KotoR 3: Ideas, Suggestions, Discussion

[Xard]

Well it's anyones guess. But I have a hard time believing that LA would decide to just ditch their biggest title like that, even if they did intend to pick it up later.

 

You guys could be on the right track here, but I still would not be surprised to hear them announce that we'll be seeing it sometime by the end of 2008. Again thats just my guess, but I dont see them waiting 6 years inbetween part 2 and part 3. It was one thing for Lucas to wait 30 years before throwing out the prequels, but it would have been suicide for him to do Episodes 4 and 5 and then decide to wait 30 years to do Return of the Jedi.

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There's no need to hurry, LA's making money without Kotor quite nicely (someone mentioned Battlefront) and they have no true reason to start making K3. Minus greed, as K3 will make even more money but: LA surely doesn't do RPG's, so I take that K3 will (if ever) be done by Obsidian (strongest candidate IMO), Bioware (but if my memory works they've said that they don't touch titles like Star Wars anymore) or Bethesda (more unlikely than Obsidian). And they have to code new engine for game too etc. etc.

 

It is going to cost a lot, and LA is making quite nicely already. So until LA becomes greedy enough (and they make contract with actual developers which I believe to be Obsidian, and they seem to have hands full with work currently. I don't believe that LA is going to make game all by themselves) no K3.

 

This is how I see this thing, you are free to point out mistakes and such if you know any

[manvelt]

Hello,there KotoR-heads. I just wanted to say that it would be nice, to raise your own jedi,from a small age, and advance.This way,the player could choose something like a trait, that will follow you in the rest of the game.

I suppose likewhat Fable did, a little more complicated. Furthermore, it would add big interest if , us, the hero or villain jedi, would not necesserilly be human, but to add some other races, like twileks, etc. Also, a good thing would be to add more flashy moves concerning lightsaber battles, or a new overall control of the battle system, more user-friendly.In addition, the player should be able to have multiple endings, despite ls or ds, so that the scenario would have depth.

I believe i said some ideas concerning kotor3, that maybe others, in total have already expressed them, but i hope i helped the community.CU :

[DAWUSS]

I want K3 to be the type of game where you lose sleep, have mail get piled up in the mailbox, not even notice the dishes sitting in the sink, and you don't even care about eating or going to the bathroom

[Benjamin Korr]

Anyone considered the possability that LucasArts is saving announcing Kotor 3 until their 30th anniversery this coming May?

 

Would kinda provide a little excitement for the occassion I think.

[Hildegard]

I found this video while just looking through stuff on google. Does any one think it could be how kotor 3 will be or know wat it is for that matter? here it is

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Absolutley fu*king awesome clip....

[Guest The Architect]

Anyone want to read my KotOR III story so far? If so, here's a link http://lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=170875

 

Beware, it is a lengthy read. Feel free to give feedback and comment on my story so far. Enjoy!

[Rogue Eagle]

Just an Idea I had on the whole 'what gender/side is Revan/exile' (ignoring the assumptions about revan being male, exile being female and both light). Just say the game is started with one of the other characters (possibly hk47/tm34 - because they're awesome and have been with both revan and exile) who must identify their (player) companions on some datapad when asked to by the authorities. From there a page is brought up with the kotor and kotor2 faces for the player to pick from. I just think its better when tied into the story like this rather than just being random menus/lists/pages that pop up before gametime. Just an Idea.

 

Another Idea, probably already been mentioned, but possibly not ; Duelling on board the ship you fly around in, practing against the other NPCs to try out armour, weapons, or just for fun.

Edited September 24, 2006 by Rogue Eagle

[Darth Itarius]

this really isnt a idea but they need to fix the dioulage reaction because some of them dont make since with the anwser.

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Hay guys i just singed up

i think that there should Be a KOTOR 3 i love the whole serius they are so cool

i have only just stared playing KOTOR 2 and im going to buy number one soon

i just love it

anyway i think KOTOR 3 should be more open like say morrind or oblivian

you now so that you can go any wear not just wear they want you to go. :ph34r:

[Calax]

Problem with creating an open world is that generally it shuts out replay. Because you can do EVERYTHING in one go. Also the elder scrolls series usually ends up starting BEAUTIFULLY but ending feeling mediocre because it's the same thing again and again and again.

