Influence: a success or failure?

[Lacan]

For people that finished the game, how many liked the Influence system?

 

I liked it and didn't. It makes sense from a real-life perspective, people won't open up to you unless you befriend them. It gives a feel of realism.

 

But when I finished the game I found most people wouldn't talk to me because I hadn't gained enough influence. Rand never told me his story, I went through the entire game with the "pazaak" dialogue options because I apparently missed the points with him where you could gain influence. I couldn't beat Handmaided more than twice, I was a consular, without using tactics that would ruin the experience for me, so I went nowhere fast with her. The only people I really gained influence with were Kreia, Visas, and T3, only because they were most often in my party.

 

I felt like I missed some of the KOTOR experience, like Canderous' cool stories or Jolee's senile banter. I know it was my responsibility to gain experience, but in the end I just felt more left out than I did in KOTOR. And it didn't seem to have any effect on the end, I was expecting somebody that I hated (like GOTO) to abandon me before the end.

 

I really don't want it back in KOTOR3, unless it's optional.

[Leferd]

I really liked it. It sucks because it is inconvenient in that you don't get every option you want. BUT, it puts some more meaningful roleplaying and a premium on choice.

[starwarskid15_19]

since i havent played the game i cant say for sure but i wanna see it back based on what ive heard/read. but i want changes done to it. so that there are ways around taking ds points to influence like hk or someone if im ls.

[Twitchmonkey]

Influence: Success....I though it was a nice touch....not everyone should tell you their life story unless they like you

[DarthSchlong]

I would much rather have the old conversation system. Influence is cool but not at the expense of the old system.

[Lacan]

since i havent played the game i cant say for sure but i wanna see it back based on what ive heard/read.  but i want changes done to it.  so that there are ways around taking ds points to influence like hk or someone if im ls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was the impossible part for me. I played DS consular, and sacraficed DS for gaining influence, thinking it would be meaningful. In the end, I didn't get the benefits of either the party story depth or the advantages of being extreme DS like

prestige class or entering the cave.

 

[Leferd]

since i havent played the game i cant say for sure but i wanna see it back based on what ive heard/read.  but i want changes done to it.  so that there are ways around taking ds points to influence like hk or someone if im ls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This was the impossible part for me. I played DS consular, and sacraficed DS for gaining influence, thinking it would be meaningful. In the end, I didn't get the benefits of either the party story depth or the advantages of being extreme DS like

prestige class or entering the cave.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's why I liked it. It really puts making some meaningful choices into the game-and dealing with the fallout regarding those choices. What's more important to you: attaining mastery or influence? Would you rather have Handmaiden, Visas, or Mira liking you? Who do you have adventuring with you and who do you leave behind at the Ebon Hawk? It makes choosing more meaningful within the game context.

 

Chris A makes the effects of influenc quite clear here.

[Lacan]

Hehe, unfortunately after reading the influence guide someone posted on this forum, I was just EXTREMELY unlucky in the end. If you're like me, and picked the wrong characters for the wrong planets, you ended up giving LS responses to gain influence without the possiblility of actually gaining influence. So it is possible (I know because it happened to me) that you will guess incorrectly and miss a significant portion of the game.

 

I know, I know, it's my fault. But I put in 52+ hours, and every time I pick up the XBox controller to play it again and see what I missed, I get this sick feeling and lose interest, probably because I know I just invested 52 hours in being DS and didn't get any of the DS experience.

 

Obsidian: If you do it again, PLEASE give me the "I really like you (lie/persuade)" responses. I hated being forced into unrealistic situations.

[Darth Rellim]

I also loved it and hated it.

 

I liked the idea of having to win the trust of your people and such. Not having them blindly follow you. But they need to add more (lie) options. When you are a good person it is easy to get influence over good people, but when you are bad you should be able to play the Palpatine role and be sneaky (think of how palpy has manipulated anakin so far). Most of the time that I try to gain influence with people I am trying to manipulate them, but then I end up with light side points.

 

I think that if it is done again only your actions should be determinate of ls and ds and words (and influence) but words only affect influence (in case I am lying to get it)

 

The other thing that I missed, throw some conversations that are affected only by level (like the previously mentioned Canderous stories and Jolee rants). I played a lot with Atton, but seemed to gain influence with him one sec and then lose it the next so like the other post only had the pazaak option with him ever opened up.

 

Influece should be important but not the only driving factor (especially when a ds character has a hard time perverting a good char, because it takes some much ls to get there influence before turning them).

