What I want to see in KOTOR II

[Gorth]

*Clap, clap clap...*

[Drakron]

I fully agree with the force system needs to be changed.

 

In SWKotOR there was heavy penalties from NOT doing a 2/18 combo to play as a Jedi, I found amusing they start talking about how "powerful" the force was with me and every single Jedi in my group have more force powers that I had, I could understand Jolee due to his class but really a 8/12 did penalized jedi that were short of powers.

 

The advantages of the skill system is one a Force User, always a Force User since the powers are all open and its a question of skill, a low level jedi is not skillful enough to create some powers and does not penalize in going multiclassed in terms of using the force.

[Weiser_Cain]

Lightsabers shouldn't cut through everything in the game, but just about everything. I didn't like that every weapon in the game had a cortosis weave. I'd like if this one had weapons that could be destroyed either through a disable move and or just when they try to defend against a lightsaber.

 

Jedi/sith classes should be king, this is the nature of the starwars setting.

One nice idea is that a defending jedi with jedi defense equal to or lower than the blaster weilders skill with the blaster should loose a turn while deflecting the bolts. It would help if you could tweak the realtime length a round took and get the animations to smoothly transiontion from one to the other even when you manualy move a character so that the system remains that much more transparent. Also the game just needs more animations, preferably multiable animations per 'move'.

 

Another thing I'd like to see is more skills. Just lift as much stuff from the D20 rules that the engine can support. And add saber styles so we can pick how we use the lightsaber. Are you a butcher like Vader, a unstoppable master like Mace or a kung fu-muppet?

 

I ddn't like killing and looting everyone that got in my way as a jedi. I should have the option when combat just results in an injured opponent to just leave him or to kill him. Along with this should be less emphasis placed on gathering gear as a jedi and in general. Nothing say video game than health potions and breaking crates, all kotor needed was exploding barrels to complete the unholy trinity...

[Eddie]

I think it's a bit too late for any KotoR 2 wish list, but maybe this topic will help Obsidian in some future projects.

 

* Story (the most important aspect of any CRPG) over hack & slash. Really, what happened to role part in CRPGs? It's good that I can still play good old PnP to get a healthy dose of roleplaying part, but what about those that can't?

* Getting out of SW box as much as possible without any Lucas lawyers noticing it

* Let us hear good voice actors. At least I can never get enough of a good NPC voice.

* Rules system should be complicated, something like that of Fallout. You know, use the same thing in different ways.

* Damnit, I want to see European science fiction (preferable French) but that's just me. Boy, aren't they good or what?

[Meshugger]

I think that most issues with the gameplay has already been adressed, but nevertheless here my "additions":

 

1) Dispite the situation Obsidian has put themselves in, i do hope they justify it by having a story at the same caliber as KotOR 1.

 

2) Have Yuthura Ban as a party member.

 

3) More variations on the faces of NPCs.

 

4) No underwater missions!

 

5) Let each world have bigger and longer levels, but not bigger for the sake of it. I don't feel like running trough a canyon only to find nothing on the other side.

 

6) Let the follow characters have cameo appearances: Canderous, Carth(if female), Bastila(if male), HK-47 and Mission. Jolee and Juhani can have their fates revealed as a story, no need for cameo there.

[kefka]

1) Dispite the situation Obsidian has put themselves in, i do hope they justify it by having a story at the same caliber as KotOR 1.

I hope so too.

 

2) Have Yuthura Ban as a party member.

I killed her!

 

3) More variations on the faces of NPCs.

Agreed

 

4) No underwater missions!

Am I the only one that liked the underwater mission? I thought it was very atmospheric. Movement speed was the main problem. I also liked the Leviathan space walk scene.

 

5) Let each world have bigger and longer levels, but not bigger for the sake of it. I don't feel like running trough a canyon only to find nothing on the other side.

Sounds good. I hate traversing large areas only to discover they don't actually lead anywhere, or "nothing interesting in that direction" message.

 

6) Let the follow characters have cameo appearances: Canderous, Carth(if female), Bastila(if male), HK-47 and Mission. Jolee and Juhani can have their fates revealed as a story, no need for cameo there.

That will happen if the info we have so far is accurate.

[The Situationist]

Am I the only one that liked the underwater mission? I thought it was very atmospheric. Movement speed was the main problem.

I really liked it too, but the slow movement was definitely annoying.

[Craftsman]

I guess more locations and bigger locations are critical in improving this game.

[Meshugger]

That will happen if the info we have so far is accurate.

