KOTOR2 Ending Mod: Help Requested

[Midnight Hawk]

"From what i've seen, the only mods that are available for KotOR were something in the vein of save game-editors."

 

 

This isn't true....

 

 

http://www.pcgamemods.com/6/

[Jad'en]

Would be fantastc!

 

However you will learn the hate of a developer as there will always people that dont appreciate your work

[GarethCarrots]

one of the few times i wish i could say i was a genius game dev, sadly i cant. but seriously dude all the best on this, i think it's a great idea and i think its great that someone is being proactive instead of just complaining like me!

[Matt7895]

LucasArts would almost certainly come down on you hard. Best case - your website/mod would be taken away and destroyed. Worst case - You'd be sued.

[Trom]

I've downloaded KOTOR Tools and the compiler.

 

In my preliminary search, it does look as if the resources for the cut endgame are there but not the Droid planet (in the Mod folder). My method so far is to scan the code looking for deviations. That would be either commented out code or a GOTO statement in the Main loop. Also looking for Programmer's comments. Or any other anomaly.

 

A very cursory look at the Mod folder shows that the mods all seem to be self-referential or refer to the mod immediately preceding it. 907MAL.rim doesn't do that. Instead it refers back to 904MAL. This is exactly the sort of recursive jump I'd expect to find. I still think there is a very good chance that the original ending is there, but I've found nothing remotely certain yet.

 

At any rate, it's all very preliminary. One big problem is that KOTOR Tools won't recognize the chitin.key for K2. Does anyone know how to fix this?

 

In particular, where exactly is the holowan forum on LA?

[Meshugger]

I've downloaded KOTOR Tools and the compiler.

 

In my preliminary search, it does look as if the resources for the cut endgame are there but not the Droid planet (in the Mod folder).  My method so far is to scan the code looking for deviations.  That would be either commented out code or a GOTO statement in the Main loop.  Also looking for Programmer's comments.  Or any other anomaly.

 

A very cursory look at the Mod folder shows that the mods all seem to be self-referential or refer to the mod immediately preceding it.  907MAL.rim doesn't do that.  Instead it refers back to 904MAL.  This is exactly the sort of recursive jump I'd expect to find.  I still think there is a very good chance that the original ending is there, but I've found nothing remotely certain yet.

 

At any rate, it's all very preliminary.  One big problem is that KOTOR Tools won't recognize the chitin.key for K2.  Does anyone know how to fix this?

 

In particular, where exactly is the holowan forum on LA?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Here's the link.

 

I'm too having problems with chitin.key file, hopefully the peeps at the forum will help.

[NeverwinterKnight]

LucasArts would almost certainly come down on you hard. Best case - your website/mod would be taken away and destroyed. Worst case - You'd be sued.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

how do you figure?

 

as long as its not a)for resale for profit and/or b)something lucasarts planned to implement at a later date, what exactly are they doing wrong?

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

how do you figure?

 

as long as its not a)for resale for profit and/or b)something lucasarts planned to implement at a later date, what exactly are they doing wrong?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Breaking the law for one thing. Read the small print in the back of the manual.

 

LA have removed mods before as well as demanded the removal of SW related material from web sites.

 

You couldnt say for sure it would happen. But might is a distinct possibility especially if you piss them off by crowing about restoring the ending they ripped away and stuff like that.

[Xacharia]

how do you figure?

 

as long as its not a)for resale for profit and/or b)something lucasarts planned to implement at a later date, what exactly are they doing wrong?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Breaking the law for one thing. Read the small print in the back of the manual.

 

LA have removed mods before as well as demanded the removal of SW related material from web sites.

 

You couldnt say for sure it would happen. But might is a distinct possibility especially if you piss them off by crowing about restoring the ending they ripped away and stuff like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Basically you can modify the files of this game however you want. Or even DELETE them (w00t) Also I don't see how they'd stop you from sharing those modified files

[NeverwinterKnight]

Breaking the law for one thing. Read the small print in the back of the manual.

 

LA have removed mods before as well as demanded the removal of SW related material from web sites.

 

You couldnt say for sure it would happen. But might is a distinct possibility especially if you piss them off by crowing about restoring the ending they ripped away and stuff like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

then how is holowan labs still up and running?

[Aurora]

Well, seeming as I'm new to the forums. I've already come to admire one person here, and thats got to be you.