[SoulSwindler]

Maybe if they just put in more 'lie' options to trick your companions or something...One thing that frustrated me was when I was playing DS and talking to T3... is there a reason I can't treat my little astro with respect without getting LS points? I mean come on, Dooku and Palpatine intrigue me far more than Maul and Vader because they know how to work the words and manipulate people.

[Bless]

I liked it, except that it doesn't work if you're Sith. If you're LS, I'm pretty sure you can influence the light people in your party and "save" the dark people in your party. But if you're DS, you can't do Scheisse with anyone, except the dark people who like what you do.

 

It's a good idea, but needs to be improved. If you're playing LS, you should be able to bring everyone up. If you're DS, you should be able to twist people. The influence system is too simple and one-sided. If I'm being nice to my party, it's not because I'm actually nice, I'm fooling them into following me, liking me more, and joining me on my path.

 

But you can't do that.

[Barachiel]

It was a great idea but poorly implemented. Ideally, they need to use both. The Influence system is great for getting people's life stories out of them, and learning their secrets, and driving them towards light or dark side.

 

The level-based dialogue system shoudl be used for present day information, like whats currently bugging them, and for triggering side quests and romance subplots.

 

Hopefully someone will realize to use a combo of both systems for K3.

[Annakie]

Yeah, I totally agree with Barachiel. I loved the concept of Influence, but in some ways it was poorly implemented. For example, I went to Nar Shaddaa last. I'd built up a TON of good influence with Atton by then and was really frustrated that he never talked to me. Then, all of a sudden, I met the guys who trigger Atton's quest and then I had to have one REALLY REALLY long conversation with him, that "should have" been broken down into a few smaller conversations, but since I'd triggered the conversation so late it all came spilling out at once.

 

It felt a lot more natural say, when I'd been really nice to Carth (except for all the teasing) then his quest was triggered once I'd gotten to a certin point in conversations with him and left the Ebon Hawk with him in the party.

 

It was nice to have to sit there and really mull over some of my answers before picking what I was going to say sometimes. Even as a very lightside character sometimes I'd sacrifice saying the most "light side" answer because I knew that the person I was talking to wouldn't like it. It was fun to risk getting a few DS points here and there in order to try to get someone to talk to me more.

[Brutus]

It's a good idea, but its implementation is disastrously poor. I have had no end of frustration with it.

[Nartwak]

Even you, Brutus?

[Darth333]

I liked the influence idea. However, I wish the conversations with my party members were not all locked down by the influence factor. It gets somewhat annoying to listen to the same thing over and over. If they make Kotor 3, they could make a combination of both Kotor 1 and 2 for this: have new dialogue when you level up but still keep the possibility to influence your party members so they follow you to the dark path. Perhaps just a few new conversation options could be unlocked with influence, and why not, one or two small side-quests.

 

I really missed Jolee's stories ,Canderous and Hk-47 's "exploits" and even Carth's whining.

[Jedi Master D Murda]

I really loved the influence system. I haven't played DS yet so if the complaints are correct I might not like it. But the influence system was great. I usually just carry Kreia and Bao Dur around but now I change up my party so that I can gain influence on them. So far I am trying to do that with Atton and Handmaiden.

[Ryenke]

I think the way it was implemented - miserable failure.

 

If you were unlucky in your party member choices the first time you went to a planet - you got no influence chances. I don't see that as a "replayability" thing. Sure, when I'm omnicient, and I know what encounters are coming up, I can pick and choose wisely, but when I'm playing the game the first time I should have a chance.

 

And then, no influence meter, left me in the dark as to how well I was doing.

 

Further, I NEVER had a chance to influence some party members via conversation, and I don't know why? Some, like Bao-Dur had no options for me, even the 'make me a shield' option that I hear existed for some people. Then for others - like that disciple - he seemed to be maxed out influenced the minute I brought him in the party - silly really. I knew him for 5 game playing minutes and he's all ready to tell me all and be a jedi but I can't have a conversation with Bao-Dur - who's been with me for 25 game playing HOURS.

 

Influence was a good idea, but it was broken in this game. Too bad, 'cause I was really looking forward to it.

[DarthPanda]

I agree that the Influence system was rather cool, but definately limited in its perspective. Being able to lie to gain influence but no LS points would have been welcome, and it would have made the Persuade skill that much more amusing - especially if we could see the reactions when you're caught in the lie and you have to scramble to talk yourself out of the resulting mess.

