SgtTeflon

Visas was everything men look for in women: beautiful, kind, and submissive. Mira was too uppity and bitchy, Handmaiden too strong and independent. So naturally, Visas will win the poll.

I imagine they will get the Jade Empire engine for KOTOR3, so that angle should be set. I've never been a big stickler for top notch graphics, so I'd be much happier if they worked on improved NPC interactions (an actual Master/Padawan relationship was sorely lacking in KOTOR2), an ending to their stories, and polishing the product.

"During your first run in with him on his yacht, he says the only reason he's aiding the republic is because the Sith is winning. He wants to restore a balanced galaxy." That's what your fed on the yacht. Later, he retracts it, when you find out he's a droid intelligence given the impossible order of saving the Republic. Which doesn't answer the question - why is a balanced galaxy, and Malachor V in specific, necesarry for the Republic to survive? Goto promises to explain that when he tells the little floating droid guy to "wait and see" what the exile chooses to do, then never does. Because the game was never finished. "Your guess is as good as mine." Exactly. We're forced to speculate because the sequences that were opened weren't closed. It's a novel without an ending. "I won't ask where they come from anymore than I will ask where did all those orcs come from in random encounters of TOEE when I'm 2 inches away from Homlett." The difference being, TOEE doesn't start a story thread regarding the origin of those Orcs, then not bother to finish it. I don't give a damn where the six dozen Fallen Jedi on Malachor V came from, because they arent' relevant to the story. Theyr just filler. However, when a story arc in a story-focused game is opened, but never closed, it's reason to compain. Why? Because it's very likely that Obsidian intended to finish what it started, but decided not to later on because it wasn't worth the time. That isn't good enough. "Given the information available, Bioware would have made KOTOR II into another bland black vs white, good vs evil, light vs. dark, ying vs. yang indiana jones story with predictable heroes and machievallian villains. No thanks. I'll take Obsidian's story over that ANY DAY, despite not being flawless." Let's take a gander at KOTOR2. Villian wants to destroy the Force, and use you to do it. You like the Force, either because your really evil and want to kill lots of hapless folk or really good and want to save the galaxy. And you certainly don't like being used. So you kill villian. Rich. "This thread is about making the conclusing that Bioware could have done better than Obsidian given a one year deadline. I say that's wrong. If Bioware made KOTOR II, half the posters here would be complaining about how stupidly "Star wars-like" and how black and white the game is." It's a game about moral choices and the consequences of those choices. As such, it needs to exaggerate the "black" and the "white," regardless of how "grey" the real world might be. But that isn't relevant here - whats relevant is the fact that this game was not finished. Period. There is plenty of evidence to support that conclusion, much of it contained in the games dialogue files themselves! And it's a damn shame, especially given how much more polished and complete the first one was. KOTOR1 set the expectations high, and Obsidian dropped the ball. Period. Blame development times, blame LA, blame the sun god, or whatever - it doesn't change the fact.

THE FOLLOWING IS PACKED FULL OF SPOITLERS! "Twists don't make a story good, kid, good writing and storytelling style do that. The masked men is Darth Nihilus, a dark lord of the sith who survives by feeding on the force. When he tries to feed on you, he finds to his horror a vacuum of the force which debilitates him to the point of death. This pretty obvious, I thought. " Ok, great. I got all of that minus the name. Wonderful. What was he doing in the Outer Rim eating planets? Who sent him? Why? Was he master, or slave? What happaned at Malachor V that spawned a creature who hungered for and ate the force? Why did he spare Vesas (sp)? What was the Republic doing at Telos? And the Dantooine militia? The Mandalorian army? The Onderon military? "The motives of the Exchange are explained aboard Goto's yacht. Goto wants your head because he has in his twisted little head a vision of a balanced republic; you're the catalyst to the recent events that spurred across the galaxy, and he wants you. This, also, is fairly obvious." Goto wants to save the Republic - wonderful. Why is the survival of Malachor V a vital component of this? You claim it's because he wants a balanced Republic. This just isn't true - Goto wants to SAVE the Republic and nothing more (or so he claims), and we are told that the counterbalance Malachor V provides is necesary for its survival. Why? And do we ever trigger the mass generator? Again, cut to credits, skip this sequence. "I always interpreted the HK units as tools of the exchange and nothing more. They don't serve any role beyond that of henchmen." Goto disavows any responsibility for the HK units. "Saying Bioware can do better is a stupid and uninformed statement. Given the circumstances, are you REALLY and ABSOLUTELY SURE one dev can do better than the other?" Given the information available, it is safe to assume Bioware probably would have done better. KOTOR1 was coherent and complete. This game isn't. I can't be absolutely certain of anything, save perhaps the sum of two numbers. And there are more glaring problems... Is the Exile truly the threat the Masters perceived? This seems logical, given Kreias obsession with his preservation. Given that, how can the Exile in good conscience allow himself to go on draining others? If he chooses a second exile, won't he again lose his power, making him a liability rather than asset for Revan? Would the destruction of Malachor V destroy the Exile, as well? Shouldn't Kreias death have? And just what is the nature of his unique connection to the force - how did it happen, how far does it lead, can it be controlled? What are the proper set of circumstances that allow for him to kill the force? None of this is explained as fully as it could have and should have been. And in regards to you, personally, Whitemithrandir, the context of your posts is both patronizing and insulting. I would advise you to consider this before accusing others of "trolling."

Give me a break?? There were NO twists in KOTOR2. The mysteries were set up, sure, but never resolved. Who was the masked man? Who knows, he died instantly and totally without explanation, shoving you along to the inevitable and bluntly obvious fight with Krea (sp?). All the potential plot developments - the true motives of the Exchange, the force behind the counterfeit HK units, and the origins of the masked man - were completely ignored by this unfinished game! So in that sense, I guess your right. It is impossible to predict any of the games plot twists beyond sheer speculation, because those threads were never resolved!

I agree. I just finished the game, and the feeling I'm left with is entirely average. This isn't a bad game, but it's no KOTOR1. I remember playing through that entire game in almost one straight sitting (it was a long sitting). I couldn't tear myself away from the game. TSL is bleh. It started great, and ended so poorly. I mean, it's beyond explanation. I've read the reports of LA pressures, which I guess make sense, but still. Is it really fair to blame the publisher? Surely LA pushed Obsidian to get this game out ASAP, but if Obsidian had had the guts to stand up and say "hey, this game really isn't ready, and heres why..." surely LA would have come to its senses. The developer is responsible for development; the buck stops here. Obsidian, you screwed up.