Influence: a success or failure?

[CoM_Solaufein]

I like the influence and it's a shame they didn't think of it for Kotor 1. Your actions be it good or bad should influence those around you. If you do something negative a good aligned character should complain about it.

[LadyCrimson]

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.

 

I think this person from a year ago said it best for me. Having to make decisions about who you want, or not being able to have who you want because you didn't treat them in a way that earned their trust/favor is a good thing in my book.

But admittedly, the way influence was implemented in the actual game wasn't all it could have been. It would have been nice to have it be more gradual in terms of backstory revealed, not the sudden mass info flood+'I wanna be a Jedi now' that you often recieved once a certain inluence was reached.

[Unabomber]

I actually liked the influence system. While it didn't affect certain characters that much, seeing characters like Atton go from protesting the slaughter of innocents, to saying "Good thing we got the drop on him" as he became more and more evil, gave things a bit more flavor.

 

Other characters such as Handmaiden, Mira, etc., were still the same, even though they both ended up looking like something out of a gothic modelling agency. I wish they would have had more differences as dark siders.

[Master_Vrook]

The only problem with influence is that some characters can't be influenced through conversations and are exclusively situational influence gainers. For example, I wouldn't use Bao-Dur unless he's a Jedi, but in order to make him a Jedi I have to use him frequently as his technician form.

[KOTORFanactic]

I would like it back for KOTOR3, if it ever appears, but it needs to be ironed out and improved dramactically. There were some issues with it, like how you had to lose DS points to influence a LSer and vice versa.

[Bulgarian Jedi]

The influence system is a great addition to the game, but in its current state it is really unfinished. Still combinig K1's level up system with the influence system seems like a good to me, at least. When you gain leve new dialoge options that lead to inf gain or inf loss can be gained.

 

The inffluence system had several major flaws. The worst of them, in my opinion, is the romance. Baisically, your PC should hopefuly have romance with the opposite gender romance acceptable party meber the PC had more inf. with.

What if the influence in all cases is 100%? My game did not trigger any cut scenes with crew realtionships, so I had no idea who my PC was having romance with(I left the game decide it for me). This brings me to the second major flaw of the influence system.

 

There are characters whose dilaloge options I can hear with a SINGLE dialoge line(Atton, for examle). It seems you gain influence too fast. Because of that, although I am not sure if this is true, the game seems to decide I have seen ALL cut scenes regarding that specific character(if there are any,of cource). Here the level up system from K1 can give additional dialoges, if not to give some new useful information, but still to make the character more interestiong.

 

Still, I like the idea of having companions who like me and such who don't. Really, is there a reason HK-47 to open up for a totaly LS character who "does not enjoy mass slaughter". There must be altenative ways to "open up" HK and everyone who I have little inf with. Repairing HK in K1 is am example for alterantive way to "open someone up".

 

I will not even stat the topic of LS characters becoming DS. It is clear this has to be fixed.

 

This is enough for the topic.

[Vashanti]

I like the Influence system, in theory -- it definitely kept me playing many more times to try to figure it out. It definitely felt limited in parts, though.

 

I also like the idea of having more conversation stuff revealed as you level.

 

So, if they put Influence + leveling stuff I guess that would be cool.

 

Side quests based on the character's background would rock, much like Griff and Bastilla's Mom and the original Official Campaign from NWN.

[Gabrielle]

I like the influence system, it brings in the game more realism. People are going to complain if you did something that they don't agree with or they may speak up and say what you did was good.

[14884_1556103668]

Its always very satisfying when you do a LS act, and you have Bao-dur with you. He says the nicest things

[CoM_Solaufein]

I like doing DS acts in front of HK. He has the nicest compliments to issue to you.

[julonia17]

I liked influence because it was realistic that you had to earn peoples trust. I didn't like it because you had the same conversation options for most of the game.

[Tha Cunnysmythe]

I liked the influence system; it felt realistic and I had good luck with it. I think I got Kreia to open up by bottoming her influence out, though - When I did as I pleased on my first playthrough (I was DS) and murderated left at right, I had almost her whole history at the early stages of Citadel Station. When I knew the game better and played to gain influence - Taking her out of the party to slay innocents, being manipulative etc., it took forever (two optional planets in, I think) just to find the answer to the 'Jedi or Sith' question.

 

I think there should be opportunities for influence with everyone on every planet. Also, there were parts where companions would compliment you on an action (e.g.

giving the Republic Spy a Starport Visa

), but you'd gain no influence. Probably an oversight.

 

There should be more conversation options in general, though - Bao-Dur especially is a disgrace. You've heard everything he has to say before you even build your saber, regardless of which planet you do it on.

Edited November 23, 2005 by Tha Cunnysmythe

[Janmanden]

I like having an effect on my party, but I don't think the Influence system in K2 is new. The new thing is that you are informed when you gained or lost some, it's like a failsave for those people that doesn't have time to read dialogue or the brains to understand the dialogue, but still would like to know where it's generally headed... I think messages like that are really out-of-character and should be avoided entirely. Didn't need it in K1 or any of the other games where dialogue, story and characters developed naturally, but maybe it's a sign of dumber things to come and somewhat in line with the fears expressed in Games that make you think.

