by that large energy source. Now this is where it starts getting into the sci-fi realm... if space can be bent, and space-time is really not that solid, then why can't space be bent to pass through space-time? While there is both science that indicates this is imposible and possible (think worm holes), if one could pass through space-time and emerge at another location at the same time, then infinte travel across this universe could be possible. However, this is all highly theoretical...

I wouldn't say it's a matter of conscience to me -- it's a game! -- but I don't particularly like playing DS. Just like when I read a novel, I tend to like a novel with a sympathetic protagonist more than a novel with an unsympathetic one. As a general rule, not an absolute one. Since the game is for fun, and I prefer playing LS (mostly), that's what I do. When I do DS stuff, it tends to be minor DS stuff (stealing, verbally encouraging HK47, etc.). But even then, it's more fun for me, as a roleplayer, to try to be consistent (e.g. the only cold-blooded killing my character does is blowing up the Mandalorian on Dxun, seems like a reasonable thing for the Exile to hate Mandalorians...). <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think a major problem that may arise as RPGs begin to strike closer to home is separating what we do in a game from what we do in real life. As we try to live in the game, it becomes difficult to make the game last only in the console. That's why I try to play both sides, to experience both sides of the coin. It keeps the game withdrawn and a separate life from my own. On a completely unrelated note, epeeist, are you a fencer? If so, long live the epee!

I've never had Force, and for KotOR II I fully agree with you on Force Breech, but the other four powers I do find have their uses, mainly on the harder difficulties when every edge you can get is necessary. 1. Force Body is useful mainly on hard difficulty when you have a Guardian-type character fighting an enemy that has a high enough dexterity to make your life miserable, but have low Wisdom. Force Body allows a Guardian to use the same impunity a Consular would use with offensive force powers. What's more, the highest tier of Force Body allows you to reduce the cost of high force powers to 60% (30% and 30%), so that you can use opposite side powers at a relatively low cost (roughly what they would cost without the Light/Dark adjustment). 2. Inspire Followers is useful to exactly to those it is given: Jedi Masters. Because of their usual reliance on the force rather than physical combat, they need to support their party members. And suppose that you need a technically strong character such as Bao Dur or T3-M4. Yet to replace a combat character such as Mandalore with a weaker tech character means that you essentially reduced your physical firepower by 50%. Inspire Followers allows tech characters to temporarily become stronger, and at least fill the role of a mediocre combat character. While this edge may not seem very large, when considering the number of attacks your party produces, and when your opponents are hard hitting on the hard difficulty, any advantage is necessary. 5. Throw Lightsaber is useful for a character that has really bad Dexterity, or if that character wears heavy armor that produces a Dexterity bonus of 0. In both cases, it makes blasters nearly useless, leaving you incapable of using ranged attacks. While this is fine for a primarily melee oriented character who is supposed to go in using the full advantage of the Strength bonus, there are ways of disabling a melee fighter, namely a cryoban or adhesive grenade. While you can't do much to stop a cryoban grenade from stopping your character right where he or she stands, adhesive grenades leave you capable of attacking. Use this advantage with Throw Lightsaber. In addition, Throw Lightsaber plays a highly strategic role for characters that have high Constitutions or Dexterity. That character can be used as a distraction for melee enemies to attack. Ranged characters can now attack the distracted enemies who are currently focusing their attention on a character that is either hard to kill or hard to hit. Now assume that these are relatively weak attackers, but a much larger, heavier hitter shows up. Rather than redirect attention of the ranged characters, the decoy can simply use Throw Lightsaber to also occupy the heavier hitter, and potentially do a lot of damage. 6. Revitalize follows the same logic as Inspire Followers, as it is mainly obtained by Consulars who have force powers to spare. Assuming that the party is composed of two attackers and a support character, the support character relies on the two attackers for defense and offense, while the supporter makes the attackers' job easier. If an attacker goes down, that means there will be a 100% increase of attacks on the remaining attacker, and a 50% drop in offensive/defensive power. Unless the attacker that just went down was Atton, Revitalize restores the battle field back to normal. Higher tiers of Revitalize also mean that an attacker will be able to go longer in battle without having to rely on the support character for emergency relief. Howver, on flipside, I would also add the power of Drain Force to relatively non-useful skills. While it does have strong theoretical usages against Jedi, KotOR II sees few Jedi or Sith that use their powers, and other exploitations are possible to attack them that require less complicated strategies. Drain Force, in theory, could leave an enemy without any force points, a huge risk for force-oriented characters such as Sith Lords or Jedi Masters. However, because of the lack of force-wielding enemies, Drain Force is not a wise investment, regardless of the difficulty. Even the Jedi Masters have a much to large pool to be drained easily, and in the mean time they probably have been very busy with their lightsabers in defeating your character.

I like the Mandalorian Assault Armor, especially with the helmet. It just has that look of both terrifying style and function. Not to mention it's got amazing armor. Just don't use it if you have blasters...

The main platform for those of pro-love for the Jedi appears to be that its passion that leads to the Dark Side, not love. That is an irrefutable point, and I concede on that. BUT, look at the analogy of a stove. Stoves are great: they heat our food, and with a skilled cook can be used to create an infinte number of possibilites of dishes. However, I don't think there is a person on the planet how has used a stove for really cooking, not just boiling a couple of hot dogs because mother wasn't around, that has not been burned at least once. There will always be accidents, sooner or later, and you just have to hope that its later and won't be serious. Now, going from that analogy, love is the stove. It's great, it's fine in a vaccuum. But, there is the risk of something going wrong eventually, and in the case of love that would be a descent to the dark side. So if you want to avoid the whole risk of being burned, stay away from the stove, use the microwave.

