TSL interview at TheForce.net

[pharcyde]

I'm not excited.

Quit being a negative nancy.

He IS right.

 

Developers today say almost nothing, useful information is most of the time burried under the "marketing" phases that are simply the same damn thing we hear all the time.

 

That is why I only bother to read previews and flip over message boards because developers interviews say little now, we most get meanless "hype" about things.

 

Take this as a example, they say the game will allow for a sequel and yet they say epic levels are in so I wonder what exactly that means, I cannot imagine a sequel of a game were I simply break Star Wars level limits, its absurd to play a game that starts with enemies of Yoda level so direct sequels are out if we reach high levels in this game and if we dont why bother to implement epic levels anyway?

 

Conflicting information or information that does not make sense if we take a deep look at it.

 

Welcome to the gaming world of 2004.

Yoda levels? What the fu*k?

[mkreku]

I wonder what they are thinking when they decide to not tell the fans anything? Is someone at LucasArts going "We'd better not tell anyone anything or they'll feel like they've already play the game and won't buy it later"? The more interaction I can have with the developers of a game, the more interested I become. Unless, of course it's Rockstar.. They're like clams (not even screenshots for crying out loud!) but I'm still interested.

[Drakron]

Yoda levels? What the f***y?

 

Yes or you think a sequel were you continue to play a character that is over 20 levels at start is worth playing?

 

It would look like a god damn arms race and take any credibility out of the story when rancor class enemies would be common grunts at start.

 

Its silly, the universe cannot support such characters, I managed to pry someone information out of BioWare tight mouth were they basic said they designed SW:KotOR to reach maximun power at the end, I can understand such reasoning (however I disagree with implement it) and its the main reason SW:KotOR could not have a direct sequel, because it was not designed to be that way.

 

At the end Revan could beat Yoda and Palpatine, he was supposed to be that badass at the end.

 

If SW:TSL allows a direct sequel naturaly it have to follow BG1 design, allow party to only reach mid levels so the next game starts as mid and allow progression to late mid - early high levels (depending on if such game intends to have a direct sequel or not), its not too hard and can actually makes us play the game instead of play to level.

[Victus]

Why do you care so much for how powerful they are. It is based on the D20 system but that doesnt mean it's universal. It's not like Revan is gonna be in your little PnP game. It's a damn videogame that still has to appeal to the masses.

[pharcyde]

Yoda levels? What the f***y?

 

Yes or you think a sequel were you continue to play a character that is over 20 levels at start is worth playing?

 

It would look like a god damn arms race and take any credibility out of the story when rancor class enemies would be common grunts at start.

 

Its silly, the universe cannot support such characters, I managed to pry someone information out of BioWare tight mouth were they basic said they designed SW:KotOR to reach maximun power at the end, I can understand such reasoning (however I disagree with implement it) and its the main reason SW:KotOR could not have a direct sequel, because it was not designed to be that way.

 

At the end Revan could beat Yoda and Palpatine, he was supposed to be that badass at the end.

 

If SW:TSL allows a direct sequel naturaly it have to follow BG1 design, allow party to only reach mid levels so the next game starts as mid and allow progression to late mid - early high levels (depending on if such game intends to have a direct sequel or not), its not too hard and can actually makes us play the game instead of play to level.

To me all this comparing to Palpatine and Yoda stuff is silly. I guess some people are pretty hardcore when it comes to character levels and how it fits in with the d20 star wars universe and what not. I find that stuff very trivial and not important at all. I Just play the game and not worry that my character is more powerful than yoda because yoda is level 17 omg!11!!!one! That stuff is so irrelevant to me it never crosses my mind.

[Drakron]

Why do you care so much for how powerful they are. It is based on the D20 system but that doesnt mean it's universal. It's not like Revan is gonna be in your little PnP game. It's a damn videogame that still has to appeal to the masses.

Because its the d20 system, it was designed for 20 levels.

 

The moment you add more that 20 levels things start to fall apart, the epic levels work diferent that lv1-20 because the system WILL fail if they maintained the progression.

 

One of the Star Wars d20 designers said a lv20 diplomat could by a skill check make the Empire surrender just as a indication of how the d20 system works and why they did not made epic levels for the Star Wars line, the system simply breaks under then and the universe consistence fall apart.