[Pop]

Anyone considered the possability that LucasArts is saving announcing Kotor 3 until their 30th anniversery this coming May?

 

Would kinda provide a little excitement for the occassion I think.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would make my... May. But I don't know if Lucasarts is that adventurous.

 

But by that time I'll have NWN2, maybe Bioshock, maybe some hard info on F3 (*cross fingers*) and I'll be less antsy. If it doesn't happen, I won't be as crushed as I would be if they declared the series dead today.

[Xard]

The Architect's story is clearly best I've read this far

[Pop]

Anyone want to read my KotOR III story so far? If so, here's a link http://lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=170875

 

Beware, it is a lengthy read. Feel free to give feedback and comment on my story so far. Enjoy!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Dace_Acier]

Yeah, I wish we could get a forum mod in on the conversation. I get why we cannot actually get insight that matters from them though. I wouldnt want any info leaked either. It simply needs to be the best Star Wars game ever. I mean, the movies as we know them are over so...we're left with the Expanded Universe? I think a Knights of the New Republic or Galactic Alliance would be cool and all but first they would need to finish this story line. I think seeing the Chiss would be cool in KotOR 3.

[Calax]

Yeah, I wish we could get a forum mod in on the conversation. I get why we cannot actually get insight that matters from them though. I wouldnt want any info leaked either. It simply needs to be the best Star Wars game ever. I mean, the movies as we know them are over so...we're left with the Expanded Universe? I think a Knights of the New Republic or Galactic Alliance would be cool and all but first they would need to finish this story line. I think seeing the Chiss would be cool in KotOR 3.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the forum mods aren't a part of Obsidian entertainment except in the capacity of wrangling us riotous crowds. They were posters who had a good history (kinda...) who were asked by Finoavar to moderate the discussion.

 

Developers have their own special tag that will also flag a thread differently (if they posted anymore). the only one who was really active was Sawyer and he only seems to poke his head in and browse without posting. Others who have posted include Akari, Chris Avallone. But otherwise our devs are quiet and they have firmly stated they DO NOT have anything for Kotor 3.

[Bastilla_Skywalker]

Did anyone know Revan will be responsible for the "1 Master and 1 Apprentice" law for the Sith leading up to Darth Bane?

[DAWUSS]

Did anyone know Revan will be responsible for the "1 Master and 1 Apprentice" law for the Sith leading up to Darth Bane?

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I thought he partially was in that new Darth Bane novel....

[Dace_Acier]

I didnt know that. I'll have to read up on that. Though Im near the end of the Hand of Thrawn books.

[Benjamin Korr]

Facinating... Well I suppose we can be certain we'll be seeing good old Rev in Kotor 3 then. Not that there was much doubt on that point anyhow, but still, interesting.

[Dace_Acier]

You know I've been thinking more on the Jedi and the way you play one in KotOR really isnt Jedi-like is it? Think about it, you go around killing all the time and constantly drawing on the Force for power to destroy your enemies. I'm pretty sure the bounty hunter mercs in 2 even said something about it. Actually, didnt the Council and Atris say something about it too? I'm not really complaining, just something I noticed.

[Benjamin Korr]

Well, you'll also note that in either case, Revan or Exile, neither are exactly the "perfect Jedi". Especially in the Exiles case. Now in Revans case, he was a powerful Jedi in a time of extreme unrest. So it's a little differant when you've got the Sith trying to wipe the Republic out, than if things were just A-ok and you were going around killing just for something to do.

 

So yeah, it's probobly not as bad as you think.

[James Dunn]

Ya, killing is itself not what is bad. It is when it is done and there is not need.

 

The killing of others is not against the Jedi code. It is sometimes needed to win a short victory. It is a form of destruction. In anything you do you must destroy something.

 

But like any raging, psycotic nut case, destruction can become an insanity and is thus impulsive. The insanity is simply the wrong target of destruction. In this state the person often is unable to tell the differnce between 2 things and so starts destroying things that are good, not the intended evil.

 

Sound like the Sith? This is why the Jedi warn aganist destruction without understanding.

 

There is another form of insanity. It is the inablity to destroy. It happends when someone finds out that he has done the above. He says "I must never do that again." So when the times comes, he commits more evil by doing nothing. It is a trap.

