Explorable Worlds

[Grandpa]

I'd like to see a more explorable world in KoTOR II. In the 1st, there were too many doors that didn't work, and nothing in the wilderness worth looking at (save the scenery itself).

 

Is there any chance of getting more, superfluous, places to explore regardless of placement in the plot?

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

In terms of the actual exploration of the universe, there's about six or seven planets, but that's kind of an unfair categorization, since many planets have sub-locations that aren't really the planets themselves. We did that so it was intentionally confusing for the strategy guide writers, and so that it would be harder to lump the locations into easily definable and (frankly) prejudiced categorizations. Tatooine, for example, isn't in the game, but it must get pretty damn tired of being the "sand planet" and being passed around like a cheap date from game to game. Poor Tatooine.

 

The areas are larger than many locations in the first game (thank our programmers for pushing the engine to allow for more ambient effects and more polys), so you should hit fewer load level points than in the first game. Some of the locations you'll visit include the tortured asteroid mass of the Peragus fuel mining colony - the mining colony is situated in an asteroid field that orbits the shattered world of Peragus II, which was blown up many years ago when miners attempted to extract fuel from the surface and ended up blowing chunks of the planet out into space. These chunks now orbit the planet, and are still dazed and disoriented from the initial explosion. The new shift of miners that showed up to mine the planet decided to play it a little safer and mine the fuel-cooled asteroids instead.

Does that sort of answer your suggestion?

[icebox15]

In terms of the actual exploration of the universe, there's about six or seven planets, but that's kind of an unfair categorization, since many planets have sub-locations that aren't really the planets themselves. We did that so it was intentionally confusing for the strategy guide writers, and so that it would be harder to lump the locations into easily definable and (frankly) prejudiced categorizations. Tatooine, for example, isn't in the game, but it must get pretty damn tired of being the "sand planet" and being passed around like a cheap date from game to game. Poor Tatooine.

 

The areas are larger than many locations in the first game (thank our programmers for pushing the engine to allow for more ambient effects and more polys), so you should hit fewer load level points than in the first game. Some of the locations you'll visit include the tortured asteroid mass of the Peragus fuel mining colony - the mining colony is situated in an asteroid field that orbits the shattered world of Peragus II, which was blown up many years ago when miners attempted to extract fuel from the surface and ended up blowing chunks of the planet out into space. These chunks now orbit the planet, and are still dazed and disoriented from the initial explosion. The new shift of miners that showed up to mine the planet decided to play it a little safer and mine the fuel-cooled asteroids instead.

Does that sort of answer your suggestion?

What about the doors that are impossible to open?

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

*shrugs*

Maybe there might not be so many of them...

[Grandpa]

In terms of the actual exploration of the universe, there's about six or seven planets, but that's kind of an unfair categorization, since many planets have sub-locations that aren't really the planets themselves. We did that so it was intentionally confusing for the strategy guide writers, and so that it would be harder to lump the locations into easily definable and (frankly) prejudiced categorizations. Tatooine, for example, isn't in the game, but it must get pretty damn tired of being the "sand planet" and being passed around like a cheap date from game to game. Poor Tatooine.

 

The areas are larger than many locations in the first game (thank our programmers for pushing the engine to allow for more ambient effects and more polys), so you should hit fewer load level points than in the first game. Some of the locations you'll visit include the tortured asteroid mass of the Peragus fuel mining colony - the mining colony is situated in an asteroid field that orbits the shattered world of Peragus II, which was blown up many years ago when miners attempted to extract fuel from the surface and ended up blowing chunks of the planet out into space. These chunks now orbit the planet, and are still dazed and disoriented from the initial explosion. The new shift of miners that showed up to mine the planet decided to play it a little safer and mine the fuel-cooled asteroids instead.

Does that sort of answer your suggestion?

No. My question wasn't "Will we have a bunch of new planets/planetoids to explore." My question was regarding the content there in.

 

For example, and granted a desert planet my be a poor example, but in the original, the Tatooine desert was relatively large...but it had nothing in it, save a few creatures and a shot-up crawler. In the port, there were doors everywhere, but only a select few opened.

 

I'd like to see a world where every door opens to something. Every area allows for expansive exploration. Kashyyyk's explorable area was tiny, despite being in a HUGE forest.

 

Things along these lines is what I was asking about. We may be getting 7 planets, but will they be any more explorable than the 5 in the original?

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

The areas are larger than many locations in the first game

This could either mean more open doors or bigger areas with more doors closed...which do you think?

[Grandpa]

The areas are larger than many locations in the first game

This could either mean more open doors or bigger areas with more doors closed...which do you think?

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

[icebox15]

You should have been able to use Rapid Transit more in KOTOR.

[Judge Hades]

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

Oh, poor baby.

[Grandpa]

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

Oh, poor baby.

Poor, yes...baby...not for a long time.

[icebox15]

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

Oh, poor baby.

Do YOU like runnig through pointless areas because you can't use rapid transit.

[Grandpa]

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

Oh, poor baby.

Do YOU like runnig through pointless areas because you can't use rapid transit.

Maybe my version was broken, but I couldn't rapid transit off the floor of the forest.

 

????

 

Still that's getting away from the point of the question/suggestion. Would you or would you not prefer to have more areas within the expanse, to actually explore? Open doors, look inside. Wander out into the forest. That kind of thing. With things to interact with there, not just a huge empty area.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

I'm afraid it might mean more burning of force energy to use Knight Speed to get through the boring areas.....Like when you've cleared out Kashyyyk and gotten the star map, and now you have to run aaaaaaaaaalll the way back.

Oh, poor baby.

Do YOU like runnig through pointless areas because you can't use rapid transit.

Spellmar in his infinite wisdom and intelligence says:

running

I honestly don't care one way or the other...I guess because I'm patient...

[icebox15]

I honestly don't care one way or the other...I guess because I'm patient...

I don't like waisting my time having to move through useless places like the shadowlands. And don't even get me started on that slow under water/space movement.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

After a couple of knight speeds, it wasn't so bad, and it wasn't like there were tons of enemies to fight on the way back, either...

As for the underwater travel, yes, that was boring...probably one of the reasons Manaan is lowest on my list, but at least they are correcting that in KotOR II...

[icebox15]

I don't waist my powers on speed or aura or shield or anything like that.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

YOU don't necessarily need to, that's why there are Jedi NPC's...plus Master Speed can be useful...

[icebox15]

You can't leave the area unless your party is all together.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

At least they are fixing that, but I haven't really been bogged down by anyone outside...it's usually inside, that's what my people have problems with...

[Typhinius]

On a related note, I'd like to see more varied level content on worlds. It would be nice to come back to a world several times and have at least some new content, rather than pretty much running through the world once and being done. If there were more quests like the genoharrden ones, it would add a more dynamic feel to the game.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

Yes, I think that would be a good idea...bounties, races, tournaments... ...whatever floats your boat, I'll find your lost remote...

[icebox15]

What about using speeders on worlds?

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

You mean like driving? Or like it asks you if you want to use it? Sort of like the escape pod on the Spire?

[icebox15]

Driving of course.

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

Then if it does happen, it will be more like swooping...not like driving through the city I don't think...