 

Besides you dont get it ... if Revan could kill rancors with 3 strikes of his lightsaber what could possibly challange him after Malak ... very few things and that is why a game were we could import a save game and continue to play would completly break apart after minutes of playing because nobody would belive a character that could jiggle starships using the force and "charged up rancors" would be the basic grunts.

 

That is were my comments about Palpatine and Yoda come, because they are under the "charged up rancors" type of challange and they sould be, after all Luke could not beat one in open combat and was forced to kill him using a (effective) trick or are you saying I have to forget everything I know the moment I start playing a game?

 

Note that I was from the start AGAINST using the d20 system as shown in SW:KotOR (expecialy the force power system) since I know iit well enough to realize "level up every hour" simply does not work well with it.

[GhostofAnakin]

I apologize if I missed a post somewhere along the lines and am misreading your response, but...what the hell does continuing directly off the powerful character you had in the first game got to do with the article posted?

 

You're arguing about how something is stupid, when in fact it's not even going to be in the game. I'm not sure why you're going on about characters starting the game as level 20 when that's not going to be the case.

 

Oh and btw, Hades One is NOT right. He just whines about everything. Read all his posts. NONE of them have anything positive or constructive to say.

[Shdy314]

I apologize if I missed a post somewhere along the lines and am misreading your response, but...what the hell does continuing directly off the powerful character you had in the first game got to do with the article posted?

 

You're arguing about how something is stupid, when in fact it's not even going to be in the game. I'm not sure why you're going on about characters starting the game as level 20 when that's not going to be the case.

 

Oh and btw, Hades One is NOT right. He just whines about everything. Read all his posts. NONE of them have anything positive or constructive to say.

You did miss something. The very first sentence of Drakon's post.

 

"Yes or you think a sequel were you continue to play a character that is over 20 levels at start is worth playing?

 

Their talking about KOTOR2 allowing for there to be a KOTOR3 with the same character from KOTOR2.

[Drakron]

I argued about in one case they are saying this game have epic levels and then saying this game ending allows for a sequel.

 

My argument was in the lines of in the case of a direct sequel epic levels are unsuitable and in the case we dont come close to epic levels for a direct sequel there is no point in talking about epic levels and in the case of not being a direct sequel why the hell they bring that up in the first place.

 

We are getting information of the game but not the context of that information and that is helping us to know what the game will be like.

[GhostofAnakin]

I apologize if I missed a post somewhere along the lines and am misreading your response, but...what the hell does continuing directly off the powerful character you had in the first game got to do with the article posted?

 

You're arguing about how something is stupid, when in fact it's not even going to be in the game.  I'm not sure why you're going on about characters starting the game as level 20 when that's not going to be the case.

 

Oh and btw, Hades One is NOT right.  He just whines about everything.  Read all his posts.  NONE of them have anything positive or constructive to say.

You did miss something. The very first sentence of Drakon's post.

 

"Yes or you think a sequel were you continue to play a character that is over 20 levels at start is worth playing?

 

Their talking about KOTOR2 allowing for there to be a KOTOR3 with the same character from KOTOR2.

ah, then i apologize.

 

i figured he was on another one of his tirades about how KOTOR's level system is flawed.

[Drakron]

No, I given that up ... well until I go into "I told you so" when game is released.

 

Game developers are like children, they have to be lectured from time to time or they go and do silly things.

[Shdy314]

Well the level system IS flawed. How many people thought KOTOR was too easy?

[Tyrell]

Well the level system IS flawed. How many people thought KOTOR was too easy?

For an RPG it was too easy. I play platformers that throws more difficulty at me then KOTOR. Now that is sad....

[Victus]

Meh

 

It sells.

[Shdy314]

Meh

 

It sells.

So does Diablo.

[nightcleaver]

In the D20 system, Yoda can't force jump. He's a "consular", right? Level 17 or 20 or whatever, it really doesn't matter. He can't technically block force lightning, or do anything he did in the movies unless it followed the D20 rules. Point is: the problem isn't that people are unfaithful to the big D20 book. To be honest, if D20 were at all dependent on setting and tried to be accurate, would there be the one big book of D20 for every possible rpg setting? Heck no.