 

The truth is that there is always a form of destruction in anythings you do. The point is to leave behind you something better than what you found.It is a true crime not to destroy another to the point that that person is stopped in his destrictive rage AND NO MORE or the crime is on you. It is an exact thing that people who comit evils lose the ability to do.

 

So it should never be said in the Jedi code that one should not kill. Just as in the bible it is a miss tranlation from the original to say you must not kill. A better translation is you should not kill unless in defence. You can imagine what the tranlator was guitly of...

[Dace_Acier]

Agreed.

[Benjamin Korr]

Well I finally got myself a decent computer, one with PCI Express slots and everything. So when Kotor 3 DOES come out ( :D ) I'll be ready.

[Scatter]

hey peeps. noob poster, veteran lurker, blah blah blah.

 

just spent the last... dunno... aaaaaaaaages reading through this thread. some interesting ideas, but i think i'm in the minority on what i want for K3.

 

The fact you could visit the one area on each planet got a bit clostraphobic. It might be better to have fewer planets say 3 or 4, but have alot more things to do on each planet and more areas to visit.

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I agree with this line of thought more than anything in terms of the game world. I would rather have one planet - say coruscant for example - that is massive in its scope and explorable area, than five or six planets where you are hemmed into three or four small areas that take less than half an hour each to fully explore. two or three planets of substantial scope would be awesome.

 

as for other things...

 

Your Character

Revan or exile as main characters? No thanks. Done and dusted with the pair of them. I'd actually much rather the PC not be the focal point of the plot this time. In the two games so far, the PC has been the plot. It'd be a nice change if the PC's fate wasn't somehow linked with the entire well being of the galaxy because of things he/she has done/forgotten/had erased from their memory. It'd certainly allow a greater scope for more believeable and surprising plot twists.

 

Ideally, I'd like the PC to either be a Jedi who has just finished his apprenticeship (ie a newly conferred Jedi Knight), or even better yet, a Knight who has just taken on his first padawan - your character is the teacher rather than the student.

 

Give the character a gender ambiguous name like Peret Dor or Li Ju San or something like that so as dialogue with/between the NPC's flows better. I'm all for player customisation, but not being able to choose the PC's name is no big deal.

 

The Time Period

50 years after the end of TSL minimum please. Give the events of KotOR and TSL a chance to have ramifications before we dive into them again. That would probably mean we say farewell to the Ebon Hawk, but that's not really a big deal.

 

The NP Characters

A fifty year time frame all but rules out everyone from the first two games - save the two droids (who with the time frame I've mooted, if they're in the game, maybe we could find them deactivated amongst the ruins of a crashed/derelict Ebon Hawk as nice nod to the first two games. Having someone like Atton or Visas as a non-recruitable "Yoda type figure" of the Jedi Council would also be a nice nod to continuity as well.

 

Throughout this thread most peeps have said they want more NPC's - I actually want less. Less characters with more depth/more stories to each >>>> lots of characters with little depth. I mean really, GO-T0 was one of the most pointless characters in either game. Aside from the fact he was almost universally hated, he really didn't bring anything to a party that couldn't have been done using T3-M4 (or some other similarly skilled NPC). Six characters should be plenty.

 

As for romantic interests, either do it, or don't. If it's going to be a half arsed effort like the "romance" in TSL, then just don't bother. Avoid it completely. When done well, it can add emotional resonance to a story, when done poorly it just feels tacked on and cheap.

 

The Mechanics

Firstly, I don't think the Aurora Engine has seen its day just yet. The modified AE being used for The Witcher (screenshots: 1, 2, 3) shows the engine still has a bit of life left in her.

 

I'd tweak the influence system... or more accurately, I'd scrap it for all but your Padawan (if following my earlier suggestion) and maybe any droids. The other characters should have and follow their own beliefs and agendas - something akin to Baldurs Gate: if you recruit fundamentally evil characters, you should expect some trouble within the party if you are a complete teachers pet goody two shoes and vice versa. Similarly it would allow for the acquisition of NPC's that have a very specific agenda or quest that must be met before they decide to stay with your permanently. If you stray from completing that quest then they'll chuck a wobbly and leave.