[Sikon]

Bao-Dur especially is a disgrace.

Or maybe Fall-from-Grace .

Overall, I liked the influence system, but it bugged me that some characters are very easy to influence (Disciple, Visas) and some have hardly any influence options (Mandalore). Methods of gaining influence should be more evenly distributed.

Edited November 24, 2005 by Sikon

[Tha Cunnysmythe]

To be fair, gaining influence with Mandalore had no use. No bonuses, no jedification.

[Musopticon?]

Bao-Dur especially is a disgrace.

Or maybe Fall-from-Grace .

Overall, I liked the influence system, but it bugged me that some characters are very easy to influence (Disciple, Visas) and some have hardly any influence options (Mandalore). Methods of gaining influence should be more evenly distributed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

::Sikon gains +4 virtual TOMBS-points::

 

Too bad you're a simulation construct. That zinging was worthy of a living entity.

[14884_1556103668]

I think there should be opportunities for influence with everyone on every planet. Also, there were parts where companions would compliment you on an action (e.g.

giving the Republic Spy a Starport Visa

), but you'd gain no influence. Probably an oversight.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, that was frustrating, particulary with Bao-dur. Lots of compliments, but no influence which made it kinda pointless, unless they were merely snippets of dialogue maybe that you unlock...?

 

One weird thing I had, was when you rescue the Mandalorian Kumus on Dxun. At the time I had Mira and Disciple with me, I saved him, got LS points, Disciple gave me a compliment, yet the influence went to Atton, who was not even in my party, LOL.

 

There should be more conversation options in general, though - Bao-Dur especially is a disgrace. You've heard everything he has to say before you even build your saber, regardless of which planet you do it on.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sad, but so very, very true.

Edited November 25, 2005 by Guest

[Janmanden]

Well, Atton and Bao-dur are 'influence' substitutes at some points with Atton taking precedence if both are in the party. Weak. Wouldn't be surprised if that were true for a lot of other combinations.

 

Bao-dur compensates for the lacking influence options by being one of the most active crew members on the ship. There's a lot of leben on that ship if you just keep entering and leaving...which adds some influence too.

[Sikon]

One weird thing I had, was when you rescue the Mandalorian Kumus on Dxun. At the time I had Mira and Disciple with me, I saved him, got LS points, Disciple gave me a compliment, yet the influence went to Atton, who was not even in my party, LOL.

I experienced the same thing. Handmaiden, however, seems to receive influence correctly in this case.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

I hate it! it forces me to be nice!

[Cassidy]

I didn't like the influence system because if one wants to jedify all his jedifiable followers he must spend a lot of extra time and energy trying to gain influence with him. It's just a big hassle.

[Brdavs]

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ditto... Influence is perfect for getting to know a character but should not be used in conversations that are vital for understanding/advancing the plot... The majority of storywise questions on this forum originate from ppl not maxing out influence on all NPC and getting their info...

 

Some complain about being spoonfed the story in K1 but i really liked it... advanced a level and *pouf* new options with all... I would use the influence on personal note and K1 "system" on vital storyline...

 

And ffs make the conversational tree dissapear once completed <_< Adds -10 to the cinematic-feel the game is pursuing.... i mean i can turn off subtitles for a more cinematic ambiant but i can have the exact same conversation 100x? Whats the point then? K1 made you think what ur gonna say cos u only had 1 shot... here its like "ill try this it doesnt matter, i can always try again" Not to mention that it is a real pain to scroll and search for new options later on... K1 rocked house there...

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

the thing is its too hard to have all influence! you have to pick out a certain character and spend nearly everything on him/her and then you cant have any with the others. plus, its way too hard to get influence with hk-47 and it should at least not have happend with him . plus, mandalore? no way is it useful to have influence in him! And I cant act like an **** around my characters anymore! <_<

[Janmanden]

Well, apart from what I've already said...

 

I think the worst part is that LS/DS points are so closely coupled with dialogue and it's not really you that gain influence with them as much as it is them that coerce their influence upon you, since you are basicly sucking up to them, and moves you closer to their uh, alignment or side of the force...but that argument is pretty trite already and closely knitted to non-rpg'ing...like an exploit. "

[Ranger0087]

I like the idea of the influence system, but it definately has some problems. First of all, I agree that it works better for light side characters than dark ones. When I played light side, I got pretty much everyone except GO-TO to like me. When I played dark side, only GO-TO, Visas, and Kreia really went anywhere, conversation-wise. There's also too much random chance involved. You have to get some characters to exactly the right place at the right time, which can be frustrating. I also think it gives a skewed perception of how well you really know the characters. I had times, especially in my first play through as a light side character, where I would get a bunch of influence with a party member who had only recently hooked up with me, and they'd start acting like we'd been together a long time and gone all over the galaxy (I think this was either Visas, the Handmaiden, or maybe Atton; I'm not sure), when it hadn't been that long. They just happened to like what I said, so they acted like we were best friends. It's really unrealistic. The old level-based conversation system gives a better sense for the amount of time you've spent with your party members, I think. It is possible to have both. You can have level based systems where you can also kill the line of conversation by responding negatively to what they're saying, something like that. I also like the idea someone else mentioned about being able to lie to influence your party members.

Edited November 27, 2005 by Ranger0087