Preview Kotor II preview-interview at EGM

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

<a href=http://www.egmmag.com>EGM</a> posted a <a href=http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1606143,00.asp>preview</a> of <b>KotOR II</b> filled with memorable quotes and trivia from the development team. For example, did you know that MCA threw his controller down and said "what a ######!" (we had to censor it for the children) when he first tried <a href=http://www.bioware.com/games/knights_old_republic>KotOR</a>? Read on, if you didn't.
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<blockquote>The team was already brainstorming how to make a Star Wars RPG before getting to play the first KOTOR. And that's the rub: When they got their hands on the game, they knew that making an impressive follow-up would be a Death Star–size challenge. "We had a huge list of features," Chief Development Officer Chris Parker says. "Then we played it and we were like, 'Son of a b****! They did that too!'" </blockquote>I guess the ideas they had didn't revolve around role-playing.
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[Sol Invictus]

Why are you censoring your news posts?

Our target audience doesn't consist of 5 year olds.

 

[Whipporowill]

Why are you censoring your news posts?

Our target audience doesn't consist of 5 year olds.

Well. EGM's does, apparently? And I think that's VD's schtick here...

 

[Sol Invictus]

Oh, heh. I just finished reading it. Yeah, I see that now.

Good interview, by the way. A year away, though? Lies! December 2004. I wonder when the interview was done - probably last month or a month back, because I remember seeing the EGM issue with KOTOR2 on the cover last month.

It looks like the game is going to be more like Anachronox in terms of character interaction than KOTOR, though nowhere as linear.

 

[Kamaz]

Anachronox, Anachronox...hmmmz...havent played that game. Say, is it worth a try? If my cRPG game menu consists of items like Fallout, Fallout,Fallout, Fallout, Fallout2, Deus Ex(not the second), Arcanum [ooof...could be better]. I know its damn offtopic, but huh, you censored the article, so you consider possibility that here might be some 5 year old individuals. And those individuals often like to go on offtopic and do lots of spelling [yelling] mistakes allaround their posts, so I guess you should be ready for that happening anyways.

But on topic, I read the interview and felt somehow...dont know, but I started to think about game industry and things that are right and things that aint. KOTOR is not that good. And actually the graphics make it even worse. Meanwhile its eventually the best cRPG on consoles ever made [if not considering Mac as console where Fallout comes and kills], it features some very good elements and gives actually some roleplay instead of "Beat`em`all`like`in`good`ol'`diablo" . That is why it's pitty to see the potential wasted. I think the first thing to do would be removing that fucking [like 5year olds say nowadays] D`n`D role playing system. Like Fallout devs did with GURPS and introducing the SPECIAL. D`n`D is NOT suitable for StarWars setting. Lightsabres [or whatever you call those enhanced lightbulbs] can NOT be fought with NOT-LIGHTSABRES. I mean, they should stick to setting where that glowing stick was like plasma beam and was ultimate weapon easely cutting off limbs and damaging everything that stood in its way. But not the goddamned iron-sword analogues in fantasy world.
Then I would like to see some fresh ideas in game, because that universe stinks. I hate playing game that glows from its commerciality and brands sticked all around. I cant play the story not being JEDI [thank God they cancelled amnesia]. I hate JEDI. I HATE JEDI even more than Siths while I hate Siths very much, because they are made so silly and slime, and ... doooh. So, where was I? Oh, yes, I HATE JEDI. And its the reason I could not manage the first game. Han Solo also is in that game world (StarWarsâ„¢), wouldnt it be nice from developers to give us at least his kind of character? please, mr.Obsidian fellas, I would be really thankful ..oh well, not in my time, damn. That was teh second point - I HATE PLAYING JEDI. The idea of Jedi would not be so bad, but I am getting sick of them allready. Jedi here, Jedi there, Jedi everywhere. KILL THE GODDAMNED JEDI's please! Mr. Darth Vader, please, could you? I guess those poor guys just played too much of KOTOR and ended up really killing JEDI's. That doesnt make them better anyways, but at least they tried to make the world better. So, that is it - next KOTOR should feature main character that is NOT obligatory a JEDI. Jedi could be story side branch like in Fallout it was Paladin of BoS.[Yes, did I mention, I hate BoS? Why? Because they are all around everywhere like shitty JEDI, thats why!] That would make the game only better. And would give some prestige of being JEDI. [for those unfortunates, that adore that filthy kind] And, yes, please, no more Yoda-likes.
The third thing to improve the KOTOR would be optimizing that party thing. I dont know 'bout you, fellas, but I could not make myself believe that I can 1)quickly change my party config from distance [remote control]; 2)control only three chars at time..that I can not play solo. I hated the wookie from first sight, just like that blue-skinned arrogant female like creature. I wanted them all GONE. And far far away. They really ruined the atmosphere of game, because from beginning it was ok. And yes, I want Ebon Hawk shredded into millions of pieces, because it would be nice to steel/gamble/buy my own StarWarsâ„¢ wehicle or figure out how to transport myself. I would raise some additional quests that would improve the overall game world's feel.
Next thing. Please, kill all Siths. And all keycharacters. At least in the end of the game, please. I am getting tired of those fellas, that never die and come back time after time. ANd Malok [or how he was called] should be sent as far as possible and shot. ANd then shot again. Does all evil Jedi have to weare some mechanical body parts or is it just stylish? The cliche's are killing me! At least once, could there be more elaborated, more complex evil character, a villain. Worth to fight against, not those three times recycled second level bad-fellas with metalic parts and Jedi past.
Next thing. Oh..no..lets say its enough. Man, you can not wish for too much...