 

Now that I've said that: I didn't like the BGII expansion, Throne of Bhaal. I didn't really like the idea of it. I mean, sure; I can sort of understand your Bhaal blood making you more powerful, but your comrades are that powerful too. But it's all about context - difficulty in KotOR I changed as you leveled, or it should have, and it didn't much make a difference. I absolutely agree that you shouldn't be popping rancor monster's like candy, but on the other hand the level system is pretty insufficient and crappy as is. More levels only means more steps to your top skill level, which to me is more accurate and more interesting. You hit 20, but what now? You're as powerful as you'll ever get, which to be honest, doesn't make much sense considering how EASY it was to get there.

 

I like games where you never QUITE reach your maximum potential, so you always feel like you're progressing. It's not just about hack n' slash, and more of it, but of hack n' slash actually meaning something beyond the very repetitive, soulless action that's all too easy to fall to the trap of. On the StarForge, fighting was just that; fighting. That would be fine if it were an action movie with all sorts of interesting choreography and special effects, but it's not an action movie. It's an RPG. The driving motive of an RPG, as long as CRPG's are so limited in what animation they can do, is character development. At the end of the first KotOR, I knew there wasn't any point except in getting it finished, and the fighting was just an obstacle and a nuisance. I DON'T think that should be repeated, and if that means they need more levels, so be it.

 

Being level 20 right before the last fight would be really nifty.

And god, what level is Malak in the last fight? He was an easy fight, but that's because I had a buttload of uber items and MEDPACKS. To me, using medpacks like that felt like cheating, but what other possibilities for strategy were there in such a melee battle? Well, that's true D20 Star Wars for ya'.

 

Do you REALLY think you'd care, if it had Epic levels but the story was well done and it didn't seem like you were just an invincible bad-***? I doubt it. The character would be the same, if not better, than if it had the normal 20 levels.

[Drakron]

Well Lucas is not making d20 rulebooks, many things fall when trying to convert then into mechanics for a RPG.

 

And Yoda abilities are most a secret, he is 900 years old and knows a lot about the force (he is given level 20 BTW) and the d20 system is modular by design, adding force powers is not that hard because they dont work as shown in Jedi Knight or SW:KotOR games.

 

The problem of making the character hit maximun level is a diferent aspect, if we take FF games for example you can reach lv99 but likely you will not reach that level in the end if you dont go out of your way to level up, there would be no need to make Malak lv20 at all since as a lv 15 he would be powerful enough to challange player if they were around lv 11-13, problem is that BioWare simply created a force system that rewarded leveling up and that was a error, we gained far too many levels too fast (heck Taris started with us being lv2 and ended with us being lv 8/9) due to design decisions, I dont like the Odessy engine because its very limited, we cannot even mouse click on the ground to move.

 

If Vampire:Bloodlines works as advertised it would been best to license the Source engine.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

Meh

 

It sells. 

So does Diablo.

That's not nice...

[Drakron]

Meh

 

It sells.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

Ah so true...

[Kdy-worker 1138]

If they are going to make a KOTOR3 I do hope that they ditch the old enguine and make a new one ...i just got my hands on some d20 rulebooks for star wars..and i must say i

[EnderAndrew]

Slavisek worked on the old West End Star Wars RPG before moving over to Wizards of the Coast. I'm sure they're great for D20 products, but they're still D20.

 

My old West End books still work just fine. In fact, the system is so simple, I don't need books.

[Tyrell]

If they are going to make a KOTOR3 I do hope that they ditch the old enguine and make a new one ...i just got my hands on some d20 rulebooks for star wars..and i must say i

[EnderAndrew]

That all depends. Nothing seems set in stone for the next-gen consoles.

[Tyrell]

That all depends.  Nothing seems set in stone for the next-gen consoles.

Okay, let me put it like this for you in more elementary terms since you don't understand.

 

It would be wise for Microsoft to save KOTOR 3 and even Halo 3 for their next generation console.

 

And when I say that I mean close to the launch date of the console if not being a launch title.