 

Can i have a direct quote on that from the devs? I don't remember reading that anywhere...

[kefka]

Can i have a direct quote on that from the devs? I don't remember reading that anywhere...

I can't give you a direct quote but I'm sure I read it somewhere.

[kefka]

ok, here's a quote

 

Whether it answers your question fully is another thing.

 

Many characters you knew from the first KOTOR will make appearances (if only cameos) in this game. But don't expect to see everyone (Gallio says they "had to be careful about who died and who lived") and don't expect them to all to play major roles

So, some will be returning but not all, which is a smart decision, imo.

[Meshugger]

ok, here's a quote

 

Whether it answers your question fully is another thing.

 

Many characters you knew from the first KOTOR will make appearances (if only cameos) in this game. But don't expect to see everyone (Gallio says they "had to be careful about who died and who lived") and don't expect them to all to play major roles

So, some will be returning but not all, which is a smart decision, imo.

Meh, ofcourse it doesn't say who will return, but thanks for the quote though. Maybe depending on your choices on whether there was LS or DS ending in KotOR 1 will affect the amount of characters returning.

[Jonny_Evil]

There are three things I'd really like to see in Kotor 2:

 

1: Strongholds, like in BG2. A place, temple, ship, space station or even abandoned asteroid that your character can acquire and use as a base as well as a starting point for some side quests. Would make the universe seem a bit more interactive.

 

2: A more alive universe. I don't mean graphically, I mean things like histories (what was the great hyperspace war anyway?), news reports about the repercussions of significant events that the pc is part of, details of some of the factions etc. as was done in starlancer. Could be accessed through a communications room on the ebon hawk. Would add a lot of immersiveness for the less casual player imo.

 

3: The biggie. Conversation choices that actually matter and give the player a proper choice. I've lost track of the amount of times I've replayed a conversation in KotOR to find different outcomes only to find the only difference is a line or two of slightly different dialogue before the conversation carries on interrupted, sometimes not even that! For an example on the leviathan when Saul is torturing bastila the only difference whether you keep quiet or spill your guts is a few different lines of dialogue with Bastila.

 

Even worse is when the pc is railroaded into a choice they don't want to make. Mission when you're darkside is a good example. I spent the entire game corrupting her into betraying the beks, abandoning her brother and generally acting cynical. Then she sides with the republic. Fair enough, so having no wish to kill a 14 year old girl, I tried to get her to clear off with carth. But no the game wouldn't allow that as a choice so I was forced to kill her.

 

Both of these things detract from the game and turn it into an interactive star wars movie and give the impression the players choices don't really matter. I know the companion alignment thing is supposed to be getting changed in Kotor 2 but I dearly hope the other blinding pitfalls of Kotors conversations get a makeover as well.

 

Anyway there are my opinions, what does anyone else think?

[kefka]

Meh, ofcourse it doesn't say who will return, but thanks for the quote though.

No it doesn't say who is returning but the designers have to be careful.

 

In my game; Jolee, Juhani, and Mission died. Carth ran away of course. If I'd played a female Carth would also be dead.

That's 4 characters who can't return if they allow you to choose darkside.

 

So the list you made is fairly accurate I think, except for Mission (dead), Carth (possibly dead).

 

All this is avoided if your decisions at the start decide who appears, but I don't think they'll go that far.

[RoGuE JeDi]

3: The biggie. Conversation choices that actually matter and give the player a proper choice. I've lost track of the amount of times I've replayed a conversation in KotOR to find different outcomes only to find the only difference is a line or two of slightly different dialogue before the conversation carries on interrupted, sometimes not even that! For an example on the leviathan when Saul is torturing bastila the only difference whether you keep quiet or spill your guts is a few different lines of dialogue with Bastila.

While the other ideas are interesting and merit spending time thinking about, the third one is DEFINITELY something I wholeheartedly agree with you on. Time and time again I find myself irritated due to decisions that are made for me, or dialogue options that aren't really options at all. Ugh! :angry:

[Caelib]

This is a very MINOR issue but it still annoys me in the original ...

 

When a battle is over, the "active" character's lightsabre does not shut off immediately; it stays on for a few seconds. Non-player-controller characters lightsabers shut off instantly once the battle is over (as they should).

 

One thing I would like to see "enhanced" is when using lightsabers to open doors/strongboxes. If you could somehow implement it in a way like Qui-Gon Jinn did in the opening combat scene of Episode I where he used his lightsabre to "melt" the door -- would be cool.

