KotoR 3: Ideas and Suggestions

[GhostofAnakin]

You can under my proposal. Sort of."

[SteveThaiBinh]

I think the inventory system could be made more efficient if they made better use of the Ebon Hawk storage capacity.  Add some kind of weight limit to a character's carry capacity, then everything else must be stored aboard the Ebon Hawk. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Convert the med-lab into a walk-in wardrobe/closet. That and the HK/Mira storage area into a lavatory.

 

I'd like to have fewer, more interesting, more valuable items. The weight limit is a good idea, too, or perhaps a numerical limit instead - carry slots or something like that. Anything so that you don't have to keep offloading tons of stuff at the shops.

[GhostofAnakin]

The main reason I suggest using the Ebon Hawk's storage compartments to place items that are over the PC's carrying limit is because I always thought that part of the Ebon Hawk was underutilized. I always wondered what the point of having storage bins on the EH is if there was no need for them.

 

Atleast this way it would a)make use of the Ebon Hawk's storage capabilities and b)Make it atleast a bit more strategic in deciding what equipment you want to take with you, and what you'll leave aboard the ship.

[Jediphile]

The main reason I suggest using the Ebon Hawk's storage compartments to place items that are over the PC's carrying limit is because I always thought that part of the Ebon Hawk was underutilized.  I always wondered what the point of having storage bins on the EH is if there was no need for them. 

 

Atleast this way it would a)make use of the Ebon Hawk's storage capabilities and b)Make it atleast a bit more strategic in deciding what equipment you want to take with you, and what you'll leave aboard the ship.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The only problem I can see with it is that it's work for the programmers to add something to the game that many people will find to be annoying, because that means they actually have to go through the task of deciding which stuff to bring along and which not.

 

Add to that the annoying thing when you find some really cool armor, but can't take it with you because it exceeds the weight limit, and you can't part with any of the carefully chosen equipment you're already carrying around.

 

I agree with you that character carry 30+ armors is nonsense, but on the other hand, most players really just can't be bothered to have to sort out their equipment. This is especially true for someone like myself, who just feel compelled to take *everything* I can get my hands on - playing games like Diablo was murder, because I just *had* to take that crappy armor back to town for the cash...

[GhostofAnakin]

I don't know if that's the case. One of the biggest complaint I've seen from people on this forum is how ridiculous the inventory system was. People complained that it was dumb to allow you to carry everything you wanted with no restrictions, so I don't know if many people would be annoyed with the feature of having to decide before a mission what to bring with you and what to leave aboard the Ebon Hawk.

[Jediphile]

I don't know if that's the case.  One of the biggest complaint I've seen from people on this forum is how ridiculous the inventory system was.  People complained that it was dumb to allow you to carry everything you wanted with no restrictions, so I don't know if many people would be annoyed with the feature of having to decide before a mission what to bring with you and what to leave aboard the Ebon Hawk.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, but that just means that they think carrying everything you find around is dumb and illogical. I don't think it means that they're willing to embrace more bookkeeping for the sake of the game being more "logical". Of course they'll say it's dumb, because it *is* illogical that you can carry 67 armors around. But that's all it means...

[DAWUSS]

I actually didn't mind the inventory system even though it did get a little cluttered at times.

 

And BTW, I'll get to that plot outline in a little bit

[metadigital]

I'd rather they stopped repeating dialogue and instead implemented a decent journal system, one which logged not only quests but also important information and rumours that you've heard during your journey.  I know you need to keep such things brief these days for the non-attentive gamer, but a short 'bios of people I've met' section would be OK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jade Empire seems to have a good journal/clue system. They would be well to incorporate something like that.

 

In my opinion, Jade Empire is a truely great game (even though, content-wise, it is a little short).

 

I also like the fact that, for all practical purposes, there is no inventory management...if your character buys a better staff, you no longer have the old one, etc. Now, that might be harder to do with KOTOR but incorporating that to some extent would be a positive thing, IMO. We either need an old-fashioned encumberance system or something closer to the Jade Empire inventory system.

The clunky system we have now needs to go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean the KotOR "no inventory management" system? :D

 

I'm not sure the automatic inventory would work; I get irritated when assumptions are made that I don't agree with, and I would expect the inventory system would have the highest probablility of that happenning.

 

I'm all for clues being recorded in the Journal as they are revealed in conversation, to help manage the conversation volume. (That allows me to skip through all the conversation options as quickly as the keyboard will let me, then scan the journal afterwards to get the nuggets of plot, without having to wade through unbelievable and therefore extremely tedious attempts at foreign languages ... ")

I think the inventory system could be made more efficient if they made better use of the Ebon Hawk storage capacity.  Add some kind of weight limit to a character's carry capacity, then everything else must be stored aboard the Ebon Hawk. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Convert the med-lab into a walk-in wardrobe/closet. That and the HK/Mira storage area into a lavatory.