 

I said earlier I'd like to see us restricted to a traveling band of six, but that doesn't mean there can only be five NPC's throughout the game - a choice of who to recruit and who to leave behind would be most welcome as it would add significant replay value.

 

The only other significant tweak I'd make to the mechanics of TSL is the accessability to Force Powers and Level Up Feats. Tone. Them. Down. Even on the hardest difficulty levels, by the time the PC reaches level 30 or so in TSL he/she is an absolutely unstoppable force (scuse the pun :D ). Make the number of times you get to select new Force Powers much more infrequent - especially for a Guardian class - and the access to Dark Side Powers for Light Side Characters (and vice versa) not only cost more mana/FP to use, but much more difficult to select (eg Drain Life [a DS FP] is available to Dark Side characters at level 8, but not to Light Side players until they reach level 30). An alternate method for slowing down the accruement of Force Powers could be specialisation. For example, for Light sided Players, Heal could be available at level 2, Improved Heal at Level 8, and Master Heal at level 14. If a level 2 PC leans Heal, then he can't learn another type of Force Power until he has mastered Heal (at Level 14). All of a sudden, choosing Force Powers has an element of strategy about it as opposed to TSL where after getting the half dozen FP's I wanted, I was selecting FP's simply because I had to (and never used them anyway).

 

And finally...

 

Know Your Source

"Always two there are. Never more, never less." - Yoda

 

If there are four Dark Lords, then there should be four apprentices (like Bandon in KotOR for example), and that is it. That should be the sum total of all Jedi/lightsaber wielding characters you should fight. And they should be tough. Real tough. It's a bit farcical to have tens of Dark Jedi coming at you and being able to take them down with two uses of Force Lightning. Make the foot soldiers exactly that - Sith Soldiers. Fighting Dark Jedi should be a real highpoint of the game. Something rare and difficult to win.

 

Also on that point, in every movie so far (especially TPM), whenever a Dark jedi crops up, every non-Jedi is politely told to P off while the Jedi takes them on. So if you have a party consisting of say the PC (a Jedi), another Jedi and a non Jedi, and they come across a Dark Jedi then the two Jedi in the party will step forward and say "We'll take care of this, you go and make sure quest X is completed." This again adds an element of strategy to party selections. When you know you're going to face a Dark Jedi, do you go with one Jedi in your party for the really tough fight, or do you go with two Jedi's leaving the one non-Jedi to complete a quest on their own (think ANH with Kenobi going and shutting down the tractor beam and distracting Vader while Luke, Han and Chewie rescued Leia)?

 

The last point of this very long post is a minor one, but fits in this category as well as the party interactions: the use of Jedi mind tricks. Almost universally in the KotOR universe they are treated like some sort of Dark Side perversion by Light Sided NPC's. Canon strongly disagrees with this. QGJ tried to Force Persuade Anakins slaver to accept Republic Credits for the parts for Amidala's ship because it was for the greater good. OWK did similar with the "These aren't the droids you're looking for" and "You don't want to sell me any deathsticks" mind tricks. Contrast that with Onderon in TSL - trying to get past the Starport guards and LS Handmaiden chucks a wobbly while DS HK-47 practically falls in love with you just for force persuading the guards to let you in to a city where you KNOW Kavar is hiding...

[Dace_Acier]

Exactly. I do wish to add one thing to that though. More detail in clothing and if we have less uber powerful characters then they need to beef up combat a lot more. That doesnt mean just lightsaber combat(even though that needs to be amazing and fluid somehow), it means blasters and swords as well. Everyone gets tired of seeing the same technique of lightsaber/sword combat over and over. We all got so tired of it that we just eventually stopped noticing it. Another thing is blaster bolt deflection. If your character is going to deflect a blaster bolt they cannot be already in melee combat with another person. The lightsaber or hand needs to move where the shot is coming. I know it kinda already does that in Sith Lords but it can be even better. We have the capabilities to do these things now with the next gen systems and the wonderful new graphics cards out there. Force lighting deflection with the lightsaber or hands would be nice, but not until maybe level 20 for hand deflection of lightning. I mean, only Yoda and Luke have ever done it to my knowledge.

Edited October 1, 2006 by Dace_Acier