[evil.E]

In my game; Jolee, Juhani, and Mission died. Carth ran away of course. If I'd played a female Carth would also be dead.

That's 4 characters who can't return if they allow you to choose darkside.

Actually in my game "Saladbar" dies too. Taught that walking rug the harsh lesson of questioning my orders.

 

I'm sure this has already been said but I want to see more unique faces on NPCs I'm not saying every NPC on every world needs to be unique but if the character is central to a sidequest or has a unique role in advancing the plot he shouldn't have the same face as some random thug you beat down two planets over.

[Brianalot Curren]

One thing I would like to see "enhanced" is when using lightsabers to open doors/strongboxes. If you could somehow implement it in a way like Qui-Gon Jinn did in the opening combat scene of Episode I where he used his lightsabre to "melt" the door -- would be cool.

Thats what annoyed me a little bit. It wouldn't be hard to add one animation with a player lunging a sabre into the door. It would look better then the slash/take a break/slash/take a break.

[Cantousent]

Yep, I agree. They should have the second game run as if the players had decided to turn to the darkside in the first game. Sounds like a great idea.

[kefka]

One thing I would like to see "enhanced" is when using lightsabers to open doors/strongboxes. If you could somehow implement it in a way like Qui-Gon Jinn did in the opening combat scene of Episode I where he used his lightsabre to "melt" the door -- would be cool. 

Good idea.

 

Sabers don't need to 'bash' doors open, they can melt the lock.

 

If they do it Qui-Gon style that would be great.

[Jonny_Evil]

After just replaying Kotor I've thought of something I'd love to see in Kotor 2. Not sure if I can describe what I mean very well, but I'll give it a go.

 

That bit when you play darkside, Mission's dead, carth has scarpered and the Ebon hawk is on it's way to the star forge. The admiral contacts the ship and talks to bastila with the PC looming menacingly off to one side. The admiral says that her forces will have to pull back. The camera zooms in on Bastila's eyes as she looks questioningly at Revan, then it zooms in on Revan as he gives a very small shake of his head. Bastila tells the admiral to continue the attack and at the end of the conversation Revan stands there looking contemplative with a smirk on his face.

 

The thing I like about that bit and what I'd love to see more of in Kotor 2 is that it gives the pc character. At that point Revan truly looked like he was a military genius with a cunning plan, rather than the blank faced and baffled idiot he'd looked in every conversation before that. What I suppose I'm saying is that the PC in sith lords would be a lot better if there was more physical characterisation in conversations and cutscenes, rather than the occasional wave of a hand. Things like evidence of the force, moving stuff about with it in cutscenes, force lightning folk, force healing people. Actual expressions and proper camera angles in the conversations, as in the example above, to emphasise that the PC actually posesses a personality.

 

Anyway I've described what I mean as best I can, what do you think?

[tripleRRR]

More facial expressions would be nice too, but I think that would be asking just a little too much from the engine.

 

 

TripleRRR

[evil.E]

one other thing and this is debatable but I'd really like it if the PC actually had a voice of his/her own. To some extent the character does speak in the orignal KOTOR says things like"Yes", "No Problem","Didn't work","Done". Even if this was just an option I beleive that it would really enhance the game.

[Caelib]

One of my favorite parts of KotOR was where you first board the Star Forge and there's quite a few Jedi vs Sith battles going on -- this really added that "Epic" feel to the game. I would definitely like to see more of these epic-scale lightsaber fights in the sequel.

 

The parts of the game that send "waves and waves" of enemies at you was a lot of fun too. There a great sense of accomplishment when the battle was over. IMHO, send 100 guys at me in waves, make them easy to kill so I can mow them down like a Jedi really does ... that, my friend, is fun; a really long, continuious fight!

 

Additionally, I would like to see some flips & jumps, etc. into basic lightsaber combat.

[Berserk]

The parts of the game that send "waves and waves" of enemies at you was a lot of fun too. There a great sense of accomplishment when the battle was over. IMHO, send 100 guys at me in waves, make them easy to kill so I can mow them down like a Jedi really does ... that, my friend, is fun; a really long, continuious fight!

Well I'd call it a really long, continous and TEDIOUS fight... I've got nothing against showing off how badass my character has become but that part bored me to tears since the waves simply wouldn't bloody stop! Call me crazy but I'd rather face off against a smaller but more experienced wave of attackers rather than that Sith kindergarten dropouts that you were forced to fight..........