I've been lurking the last few days about the "lost ending", and such. And I'd like to wish you the best of luck with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's sweet, thanks.

 

I'm not saying you guys shouldn't do what you want to do, you have every right to want to tell the rest of the story, but this is some serious Deja Vu on how stories get messed up to begin with...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not denying that it might not end up as a mess, and it certainly won't be perfect, and maybe I should move out of California before both LA and Obsidian come to devour me alive for mangling their property. But it'll hopefully turn out better than what we've got now. I'd rather try and fail than just never try.

 

LucasArts would almost certainly come down on you hard. Best case - your website/mod would be taken away and destroyed. Worst case - You'd be sued.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Then I will have no choice but to sneak onto the ranch of Lucas himself and deliver an impassioned plea for the sake of little KOTOR2 fangirls and fanboys everywhere. "O," I will wail to him, tearing at my hair and beating my breast, "have you forgotten all that brought you to where you are? Is there nothing in you that remembers love? Is there nothing in you that remembers OUR love? Everything that I am, everything that I have done, has led me here. And you left me here alone, when I should have stayed home."

 

Or something similarly stirring. In any case, it's possible that they'll attack.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

then how is holowan labs still up and running?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I dont know maybe they are not aware of them even. Send an email to LA with a link to the site and see what happens.

 

I've never even heard of them.

[NeverwinterKnight]

I dont know maybe they are not aware of them even. Send an email to LA with a link to the site and see what happens.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why would i do that?

 

its a great modding site, so i dont think "tattling" on them would make much sense, regardless if it will prove if lucasarts knows about them or not.

[ready jedi]

I find the shutting down of holowan extremely unlikely considering that they are on lucasforums a lucas subsidiary so please unless your a lucas crone stop trying to scare these marvellous people away from this mod

[Midnight Hawk]

I just wanna say that I'd really like this idea to work, if a developer can't be bothered to finish the bleeping game (and right now I don't care who's fault it is, be it LucasArts or Obsidian or Santa Claus....someone screwed up (!) ) then the modders should take it in to their own hands.

 

So yeah if anyone needs some proofreading or testing or maybe a little creative input (okay getting a head of myself) please PM me. Aside from the resolition of the confusing non-ending I'd love to see some resolution of the romance paths...I dare to dream than one day Atton will tell the Exile of his undying love. (And yes I have read the transcripts of the unfinished stuff).

[Suzie]

Also, apparently at one time Hanharr and Disciple were team members.  Also, since I had one blank team slot to the end of the game, maybe one of them fit there, but I never did get HK47 working and always assumed that slot was for it.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Um... Disciple and Hanharr *are* party members. Though you have to be DS and female respectively to get them...

 

(How can you be considering working on an ending-resotoration mod, and not know this? )

[Midnight Hawk]

Also, apparently at one time Hanharr and Disciple were team members.  Also, since I had one blank team slot to the end of the game, maybe one of them fit there, but I never did get HK47 working and always assumed that slot was for it.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Um... Disciple and Hanharr *are* party members. Though you have to be DS and female respectively to get them...

 

(How can you be considering working on an ending-resotoration mod, and not know this? )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I guess they were playing a LS male...the replay value of KOTOR 2, once you have realised the extend of the content that is stolen from you, is sadly limiting, I'm not surprised if Trom didn't bother replaying to find out.

[Trom]

Also, apparently at one time Hanharr and Disciple were team members.  Also, since I had one blank team slot to the end of the game, maybe one of them fit there, but I never did get HK47 working and always assumed that slot was for it.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Um... Disciple and Hanharr *are* party members. Though you have to be DS and female respectively to get them...

 

(How can you be considering working on an ending-resotoration mod, and not know this? )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Midnight Hawk (thanks!) is correct but let me answer your very good question.

 

1. Since I discovered that there were free tools available and I'm experienced with C and scripting I thought I'd give it a whack. I was very surprised at this availability.

 

2. I know it's a *long shot* but since they left at least some of the original files on the disk it may mean they are all there somewhere. My fervent hope is that I'll discover either commented out code or a GOTO jump that would be easy to reinstate. I wouldn't have to know every nuance about the game to do that.