 

I'd like to have fewer, more interesting, more valuable items. The weight limit is a good idea, too, or perhaps a numerical limit instead - carry slots or something like that. Anything so that you don't have to keep offloading tons of stuff at the shops.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or better yet, have a more sophisticated modification system, whereby (depending on your PC modify, plus any other pre-requisite skills, of course) the random loot is basic components that can be combined into more complex items (based on PC level) that can then be added to weapons, armour and items, etc.

 

Unwanted raw loot can be broken down into some generic repair (or biological) parts, as necessary.

[GhostofAnakin]

I think having less lightsabers around for looting would also be a good thing. What should make your lightsaber special is the fact that it's so rare. But really, it's not all that rare in these games.

[LeVeRRe]

On the topic of the inventory system, or lack thereof, I agree that something has to be done. At first I was very in favor of the limitations as to how much weight or item slots you could fill up. However, Jediphile raises a good point that I don't believe was commented on, at least considerably. What then happens when you find new loot on the quests. Would you be in favor of having to drop an item to get the new item? Might not be a problem for some items, but the levels being as big as they are, with the rapid transit system taken out, I'd be very dissatisfied if I had to drop one of my beloved items to get a cool new one.

 

I still believe the storage in the Ebon Hawk and limited inventory is a good idea, however I think the bigger question is how to make it feasible and realistic at the same time. Perhaps, when you find a new item it allows you a feature to immediately store it away on the Hawk (or whatever ship there is), or swap it for an existing item on the player specific inventory. Any ideas on this matter?

 

Cheers, LeVeRRe

[Laozi]

I like GOA's inventory idea, as long as "Quest Items" don't figure in to your weight limit, I've always been annoyed by games that didn't allow for that

[metadigital]

You mean my inventory system, surely.

 

Where there are raw componenets that the PC combines into upgrades for items (armour, weapons, etc).

 

Much better idea. Especially if T3 / equivalent is along with his handy-dandy workbench for breaking down / creating items and upgrading.

 

That's what you meant to say. "

[Arnkell]

GhostOfAnakin said:

I don't know if that's the case. One of the biggest complaint I've seen from people on this forum is how ridiculous the inventory system was.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. Although this is Obsidian here, I would love a "Neverwinter Nights"-style inventory, with four to five pages and a weight limit, decided by your STR.

You could also have NWN's "magic bags" that add more space and alleviate weight through, say, counter-grav storage jugs, purchaseable through merchants.

 

Getting the chance to move around armor and weapons and get a feel of their shape, thumbnail depiction and sound (when dropping it in a slot, like in NWN) really did a lot to the game immersion of NWN, I have to say.

[Jediphile]

On the topic of the inventory system, or lack thereof, I agree that something has to be done.  At first I was very in favor of the limitations as to how much weight or item slots you could fill up.  However, Jediphile raises a good point that I don't believe was commented on, at least considerably.  What then happens when you find new loot on the quests.  Would you be in favor of having to drop an item to get the new item?  Might not be a problem for some items, but the levels being as big as they are, with the rapid transit system taken out, I'd be very dissatisfied if I had to drop one of my beloved items to get a cool new one.

 

I still believe the storage in the Ebon Hawk and limited inventory is a good idea, however I think the bigger question is how to make it feasible and realistic at the same time.  Perhaps, when you find a new item it allows you a feature to immediately store it away on the Hawk (or whatever ship there is), or swap it for an existing item on the player specific inventory.  Any ideas on this matter?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm, I suppose one possibility is to allow an automatic transfer of items back to the Ebon Hawk without actually going there. If, for example, you find a cool new armor and want to use it, but it exceeds the weight limit, then you get to drop something to the Ebon Hawk inventory.

 

It's one way, though - one you put it in the Ebon Hawk inventory, that's where it is, and you can't just pull it out from there - you'll actually have to go back to the Ebon Hawk to get it, the assumption being that you or one of your companions took the excess loot back to the Ebon Hawk, but will not get it back automatically.

 

Not a very elegant solution, but it does offer some compromise between the illogical nature of unlimited carrying capacity and undesired bookkeeping. I really don't want K3 to be lke the Diablo games, where you have to use Town Portal spells or similar every two seconds to drop off your loot.

[mastone]

I never have or had a problem with the inventory system i just selled or broke down all the things i didn't need .

i would get really pissed off however when i want to pick up or buy some real good piece of equipment and some pop up screen says ; "inventory full".

i just hope that in the next kotor game they give you more valueable stuff instead off components and the like especially when they are the remains off a main character like dart bandon, sithmasters in freedon nadd's tomb etc.