Well, I'm going to assume you meant you liked how the game ended, not the genocide you inflict as you mop up your enemies... Personally I thought it was rather fitting, regardless of whether there will be a third game or not. Unlike most RPGs, this one is not about fighting a prominent war, where there will be a glorious ending. KOTOR II was more of a secret war within the Sith than an obvious galactic war as was seen in KOTOR I. Instead of creating the boiling froth of war between the Jedi and the Sith, KOTOR II reveals how it spilled over and affected everything else. Then, as one progresses through the game, it reveals of how the survivors begin to deal with the situation after the Jedi Civil War. Again, it's not the galactic scale war RPG standards have made us grow acustom to; instead, it's more subtle. I agree that the game threw a lot of people- myself included- because it was unlike anything we expected. While its not an ending I was particuarly enamored with, it does have its aesthetic value, intentional or not. The game is much more abstract then its predecessor, which I think creates a lot of the confusion. I do question whether all of the product was intentionally mysterious and subtle rather then the standard, prosaic RPG, but in the end it does create a unique game.

Well, the most problems people run into is the fact they forget the difference between a component and a fixture. When you build a lightsaber from scratch you need the fixtures to hold the components in place. Once you have the shell of a lightsaber, then you can start putting components in, such as upgraded lens, emmitters and energy cells.

I was being intentional and yes I did read what you wrote and it doesn't make up for the lack of character development in the game. yes I have completed every character's story, completed 11 games so far so don't question me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There are enough threads for you to complain in about what you did not like about the game, do not ruin one of the few that actually praise it. So go be a toad elsewhere. I liked the intrigue it inserts into the whole story about the Mandalorian War and the Jedi Civil War. In KOTORI it was very black ahd white, but now it's a lot more gray, more political and much deeper.

I agree with the multi-front war. I doubt Revan would have had his fleet gathered in one place, as it would have been too inefficient with the usage of time against the Mandalorians. Revan would have had to split up the fleet into divisions, just as all military branches are, and each division would be sent on a specific task. Divisions may cooperate, but they are essentially their own units. The Exile obviously was in charge of a division fighting on the ground, as the Exile carries the title of General, not Admiral, implying the Exile does not command ships. The account Bao Dur gives makes it sound like the Republic division was not hunting or trying to lure the Mandalorians in, but rather the battle was incidental, like a Mandalorian encounter or ambush on the Republic fleet. Now here is where the real speculation begins, based on the information above. Bao Dur mentions that the Republic fleet was loing badly as the Mandalorians really tore into them. The Exile was not in command of a ship despite the reference of being on the command deck, but still held some power on the ship to have access to such a vital part of the ship. My speculation is that Bao Dur created the Mass Shadow Generator, some gravitaional based weapon, as a prototype or first iteration device that was not fully tested. That is why the command to use it came so late in the battle. The Exile, as a general, was placed in charge of the Mass Shadow Generator and its protection; that is why the MSG terminals are located in the crashed hulls of Republic ships. Wwhen the battle was about to go to the Mandalorians, the Exile sees no other choice but to use an experimental weapon. That is why the Exile is deaf to the force: the resulting death was overwhelming and would have killed a Jedi that was not fortunate enought to be deafened. If the Exile knew the full extent of the weaopn, then the Exile might have closed him/herself off from the force to avoid being deafened or killed.

You're thinking of Information Retrieval, the MOI just stores and disseminates it. Now go off and fill out form ZX-81 40-A(that one about disseminating false information and all that), and a ZX-81 41(the one that authorizes the MOI to accept you cheque for information storage), may want to file a good ol' MCP-V5-7R0N just to be sure. Terminal User#7K421-2Q4B -------------------------------------- Central Services "We do the work, You do the pleasure" <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And don't forget your receipt. You sign here, here and here. This is your receipt, and this is our receipt of your receipt. Off in distance: Mice?! AAAAHHHH!!! Forgive me, I have a transcript to type up.

There's an influence guide somewhere in the forum if you look hard enough, should give you some specific examples. In general, though, pick manipulative options and outcomes that end with HK getting to kill something.

I've played the game a few times through, and never once have I ever head Atton's real name. So I, along with many others it seems, believe we'll never know his real name. Actually, when you think about it, we don't learn too many of the NPC's real names. 'Atton Rand' is obviously a pseudonym. Your crew consists of 'The Mandalore', 'The Disciple', 'The Handmaiden'... and not very often are those with names ever refered to with their real names. 'The Miraluka/Blind Seer', 'The Iridonian/Zabrak', 'The Old Hag'... even your character isn't refered to by name, you're just called 'The Exile'. Eh, random observation.

I'm no Star Wars expert, but here's my stab at trying to explain some of the confusion that people seem to be having. Jedi are of light alignment, and Sith are of the dark alignment. Both are force wielders. So the statements are if you are a Jedi you are a force wielder, and if you are a Sith you are a force wielder. The positive and contrapositive is true, but the inverse and the converse are not. Thus a force wielder is not necessarily a Jedi or a Sith. This is what seems to be called a 'gray' or a 'neutral'. So I guess the question is are there force wielders that are neither Jedi nor Sith? If you had to ask me, I'd ask back, what is a force wielder that rejects all force training and schools of thought and be a force sensitive instead?