 

3. If there are files missing or I don't find the negated code loop, then I doubt I could do anything as it would take knowledge of the complete game in all its permutations to fix it which took a lot of progammers to do in the first place. I couldn't hope to duplicate their work.

 

4. I ask stupid questions all the time but unfortunately it seems to be the only way to learn quickly.

 

5. After visiting holowan, I'm a little daunted. There are a lot of people over there with tremendous skill, so, in the end, I might not accomplish much. Once they get involved with it, and I have no doubt they will, if it is at all possible they'll fix it.

 

6. In the meantime, I'm noodling around in the code to see what I can find.

[Objulen]

1) LA probably wouldn't care as long as they aren't losing money off the mod and they weren't planning something like it. I don't see either as being particularly likley

 

2) You don't have to worry much at all about getting your pants sued off out of no where. LA isn't Adobe as far as I know (the latter being notorious for their rabid protection of any and all copyrighted materials to an extent that makes even RIA and the MPAA looke docile in comparison), so they aren't going to persue a law suit if you take down the files. This means you'll recieve a letter of intent, and unless you plan on pressing the issue, will take down the mod, end of story.

[Zeshin]

1) LA probably wouldn't care as long as they aren't losing money off the mod and they weren't planning something like it. I don't see either as being particularly likley

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Actually, I think any mod made to get a better ending will increase the potential for LucasArts to make money. It may entice some Xbox Kotor 2 owners to pick up the PC version. It may entice a few who haven't bought the game on account of the threads detailing the rather poor endgame, to purchase the game (though that would indeed be a tragic and at the same time happy situation, buying a game because the mod community finished it properly).

 

Ultimately, we'll see what happens in the coming weeks.

[Renaak]

Um... Disciple and Hanharr *are* party members. Though you have to be DS and female respectively to get them...

 

LS female and had Disciple in the party.

[Objulen]

1) LA probably wouldn't care as long as they aren't losing money off the mod and they weren't planning something like it. I don't see either as being particularly likley

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Actually, I think any mod made to get a better ending will increase the potential for LucasArts to make money. It may entice some Xbox Kotor 2 owners to pick up the PC version. It may entice a few who haven't bought the game on account of the threads detailing the rather poor endgame, to purchase the game (though that would indeed be a tragic and at the same time happy situation, buying a game because the mod community finished it properly).

 

Ultimately, we'll see what happens in the coming weeks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good points.

[Jitawa]

While I'd like the ending to be restored, I'd also like other things left out of the game put back in. By this, I mean... things like Atris being a possible final-final boss, depending on gameplay. Since apparently her voice is recorded for all those parts as well, the VA work is already done. That's also part of the ending, but I don't know if the "dark" model of her... as seen in the old strat. guide... is there on the CDs with the rest of it.

 

I'm also curious if other various little chatter scenes were left out for any particular reason, and still have the material there. How much is "unfinished" and how much is unimplemented. For instance, while I wish the droid planet was in the game, if the whole thing is just entirely missing since it was never worked on... I would rather the lead-ins just be cut from HK's conversation tree... that's the neater thing to do. On the other hand, if Master Vash has... a model (she's in a cutscene), and all her voice work recorded, it should be possible to add her back in... rather than have her be a perpetual corpse.

 

I know this thread is geared towards fixing the ending, but I wonder if it would be possible to "fix" other things... since I doubt broken quests will be patched to fix (like Mandalore leadership quest... goes nowhere, and leaves a box in your quest window).

[Midnight Hawk]

Spoilers....but that kinda goes withoug saying.

 

 

 

I was thinking about the Atton death stuff (after finally getting round to listenging to the audio clips) and while I am annoyed that it was cut...I also think that if there was any attempt to restore this bit there should be the option of saving Atton. I dunno scripting but I guess some sort of skill roll against Heal Injury and some kind of FP penalty would be in order (cos it would require a sacrifice to restore some one that far drained).

 

(Oh and those people who keep saying this mutilation stuff was "too dark" or not "Star Wars"...I remind them of good old Jedi Acadamy (which IIRC was developed by LucasArts themselves, maybe I'm wrong) and poor old Rosh Penin who either had his hand sliced of by a dark jedi (LS path) or was brutally murdered by the player-character (DS Path). If this can be part of Star Wars why not Atton's death?)

 

(Woah far too many brackets.)

[Astatine]

Slicing hands off is definitely Star Wars :D