 

[Sol Invictus]

Anachronox is definitely worth a try, its storyline is quite easily the best in any RPG I've played.

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

snip...

I tried reading that but my eyes started to bleed....

 

[Kamaz]

Here's the long things short:
1)is Anachronox good? {yes}
and what I would like to see in future KOTORs -
2)NO DnD system for future KOTOR's, please
3)I HATE JEDI [so, HanSolo like char's please included]
4)better[worse?] villains [not half-mechanical bad JEDI's]
5)more realistic party managment

 

[S4ur0n27]

Yea, half-mechanical jedis blow.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

2)NO DnD system for future KOTOR's, please

I wouldn't mind the d20 system used so much if the game wasn't so D&D-like. If they made the sabers something deadly and used a system of parrying and such where the victor wears down the opponent rather than who can get the most smacks in, then that'd be better for sabers. Hell, it's rather amazing a Jedi can block a blaster shot but not a saber swing all the time.

3)I HATE JEDI [so, HanSolo like char's please included]

It would be nice, especially for replayability value. That's one thing I didn't like about KotOR much, you didn't have a choice in becoming a Jedi because the story called for Jedi Powahz. I'd rather have the choice.

Then again, we're also back to the D&D thing where ranged weapons were irritatingly weak compared to melee weapons.

4)better[worse?] villains [not half-mechanical bad JEDI's]

Or a less uber villian like say, a Hutt. The whole galaxy in peril stuff is just a bit too much, especially when it was only in peril five years before this.

5)more realistic party managment

A party that doesn't annoy you with their personal issues every few moments would be nice as well.

 

[Voss]

The problem with the non-jedi characters is that if it were anything but Star Wars, everyone would immediately notice that the Force users were extremely broken and unbalanced. Their on a completely different level. So if you're facing force users with non-force users, you're going to get severely mauled, every time.
This causes problems.

Then theres also the little issue of what lucas arts requires in the games they license.

 

[mr. lamat]

there's also a reason it's called 'knights of the old republic' not 'mundane serfs in a galaxy far, far away'. the advancement/return to the jedi order was a given, not forced upon you.

A party that doesn't annoy you with their personal issues every few moments would be nice as well.

after a weekend-long binge of full spectrum warrior, i have to say it's simply the best 'party-banter' i've ever heard, in both content and deliverance. granted, lucasarts isn't going to allow the phrase "what the hell were you thinking zeke? we're the fucking us army." but obsidian could at least do away with bringing up the dialogue screne and just have the characters speak aloud, inside engine. it'd save time, for both the player and devs.

 

[suibhne]

Fyi, that's the same EGM preview that was mentioned months back. The only difference now is that it's published online; previously we argued over shitty low-res scans of the print version.

Let it also be known that I've decided, after long and thoughtful deliberation, to viciously bludgeon the mental cripple who wrote the phrase "Don't get your Jedi panties in a bunch."