Designer Rambling: Returning Companions and Levels

[Chris Avellone]

/Begin Designer Rambling.

 

You may encounter characters from K1 in K2. In most cases, you'll soon find they have very definite reasons why they are not level 20+ if you ask them - whether because of war wounds, behavior core damage and battle scars, memory wipes, and other unpleasantness that has crippled their attributes, skills, and in some cases, their knowledge of certain events.

 

Part of this is for story reasons, and the other reason is that we can't have level 20 characters join your party for balance reasons. It's a pretty common RPG convention, but there are explanations for why T3 is no longer a walking nuclear warhead with 20+ ultra powerful droid items to choose from.

 

/End Designer Rambling.

[Darth_Gandalf]

Thanks for the info. I suppose there's no chance of any info on some of these other returning characters, is there?

[GhostofAnakin]

*Enter Hades_One and co. with their comments* "

 

I'm guessing this is referring to more than just T3 and/or HK-47. (ie. Canderous?)

[Chris Avellone]

Thanks for the info. I suppose there's no chance of any info on some of these other returning characters, is there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Probably not soon enough before you have the game in your hands.

[Azure79]

Hmm...it seems like the NPCs from K1 have had a hard time in the universe.

 

Maybe the Sith have been hunting everyone associated with Revan and torturing them for information. I sense a very sinister plot brewing and I like it. I must hold till February.

[Darth_Gandalf]

Thanks for the info. I suppose there's no chance of any info on some of these other returning characters, is there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Probably not soon enough before you have the game in your hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Even for us poor PC users? I guess we'll probably just feed off the spoiler scraps from all the XBox users.

[Judge Hades]

/Begin Designer Rambling.

 

You may encounter characters from K1 in K2. In most cases, you'll soon find they have very definite reasons why they are not level 20+ if you ask them - whether because of war wounds, behavior core damage and battle scars, memory wipes, and other unpleasantness that has crippled their attributes, skills, and in some cases, their knowledge of certain events.

 

Part of this is for story reasons, and the other reason is that we can't have level 20 characters join your party for balance reasons. It's a pretty common RPG convention, but there are explanations for why T3 is no longer a walking nuclear warhead with 20+ ultra powerful droid items to choose from.

 

/End Designer Rambling.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

As long there is a good game mechanic reason for it as per the rules of Star Wars d20 I say go for it. If not, its just lame. Period.

[Stargate: 2000]

Thanks for the info. I suppose there's no chance of any info on some of these other returning characters, is there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Probably not soon enough before you have the game in your hands.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am guessing that also goes for the prestige classes? Though if you could sneak out some info on the prestige classes before we get the game I am sure a lot of us would be very thankful.

 

Also thanks for the info it sounds very interesting.

[Azure79]

/Begin Designer Rambling.

 

You may encounter characters from K1 in K2. In most cases, you'll soon find they have very definite reasons why they are not level 20+ if you ask them - whether because of war wounds, behavior core damage and battle scars, memory wipes, and other unpleasantness that has crippled their attributes, skills, and in some cases, their knowledge of certain events.

 

Part of this is for story reasons, and the other reason is that we can't have level 20 characters join your party for balance reasons. It's a pretty common RPG convention, but there are explanations for why T3 is no longer a walking nuclear warhead with 20+ ultra powerful droid items to choose from.

 

/End Designer Rambling.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

As long there is a good game mechanic reason for it as per the rules of Star Wars d20 I say go for it. If not, its just lame. Period.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'm sure you will enjoy the game nevertheless. :D

[Judge Hades]

The magic 8 ball says "Not Likely."

[Who are these people?]

Please ...feed.. ..me.. ...more :'(

[Azure79]

The magic 8 ball says "Not Likely."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Darth Vader Voice

 

You know it to be true!

 

(Deep Breathing)

 

"

[kumquatq3]

The magic 8 ball says "Not Likely."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'm calling your bluff as well

[Salsabettis]

Hmmm...I never even thought about the levels of possible returning characters.

 

Thanks Chris.

[kumquatq3]

whether because of war wounds

 

Candy?

 

behavior core damage

 

Hk-47

 

and battle scars

 

hmmm...Zal?

 

memory wipes

 

Has to be T3

 

 

and other unpleasantness that has crippled their attributes, skills, and in some cases, their knowledge of certain events.

 

There is 12 NPCs iirc, right?