[GhostofAnakin]

I never have or had a problem with the inventory system  i just selled or broke down all the things i didn't need .

i would get really pissed off however when i want to pick up or buy some real good piece of equipment and some pop up screen says ; "inventory full".

i just hope that in the next kotor game they give you more valueable stuff instead off components and the like especially when they are the remains off a main character like dart bandon, sithmasters in freedon nadd's tomb etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's where strategy comes into play and makes you decide which items are *really* important to you, and which are just around so you can sell for a bunch of credits.

 

Your character is supposed to be out to save the galaxy, not acquire the most items and sell them in order to compete with the richest men in the galaxy.

[mastone]

save the galaxy? my character wants to rule the galaxy and you need money to bribe all those murderwitnesses

[Calax]

why not have points in the game where you take the armor and stuff you picked up and put it in a "mailbag" that sends it all back to the Hawk, or just have the Mass Transit system put back in place.

[GhostofAnakin]

why not have points in the game where you take the armor and stuff you picked up and put it in a "mailbag" that sends it all back to the Hawk, or just have the Mass Transit system put back in place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Mass transit would eliminate the entire need for strategy in deciding which items to bring on the Ebon Hawk and which to leave behind.

[metadigital]

I never have or had a problem with the inventory system  i just selled or broke down all the things i didn't need .

i would get really pissed off however when i want to pick up or buy some real good piece of equipment and some pop up screen says ; "inventory full".

i just hope that in the next kotor game they give you more valueable stuff instead off components and the like especially when they are the remains off a main character like dart bandon, sithmasters in freedon nadd's tomb etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would your inventory be full if you sold or processed everything you didn't need / want?

 

It doesn't have to be a restricting inventory (like, say, Beneath a Steel Sky), just a littlle less lazily implemented. It is only one step away from automatically converting every inventory item into credits ...

[DAWUSS]

I think if it would become more organized, it would be a lot more efficient than it actually is

[LeVeRRe]

On the inventory system, just a thought. I think it could be done in a simple yet effective way by doing the following;

 

1. Have a limit on the number of items that each character can carry. They should be able to have their standard equipables as currently ie. armor, belts, gloves, etc. As well as the choice of a melee weapon(s if a two handed fighter) and ranged weapon(s is two handed). Then another slot for storage of another weapon of their choice). Beyond that have a weight limit for misc. items.

 

2. When a character finds something on a corpse or in a container the regular pick up, drop screen would pop up. However, a new option would be present, send to ship. If this is selected then it would happen as such. The screen would do a quick fade to black and then back to the current scene (not a load, a few secs at most). It would save the running back to the ship at all times, but at least give the semblance of time passing. I think it would work, anyone else?

 

3. On a note, quest necessary items should have their carry weight negated so that you do not send some random item (which will become important on the current quest) to the ship, only to find you need it. Some suspension of disbelief is necessary it is a video game afteall.

 

Any thoughts,

 

LeVeRRe

[hawk]

This equipment send to ship thing is something to think about.

I am always laughing about it that a party member finds some equipment in the Freedon Nadd tomb, build some upgrades, equip that and just a few moments later, the Exile or Kreia uses it.

I have thought about something else for Kotor III as well.

 

I think that if they want to truly continue the story of I and II, there should be some kind of Character in the game which was also spawned from the Mandalorian wars (Like Sion and Nihilus) but this time a Light Side version. Think about it, if the Exile "spawned?!" 2 Sith Lords why can't he/she have spawned a LS Jedi.

I thought about it after I played Kotor II DS last time and that Kreia told me that it was difficult to see if there were any Jedi remaining and that from one Jedi's dead another would stand up.

Your thoughts?!

[DAWUSS]

I don't think another wound was created in the Force when it blew up, but it IS worth considering...

[LeVeRRe]

Hawk,

 

As for Kreia's comments I believe they were meant to be taken in the vein that there will always be Jedi and Sith in the galaxy. Look at how many times the Jedi Order has been wiped out, only to linger on and rebuild. The force is always present and it's just a matter of time before another rises to the defense of the galaxy as a Jedi. Similarily there will always be those who taste power and use it for their own gains and therefore the Sith will remain. For every Jedi/Sith killed another will take their place is what I believe was her intended meaning.

 

As for a LS character spawned from Malachor I wouldn't think it would be plausible. Nihilus and Sion were spawned out of the pain and death of Malachor in one way or another, and the Exile has to cut himself off from the force to survive it. I don't believe a LS character could have been spawned from such a mass tragedy, but there is always the arguement that out of every tragedy some good may come. Its just a matter of preference I guess, mine would be to leave the it at 2 Sith Lords, and move on from this concept.

 

LeVeRRe