 

It would have been cool if what gains Influence with the characters changed depending on their alignment as well. I know you can gain Influence with a few of the characters with random acts of evil, but it would be nice to see that reflected in the conversation options as well (like if Bao Dur was DS, you'd lose Influence for trying to be nice to him, but gain Influence for being strict and acting like the General he keeps calling you).

[Jedi_hunter101]

it really gave a good touch but it just doesent work for the DS players

[Krookie]

It's a start. It needs some major reconstruction in my opinion, but it's a good idea in general. I think what the game needs really is more dialouge. I found it annoying that after you trained the party member as a Jedi, there was really nothing left to talk about. Bao-Dur had the worst of it. Another thing that takes away from the influence system is the absence of the power to alter your party member's alignment. Sure, they might have DS mastery, but they still act like a goody-goody.

[SamuraiGaijin]

At first, I thought it was a nice change from the K1 "level up and talk to everyone" system ... then I started reaching the end of the dialog trains, or (Bao Dur) couldn't figure out how to get more out of them.

 

I liked that your influence with some characters impacted the dialog with others (the "love" interests, especially).

 

I would have preferred a combination of the two.

[darknesslord]

well I think it was a great idea. but there has to be more place where you can gain influence. and you could be able to convince people if you have high charisma and persuade. also, what's the problem with alignement? damnit you can turn brianna to the darkside and she will still be all goody inside? and atton, don't know for you, but when's a guy a dark jedi, and he look like a living dead, I doubt he will criticize me for killing someone

[14884_1556103668]

It's a start. It needs some major reconstruction in my opinion, but it's a good idea in general. I think what the game needs really is more dialouge. I found it annoying that after you trained the party member as a Jedi, there was really nothing left to talk about. Bao-Dur had the worst of it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I really loved the influence factor of the game, it made you think before you spoke or acted, but yes, I agree more dialogue is needed-especially after you Jedify your party members. Their stories etc don't just suddenly stop because they are Jedi, lol. Also liked the influence factor with the romance side, a nice touch.

 

As much as I loved Bao-durs character, "Yes, General" got real monotonous really quickly... Give the guy some more dialogue, please! <_<

[Cactus]

Well i think everything i was gonna say has pretty much been covered, but here goes...

 

1: More chances to gain influence. Personally i think that there should be a few key places to gain influence for each character. Say for example your with bao dur who is a tech guy, and you do a good deed to help a tech guy, then you should get an inflence bonus. This is currently how it works most of the time.

 

However there should be generic chances to gain influence, there should be many things marked as DS or LS acts in the game, and when one of these is performed it checks to see if any party members match the alignment of the act you commited and give you an influence boost.

 

This would mean you get a nice simple way of gaining influence with party members, and would also mean that they change their alignment and ACT like they follow that alignment, as i'll rabble about in point 2...

 

2: Having a DS party members who act LS, very annoying. They NEED to have certain things only triggered if LS or DS, again using a basic system to check if a character is LS or DS shouldnt be too hard to impliment and would mean characters fit their roles.

 

3: Not entirley related to influence, but i also belive dialouge was lacking in the game. What happened to the 2 characters you take with you chatting randomly? i liked that in kotor1, made it seem like things revolved around you a little less. Maybe even having Jedi characters persuade non-jedi characters to become jedi would be good? Or at least if you have high inf with one party member, have that party member try to convince the other party member to follow the side of alignment your main character is.

 

It wouldnt take much time space or effort for them to just add a few lines for each character to say to the other when on the move.

 

3: I dont care much for the new way dialouge works, but at least it lets me backtrack to find out things in the story. Why they seemed to give Visas no new options and give bao dur no actions at all though is beyond me.

 

I was also thinking that since the text can be misleading, making you mistakenly say the wrong thing, that maybe colour coding the text with a slight tint would be good. You could have a colour for dialouge options you've already said, and of course red/blue for LS DS gaining lines.

 

4: I dont normally go for romance things in game, however it would be nice if the option to do so was more prominent. Kotor2 NEARLY had it right, making it so that the ones you loved fought it out over you. I was suprised and pleased to find out that if you go DS and have influence over visas that it makes the handmaiden angry, i had no use for a LS none-jedi in my team. Being DS, i would have found a way to corrupt her anyway, if i could. I think that would create a rather nice echo...

 

SO yeah, in short: I like it, but it needs alot of expanding