 

Mandalore (maybe candy)

Bao dur

Kreia

Vis

Handmaiden

Atton

Mira

A wookie (I think mission might be dead, and Zals been beat up over the years, so Zal is a bitter and evil wookie now)

Disciple (almost for sure)

T3

HK-47

 

So that leaves one spot open......

[Judge Hades]

Whatever the "excuse" Obsidian is putting in it simply does not justify the loss of levels due to the very nature of the rules system used. If Obsidian wanted to pull this sort of thing maybe, just maybe, they should have used a different rules system that allowed such things to be possible.

[SmkJaguar]

... In most cases, you'll soon find they have very definite reasons why they are not level 20+ if you ask them - whether because of war wounds, behavior core damage and battle scars, memory wipes, and other unpleasantness that has crippled their attributes, skills, and in some cases, their knowledge of certain events.

 

Part of this is for story reasons, and the other reason is that we can't have level 20 characters join your party for balance reasons...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hmmm, looking at the above, I have to wonder if during the development process something like this didn't happen:

• [Lucas Arts]
  
• We have two requirements in particular: First, the Main Character MUST start off as a Jedi."
   
  [Obsidian]
  
• "Gotcha," {whispering to each other} "can't have him ruling the show at the beginning <_< , let's start him off without a saber and Force powers."
   
  [Lucas Arts]
  
• "Second, the Main Character MUST not be an amnesiac."
   
  [Obsidian]
  
• "ummm... okay," {whispering some more} "darn, there goes that gimmick , wait, we'll just ding the guy in the head, and start him off in unfamiliar surroundings . We'll stress that he hasn't forgotten who he is, he's just not sure of how he got where he starts-that and the Player won't know who his character is." "
   
  Upon which more whispering conversations occur:
   
  [Obsidian]
  
• {someone pipes up}"I kinda like the amnesiac routine."
  
• {someone else}"Yeah, we had some fun with it in the past."
  
• {yet another}"Well, we can't give it to the Player ... {long pause} ... why don't we just give it to everyone else?" :cool:
  
• {the first dude}"Hey! (w00t) That's not a bad idea! Can't go over board with it, though. Why don't we just give it to the old crew?"
  
• {the second}"Even better! Now if the old crew comes across as flat and without personality, we can blame it on their amnesia." :ph34r:
  
• {the first}"I still think it's going a bit overboard, how about we give some of them amnesia and rough up the rest." :cool:
  
• {the other two}"Sounds good to us, let's do it."
   
  [Lucas Arts]
  
• "What are you people whispering about?"
   
  [Obsidian]
  
• {nonchalantly}"Ohh, we're just fleshing out the details."
  

Maybe amnesia is contagious ... :ph34r:

[jaguars4ever]

whether because of war wounds

 

Candy?

That's 'Mandalore' to you, spacer.

[GhostofAnakin]

Whatever the "excuse" Obsidian is putting in it simply does not justify the loss of levels due to the very nature of the rules system used.  If Obsidian wanted to pull this sort of thing maybe, just maybe, they should have used a different rules system that allowed such things to be possible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Are you really that much of a stickler that even if the rules Obsidian implemented make the game MUCH better, you'd rather they stuck with a d20 system that wasn't as fun?

[Judge Hades]

If they are completely original rules then I have no problem with them. As far as d20 System not being fun, speak for yourself.

[GhostofAnakin]

If they are completely original rules then I have no problem with them.  As far as d20 System not being fun, speak for yourself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I didn't say the d20 system wasn't fun. I gave you a hypothetical situation in which we assume it wasn't as fun as what Obsidian implemented. In other words, if the modifications they've made improve upon the d20 system, are you really that stubborn that you'd still let something like that ruin your experience?

[Ivan the Terrible]

The magic 8 ball says "Not Likely."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh, come on now. They add an entire system where you can literally change the alignment and loyalty of most of your party members through conversation or action which agrees with their point of view (with 'point of view' apparently transcending simple moral dilemmas and going straight into personality and such), and you can't even say one good word about it?

 

I think it's a damned impressive step, if they've pulled it off.

[Judge Hades]

Yes, because I have certain expectations when I get a game and one of those expectations when I bought KotOR was that I was buying a SW d20 CRPG.

 

Ivan: Yes that is very impressive but that does not change the game rules mechanics.

[GhostofAnakin]

Yes, because I have certain expectations when I get a game and one of those expectations when I bought KotOR was that I was buying a SW d20 CRPG.

 

Ivan:  Yes that is very impressive but that does not change the game rules mechanics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's just sad.

[Darth_Gandalf]

Yep Very sad. But also typical.